Obsessed(40)

"Ms. Marlow, is that you?" an unfamiliar male voice shoots back at me.

"Yes. Who is this?" I instinctively tie my robe tighter around my nude body feeling slightly exposed even though the man attached to the strange voice is three floors below me.

"It's Leonard. Mr. Walker's driver." He sounds much too chipper for an early Monday.

"Leonard?" I reach for my phone on the foyer table wondering if Jax called or texted me. All that greets me is a few missed call notifications from Liz and a text from my sister asking when I'll visit.

"Yes, Ms. I'm here to pick you up. Mr. Walker has a surprise for you." The exuberance in his voice is grating.

"I'm sorry, Leonard, but I'm not aware of any surprise." I shoot back quickly into the intercom.

"That's why they call it a surprise." I swear I hear him giggle between words.

"I'm not ready to go out." I glance down at my robe. "I'll need some time."

"Will an hour do? I can steal a coffee break while you get prepared."

"Okay," I agree even though I'm about to call Jax to demand to know what the surprise is.

"I'll be here promptly at eleven. See you then, Ms."

"Sure. See you." I call back to him before dialing Jax's number. The call shifts to his voicemail almost immediately. I tap out a quick text asking him to call me before I race down the hallway to shower.



***



"Leonard, let's say you knew what the surprise was. Would you tell me?" I ask playfully from the back seat of the sedan as Leonard steers the car through the busy late morning traffic.

"Absolutely not." He laughs as he glances back at me.

"How long have you worked for Jax?" I quiz as I watch the many people briskly walking down the sidewalks all with some place to be.

"Since he returned from California so a few months now I suppose."

"Is he a good boss?" I throw the question out mainly to keep the conversation going.

"Of course." Leonard clicks on the signal light as we head into the bustling neighborhood of Chelsea. "We're getting very close now."

I glance down at my phone and realize there's still not any response from Jax. My heart races slightly at the thought of seeing him again combined with a surprise. I know it's going to be related to his blank check but at least now I'm prepared to offer him something in return.

"Here we are." Leonard pulls the car to the curb in front of an impressive pre-war building on West 27th Street. I survey the exterior relishing all the intricate details that speak of the architecture in this part of Manhattan. This is a neighborhood I haven't spent much time in but its beauty and charm have always been alluring.

"Thank you." I smile at Leonard as he helps me from the car. He leads the way into the building, stopping briefly to shake the doorman's hand. I silently follow him to the elevator and he motions for me to enter before him. I watch as he reaches inside to insert a key and press the button for Penthouse Two and then he pulls back.

"You're on your own now." He waves as the doors close and I take a deep breath realizing that once the doors open again Jax will undoubtedly be waiting for me. I look myself over in the mirror that adorns the entire left wall of the elevator. I pinned my damp hair messily up before putting on a peach backless sundress with white heels. Even though I'm secretly still seething at Jax's unconventional proposition, I haven't been able to stop thinking about his raw power and pull in bed. I want him to be impressed when he first sees me again.

I can tell instantly from his expression when I elevator jerks to a stop and springs open that he is. His hand flies to his chest in response to my withered, "hi."

"Beautiful, you're here." He pulls me into his chest and I melt when I feel his arms encircle me. "I thought about you all weekend. I'm sorry we left things the way we did."

I pull back to look up into his face. "I'm sorry too. I wasn't sure I'd hear from you again."

"I can't stop you, Ivy." His expression softens as he stares into my eyes. "I'm beginning to wonder if I'll ever be able to."

The tenderness of his words catch me off guard and I look down from his glance. I had thought about this moment all weekend and had rehearsed over and over again what I'd say. But now I'm frozen, my eyes locked on the walnut planks of the floor, wishing I could just stay in this room with him forever.

"Let's talk about why we're here." He lets go of me and walks across the expansive room to a row of windows. I look past him and out the windows. I'm captivated by the sight of the elaborate architecture of the neighboring buildings. It all speaks of the rich and stunning history of the city.