“Me. What?” Rhys prompts.
“You,” I repeat, still lost in the unfamiliar feelings.
“You’ll have to be more specific, kitten.” His lips curl up in a smirk and still linger too far from where I want them, but I don’t want to— I can’t beg.
“God Rhys, just take it,” I snap.
He frames my face with both hands, not moving an inch away from me. “No,” he says firmly. He reaches up and slips the clip out of my hair, letting it fall all around my shoulders and studying the result with interest. He strokes a few stray strands out of my face, almost reverently. He seems satisfied with his effort when he looks back into my eyes. “I’m not taking anything. You’ll give it to me, Charlotte. Now, tell me what you want.”
“I want you, Rhys,” I cry, no longer caring who hears.
In a flash his lips take mine. I can’t think, I can only feel him hard on me, devouring me. He deepens the kiss, his tongue as commanding as the man himself. I open to him willingly, bending to his will. I’ve never been kissed like this before.
Suddenly he breaks the kiss off and presses his forehead to mine, both of us breathing heavy. “Fuck, kitten, if I don’t stop I’m going to take you right here.”
I’m ripped from the bliss of surrender, aware of my surroundings again as the sounds of the busy street can once again be heard. Christ, what am I doing?
“Come home with me,” Rhys asks tightly, sounding almost in his own battle with himself.
My heart races, the possibilities flash through my mind. But I have to be strong. “I can’t.”
Rhys looks at the ground for a beat, before looking back into my eyes. He searches for something there for a long moment, then nods his head, regretfully. “Okay, kitten,” he says, stepping away. “Let’s get you home.”
Eleven
Restless, that’s how I slept.
I was damn lucky that Louise wasn’t up when I left for work this morning. She is going to be all over this like a rash, and to make things worse, I’m not going to be able to hide my ‘oh yeah, stuff definitely happened’ face. She’s going to know just from looking at me. I was better off in New York. At least I could hide my shit from her there. As if she knows I’m thinking her name, my phone chimes.
Louise: We need to catch up.
Me: Yeah yeah yeah…
With her message window open, I see the picture of Rhys and me from last night and my body instantly reacts to the sight of him. In the photo he’s being silly, kissing my cheek, but I’m reminded of the feel of his hot breath on my skin and his lips caressing mine. I have to draw in a deep breath to cool myself off.
It’s a great photo and I promised to send it to him. I could just forget all about it, but it seems I’m a glutton for punishment, because I’m reaching for my purse and pulling out his number before I can stop myself.
I hit send with a mixture of revulsion and excitement. Well then that’s perfect isn’t it, now he has my number.
A knock on my office door pulls me out of head. John is leaning on the doorframe and grateful for the interruption, I greet him eagerly. “John!”
“Hey, Charlotte.” He smiles, stepping in.
“I hope you have news for me about what we are going to do about the missing funds.”
I see him deflate slightly, his shoulders slump as he takes the chair across from me. “Mr. McAllister wants us to note the missing funds, settle the books and he will take it from there.”
“What does that mean? He’s going to press charges, right?” I fold my hands setting them on the desk.
“To be honest, Charlotte, I don’t think he’s going to do anything.”
“What? That’s a crock of shit,” I snap, regretting my outburst immediately. “I apologize.”
“No, I agree with you,” John admits. “But it’s Mr. McAllister’s call and all we can do right now is the job he's asking us to do.”
I suppress the desire to scoff. I must remain professional and he’s right. “Well, that brings me to my next order of business,” I tell him.
“I’m all ears.” John sits back and crosses his legs.
I like the fact that he listens and has been taking my ideas. It’s gratifying to know I’m valued despite the stuff with my predecessor.
“I want to completely overhaul the expense system effective immediately. I think we need to start over. There are too many opportunities to exploit it in its current state. Obviously the honor system has worked well until now, but the company is growing and the family it prides itself in being right now, won’t always be as close knit. I think it’s a good time to look at other systems and find one that gives us the security we need for the future.”
John nods in thought for a few beats. Then he smiles. “You have my blessing,” he says simply.
“Your blessing?” I frown. “Thanks. But I was hoping more for the green light from the top.”
“Charlotte, the department is yours to run the way you see fit. Mr. McAllister trusts you. The lights are green all the way. Do what you think is best for Liberty.”
I feel my brows creep up. I usually don’t like to show surprise in the workplace because it feels like weakness, but really. “I’ll tell you, I can’t wait to meet him and find out what exactly I’ve done to earn this trust.”
John shifts uncomfortably at my mention of meeting the evasive boss. “Indeed.” Is all he can reply. “Now,” he says in a much lighter tone, changing the subject completely. “How are you settling in to London life?”
“I love the city.”
“Excellent. And your living arrangements?”
“Well, let’s just say I love my best friend like a sister, but her romantic tastes leave a lot to be desired.”
“Ah.” John smiles knowingly. “Time to find your own place maybe?”
Sitting back in my chair, I sigh. “Perhaps.”
“Well don’t forget the offer I made.”
