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The elevator doors open, and Chester holds his arm out so the doors don’t close on me while I juggle the drink caddies and my bag.
As the door closes, Chester smiles and winks.“You’re right. You may be the angel he needs this holiday season.”
The doors slide shut, saving me from having to come up with a response.
Sighing, I rest my head against the back wall of the elevator and psych myself up for today’s mission—hot chocolate tasting. Kingsley doesn’t know I’m coming, which is how all our interactions have gone thus far. I find the sneak attack to be the most effective way to get his opinion on something, and even then, it’s like pulling teeth.
The doors to the elevator ding as they open, and I make my way down the hall toward Kingsley’s office. Ben smiles when he sees me, the warmth in his dark eyes almost bringing tears to mine. It’s been a terrible morning so far, but people like Chester and Ben remind me there is still good in this world.
“Everything okay?” Ben asks, his brow furrowing with concern.
“Yeah,” I say in the least convincing voice ever. Clearing my throat, I try again. “I’m fine. Just feeling a little off today.”
“Do you need anything? Water? Aspirin? A hug?”
“I’m okay,” I assure him. “Is this a good time for me to bug Mr. Bowman?” I ask, hoping to change the subject.
Ben narrows his eyes at me but decides to let it go. Thankfully. If he presses any further, I may break down in tears.
“He’s in his office,” Ben confirms. “No meetings or calls, he’s just avoiding people.” The way he says it makes me think this is a regular occurrence.
“Does he do that often? Hide from people?” How lonely.
Ben tilts his head and gives me a look. “You’ve met him, right? That man would never leave his penthouse if he didn’t have to, but someone needs to brood in the corner office.”
I grin at his joke, though my heart squeezes painfully at the thought of Kingsley shutting everyone out. Then again, if everyone in his life treats him like his mother, I understand why he’s hesitant to let people in.
God, she was awful. Cold and calculating. Kingsley might be standoffish and a bit rude, but he’s not shallow or cruel.
“Here, let me get the door for you,” Ben says, breaking me out of my thoughts. He walks around his desk, opens the door to Kingsley’s office, and steps aside to let me in.
“Very brave, considering you’ve already been fired once this month,” I tease.
“Clementine?” Mr. Bowman’s voice is slightly less annoyed than usual when he realizes it’s me entering his office.
“Good luck,” Ben whispers before shutting the door behind me.
“Kingsley,” I respond, giving him my best smile. “I have hot chocolate.” I lift the eight beverages packed into two drink caddies.
The CEO stares at me, his brown eyes intense as he studies everything about my face. I feel… examined, vulnerable, and on display, but I can’t quite say why. I’m fully clothed and wrapped in a coat and scarf, yet I feel bare before him.
“What’s wrong?” he asks. More like demands.
“Uh, nothing?” I’m unsure what he’s getting at. “We’re having a hot chocolate bar at the party, so I wanted us to taste-test a few options.”
He doesn’t say anything, his scrutinizing gaze never leaving mine.
“We have traditional milk chocolate, of course, but also white chocolate raspberry, caramel and dark chocolate, peppermint and–”
“Something’s missing,” Kingsley interrupts as he stands from his desk.
I furrow my brow and look around his office. Everything looks as pristine as it always does, if not a bit sparse and impersonal. “Uh, should I go ask Ben if…”
I trail off as Kingsley stalks forward, the tall, intense man focused solely on me. He stops a few inches away, surprising me by taking the drinks from my hands and setting them down on a side table next to the couch.
“Um…” I breathe out as I tilt my head up.
Kingsley stares down at me, then slowly, so slowly, he raises his hand and brushes a few strands of my hair out of my face, tucking them behind my ear. The tips of his fingers tickle my skin, and I hold my breath, my heart racing with each second he’s close.
