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Dawson Parker, in the flesh. The devil incarnate, a soulless man who’d broken me apart all those years ago. The man who changed my life in an instant.
7
Dawson
Punctuality. Tye had done good with these recruits. I was told they were a cut above the rest and the best from a range of the current hotels we already ran, with the added external candidate for good measure. I loved the idea of mixing the old and the new. You never knew what fresh ideas could be brought to the table.
The last straggler trailed in the second I closed the door, but then I was two minutes early. So, I cut him some slack as I darted my eyes in his direction and nodded. Most of the people in this room knew how the 'RP' group worked, especially with the new expectations required of each of them.
Not wanting to waste a moment's time, I commanded the room. “Can we all take a seat, please?”
It had been such a rush to get everything organized in time. I felt a little on the back foot as I hadn’t had time to read through everybody’s resume like I’d normally do, to put names, jobs and faces together. I’d only got through half of the files I’d been sent over yesterday. So, for the first part of the meeting, I’d get everyone to introduce themselves along with their job title. The added bonus being everyone would know who’s who this way.
My gaze drifted up around the room as I checked each person was ready to start, when I felt I’d been hit hard and off balanced in the center of my chest. Those eyes. Hazel specks of gold shining through with deep fire burning inside, the dark chocolate brown hair and those kissable lips. I’d know them anywhere. As I swallowed hard, I watched her gaze drop to the floor.
Fuck, Everleigh Acton. My Everleigh was here, in my boardroom. She was standing in my hotel and with my staff. Scrap that, shewasstaff. I was stunned. Fuck. How did I not know?
I watched her intently through the corner of my eye, trying not to cause a spectacle as a guy and a couple of girls behind her whispered to ask if she was alright. Noticing the quick, slight nod of the head, she pulled out her chair and sat at the table.
I spoke about the normal incentives and expectations that would be required of working for my company. They were memorized like a film in the back of my mind. Thankfully, this wasn't my first rodeo. I just couldn't concentrate as the beauty sat in the corner, scribbling away as she doodled on her pad of paper. I wanted to hear her voice. The tones I had committed to memory, the smoothness of caramel with the added high-pitched note when she was angered or overwhelmed.
With everyone excited and start dates agreed, I questioned my sanity as I dismissed everyone. They’d have a staggered start from tomorrow guided across departments, but I wasn't letting her leave without acknowledgement.
“Miss Acton… a moment, please?” I asked, hearing a sigh leave her mouth, making my cock twitch.Fuck, down boy.
“We'll meet you downstairs in the coffee shop,” the guy said as my jaw started to tick.
“Yeah, Everleigh,” the blond-haired girl said before grasping the other girl's arm.
“Mr. Parker,” she replied. “As you can see, my friends are waiting.”
Fuck, that voice. Just as I remembered.
“Enough with the formalities, Everleigh.” I cocked my head and took a step closer as I saw the sharp intake of breath. “Even him?” I indicated to the guy stood with his sleeves rolled up, sandwiched between two girls with his eyes pinpointed on me.
“Yes, we’re all just colleagues,” she hissed with an added sharpness to her voice. Much to my cock’s enjoyment. “Not like it's anything to do with you, is it?”
“Well…”
“No, work we can talk about, but anything else is out of bounds. My private life is none of your concern, you saw to that didn’t you… Mr Parker. Tye will be back soon and then I assume you will return to wherever you’d run off to.” She stormed towards the door as I reached out for her wrist, attempting to stop her. I needed her to listen to me for a few minutes. Our eyes caught each other and the spark I felt all those years ago traveled along my arm as I gulped hard.
“I've got to go…” she said as I dropped my head low to hide the pain in my face as she opened the door and walked out without looking back.
* * *
I debated calling Tye. I knew he had a lot on his plate with this stock consolidation issue. I’d even continued the majority of my normal schedule from back in the United Kingdom while here. It had been hell, coinciding time differences, but if it allowed Tye and Del, my right-hand finance man back in the UK time to solve the issue quicker, it was worth the trouble.
I just needed a friendly ear to talk to and he had always been that guy. Supportive, even if at times, things seemed off the wall or I did something a bit crazy. In the end, we dealt with it and normality resumed any issues. The last time we’d had such a dilemma was with issues surrounding gambling and a debt that needed sorting. I cleared it and Tye promised all was fine after. It hadn't helped at the time that all his finances had been tied up with his divorce from Louise. What's a man to do?
Five minutes; surely, he had five minutes to help me calm down and figure out my feelings, also an update on business would take my mind off Everleigh. It was now 3 p.m. over in the United Kingdom with the time difference. I had spent the afternoon with a nice bottle of single malt whiskey locked to my side. As I took an extra sip from the bottle, not giving a shit about a glass, I cuddled it into my side for comfort. Declaring the afternoon as null and void.
I had changed out of my suit into lounge wear and crawled across the bed, attempting to clear my head but all that falls into my head is her. The past, her body as it writhes under me and me walking away from her. I eventually thought, fuck it, and dialed Tye’s number, pressing the video function by mistake.Fuck, no hiding from his sorry ass now.
“You're a sight for sore eyes.” He laughed, looking sheepish as he pulled the camera closer to his face.
“Was calling for an update. Where are you?” I questioned as I noticed he certainly wasn't in the office, my quick reactions not affected yet by the consumed alcohol.
“Thought I would take a part day.” His eyes flitted upwards with a sigh to avoid looking at me. “Sick of paperwork and constant dead ends. Del hasn't found even a scrap of a line to follow yet, but you're not calling about that are you...” he said as he blew out a long breath.