I’d wanted to spend some time with Louise before I put down my own roots, but I don’t blame her for the disruption to that plan. I did spring it on her that I was coming and she hadn’t known that she would be diving fully into a new relationship at precisely that moment. Of course she wants to spend her time with Cami, who…isn’t entirely bad. She’s just a little full on for my liking and has boundary issues like you wouldn’t believe. And if I get my own place, I’ll see Louise plenty. I look up at John, who is patiently waiting for my thoughts to run their course. “How long of a waiting list is there to get into the building?” I finally ask.
“There is no wait for you. We had a newly vacated unit available when you interviewed and it has since been refurbished. I requested for it to be kept available for a few weeks until you were ready to consider it. I had a feeling that before long, you’d be in the market for your own place. I think it will be perfect for you.”
“Seriously?” I think back to last night, when I had to sneak in after dinner with Rhys and then this morning when I left super early to avoid the questions. I think it’s time I at least considered it. Not that I plan to make a habit of needing to sneak home after nights out of course. But if, I did ever, you know, have to do a walk of shame, at least there would be no one there to witness it. “Could I set up a viewing?”
“No need. I can show you. Would you like to go up now?”
I check my watch and note that it’s only a little before noon, but if John is happy to take an early lunch to show me, I’m in. “Sure.”
I grab my phone and my work badge, clipping it to my skirt. “Lead the way.”
We walk through the office and out to the lobby. John pushes the button to go up. I’m excited. The building is nice and it would be convenient to live so close to work. The more I consider it, the more appealing it seems. I have to wait to see what the apartment is like before I set my heart on the whole idea.
“How did you like living here?” I ask, trying to rein myself in a little.
“We were very happy here. It suited us well. Th
e building is secure. The landlord is reasonable.” He smirks. “We only moved because our situation changed.” He uses a special key to access the upper floors. “I honestly think you’ll like it here.”
“Do people from work drop by all the time?” I ask, voicing one of my concerns.
John chuckles as he shakes his head. “You don’t have to worry about that. The office won’t trouble you when you are off the clock. It’s an unspoken rule. The tenants aren’t all company employees, so your neighbors are just that, your neighbors. You can integrate with them as much as you please.” He glances at me and chuckles again. “Or as little as you please. Seriously, Charlotte. It’s no different than living in any other apartment building. You’ll forget that it’s in the same building as your office as soon as you pass the tenth floor.”
As we travel through the floors, I make a mental note that I could take the stairs if I move in. I could use the workout, especially if I’m not going to be walking in from the tube station. We get off the elevator at the second to last floor and walk down a short hall. “It doesn’t look like there are many units to a floor,” I muse, following John.
“There aren’t, only four on this floor.”
“Are they all the same size?”
“No, the two end units are the biggest, aside from the penthouse.” He stops in front of the door at the end and unlocks the door, pushing it open and standing aside for me to enter. “It’s three bedrooms, fully furnished,” he informs me as I pass.
The first thing I notice is how white and clean everything is. The ceilings are high and light floods the space, since glass makes up most of the external walls. A huge white sectional sofa filled with colorful throw pillows marks out the living area of the open space. Dark hardwood flooring runs throughout. I follow the room around to a big kitchen table with seating for eight, which separates the living area from a stunning kitchen with white marble countertops and white cabinets, offset with brightly colored accessories and accents. The whole space feels homey and warm considering the starkness of the white.
“What do you think?” John asks from the living room. I turn to find him looking out at the view of the city.
“I love it, John. But can I afford this?” I feel like it might be a little too far out of my budget, so I don’t want to get my hopes up.
John turns to face me. “Well, it’s a little unusual, but since we had been expecting to sponsor you and take care of your move financially and you got ahead of us there, Mr. McAllister is willing to include this apartment in your contract for a year.”
“You’re kidding me.” I stare wide-eyed at him.
“Nope. The place is yours if you want it. And after a year, if you don’t want to make other arrangements, you can more than afford it, Charlotte. Trust me.”
I'm almost speechless. I scan the space, taking in the details and see myself being very comfortable here. “And there are three bedrooms?” I ask, wondering about the rest of the living space.
“Yes, all furnished. If you want one of the bedrooms converted into a home office we can do that, but I will say that when you leave work, we want you to leave it in the office and not work at home.”
I nod, agreeing with that. It will help me not become obsessive about the job if I don't have a dedicated place to work at home. “Which way are the bedrooms?”
John points back toward the entrance hall. “On the right you have the master suite, then on the other side are the other two bedrooms. All en suite of course and then there is a guest bathroom here.” He indicates a door on the opposite side of the entrance way.
“There’s outside space too. Your balcony runs from the living room, past the kitchen and wraps around to the master suite. All the windows are sliders.”
I walk down the hall to the master suite and my mouth drops when I look inside. A huge king size bed takes up one wall, the bedding is white but the frame and headboard are a deep teal and accents in shades of teal all around the place make the room feel inviting and warm. “You have an amazing designer.”
“Mr. McAllister likes to make all the design decisions himself.”
“Wow. Well for someone I’ve never met he sure picked out colors I love.”
