Nicholas nods. “No, you didn’t, so it looks like tomorrow, you’ll be heading back to finish the job. I know you won’t disappoint me.”
The confidence he has in me is overwhelming.
“I won’t,” I reply. “I promise.”
I glance over at Richard, who’s turning impossibly red as he grips the table in a death-like vice. He looks like he’s one minute from exploding. Nicholas is just outside the conference room when he turns around and shoots Richard a withering look.
“Oh, and Richard, pack your things. Striker will be here shortly to escort you out of the building. If that isn’t clear enough, I want you to know, you’re fired.”
25
DECLAN
“How did you get those scars?”
My eyes flicker over to the small boy sitting a seat away from me on the flight. His inquisitive gaze scans my face as if trying to figure out if my puckered skin is real or just a prosthetic layer like in the movies. Before I can answer him, his mother yanks his ear. She whispers something about how it’s rude to stare, and I smile at the words. It wasn’t long ago that I told Olivia the same thing.
Olivia. The time spent apart from her has been too long. It took me two extra days to finish my manuscript, but with Adele’s encouragement, I completed the final chapters of the book. By the last paragraph, my heart was aching to see Olivia. To say the words my characters had the strength to say. I love you. I can’t live without you. I don’t want to live without you.
I realized at that moment that I couldn’t just write them down and hope she understood. I needed to say them to her. I booked my flight at the last possible moment and here I am. Out in the open. For the most part, the screams that I anticipated have been kept to a minimum. I notice a few flicker of eyes walking through the airport, but most people have kept to themselves.
“Sorry,” the young mother says, snapping my attention to her.
She’s young like Olivia, but she’s carrying a young child in her arms, and her eldest is seated on my right.
“That’s all right. I don’t mind.”
She nods at me with an embarrassed smile. I’m just glad she isn’t telling her children I’m a monster.
“You can’t blame him for being curious.” I try chuckling.
The young boy continues to stare at me, taking in my physical appearance. The old me would be furious to be looked at like this, but his curious eyes don’t bother me the way they should.
“Does it hurt?” he asks, reaching up.
“Nathan,” he didn’t ask to be touched” the mother scolds.
I shake my head in amusement.
“No, it doesn’t, Nathan, but it used to.”
“Do you want a chocolate?” The boy reaches into his pocket and produces three random M&Ms. I’m not sure how long they’ve been sitting in his pocket, but I gladly take them picking the lint off between them.
I spend the rest of my flight chatting with the young boy about books of all things. His favorite books are Harry Potter. When it comes to disembarking from the plane, I notice Nathan walking with a slight limp. Before going off with his mother, he turns around and gives me a hug. It’s a strange thing, but his mother shoots me a sad encouraging smile.
“I think you remind him of my husband. He passed away recently.”
My chest squeezes for this mother I hardly know.
“I’m sorry,” I add.
“Thank you for listening to him. He’s been bullied a lot at school. The other little kids think he looks funny. I think he was just happy to meet someone like— I mean, talk to someone,” she says, flustered.
I bite back a laugh. To meet someone who looks funny?
I lean down so that I’m at eye level with the young boy named Nathan. I don’t know what’s going on with his leg, but it doesn’t make my words any less true.
“Just remember, Nathan, you’re one of a kind.” He smiles, touching my face for a brief moment. “Just like Harry Potter,” I say.
I check my email hoping to see a reply from Olivia regarding my manuscript. My chest squeezes at the sight of her email address. I click to open the message on my phone, slowly taking in her words. Except they’re not her words. My temper flares as I realize the email isn’t from Olivia. It’s from Richard Grant. The man who was supposed to be editing my novels for the past two years, but who was too fucking lazy to pick up a finger to do it.
Thank you for your submission. As of today, Olivia Evans no longer works here.
What the fuck?
I check the timestamp. The email came early yesterday but somehow, I missed it. It’s a little over two weeks since Olivia left to be with her father. Too many days that I haven’t been able to muster the courage to call, and now that I’ve flown to New York, I find out she’s fired? Shit.
Adele was right. I should’ve fucking gone to New York two weeks ago.
There’s no way in hell I’m letting Olivia lose her job because I couldn’t finish my book on time. No fucking way.
I grimace at the thought of showing up to the publisher’s offices looking the way I do now. They don’t know about the accident. In fact, the last time I was at StoneHaven Publishing was almost four years ago. I attended their annual gala, the one that ended in a scandal because the owner’s son ran off with his assistant. Now, that same man is the one who writes my checks, signs my contacts—and has the power to give Olivia’s job back.
God, I fucking miss her.
Whether she wants me back or not, I’m doing this for her.
26
OLIVIA
The End.
I stare at the manuscript in front of me, scarcely able to believe what I’m looking at. It's Declan’s completed work, and it’s amazing. The same one he had asked for an extension. I was almost sure I wouldn’t get to see it, but God, I’m glad I did.
