glance at David over her shoulder. “Did you call me, Sugar?”
“Yes. You will not believethe assignment David has just given me and I—”
“Has he promised you to a client as a sex slave?”
“What?No, but—”
“Well, you let me know when he does. Until then, you do what he says.” He winked at her and then disappeared, shutting the door behind him.
Impotent and humiliated, Maria stared after him, willing him to come back and rescue her the way he usually did. But the door stubbornly remained shut.
“Poor Maria.”
Slowly, with dread, she turned to face David. All traces of amusement were gone now and his eyes were cold and flat. Soulless. Pitiless.
“It’s no fun not to get what you want, is it?” he asked.
That did it. Choking on her fury and indignation, Maria whirled, grabbed her purse and stomped out, dimly aware of his low chuckle behind her. She stalked down the hall, with no destination in mind and no clue what to do next. The one thing she knew was that she’d jump out the nearest window and gladly plunge twenty-nine stories to her death before she’d serve espresso to David Hunt. After a few minutes of loitering outside the women’s bathroom, the cool hand of reason returned and an idea came to her.
She went back to the receptionist’s desk. “Jane,” she said sweetly, “can you print out a copy of David’s schedule for me? I’ll need it since we’ll be working very closely with each other.”
“Actually, Linda’s his secretary,” Jane told her. “But I do know he’s got that meeting at ten-thirty with Anastasia Buckingham.”
Maria’s heart leaped. “Anastasia Buckingham?The writer?”
“That’s her. She’s a big new client and—”
Just like that, a brilliant plan came, fully formed, to Maria. She knew what she had to do, and she was going to do it. Sometimes a woman had to grab the bull by the horns and shape her own destiny. This was one of those times.
“Jane,” she said. “I’ve got a little errand to run.”
“But what if David needs you—”
Too late. Maria was already at the glass doors leading to the lobby. “I’ll be back.” She hopped into the elevator and punched the button, scheming all the way.
Chapter 5
Chapter 5
After Maria stormed out of the conference room, David stayed there for a while, doing some paperwork and savoring the delightful feeling of satisfaction. He’d introduced the pampered princess to the first in what was sure to be a string of stinging defeats, and all was right with his world.
He checked his watch and realized it was almost time for his meeting. Gathering up his pens and files, he left the conference room, surveyed his kingdom, noting that everyone he saw bustled with purpose and energy—no sign of Maria—and went into his corner office. Dumping the files on his glass desk, he ignored the insistent blinking of the red message light on his phone and stood at the wall of windows overlooking the Ohio River, which was a murky aqua today. The sky had turned a hot, bright gray that promised a shower soon. Notwithstanding his momentary triumph, the coming turbulence perfectly matched his swirling emotions.
Because every second he spent with Maria felt like it took years off his life. Seeing her devastated him every single time. Simple as that. Even now, he wished he could touch her. Even now, his gut coiled with a need for her body that he could never dare indulge. Even now, he wished she’d explain why she’d married Harper. All that—his feelings, her motivations, his need to know what’d happened—was irrelevant, of course. She’d done it, and he was here to punish her for it. End of story.
He had to put a lid on everything else and get a hold on himself.
If only he knew how.
He cursed, thumping his palm on the glass.
“That bad, eh?”
At the sound of that voice, David’s thoughts scattered. Wheeling around, he saw Ellis, looking concerned, standing in the doorway.
“Not so bad,” David lied,
“Yes. You will not believethe assignment David has just given me and I—”
“Has he promised you to a client as a sex slave?”
“What?No, but—”
“Well, you let me know when he does. Until then, you do what he says.” He winked at her and then disappeared, shutting the door behind him.
Impotent and humiliated, Maria stared after him, willing him to come back and rescue her the way he usually did. But the door stubbornly remained shut.
“Poor Maria.”
Slowly, with dread, she turned to face David. All traces of amusement were gone now and his eyes were cold and flat. Soulless. Pitiless.
“It’s no fun not to get what you want, is it?” he asked.
That did it. Choking on her fury and indignation, Maria whirled, grabbed her purse and stomped out, dimly aware of his low chuckle behind her. She stalked down the hall, with no destination in mind and no clue what to do next. The one thing she knew was that she’d jump out the nearest window and gladly plunge twenty-nine stories to her death before she’d serve espresso to David Hunt. After a few minutes of loitering outside the women’s bathroom, the cool hand of reason returned and an idea came to her.
She went back to the receptionist’s desk. “Jane,” she said sweetly, “can you print out a copy of David’s schedule for me? I’ll need it since we’ll be working very closely with each other.”
“Actually, Linda’s his secretary,” Jane told her. “But I do know he’s got that meeting at ten-thirty with Anastasia Buckingham.”
Maria’s heart leaped. “Anastasia Buckingham?The writer?”
“That’s her. She’s a big new client and—”
Just like that, a brilliant plan came, fully formed, to Maria. She knew what she had to do, and she was going to do it. Sometimes a woman had to grab the bull by the horns and shape her own destiny. This was one of those times.
“Jane,” she said. “I’ve got a little errand to run.”
“But what if David needs you—”
Too late. Maria was already at the glass doors leading to the lobby. “I’ll be back.” She hopped into the elevator and punched the button, scheming all the way.
Chapter 5
Chapter 5
After Maria stormed out of the conference room, David stayed there for a while, doing some paperwork and savoring the delightful feeling of satisfaction. He’d introduced the pampered princess to the first in what was sure to be a string of stinging defeats, and all was right with his world.
He checked his watch and realized it was almost time for his meeting. Gathering up his pens and files, he left the conference room, surveyed his kingdom, noting that everyone he saw bustled with purpose and energy—no sign of Maria—and went into his corner office. Dumping the files on his glass desk, he ignored the insistent blinking of the red message light on his phone and stood at the wall of windows overlooking the Ohio River, which was a murky aqua today. The sky had turned a hot, bright gray that promised a shower soon. Notwithstanding his momentary triumph, the coming turbulence perfectly matched his swirling emotions.
Because every second he spent with Maria felt like it took years off his life. Seeing her devastated him every single time. Simple as that. Even now, he wished he could touch her. Even now, his gut coiled with a need for her body that he could never dare indulge. Even now, he wished she’d explain why she’d married Harper. All that—his feelings, her motivations, his need to know what’d happened—was irrelevant, of course. She’d done it, and he was here to punish her for it. End of story.
He had to put a lid on everything else and get a hold on himself.
If only he knew how.
He cursed, thumping his palm on the glass.
“That bad, eh?”
At the sound of that voice, David’s thoughts scattered. Wheeling around, he saw Ellis, looking concerned, standing in the doorway.
“Not so bad,” David lied,
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