Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 107660 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107660 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
The entire drive home, I wondered how the hell I planned on getting out of yet another lie.
Especially a lie that would set off an atomic bomb explosion if Aspen ever found out that I called her my intended fiancée.
CHAPTER 7
ASPEN
I strutted down the hall with shame, dread, excitement, and a slew of other emotions I attempted to shove down under an icy veneer. The juxtaposition of my insides versus my outside would have been comical if it were anyone else but me. Walking confidently toward a business meeting with a file of ways to increase our profits. Shaking on the inside because I knew Lucian would be sitting across the table.
He’d been out of the office for the last week, and it annoyed me how much I noticed his absence. I exited the elevator every day and held my breath, expecting him to be waiting in my office to make me face what had happened.
And I couldn’t. Hell, I’d been avoiding my own thoughts of “what the fuck had that been?” The way I ceded all control to him. The way his demands calmed me. All of it left me reeling and avoiding digging too deep.
I’d run approximately forty-six miles on my treadmill just to keep myself busy and too exhausted to stay awake to think it over when I finally laid down to sleep. Chaotic thoughts ran amok, and the worst part was, after that first night, I couldn’t even bring myself to call Ash like I usually did when I was on edge.
Which was a whole other “what the fuck is going on” thought I preferred to ignore.
However, my time was up because I had no doubt that when I entered the room, he’d look at me like he knew all my secrets and had no plans of letting me hide them. I’d known men like him before and they never passed up an opportunity to lord a weakness over their foes. Which was why I planned my outfit with precision. He might have seen me weak, but I saw his desire before his phone went off, and I armed myself with the knowledge.
I wore red lipstick, an extra tight pencil skirt, a simple T-shirt, stilettos, and pantyhose with a pinstripe up the back. If he wanted to look at me, then I’d make sure he had something to see from my lips to my toes, hoping to create chaos in his mind in return—or his pants.
Sucking in one last deep breath, I reached the meeting room door. With a slow exhale, I ensured a blank face, and walked into the lion’s den.
Of course, he was already there. Sitting at the far side of the room, blending into the shadows with his all-black suit, shirt, and tie. He looked just as dark and dangerous as when I first met him.
Except this time, he wasn’t alone.
The svelte blonde from accounting sat beside him. Emily. She leaned into his space more than anyone should in a place of business, standing out against his darkness with her golden hair, burgundy jacket, and brilliant smile. She was gorgeous, and I hated her for it, because any woman who could pull off a bold jacket like that deserved respect, and I wasn’t petty enough to deny it—just be irritated by it.
“Excuse me, Aspen,” a voice said behind me.
Upon hearing my name, Lucian looked up and locked eyes with mine. The sudden connection with the inky depths sent shockwaves down my spine. Every moment I’d minimized and shoved aside came rushing back. The flashing memories of his hand around my throat and our mouths so close jarred me back to reality. I blinked, breaking the spell.
In my haze, I’d stopped and blocked the door. The person cleared their throat. “Sorry, Jeremy,” I apologized, stepping aside.
“No worries. Sometimes I struggle to get past the threshold to these meetings too,” he joked. However, as if he realized who he was talking to, he sobered and backtracked. “I mean, not that I don’t love it here. I do. And as far as business meetings go, these are amazing. Totally great.”
I held up my hand and laughed. “No need to explain. I’m pretty sure I have at least twenty drafts in my emails with excuses as to why I can’t make the meeting.”
“Whew.” He sat and wiped pretend sweat from his forehead. “I wouldn’t want the boss’s daughter to think I didn’t love my job.”
I dropped my chin to my chest, hiding a wince as I pulled out the chair beside him. Having your dad own the company created a double-edged sword. People respected you—you just never knew for sure if they respected you because of how hard you worked or because they thought they had to stay in the good graces of the owner.
No matter their reasoning, I pushed on like the stigma didn’t exist and did everything I could to earn their respect, being friendly and supportive. “Please,” I scoffed. “As if anything I said could influence my dad and his faith in you. You make the marketing department what it is. He knows how much profits increased after you became director.”