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ChapterTwo
GABE
“Rhys, I’ll call you right back.” I didn’t wait for my friend and business partner to respond before hanging up.
I shot to my feet and stalked across my office to the door, which was propped open as usual. Unless I was in meetings or needed some uninterrupted time to work, I kept my office open. I was the co-owner and CEO of CM Creative Agency, one of the top advertising companies in the US, with offices in Miami and New York City. But that didn’t mean I held myself above my employees. Sure, they ultimately answered to me, but I’d garnered a reputation for being fair and approachable. I asked for perfection, but if someone needed help to achieve it, they could come to me or any of my department heads.
My open door turned out to be the best decision I’d ever made when I looked up and saw the woman of my dreams. She was dressed in a white, buttoned-up blouse, and a pencil skirt, inspiring all kinds of naughty fantasies that I would explore later. Though her height was average, she had long legs that were toned and athletic, like the rest of her body—like that of a runner. But she wasn’t without curves in all the right places. Wavy, strawberry-blonde hair hung to her shoulders and framed her oval face, accentuating the adorable sprinkle of freckles across her nose and cheekbones. Her head was turned, so I couldn’t see the color of her eyes, but I had no doubt that they would be beautiful.
She was walking toward the elevator and my mind emptied of everything except the need to stop her from disappearing. What if she left and I couldn’t find her again? That was simply unacceptable. So, I grabbed my wallet and key before dashing from my office to catch up with her. Of course, someone had already called the elevator, which meant she stepped right into the car and the doors closed before I could stop them. The only silver lining was that her head had been down as she typed something on her phone, so she didn’t see the crazed man rushing toward her.
My office was on the twentieth floor, but as long as the elevator made at least one stop, I was confident I could make it to the lobby before it arrived. The door to the stairwell slammed against the wall when I shoved it open and practically flew down the steps. I was never more grateful for the time I spent in the gym and playing football on the weekends when I hit the bottom floor without becoming winded.
Fate was on my side, and she was just exiting the building when I pushed open the stairwell door. I vaguely heard my name called as I sprinted through the lobby, but I ignored everyone—my sole focus on the gorgeous mystery woman. When I jumped out from between the revolving doors, I whipped my head from left to right, then heaved a mental sigh of relief when I spotted her entering The Beanery. I slowed my pace as I approached the door so that I wouldn’t draw any notice when I followed her inside.
A blonde woman at a table waved and called out to my mystery woman. “Avery!”
I would have to send the friend an enormous basket of chocolate because now I knew my dream girl’s name.Avery.It was as beautiful as her.
In order to remain inconspicuous, I went to the counter and ordered a ridiculously complicated drink so it would take longer for them to make it. The pickup counter was closer to Avery’s table, so I ambled over there and leaned against the wall. She was still looking away, but I couldn’t stop staring at her hoping she would glance my way and I’d finally know what color her eyes were.
However, my attention was further captured when she announced to her friend that she’d been offered a job. Hope bubbled up inside me when I connected the dots. She’d been in my building, dressed for business, and apparently had a new job. She had to be working at CM Creative. Which meant I could relax a little and formulate a plan now that I knew I’d be able to find her.
Avery and her friend gave each other a high-five and squealed with excitement, then glanced around, presumably gauging how much their noise had disturbed people. When Avery’s quick perusal swept in my direction, we finally locked eyes, and she froze.
Light green. Her irises were almost like tinted glass, clear and piercing, and they sent tendrils of desire flowing through my body. If my mind hadn’t already been made up, that would have done it. I intended to make Avery mine.
The word forever followed that thought and I was shocked to find that it didn’t freak me out. It felt right.
Avery’s friend demanded her attention just as the barista handed me the frothy, disgustingly sweet concoction. Having learned what I needed for the moment, I forced myself to leave and go back to work.
After half an hour of pretending to be productive, I gave up trying to think about anything except Avery. I wasn’t the kind of guy who sat around waiting for things to happen, so why was I treating this situation differently?
I needed a plan, and in order to form one, I required more information. A visit to Human Resources seemed like the best place to start.
The CEO didn’t drop in on HR very often…honestly, I wasn’t sure I’d ever been there, which meant my presence did not go unnoticed. In fact, there was a whole lot of peeking and whispering going on, but a man in my position and level of wealth quickly learned to tune out all the ambient bullshit. Besides, I was a man on a mission.
I strolled up to the office of the Director of HR, Mrs. Bergen, and smiled at her assistant. “Hey, Sherry. Is she busy?”
The door to the office was open and I spied Mrs. Bergen rolling her eyes, but she let me do things my way. There was a protocol and I felt that, as the CEO, I should set an example. So, rather than using my title to barge my way into her office, I went to the gatekeeper first.
The young woman returned my smile before glancing at her computer. “She’s free for the next half hour, and then she has interviews for the marketing positions before a staff meeting.”
“Great. I only need a minute.” I rapped my knuckles on the door jam and waited for permission to enter.
Mrs. Bergen—Lily—was in her early fifties and didn’t look a day over thirty-five. Not that she believed me when I told her that. She’d been with the company for ten years and I didn’t know what the hell we’d do when the day came for her to retire.
“Gabe, you’re being ridiculous,” Lily sighed. “Come in, come in.”
I strolled in and took a seat in one of the chairs in front of her desk—folded myself into it might have been a better description. They weren’t built for men my size, but at least they were sturdy.
“To what do I owe the pleasure?” she asked in a pleasant tone.
“I need some information on an employee.”
“A resume? Or a performance review? You could have emailed me, and I’d have sent them right over, Gabe.”
“No, I need something else, and”—I shrugged—“I needed a walk.”
