Chapter Seven
Asher
I was hopped up on too much caffeine and feeling a bit like a caged animal. After working like a madman all morning, the walls of my office—as large and expansive as it was—were starting to feel as if they were closing in on me. I was in dire need of fresh air around me and open sky above me.
I saved my work, got up from my desk, and strode out of the office. It was time for lunch, and I intended to spend it outside. My personal assistant Jade looked surprised as I almost stormed past her.
“Are you all right, Mr. Sinclair?”
“Yeah. I'm just feeling, ya know, a little cooped up and frustrated. It's been a long week, and I've been burning the midnight oil every night. Between that and having too much damn coffee, I need to get outdoors for a short while.”
“All right. I was just about to order your usual Friday lunch from the Lebanese place—”
“No, don't worry about that. I'll pick up something myself.”
“Yes sir, Mr. Sinclair. See you shortly,” she said with her trademark cheery demeanor.
“Enjoy your lunch break, Jade.”
I hurried off and, as I rounded the corner before the elevator, I almost collided into someone.
“Lilah! We have got to stop bumping into each other like this,” I said with a grin. “I'm sorry, I almost knocked you over there.”
She looked up at me and smiled. “That you did! Good thing I have the reflexes of a cat, now isn’t it?”
I chuckled. “You do seem to have ninja skills!”
Her smile widened. “Where are you off to in such a hurry, Asher?”
“Oh, I'm not really sure. I’m just going a bit stir crazy in my office. You know how much work we've been putting in the last couple of days, and I don't think I've been getting enough sleep, and I definitely had too much coffee this morning and . . .
“Ah, see, I'm even rambling now. That’s a sure sign I need to get out of the office. I just need to get outdoors to walk around and try relax a little. It's a lovely day outside, and there are a few quiet, picturesque spots nearby that usually help me refocus and rejuvenate.”
“That sounds really nice. I was thinking earlier about taking a little stroll during lunch. I'm still trying to explore the neighborhood a bit, you know, find good lunch spots and such.”
“Well, would you like to come with me? I could show you a few places that are kind of off the radar. There are definitely a few hidden gems located in a back alley or two around here.”
Lilah smiled. “Back alleys, huh?”
“You’d be surprised,” I offered with a wink.
“Sure. Let me take these papers back to my office and get my purse. I'll be right with you.”
“Excellent. I'll wait by the elevators.”
She smiled again and hurried off toward her office. I couldn't help my eyes from lingering on the way her hips swayed as she walked away in her beige business suit. I tried to force my eyes off of the exquisite curves of her ass which moved so sensually as she went.
I shook my head to snap myself out of the trance I'd fallen into. I hoped there wasn’t anyone who had seen me staring. Luckily, nobody else was around.
After a minute or two, Lilah rounded the corner and smiled as our eyes met. A tingle rushed through to my nerve endings as her gaze met mine. As many times as I had seen her, her striking eyes still managed to stir something in me every time she looked at me.
“I’m ready to go,” she said.
I resisted an impulse to take her hand in mine. “Great, follow me.”
After we exited the building, I pointed across the street. “See that little alley over there?”
Her head tilted and she studied the direction in which I pointed. “Yeah?”