AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Knowing Conor has me, but doesn’t need to be reminded of the Valentine I know he really wants.
The sound of the phone ringing loudly jolts me, snapping me to attention, and a ripple of panic flashes across my belly.
I guess I’m not out of the woods just yet. It might take more than an hour or two for my life to be perfect after all.
It rings out but then rings again and I wonder if I should wake Conor.
A part of my brain is screaming that it’s my dad. That it’s all over before it’s even started. But then I remember the number of places we called earlier and figure it might be someone calling about Valentine.
They’ve hung up by the time I pick up, but when I hear the third ring when I’m nearly back with Conor, I dart into his office and pick up.
“Conor Fox’s office,” I answer shyly, almost smiling at how much I love hearing his name out loud.
The sound of a female voice on the other end of the line has me on guard though. Instantly.
Whoever it is must be calling from a car by the sounds of it.
“Oh. Is Mister Fox there, I spoke to him earlier today. Angela Benson, realtor.”
I take a breath in to answer, but there’s something about her voice, her name.
“Angela Benson,” I say repeat slowly, trying to pinpoint where I know that name from.
“Umm, yeah it is. Can I speak to Mr. Fox or not?” she snaps, and in a second I place the voice. The attitude.
The face and the figure that goes with it.
I almost groan once I place who it is. Trouble is why is she calling Conor?
If I’m playing secretary I may as well ask.
“He’s in a meeting right now, Ms. Benson. Can I ask what your call is regarding, perhaps I can help?” I ask, sounding way less sincere than I’m trying to.
She huffs a sigh and I can hear the clack of her inch long nails against the steering wheel of her second-hand semi-luxury vehicle.
How do I know?
She’s our landlord. Well, she acts on behalf of the owner to have us pay rent.
There’s only one Angela Benson that would sound and act the same in this town, I’m sure of it.
“I’m right around the corner. Mr. Fox asked me to look into a property matter for him, I’ll only be a minute,” she tells me rather than asks.
I’m trying to think of an excuse to brush her off, but a bigger part of me is more than curious now.
In the same instant she’s telling me she’ll be pulling up in less than a minute, Conor appears in the doorway looking sleepy, confused, and sexy as all hell wearing nothing but his birthday suit.
I force a smile and slam the receiver down.
“Who was that?” he asks, yawning. “Any news about Valentine? We should’ve heard something by now, even called in all my favors from city hall on this one.”
I make a croaking sound, my eyes moving from his eyes down to his groin.
Holy fuck, I actually fit that inside of me?
Even on a cold day, the man’s no slouch in that department.
“Hey? My eyes are up here,” he jokes, moving over to grab me again.
“It was your realtor,” I clip, surprised at how icy I sound. “She’ll be here any minute,” I add, almost challenging him but he looks more confused than I feel.
“Who?” he asks, scratching his abs and leaning over to peck my cheek, ignoring my attempts at acting jealous.
“You should get dressed,” I rush to tell him as he turns, looking back as his eyes run over me. Me in my robe and nothing else at three in the afternoon.
“Mmm hmm,” he says, shaking his head and ambling off down the hall, no doubt to visit the same room I just did before the phone rang.
I feel myself making a face, which becomes a screwed up mess when I see the familiar shape of Angela Benson’s car pulling up outside.
She stays in it for a time, making another call by the looks, which should give me enough time to at least get Conor dressed.
Or to just get rid of her entirely.
What the hell is she doing here?
Conor saunters back down the hall, winking at me and coming closer when the buzzer of the security monitor at the front door gets his attention.
“She’s here,” I announce, stating the obvious.
He rolls his eyes, lets his shoulders sag and I follow him to the hallway.
Using the intercom, he tells her to wait a minute.
He slowly moves to the sitting room and pulls on his jeans and sweatshirt before opening the door.
I feel like the world’s biggest moron, having just stood glued to the spot the whole time, still asking myself what the hell that woman’s doing here.
