One of my marketing guys moved to stand next to Annie, leaning over her shoulder to look at the storyboard. My jaw set, eyes narrowed, and my hands balled into fists. He took a step back, and Annie's glance flitted up to me for a brief second.
She was so skittish around me, like a colt. Whenever we were in a room together, she got jumpy and tense. I'm sure it had something to do with the way I prowled around her, like a predator circling its prey. I nearly growled when I saw any other man near her.
I know I’d meant to give her space, let her come to me. But there was only so much I could take.
I stayed a little longer, observing and helping myself to a plate as well during their working lunch, but I grew more and more tense. It seemed Annie had smiles for everyone but me. I could still remember her sighs and cries, how she tasted on my tongue. Enough was enough.
At her side, I murmured into her ear, “Come see me when this meeting is over.”
She came to me in about a half an hour. I had a couple of people with me in the office, but they got the boot the minute she appeared.
“You wanted to see me?” She looked like the fulfillment of any man's office fantasy. I could bend her across my desk, pull her skirt up and have her screaming for more in minutes. What was that I'd thought about not pushing it? I needed to let this unfold slowly? That might not happen.
“How are you, Annie?” I approached her.
“Good. Fine. The project is moving along.” She didn't meet my eyes.
“I mean you. How are you doing?”
Her gaze flitted up to mine for a moment, hesitant, wary. “I'm good. Happy.”
“You like your job?”
“I do. Except this one new client is very demanding.”
Cheeky. How I liked that in her. “I can be very demanding,” I agreed. I wasn't talking about the project and we both knew it. Heat flamed on her cheeks and she shifted her weight on her feet. Was she growing uncomfortable in a good or a bad way? After all that time apart, I had to admit I was having some trouble reading her.
“Would you like to have dinner?” I asked, plunging straight in. It was driving me crazy to only see her surrounded by other people all the time, her coworkers, my staff, always in meetings. “I'd love to spend some time with you, take you out. Catch up on everything that’s happened over the past year.”
“I don't think that's a good idea.” She shook her head. “I'm new at Callahan and Spence, and it just wouldn't look good.”
“Screw that, Annie. You've got to come up with a better excuse than that.” After all we’d been through, concern about workplace propriety didn’t seem good enough.
She bit her lip. I wanted to do that for her. But then she whispered, “I can’t.”
“Why not?” I forced myself to keep my voice calm and level.
“You crushed me, Ian. I was devastated. It took me months to recover. Please don’t ask me to go through that again.” She looked up at me, her eyes big and pleading.
Cursing, I stepped over to the window, raking a hand through my hair. I had been an asshole. She had good reason to be wary, to distrust me. She’d seen me at my absolute worst. Hell, I’d understand if she’d never trust me again.
I said the only words I could. “I’m sorry, Annie. I never meant to hurt you.”
But they weren't enough, as I'd known they wouldn't be. “I know you didn't. You were hurting so much yourself. But I just can’t.”
“I understand.” I walked over to her and I swear I meant to give her some sort of a handshake. My intention was to let her go, show her I understood and respected her wishes. But standing close, her body so ripe and soft, those eyes still looking up at me full of emotion, my arms wrapped around her. My lips found hers, sinking down into her as I'd wanted from the moment I'd seen her again. Dipping her back, I caught her full in a kiss. Her hands reached up to wrap around my shoulders, clinging to me, her mouth opening and she kissed me back. My tongue explored hers, plundering, stroking, and she moaned in my arms, pressing her body full against my length.
A sharp knock at my office door broke us apart. “Mr. Douglas? Your two o'clock is here to see you. You haven't answered your phone.”
I swore under my breath. This was a meeting I had to take. Our family had plenty of money to back our brand all by ourselves, but it was part of my growth strategy to bring on more funders, getting their skin in the game so they'd help with reaching a broader audience. Two o'clock had deep pockets. Hands around her waist, I looked deep into her eyes. “Annie—” I began, but she didn’t let me get anywhere.
“That shouldn't have happened.” She pulled away, her eyes downcast as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and shook her head with resolution and regret. “That can't happen again.” She left the room. The harder I tried to grasp, the more she slipped through my fingers.
* * *
§
* * *
Early that evening, I got a call from Jax. “You're coming, right man?”
“Yeah, of course.” I told him honestly about my plans. I'd already reserved the plane and in two weeks I would definitely be back in the states, combining a business trip to New York with his wedding weekend on Naugatuck. I winced at his question though. He had reason to doubt me. Last summer I’d missed my own sister’s wedding. Some things you couldn’t do over. I felt like shit about it.
Sophie and Liam had gotten married a couple weeks after Annie had left me. I’d planned to ask her to come with me, be by my side as I saw all those people I used to know, returning to the scene of the accident. I hadn’t been back to Naugatuck for years. For me, the place was haunted.
After Annie left, I couldn’t face it. I’d told Sophie I was skipping her wedding while drunk via voicemail. My little sister. Liam had called and tried to change my mind. It hadn’t worked.
Sophie was a saint, though. She’d visited me while I was undergoing treatments in New York. She told me she forgave me. I just couldn’t forgive myself.
“Can't wait to see you, man. I hear from Sophie you’re doing good.”
“Yeah, that's right.”
“And you’re…” He trailed off, even tough-as-nails Jax feeling awkward over asking me directly. But I knew what was on his mind. He'd been the one on the boat with me when the mast had fallen across my back.
“Yeah, I'm walking. I had reconstructive surgery and it worked.”
“That's amazing.” Emotion broke through his deep voice.
“I'm happy for you, Jax. Can't wait to meet Sky.”
“It means a lot, you being a groomsman.” I knew he'd carried a burden of guilt with him for years after the accident. Maybe he still did.
“Don't get soft with me man,” I teased. The last person in the world anyone could accuse of being soft was 6’3” Jax, with his shaved head, tattoos and custom motorcycles. But I knew, he had a lot more emotional depth than some might guess. He'd been a good friend to me even when I didn't deserve it. I’d proven myself a bad bet, missing my own sister's wedding last summer, but Jax still made me a groomsman. I guessed that’s what being a true friend was, betting on you even when the odds didn’t look good. This time, I planned on coming through.
After we hung up, I did my workout, ate dinner, then unwound, listening to music and reading a new book about marketing strategy. But the text was dry, and my thoughts kept pulling me back to Annie. I'd skipped one wedding because she couldn't be by my side. Now I planned on going to another, yet still I wouldn't have her with me.
Or maybe I could?
I remembered Annie had once told me she dreamed of traveling to New York City. I had a lot of important business to do across the pond, relationships to be forged, deals to be made. Having a team with me would surely help.
I might need some company on my upcoming business trip. And the wedding weekend? Perhaps we could very much mix business with pleasure.