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My breath is like plumes from a dragon’s lips, but her own breath is thin and shallow in the freezing night air.
She looks up at me, almost impassive. Reminding me a lot of Madison when he’s in one of his moods.
Remind me of myself when I don’t get what I want immediately.
Showing me just how strong she is, though. How well she can handle herself all on her own.
“What happened? Why’d you take off?” I ask, trying to keep it light, but my own heart feels like it’ll burst if I can’t pull her close to me, hug her, tell her what she needs to know, and take her home.
Our home.
She puffs her cheeks out, keeping her hands tucked tight and warm before she looks up at me.
“I just figured you’d be happier with yourpersonal assistantthan some chubby girl who could never fit intoyourworld,” she says icily. Almost as cold as the street we’re standing on.
I can’t compute what she’s saying. It makes no sense. My mouth hangs open, waiting for a question to come out but she keeps going.
Left jab followed by an uppercut.
“You bumped your head, I get it,” she drones. “Must’ve mistaken me for your little piece of ass back at the office,Madison, huh?”
She shakes her head in disbelief, looking like she’s about to keep walking.
“Stupid me, though,” she adds, going for the knockout punch. “I actually thought you meant it when you said we were a team, but you’re just another rich asshole with a bump on his head.Merry freaking Christmas,” her voice grinds as she looks away, emotionless and starts to trudge away from me into the thickening snow.
It takes a second, but I figure it out.
Sister O’Halloran must’ve mentioned Madison and how we’ve worked together so closely for so many years.
I know how Sister O’Halloran likes to tease us both because although he’s a great personal assistant, we don’t get along.
It’s why it works so well.
Maybe Holly assumed Madison was a female.
The thought should make me laugh out loud, at least scoff a little.
But the gravity of the situation means I have to handle this very carefully, for both our sakes.
“Holly, wait,” I tell her again. She takes a few more steps but finally stops just as I see the car pulling beside me out of the corner of my eye.
Madison gets out, leaving the car running, and moves around to open the door facing the pavement.
“Will you both be going home, Sir?” he asks loud enough for Holly to hear.
“Yes, Madison. I think we will be,” I tell him in reply.
Almost gasping with relief when I see Holly spin on her feet.
The look of surprise on her face when she sees Madison is a man and not a piece of skirt I’m chasing around my desk.
The look of relief we both share once we realize it’s all just a big misunderstanding is all I need to see in her eyes.
CHAPTERTWELVE
Holly
“Madison’s aman…,” I say again as if in a trance, for what must be the tenth time. I’m slowly beginning to feel the warmth of Steve’s huge arms around me in the back of his limo.
