“Can I help you?” a woman at the front desk asked when she got off the elevator.
“I’m looking for Norris Jones.”
“Oh. He said he had someone stopping in. Eleanor, correct?”
She kept a tight smile on her face. How many times did she have to tell him she went by Nora? “That’s me, but I go by Nora for short.”
“He’s in a meeting right now. If you want to take a seat in that room over there, it should be done soon.”
Her shoulders dropped. She’d told her father what time her interview was. When it’d be ending too. If he had a meeting, why make her come here when she could have gone home?
It was on the tip of her tongue to ask when, but she doubted this woman would know.
She moved to one of the comfortable seats off to the side, pulled her phone out and prepared to distract herself. She’d give it ten minutes. If he wasn’t out by then, there was no reason to wait.
It wasn’t as if they had plans, and she was hungry. It was past lunch on top of it.
Getting out of her heels was first on her list of things to do. More like wedges. As comfy as they were, she was still adapting to walking more in them than from her car to the building.
When the ten-minute mark rolled around, she was ready to stand when she heard a bunch of voices in the hallway.
“Norris,” the woman shouted. “Don’t go to your office. Your appointment is in the small meeting room.” She could see through the glass, the woman retreat to her desk out of the way.
“Hang on,” her father said. “I want you to meet my daughter.” His voice wasn’t loud enough to carry past the room he came out of, but she’d heard it just fine.
She held back a groan. For years she might have enjoyed her father doing that, but now, now she just wanted to get on with her day.
She stood, looking toward the hallway and not prepared for her father to come out followed by Mitchell Bond, two other men she didn’t know, and finally the man she was rolling around naked with weeks ago.
Mortification crept up her neck.
Of course, Ethan Bond would come out with her father. Because that was just how her life was going lately.
There were several smiles on the men’s faces, but shock on Ethan’s.
His eyes were locked on hers, her face had to be crimson with the way her body was lighting on fire.
Then Ethan smiled. The same cocky one he’d had that night. The same blue eyes that moved over her then were doing it now.
Assessing her looks, and reading her emotions. Please don’t let him know what was really in her mind!
Embarrassment, guilt, regret... and heaven help her, arousal again.
How could it not be? The man was gorgeous.
“Boy, you’ve grown up,” Mitchell Bond said, moving forward. “I don’t think I’ve seen you since you were a child.”
“Had to have been before we moved,” she said. “It’s good to see you again.”
A family picnic that the Bonds held for their higher level staff and family. One on the island.
Her father had felt privileged to get the invitation. Her mother hadn’t wanted to go and it was just one more fight that ensued in the house until her father forced it on them.
“Not sure if you remember my son, Ethan,” Mitchell said.
She took a deep breath, put a brave front on and walked forward. “It’s been a while,” she said, putting her hand out. “Good to see you.”
That smirk again. Arrogant this time. As if he were playing with her. Or just playing along.
