Harvest of Love: Insta-Spark Collection

“It’s over. They went with my recommendations.”

“Good. Are you okay?”

“A little shaky,” I admitted. “But I’m fine.”

I heard his heavy sigh. “You sure you don’t want me to come in?”

“Noah, I’m leaving early tomorrow to come out there. I’m going to finish up, go home, do some laundry, and crash. Really, I’m fine.” I let out a small chuckle of relief. “It’s over. I survived. I’ll get some time off, and the break will do me a world of good.”

“You’ll let me take you tomorrow, right?”

I wanted to tell him I didn’t need to see a doctor. The stress was over, and I’d find my feet on my own. But I knew how important it was to him. “Yes. I’ll go waste the good doctor’s time.”

“It’s not a waste,” he growled.

“Okay,” I placated him. “I’ll go. I promised I would.”

I cleared my throat. “How’s Ray?” I asked, changing the subject.

“Good. He can come home tomorrow.”

“That’s great news!”

“It is.”

I heard his name being called, and I knew I needed to let him go. “I’ll call you later.”

“Okay, Sprout.”

I hung up, tidied up some loose ends, and returned some emails. Lynn left for the day, and I shut down my computer, feeling exhausted. My door opened, and Martin walked in, his usual cold smile on his face.

“Dani. You did well today. Very concise and professional.”

“Thank you.”

He held up a piece of paper. “Carl gave me your vacation request.”

I nodded.

“You’ve never asked for vacation before.”

Something in his tone made my chest tighten. “I know. I need a little time off.”

He sat down, tapping two thick files on his leg. “I’m going to have to refuse your request.”

I gaped at him. “Pardon me?”

“I know you’ve worked hard, but that’s what I pay you for.” He leaned forward, dropping the files on my desk. “I want these two companies. I need you to work them both up and get me the preliminary numbers.” He smirked. “They aren’t for sale, so we’ll have to be creative with our offers.”

“Two hostile takeovers?” I rasped, my throat dry, my mind spinning at the amount of work he had just dumped on my desk. I had avoided being part of hostile takeover bids until now. The companies I did the projections on were happy to sell to Martin and walk away. Another group worked on hostile takeovers. They were complex, time-consuming, and often nasty.

“Maybe just one. I haven’t decided.”

My legs started to shake. “I need some time off, Martin.” I pushed out through dry lips.

“I’m not without sympathy, Dani. You have the rest of the week off. Two days plus the weekend. I’ll give you Monday as well. It’s like an entire week.” His smirk became a wide, evil sneer. “I won’t even dock you. Consider it a bonus for a job well done. Maybe once these are complete, I will grant you your time off.”

He stood up, smoothing his jacket. “I expect the preliminary numbers on both of them in two weeks. Enjoy your break.”

Then he walked out.

Chapter Sixteen

Dani

I stared at my closed door.

He said no. He refused to give me my vacation.

At that exact moment, I realized how much I needed that vacation.

I knew what the next few months would entail.

Days of work.

Long nights spent at the computer.

Numbers blending together. Perfection demanded. Martin’s sarcastic smile as he told me to redo something differently. No errors allowed, he would snidely remind me.

No sleep. Forgetting to eat.

No time to spend with Noah.

His disappointed face when I told him.

The burn started in my legs and slowly rose up my body. I felt the tremors begin in my feet, gradually taking over my entire frame until I was a mass of shaking limbs. Sweat beaded on the back of my neck and hairline. Hot, pulsating panic began to twist in my chest, making breathing difficult. Irrational fear raced down my spine.

I reached out for my phone, needing to hear Noah’s voice. It scuttled over the edge of the desk, hitting the floor with my clumsy attempt to grab it. I stood, gasping for air as the panic hit hard. It felt as if my chest were being crushed by some unforeseen force. Tears poured down my face, and I looked for my phone. I bent over to grab it as black spots filled my vision, and I stumbled, hitting my cheek on the edge of my desk, the pain exploding behind my eyes.

I collapsed on the floor, desperately struggling to bring my breathing under control. I curled into the fetal position as if I were being attacked and trying to protect myself.

In and out.

I concentrated on those two actions, forcing my lungs to expand and contract, until I was finally able to get enough air into my lungs, the gasping stopped. Slowly, the panic loosened, ebbing away until I was an exhausted pile of bones on the hard floor. I had no idea how long I lay on the unforgiving hardwood.