“I managed t—” Bill adds.
I press the button, ending the call without even saying goodbye. I hate to cut him off, but the footsteps are practically here, so I’m out of time.
“Oh,” Sage says from behind me. “Is he out?”
“Yes.” I let the phone slide off my shoulder, catching it against my breast as I turn. Sage stands there expectantly, eyes dancing, her lips stretched into a huge smile.
My gaze shifts behind her to the man in the navy suit, who’s taller than the doorway. Addler de Marco, the jerk who ruined my life. My new boss.
* * *
Addler
Elena Santos, the woman who’s haunted my dreams, whirls around. Her big doe eyes look straight into mine, her gaze latching on with an air of recognition. Meeting her again, after all these years, would have been perfect, except for the guilt that flashes across her features for the briefest second. Interesting.
She curls her fingers around the cell pressed to her chest. Seconds tick by before she drags the plain-black-covered phone along her cleavage and shoves it into a pocket at the back of her dark jeans. The angle of the move stretches her top against her generous breasts, offering an enticing view I’m not about to pass up.
My gaze lingers along the buttons on her pullover as I’m bombarded by similar images from long ago. A younger version—flowered tops, a lacey strip across her shoulders that offered an enticing glimpse of skin. The perfect little beauty mark I discovered at the center of her cleavage when she stood close to me. Or my favorite memory, her getting caught in the rain on her way to school. That day changed me. I was never late to school afterward. And whenever she wore that T-shirt, I’d end up walking around with a massive boner for half the day.
By the time I venture up to her face again, any vestiges of guilt have been replaced by annoyance. A grin stretches across my lips. Seems she hasn’t changed one bit. “Elena.”
I’m not the type to pretend I didn’t know she was onsite. I make sure to find out everything happening on my property. What I do with the knowledge depends on what’s going on at the time.
“Addler,” she replies in a clipped tone.
“I didn’t realize he stepped out,” security says with a nervous edge, her wide-eyed gaze going from Elena to me then back.
“You lost Bill?” I taunt, knowing prey when I see it.
“I…uh.” She swallows hard, clenching her fist. The heat in her face rises, turning her skin bright red.
“He had an emergency.” Elena comes to her rescue, effectively ruining my fun.
“I’ll leave you two, then.” Security beats a hasty retreat down the hall without giving me a second look.
I turn back to Elena, my steps claiming the space between us. “He all right?”
“It’s Isabela,” she replies, sounding uncomfortable. “He rushed back home but didn’t tell me, or Sage, he was leaving.”
“Sage.” I study her features for a moment. “I’m sure you must feel very secure with her around.”
“She’s not a guard,” Elena says, defensively. “More of an admin. She keeps tabs on who comes in and out, along with work hours for monthly reporting to the state.”
Of course, she would know all the details of the job. Even after all these years, she’s still the little overachiever she was in school. “And you?” I ask, amused at her need to come to the woman’s rescue.
Her demeanor shifts. My sadistic side is eager to pounce, and, since it’s her, to play. What is she up to?
“I’m only here for a few weeks”—she pauses—“keeping track of Bill’s projects.”
That fraction of a second is enough to seal her fate. The time she’s been here doesn’t matter. I know the exact hour she arrived on my property. The reason she’s here is what I need to focus on. What is Bill doing that she needs to track?
“Why?” I ask, point-blank.
Her chin goes up. “As you know, the company’s up for sale.”
I fold my arms across my chest and raise an eyebrow. She stands her ground, but the corner of her lips tightens the slightest bit. Only enough for someone who’s watched those lips for endless hours to notice. “You know the sale’s final.”
She nods, her hand tightening enough on the bag she’s holding to make it rustle. “Yes. Bill just told me.”