A few days ago, Richard Grant made the mistake of firing me. It turns out getting fired from StoneHaven Publishing was a blessing in disguise because I wasn’t the only one who was unhappy with Richard. One of the other Senior Editors blew the whistle on his long train of bullshit when he tried to push his work onto another assistant editor. It didn’t take long, mere hours, actually, for Nicholas StoneHaven to personally call me in and offer me my job back.
Well, not my job, but Richard’s old job.
I smile, blinking back the happy tears in my eyes, as I scan over Declan’s manuscript. Each word more lovely than the last. I can’t believe it’s done. I’ve been dreaming about this since I had arrived at Hart Manor. And now it’s actually finished. It’s the second-best thing that’s happened to me this week. Getting my job back is so far the first, but watching Richard Grant collect his things comes pretty damn close. The only thing that would make today better is being able to tell Declan we can continue working together. That I— That I love him. Even if he doesn’t share the same feelings toward me.
My life with him felt like a fantasy, but I know it was probably just that—a fantasy. Boring women like me don’t get the prince, despite how much Declan liked to call me princess.
God, I miss him so badly. I thought it would get better with time, that I’d miss him less as the days went by. I thought staying busy would keep the grief at bay, but it hasn’t. I sigh as I save the completed draft of Declan’s manuscript. After checking my email one more time, I take a moment to stretch my stiff muscles. My body misses all the exercise we got in Vegas, the swimming and walking and, well, the sex.
I definitely miss the sex.
“Olivia?”
I turn to find Ken Phillips, the other Senior Editor at work, staring at me.
“Hi, Ken. Can I help with something?”
He looks a little nervous today. He’s huffing slightly like he’s been running.
“Uh, the boss needs you to come to his office,” he breathes. He says the words like he’s trying to keep his voice down. “There’s a client here, and he’s sort of going apeshit, and well, he wants to see you.”
&
nbsp; My frown deepens. “Me? I’ve never personally met any of Richard’s clients.”
“He definitely seems to know you. Does the name Declan Hart sound familiar?”
My heart stops. There’s no way Declan is here.
“I’m sorry, did you say Declan Hart?” I ask.
Ken steps closer until he’s only a foot away from me. His nervous expression suddenly turns very serious.
“I should warn you…do not look at his face too long.”
I stop breathing. Declan is here in New York? At my work?
I can hardly believe it. He wouldn’t have left the house, wouldn’t have traveled across the country. That’s too much exposure, too many people seeing him, judging him. Could he be so brave now that he’d face that? Why would he do that?
“Now we know why we haven’t seen him for years,” Ken adds.
My breath returns, but it’s ragged as if I just ran fifty sprints.
“Anyway, you need to go see the boss. Declan sort of lost it when he saw him. He started cursing up a storm and threatened to go with another competitor.”
I’m silent, processing all of this. I can just imagine how he was. I’ve seen him lose his temper before, and it’s not pretty. He’s changed so much since then.
“You better go. Nicholas wasn’t asking.”
I look down at myself, noting the not-so-flattering skirt and shirt I chose to wear today. I sigh. If I knew Declan Hart was coming here, I definitely would’ve worn nicer clothes. And nicer underwear.
“I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
Ken nods with a tight smile, leaving me to wrestle with my thoughts. I grab my makeup bag from my purse and brush some more powder on. There’s no need for any blush. My cheeks are already pink with excitement. I bite my lip, wondering how long I’ll be able to stand in the same room with Declan before I throw myself on top of him.
Be professional, Olivia. You just got your job back. You don’t want to lose it because you threw yourself at a client.
He’s your client, remember?
Just your client.
27
DECLAN
After flying several hours to be here and wandering the city until dawn, I’m exhausted. The only thing I want to do right now is to bury my face in Olivia’s sweet tits and tell her how much I love her. Instead, I’m dealing with the tall blond in a suit who’s staring at me with a curious gaze. Although he sees my scars, he doesn’t linger on them long. Instead, he walks over and offers me a chair, but I don’t take it. I also don’t take the bottle of water he offers, despite how thirsty I actually am. I’m not here for fucking pleasantries.
“There’s no need to yell, Hart,” he says.
Nicholas StoneHaven stares at me with the smuggest smile I’ve ever fucking seen, and I’m two minutes away from walking over and punching the fuck out of him. It might not be a good idea to bite the hand that feeds you, but I’m tempted.
“If you fired her, I’m done with this company. You hear me? Done.”
“Are you finished?” he asks with an almost bored expression.
“I haven’t even started,” I threaten.
“Declan, will you breathe and let me actually finish what I’m about to say?”
I growl. “Fine.”
“We had our suspicions about Richard Grant’s work ethic. We heard rumors from two credible sources that he had Olivia doing his work. While she was gone, it became very apparent that Richard was no longer interested in actually working. So while we sent Olivia to help you move forward with your contract, we also sent her so that we could test our theory.”
I huff in relief at the words that spill forward.
“Wait, then why did Grant email me that she was fired?”
Nicholas grimaces.
“Unfortunately, he did fire her, but as soon as I found out, I reached out to Olivia.”
I fucking loathe that asshole right now. I have since the moment I met Grant years ago at a publishing convention. He oozed sleaze ball. My former loathing for him is nothing compared to how I felt when I read his email about my Olivia. My heart squeezes in regret.
