Billionaire’s Pursuit(16)

 A chipper-voiced woman with a throaty tone answered.

 “Yes, Mr. Samuels. This is Greyson Sinclair. He’s expecting my call.”

 “Oh yes,” the woman replied. “One moment Mr. Sinclair, sir, I’ll get Mr. Samuels right away.”

 As I waited, I took a bite of the last bit of bacon left over from my breakfast. I washed the salty, crunchy pork down with a final swallow of orange juice just as my call waiting beeped in my ear. Pulling the phone away, I glanced down to see Maddie’s number flashing on the display and then looked at the time.

 Nine o’clock. Well, at least she’s on time this morning.

 Ignoring her call for the time being, I instead returned my attention to the conversation I needed to have about today’s meeting at the film studio. Once that concluded a few minutes later, I finished getting dressed and while I did, someone knocked at the door to my hotel room.

 “Yes?” I called out. “Who’s there?”

 “Mr. Sinclair,” I heard a familiar female voice say from the other side of it. “It’s Maddie. I’m here to take you to your meeting. That is, if you’re ready.”

 I checked my appearance and after giving my tie a final adjustment, I walked across the marble floor of the hotel room and opened the door. As I did, the draft caused by the door as it swung inward brought her scent straight to my attention.

 As I looked at her, I permitted the aroma to settle in on me. By my estimation, it was a blend of rose water and jasmine. Fragrant and alluring, it was a damn fine way to start my day, I had to admit. Except for one minor detail, which I would not allow to go unpunished.

 “Maddie,” I began. “How did I request you to address me last night? In the limousine? Do you remember?”

 Her hand tightened on the strap of her purse as I spoke. She pulled a strand of her blond hair behind her ear as she cleared her throat. “Oh, I… I’m sorry, Mr. Sin… I mean, Greyson. It slipped my mind.”

 Satisfied she’d gotten the message, I stepped to one side and gestured for her to enter. She nodded and crossed the threshold into my hotel room. As she passed by me, I grabbed hold of her arm, just above the elbow. Maddie’s eyes locked on mine. Those eyes of hers. In all my years I'd never seen anything quite like them and frankly, they captivated me.

 Steeling my resolve, I instead returned my focus to the matter at hand.

 “Don’t let it slip your mind again. After all, if I can’t trust you to get my name right, how can I trust you with anything?”

 The flex in her arm softened in my grip as she stared into my eyes. Her mouth drifted open as she started to speak. “You can, I promise.”

 “I can what?” I replied.

 “Trust me. You can trust me.”

 Without a word, I smiled, nodded and released her arm from my grasp. After, I turned my back to her and walked back across the room to get my belongings. Ten minutes later, we were in the back of the limo headed to the studio. Since my correction of her in my suite, Maddie hadn’t said much of anything.

 Unlike our other rides together in the car, this time she sat to my right. Out of my peripheral vision, I noticed her sorting through a small stack of papers, which she kept in a manila folder.

 “Everything in order for this evening?”

 She held a pen between her lips as she leafed through the paperwork in her lap. After I’d finished with my question, she paused for a moment and glanced in my direction.

 “Mmm, hmm,” she replied.

 “Good.” I said, shifting my gaze out the car window. “I should be done with my meetings no later than eight o’clock tonight. Where are we having dinner?”

 Just then, I sensed all motion from her cease. I allowed my head to drift back to the right just enough to see her fidget in my peripheral vision.

 “Um…” she muttered. “We are having dinner?”

 I turned my head back and looked at her. “Yes, that’s what I said. Why is that a surprise? With whom were you expecting me to have dinner?”

 Maddie hesitated for a moment before she winced. “Well, I sort of already…”

 I angled my upper body in her direction. “Already what?”

 She folded her hands together and placed them on top of the stack of papers. “I already arranged for an escort for you tonight. Her name is Lynne.” She paused for moment and rifled through the pages before producing a photo.

 Turning in my direction, she offered the picture to me. “Here, this is her. Isn’t she beautiful?”