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She tipped her head back to look up at him. “I’m sorry, Zane.”
“Don’t be.” He pressed a kiss to her soft cheek and breathed in the Chanel perfume that would always remind him of her. “Take care, Brie.”
She reached into her purse and removed a key from a big bunch. As she handed it to him, he realized it was the key to his apartment.
“I’ll call by sometime to pick up my stuff and drop off any of yours that you’ve left at my place.”
Wow. Couldn’t call into question her practicality. He took the key, steeling himself for a stab of remorse at the ending of a three-year relationship. Instead, the tension he’d carried across his shoulders for what seemed like months vanished.
“Call first in case I’m not there.” He crossed her office and reached for the door handle.
“Zane.”
He glanced over his shoulder. “Yeah?”
“Be happy.”
His smile was small. “You, too.”
CHAPTER 9
Lori glanced up at the enormous glass skyscraper, tall enough that, from this angle, she couldn’t make out the top few floors. Taking a deep breath, she fixed her purse on her shoulder and strode inside.
Every time she walked through those doors and into the modern reception area, she felt like a small fish in a very large pond. Decked out in contemporary style, the décor was all cream leather couches and polished chrome adornments. As always, an impressive bunch of flowers arranged in a crystal vase sat on top of an immense round table, and expensive art—at least that’s what she assumed—decorated the walls. Lori knew nothing about art. They could be pieces from the dollar store, but she doubted it. Everything about the building screamed opulence and wealth on a grand scale.
“May I help you?”
Called forward by a bespectacled guy in a smart blue suit, one she hadn’t seen before, Lori smiled and retrieved her identification from her purse. She slid it across the desk.
“Lorelei James. I’m here to see Mr. Somers.”
Dayton Somers, CEO of Somers Technology Solutions, an entrepreneur with an impressive track record in the software industry, had decided to diversify into hospitality, namely hotels. An odd diversification but one she didn’t question, given the man seemed capable of turning everything he touched into gold.
Landing this contract on top of the one that had brought her back to New York was a hell of a coup. Especially as some of the big guns who’d bid for the job dwarfed her in size and experience. But Dayton was a man who knew what he wanted, and at their very first meeting where she’d presented her ideas, they’d made an instant connection. He’d told her he preferred to work with smaller outfits as they gave a more personal service.
He wasn’t wrong. Lori kept her customer base small so that she and her team could make each client feel special, important, the only one who mattered. She’d make a ton more money if she expanded, but then she’d lose that personal touch.
Not to mention the stress of it all. It was crucial to remain mindful of her limitations, much as it stuck in her throat to admit she had constraints on how much she could take on.
Still, if the die had fallen differently, she might not even be here. And she wouldn’t have laid eyes on Zane again.
A knot pulled tight in her stomach. Two months had passed since she’d seen him at the restaurant, and she hadn’t bumped into him since. That didn’t stop her becoming rooted to the spot every time she saw a tall dark-haired guy in a well-cut suit weaving his way through the crowds.
She should be happy. He’d moved on, as she’d intended him to. Everything had worked out just as she’d hoped it would.
Goddamn, it hurt, though. It killed her to think of him living his life without her. Living his life with someone else. Laughing with her, touching her, kissing her. Making love to her.
Jealousy tasted bitter in her mouth and burned through her midsection. Jealousy she had no rights to, yet still it torched her insides.
This was what you wanted, Lori. And you got it. Now stop bitching and forget about him.
The elevator dinged, and the doors sprang open. Drawing on her professionalism, she put thoughts of Zane to the back of her mind. Dayton deserved one hundred percent of her attention. Heck, he was paying enough for it.
Her heels sank into the plush carpeting as she made her way to Dayton’s office. His executive assistant waved her straight past.
“Go right in, Miss James.”
“Thank you.”