“He has a way of knowing what people like.”
I walk over to the window and look out over the place I now call home.
“So?” John prompts behind me.
I spin around with a big smile. “So, when can I move in?”
He grins, reaching into his pocket and handing me a set of keys. “Anytime you are ready.”
I cover my mouth with my hand to prevent a squeal of delight escaping when I accept them. “Thank you so much, John.”
“Don’t thank me.” He holds up his hands.
“I’ll have to break it to Louise tonight. She won’t mind having her place back to herself I’m sure.”
My phone buzzes and I look down at the screen, freezing at the sight of his name.
Rhys: Thank you, kitten x
I open it up and am hit again with the heady need he makes me feel when I see us together in the picture. Remembering where I am, I guiltily close the message and look up.
“Sorry, John, I didn’t mean to be rude.”
“No problem, I should get going anyway. Do you want me to leave you up here to look around a little more?”
“If you don’t mind. I’ll be back down in a little bit.”
“Of course, take your time. I’ll see you later.” He excuses himself and a few seconds later I hear the front door click shut.
This time I don’t hold back my squee of excitement. This place is amazing, everything I could have hoped for and more. I can’t wait to show Louise and begin snapping pictures with my phone so I can show her later. Taking my time I visit each room, taking in details and peeking into closets and storage spaces, cataloging it all on my phone so I can revisit it from my desk later.
I am in love with this apartment.
Deciding I’m not going to avoid telling Louise, I text her.
Me: I have news. Pizza Express tonight?
Buttering her up with her favorite is smart.
Louise: Sounds great and intriguing. It’s a date.
I smile and set my phone on the kitchen counter so I have free hands to explore all of these cabinets.
My phone buzzes again while I’m investigating the massive refrigerator and I decide it’s probably time to stop daydreaming about what it’s going to be like living here and get back to work. I pick up my phone and can’t help my smile.
Rhys: How’s your day going?
Well, he’s trying.
Me: Good. Actually, I just got myself a new place to live!
Rhys: That’s great news, you should celebrate. Can I take you out?
Me: Sorry, I’m having dinner with a friend.
I know exactly how that sounds and I’m not sorry one little bit. I’m already in deep enough shit. Every time he calls me kitten I get giddy and he knows it. It won’t hurt for him to think I might have another date.
Rhys: Lucky friend. Maybe another night?
Gracious in defeat. Who would have thought it? I decide to reward his good grace.
Me: Definitely.
Twelve
“I’m going to miss you.” Louise mopes while I zip my last suitcase closed. “You’re moving into a dream apartment and I am still in this little shithole.”
“Hey! This is not a shithole.”
“I know. I know.”
“It will be good for you and Cami to have your own space.”
“Yeah,” she sighs with absolutely no enthusiasm at all.
“Come on, Lou, we knew I wouldn’t live with you forever.” Guilt eats at me because Cami is the main reason it didn’t last longer and even though it’s the truth, I don’t want her to think that.
“You know she probably won’t be around as much as you think,” Louise reasons, seeing right through me.
“How the hell do you do that?” I ask.
/> “I can see it in your eyes, you go into panic mode when you go out of your comfort zone.”
“Come on now, I think I do a great job of hiding it.”
“You do, but I know you.” She gives me that knowing smile that I want to smack off her face.
My phone chimes loudly. Since I’m with Louise it can really only be one of two other people.
“Oh you have the sound up on your phone, very interesting.” Louise waggles her eyebrows at me.
I feel my face heating. “Shut your mouth.”
Louise laughs. “Is it the friend, or the soon to be lover?”
“Louise! You don’t know that.”
Rhys and I met for coffee once this week, because between work and my move that was all I could fit in. He was a perfect gentleman, I was a bit disappointed. I kinda wanted him to go all alpha on me again. He has been texting though, quite a bit, hence the volume being up on my phone. I get a little thrill of excitement when I hear it…and of course Louise picks up on that detail right away.
“Oh I know, Charlotte, your bright red face is telling me all I need to know. Check your text.”
I swipe open my phone quickly and see a message from Rhys.
Rhys: Dinner tonight?
“He wants to go to dinner tonight.”
“Aren’t you a lucky duck. Your stuff from storage is already there, so you only have these few things to move and unpack. You should go.”
“I know. I’m going to say yes.”
Me: Sure, after I’m done moving?
Rhys: Need help?
Me: No, Louise and I have it. Ttyl
Rhys: Okay. Send me your address and a time.
“You deserve to have some fun,” Louise tells me, placing her hand on my forearm and squeezing. I know she wants to hug me but she knows my limits and refrains.
“I agree.” I nod, because I do, but Louise seems determined to get her message heard and grips my arm a little tighter.
“I mean it. You need to go out there and take some chances, step out of your comfort zone. It’s what you intended when you made the move, so you have to see it through. Really Charlotte, a fifteen-minute tube ride is a hell of a lot better than a six hour flight. You could live with me until we’re old and gray, but that’s not what you need. You need to live.” She throws her arms around me and I return the hug, releasing her before she’s ready.
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