She’s not my Olivia. Not anymore, not really. But I will always love her. So why the fuck didn’t I follow her? I had nothing keeping me back home except my own cowardice. I was afraid people would judge me, would be disgusted by me. And that all may be true. Although Nicholas StoneHaven doesn’t seem all that affected by physical scars.
At the end of the day, there’s only one person's opinion that I care about. One person who always looks at me as if I'm the most beautiful thing she’s ever seen. And I let her go. I watched her walk away and did nothing to stop her, nothing to call her back. But now I have a chance to make it right.
“So where is she now?” I ask impatiently.
Nicholas’s gaze pops up as I hear the door behind me open. For a moment, the scent of a flowery perfume wafts over to me. I turn in surprise to see her standing there.
Olivia. She's here, lingering in the doorway. Something stirs inside me at the sight of her sliding her lip between her teeth.
It's been too long.
“You wanted to see me, sir?” her eyes quickly glance to the man behind me.
The knot in my chest grows tighter. Maybe I was just a fling for her? Maybe I was just a fantasy. A fantasy not worth making into reality. Was I stupid to come here and expect her to be happy to see me?
Olivia smiles and steps forward. “It’s good to see you again,” she says, stepping forward and giving me her hand. “Mr. Hart.”
The formalness of her tone sends a stabbing sensation into my chest. I told her once never to call me that. That she was more to me than just my editor. I’m reminded of it now. The thing is she never said I was more than just her client.
I shake my head. “Olivia, I—”
She looks down at her feet for a moment. I’m stricken with the idea of kissing her and telling her that I love her, telling her I can’t live without her.
“What are you doing here,” she asks.
I raise my eyebrows. “I got an email that you were fired.”
Why the fuck aren’t we talking about how much I fucking missed her? Why are we dancing around the subject?
She nods. “Grant fired me, but Mr. StoneHaven was generous enough to give me my job back.”
My gaze flickers over to the man leaning against his desk with an open smile. His arms are crossed over his front as if he’s enjoying the show in front of him. He looks at me, and then to Olivia… and then mumbles something about owing someone money.
“I would love to sit here and continue to play cupid, but I have a meeting in fifteen minutes,” he begins to say. “Feel free to use the privacy of my office to talk.”
There’s an emphasis on the word talk, as if people like to do other things in his office. I’m beginning to think that Nicholas StoneHaven knows a lot more than he’s willing to let on. Did Olivia tell him about us? We both silently watch as he leaves the room and closes the door behind him. For a moment, I’m grateful for the privacy he’s given us, and at the same time, my heart aches at how standoffish Olivia’s still being.
Her eyes slowly look at me. They take me in from my head to my shoes.
“Did you only come back because I got fired?”
“No,” I reply. "I came back because I'm a fucking idiot and I should've come with you in the first place."
I take a deep breath before taking a step forward, and then another step until I’m only inches from her. I’ve dreamt about this for the past several weeks. I’ve dreamt of touching her soft skin and feeling her lips across mine. I’ve dreamt about making love to her under the stars until she’s screaming my name instead of God’s name.
“I missed you, Declan.” She reaches out a hand, pushing my hair off my face. Her fingers trail down my jaw, and I shiver. “I thought about you every day. I just couldn’t bring myself to believe that you wanted me just as much.”
I pull her into my arms, rubbing my
hardening erection against her. Her breath hitches and her moon-shaped eyes widen. They look so much greener today.
I frown. “You wouldn't have had to miss me if you hadn't left me.”
She bites her lip. “I know. But I had to…you know I did.”
I nod reluctantly. “How's your dad?”
Her smile is blinding, and I suck in a breath. God, I missed that smile. “He's doing so much better,” she says. “Thanks to you,” she adds. “Declan, I can't thank you enough for what you did. For paying everything off like that.”
I shrug, looking down at her hands. I miss them being wrapped around me. “It’s nothing. I would do it all over again given the chance.”
She reaches up and kisses me with an overwhelming amount of force that we nearly fall backward. I welcome her soft lips against mine. Nothing has ever tasted better to me. She pulls back before I have a chance to show her just how much I’ve missed kissing her. Missed touching her.
“What you did was generous and kind. You’re a good man, Declan. So good.”
I shudder at her words. That's all I've ever wanted. To be good. To be worthy of someone like her.
“It’s nice to hear you say that when I’m not fucking you,” I tease.
She leans in until the tip of her nose brushes mine and with a smile lighting up her face. “You and your filthy words.”
“You love them.”
Her smile breaks into a laugh. “I love you, Declan…but you're right, I think I’ve loved you since the moment I first read your books.”
A smile slowly spreads across my face. Love? “Wait. What did you say?”
“You're the best man I've ever known,” she continues.
I stare at her as her eyes brim with tears. I don’t know what I did to deserve this beautiful rose in my life, but she’s given me my life back. And I want to spend the rest of it making her happy.
Filthy Beast (Filthy Fairy Tales #1) Page 13