Whatever. From what little I have heard from Carolyn, Christian dates like it’s going out of style.
My heart turns over when I think of that. There’s another reason I should steer clear of him. From here on out, I’m only interested in men who give a shit about things like commitment.
And honesty.
Derek was the last bastard to get the chance at destroying my heart with bullshit like having a secret affair with my best friend. For an entire year.
It’s what I think about as I sweep my hair back into a flawless chignon, put on my new coral dress and a snappy blazer, slip my feet into nude high heels that make me look like a supermodel, and head out the door right on time, my phone and wallet tucked into an oversized purse that usually holds my laptop. On the off chance that HRM assigns me one today, I’m not going to want to haul two of them across the city.
I take the subway to Midtown, emerging into the bright July morning with a spring to my step and hope in my heart.
And Christian Pierce on my mind.
Bennett Walker turns out to be several inches shorter than I am, a concentrated ball of energy waiting to take on the day. He greets me as soon as I enter the building lobby. “Bennett Walker,” he says, holding out his free hand. In the other hand, he carries a leather portfolio. “Everyone calls me Walker. Feel free.”
“Quinn Campbell.” He rocks up and down on the balls of his feet, always ready to speed off in a different direction.
“We’re on the eighth and ninth floors,” he says as he guides me across to the security station, where the men there create a new I.D. badge that I will need to access the elevators. “I’m glad you’re here early. There are actually a couple of meetings already on your schedule for this morning.”
“Orientation meetings?”
“Client meetings.”
I don’t let the shock show on my face, although I can’t believe they’re having me meet with clients on my first day. “Okay,” I say as we wait for the next elevator car to arrive. “I’m assuming there will be some kind of briefing?”
“You’re good, Campbell,” Walker says with a grin on his face. “I can hardly tell you’re rattled. The briefing is going to be—” He glances down at his wristwatch. “Right now. Buckle up.”
Chapter 10
Christian
I don’t give a fuck about what happened on Friday night, but my father does.
Color me shocked.
Melody wasn’t pleased about the verbal exchange I had with Quinn Campbell across the table when she showed up with Carolyn. She was pissed when they sat down and furious that they stayed, and she didn’t hide it very well.
To her credit, Quinn never seemed to let it affect her. She quickly engaged herself in conversations with Todd’s and Jeff’s dates and played off Carolyn’s contributions to the conversation. By the time they polished off the last of their drinks—wine for Carolyn and vodka and Red Bull for Quinn—and gathered their clutch purses to go, Melody’s anger was rolling off of her in waves.
It was disappointing enough to watch Quinn’s back as she receded into the crowd, and so goddamn irritating that I couldn’t explain why I was so drawn to her, couldn’t pinpoint the thing that kept my eyes laser-focused on her face, the curve of her shoulders, the neckline of her dress, for the rest of the night. Maybe it’s just the fact that she radiates a confidence like nobody I’ve ever seen. Maybe it’s the fact that she doesn’t seem to be swept away by me. For once, I’m not in control.
It’s not my favorite feeling.
I wasn’t always this way, but ever since—
No.
I shove the thought out of my mind. I don’t want to think back to those days, back to my brother, back to our eighteenth birthday, back to the party…
It has nothing to do with Quinn Campbell.
It has everything to do with Quinn Campbell, and you know it.
I run my hands down over my face, then try to force my attention back to my computer screen.
It doesn’t work.
What the fuck is wrong with me? Quinn Campbell is a woman I cannot—absolutely cannot—afford to get involved with. I don’t know how I’m so sure. I don’t know how I can sense it. But I know that if Quinn Campbell gets too close to me, I won’t be able to resist her. I won’t be able to keep her from knowing the deepest parts of me.
Then she’ll know my secret.
And no one can know my secret.
A meeting reminder pops up in the corner of my computer screen, and I push my chair away from my desk with infinite care to keep from slamming my fists against it. It’s time to make my way to my father’s office. He has summoned me to a meeting, and by the terse tone of his message, it’ll be regarding the events of Friday night.
After Quinn and Carolyn took off, I sat next to a seething Melody for as long as I could stand it, trying to defuse the tension with a few well-placed one-liners. She was having none of it, and my patience grew thin pretty fucking quickly.