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“Nothing to worry about, Cassandra. You are so engrossed in your work, I just wonder if you have time to live,” Joshua teases, probably trying to get rid of his own worries. Mine, however, are trying to find a crack to slip through and wreak havoc.
“Oh yes, I do. For instance, there’s a very handsome boss in front of me.” I chuckle, wiggling my eyebrows.
“Oh, Ms. Knight, if I were a few years younger…” Joshua tells me wistfully.
Sometimes I banter with him just to make our work friendship lighter and more interactive. I noticed he enjoys our playful teasing, and he definitely knows I don’t mean anything by doing so. Although, he still turns his megawatt smile and gives me a wink, just to throw me off my tracks.
That makes me laugh. “You’re going to get yourself into trouble, Mr. Price. I’ve heard there are many rules against romantic involvement with colleagues. I wouldn’t want you to get hurt,” I reply in a somewhat stern voice, making him clasp at his chest and collapse in the spinning chair, which causes me to giggle. His wife is a lucky woman.
The broad smile on his handsome face doesn’t last. He looks over my shoulder at something that puts him in a contemplative mood again. I can’t keep up with him today. I turn around to check if there’s anyone behind me, but whatever he was looking at is now obscured by other people.
My eyes drift until I see the time on the big mechanical clock on the far wall. Not wasting any minute, I pick up my phone and dial.
“Hi Lara, it’s me, Cassandra. I just wanted to know if everyone has arrived already.”
“Oh yes, they have and are waiting for you.” Her chirpy and polite voice awakens my nerves; they dance in my belly like toxins I want to expel.
“Thank you, we are on our way. Have a nice weekend, Lara, and thank you again for all your help. It was nice meeting you.” I honestly think she was helpful to work with, even if her nonstop chatter annoys me. This woman’s full of life and free of demons threatening her authority.
“Likewise, Cassandra. Take care and have a good time exploring Liverpool.”
Joshua’s putting his things away, finished with his emails, and I give him the signal to get ready.
“Well, I think it’s time for us to get this meeting started.” I finish collecting my things
and he leads me towards the conference rooms, with a stop in the lobby on the way.
I control every single aspect of my life, knowing exactly how to respond to various settings. I plan my moves ahead of time if I am about to force myself into new situations.
“Hello, I am Cassandra Knight. Follow me, please, gentlemen,” I greet our guests, who are waiting in the lobby. We escort everyone into the room and they take their seats.
Joshua helps me make quick introductions, and I distribute the package information. Noticing they are a little bit nervous, although too polite to acknowledge it, I bring them something to drink to calm their nerves.
“Gentlemen, additional soft drinks and snacks will be available after the torturous presentation. But, if you need some alcohol to get through it, I will smuggle some in for the right price.” A few jokes defuse their nervousness rather efficiently, and I manage to put them at ease.
As I rotate through all the guests, I notice I’m holding an extra folder. Looking around the table, I check if everyone got their copy, then see the chair by the window unoccupied. Strange.
Checking the logs, I also realize I forgot to hand out the tags with their names. It would be a waste of time doing so now. We are already late to start. I can do it after the slideshow, if necessary.
The room we chose for this meeting has a very relaxing interior. A massive table occupies most of the space, and it also has extra space for the buffet we arranged. The dark walls are decorated with large, high-quality prints of Liverpool photographed at night. The beautiful panorama is illuminated by the building lights. The enormous windows display fantastic scenery this early evening.
“Everything looks great, Cassandra.” Joshua seems pleased, his nerves now nonexistent. He goes to chat with few people, exuding confidence and charisma. This is the Joshua I know and respect.
Confused as to who is absent, I spot the tall male figure standing in front of the window, speaking on his cell phone in a quiet voice. Since the man is still preoccupied, I check on my decorum and take few breaths, but my eyes are drawn back to the male with the expensive suit. I wonder if he is the infamous CEO Lara was hinting at earlier today.
My skin coats with goose bumps for some unknown reason, and my stomach coils. My heart gallops in my chest and my skin flares alive.
What the hell? I try to force myself back to my acquired state of balance, trying to get rid of the irrational reaction I’m experiencing. It is just a ridiculous response to the new environment. Calm down, Cassandra! Get a grip!
The man in front of the enormous glass turns around, and our eyes lock.
I jerk back, unprepared for the male standing only a few feet away from me. He is over six feet tall, a ripped and masculine brute. I can’t imagine him as a banker; more likely a mean bodyguard who has too much testosterone. Does he belong here? I would turn around to ask, but I can’t seem to break our staring match.
My rattled skull tries to make sense of him. The undivided attention he bestows on me is scattering my sanity. My pulse spikes and my skin tingles with apprehension and awareness. Enough! Take charge, I chastise myself. But my legs remain glued to the spot, some foreign instinct holding me back.
A dominant vibe rolls off him in waves, throwing my senses into a tailspin. The confident male has rock-solid posture and the intense scowl on his face is directed at me. Dressed in a sleek, all-black three-piece suit, with a light blue shirt underneath, he looks like he’s head of the mafia. The short stubble is neatly cut, and his razor-sharp jaw screams danger.
Strangely enough, it is not his tall frame makes me feel threatened, but the assessing green eyes locked on me. His intense gaze presses down on me, but I stand my ground, even if I feel like a prey in his presence. Those captivating eyes move slowly from bottom to top, as he inappropriately caresses me with his gaze, almost as if he were undressing me. His lips tug at the corners.
