“Mr. Parker?” Doctor Wallace asks as I pace in front of the open windows.
I shake my head. “I need a moment.”
I see him take a seat from the corner of my eye. I pay him well. Damn good money. He can wait a moment longer.
He needs to have some sort of consequence happen to make it damn clear that he needs to back off. I’ll look over his businesses. I know there’s going to be a soft spot somewhere. I need to find it. I need to find a way to hit him where it hurts. As I scroll through the businesses listed on his company directory on my phone, I try to remember the conference and which talks he attended, who he was trying to negotiate with.
A smile creeps to my lips. I know he settled on a new business with Arrivol. Their manufacturing plant is in horrible condition and he placed a bid on the old Chrysler plant. I put two and two together and know exactly how to fuck him over. Worth a few billion at least.
I dial up Trent, knowing exactly what to do.
“You got my message,” he answers on the second ring.
“I did. And I want to fuck that bastard over where it hurts.”
“Calm down, Log-”
I cut him off, I don’t need to calm down. “I want the plant on Levington.” I stop walking and stand in front of the far window. It overlooks protected woods that are a part of the city park. It’s peaceful, elegant even. It’s everything I’m not.
“We can use that in the-”
“I don’t care what we use it for. Patterson needs it.”
“I’m sure it’s a silent bid,” Trent says after a long moment.
“I don’t care how much it’s going to cost to win that bid. If you have to overspend, do it.”
“By how much?” he asks.
I snort into the phone. “I don’t give a fuck if you spend another four million on the property. Patterson needs it or he’s fucked, so fuck him. Make sure he doesn’t get it. Is that clear?”
“Understood,” Trent starts to say something else, but I’m done talking. My blood is pumping with adrenaline and I can feel anger boiling beneath the surface.
I hang up the phone breathing heavily and squeezing the phone with rage.
“Mr. Parker,” Doctor Wallace says, snapping me back to the present.
I clear my throat and nod, setting the phone down and walking back over to the chair in the middle of the room.
“You should take it easy; stress isn’t-”
“I’m fine.” I cut him off and try to calm my racing heart.
“You’re not fine,” he says, walking over to the large bag he placed on the table. He looks back at me through his spectacles. “You need to keep that in mind, Mr. Parker.”
I take in a slow breath and nod.
For nearly three years it’s been on my mind every minute that I’m not working. I’ve never been able to ignore it. My heartbeat slows and I retake my seat.
Until her.
My Rose. Such a beautiful distraction.
Chapter 25
Charlotte
I stride confidently down the hall to Logan’s office, my heels clicking against the gleaming hardwood floors. I’m dressed in a white blouse and a tight black skirt that shows off my curves; I want to look good for my boss. For the past few weeks, this has become a regular thing for me, and I no longer feel anxious about meeting Logan without an appointment.
I look forward to it even though I still question our relationship. I know it’s stupid, falling for a man that doesn’t want to commit, but I can’t help myself. He makes me feel good. Valued. Even when I do get pissed off with him being evasive about us being together, he’s always able to deflect my ire with passionate kisses and a good hard fuck.
If I was smart, I’d leave him. But it’s too late. I’m addicted to him, mind, body and soul. And worst yet, I think I’m falling for him. Hard.
As I pass his receptionist’s desk, I nod at his secretary, Eleanor. She’s an old lady, probably in her mid-seventies with stark white hair that she always wears in a severe bun. She returns an imperceptible nod. She’s so used to seeing me show up unannounced that she doesn’t even bother greeting me anymore.
I’m sure she’s wondering what’s going on between me and Logan, and why I have special access to him, but most of the time, I don’t give a fuck. Logan is a man that gets what he wants, and he wants me. Still, I’m uneasy about being so bold about our relationship, even if it’s only his secretary who suspects something is going on. It’s only a matter of time before the whole building knows, and I’m not sure how they’re going to react when they find out.
When I get to the oakwood double doors of Logan’s office, I pause, my heart racing.