Chapter 21: Chapter Twenty-One

Hours later, with her temper more in check, Kennedi reentered the office, walked on past Erica at her desk—she had on another of Trenton’s latest and greatest headsets—and strode past the cubicles. The area appeared calmer now. Several desks were vacant. From those that weren’t, heads popped up, offering her kind hellos as she made her way to the back suite. Even after the chaos earlier, instead of wearing expressions of dreary uncertainty as many had for weeks, the staff seemed in good spirits, she recognized. Job security and business upswing—she had to give credit where it was due: Trenton Shaw.

Audrey’s usual plump-cheeked smile greeted her. Hollie still sat at the small desk, buried in her work, but most of the horde of Shaw Enterprise staff had vacated.

Kennedi looked at her watch. It was closing in on six thirty. It’d taken a good three hours seated at the Starbucks a couple blocks over to calm down from her fight with Trenton. The man knew how to get under her skin. But he’d been true to his word in trying to help her get things back on track. He was owed an apology.

She entered the office. Trenton’s pen stilled and his head lifted, his stare flat. That pleasant regard upon seeing her, which she’d come to anticipate, didn’t surface past his stoic features. He blinked slowly and lowered his gaze back to the papers in front of him.

Distress jabbed and cut through her chest, precision sharp. The feeling was so unexpected, she expelled a heavy breath to relieve the pressure and approached the desk. “About earlier, I want—”

“The files you need to review are there on the corner,” he interjected in an emotionless tone without ever looking up while scribbling on the document in front of him.

Too soon, apparently. Getting the folders, she moved to the couch and took off her shoes before starting in on the documents.

The desk phone buzzed, and Trenton answered, “Yes, Audrey?”

“Would you like me to order dinner for you and Kennedi before I head out?”

Trenton looked at her but didn’t speak.

“No thanks, Audrey. Head on home,” Kennedi said.

“Okay, have a good evening.”

“You too,” she replied, and Trenton tapped the button and resumed his work.

Reading the document, she looked up. “The projected overhead cost is substantially high, don’t you think? Won’t that deter investors?”

“Page four,” he muttered without preamble, and still he didn’t bother to look at her.

She flipped the pages and read farther. “Ah, so the cost begins to balance out by year three. Does this mean those who were hired at the onset will be let go? I wouldn’t want that to happen.”

“It won’t.”

“How do you know it won’t?”

“Because I said so.”

“That’s not a guarantee.”

“If you read the damn proposal in its entirety, you’ll see the overhead cost remains steady while construction and other costs decline, thus balancing out.”

She read on and reviewed the charts. “Oh, right.” Giving him a side-eyed look, she saw that he sat with full-on tension punctuating his posture, and those beautiful pale pink lips were contorted in a harsh, stiff line. Damn if she didn’t find him even more handsome in all his anger.

Over the next hour, she asked questions only when absolutely necessary, and his responses were all business, so distant. They sat mostly in long, tense silence.

Rereading the same lines over and over, she felt weariness begin to creep up on her, until she decided to close her eyes for just a moment.

Warm, strong hands on her shoulders startled her awake. She reared her head back and looked up into those beautiful eyes in that wonderfully sculpted face that still wore a trace of upset.

“I like watching you sleep. You twitch your nose. It’s cute.”

Did she do that? Checking her watch—seven fifty-five—her ten-minute catnap had turned into twenty. His fingers began a firm, soothing massage. “You don’t have to do that.” She attempted to move away, but those determined hands added pressure just enough to keep her planted in place. “Really, I’m fine. I actually need to go.” If she left now, she’d make it to Brighton Gardens in just under an hour, barring no traffic hang-ups. “There’s something I need to take care of.”

“That doesn’t surprise me.” He slipped her hair behind her ear, the tips of his fingers teasing the sensitive skin just below her lobe. “Do you plan to see Lange again?”

She looked up again. His expression shaded, but the harsh lines across his brow had softened. “He asked me to dinner, but—”

“Of course he did.” On a heavy sigh, he circled the couch, sat on the table in front of her and brought her feet to rest on his thighs. His fingers slowly, expertly worked her arches, over her ankles and along her calves. It felt heavenly.

She closed her eyes on a sigh and relaxed back. “You’re extremely good at that.”

“I’m not your enemy,” he said quietly.

Her eyes fluttered open. “Okay.”

“But my enemy is now your enemy when it comes to business. That includes Alan Lange.”

“Is that the only reason you want me to stay away from him?” Something sparked in his gaze as silence stretched uncomfortably through long seconds. “Look, I can admit I’m attracted to you, which speaks to my poor judgment,” she muttered. “But I don’t think mixing business with personal would be smart.”

“That makes two of us.” With a slight grin, he got up from the table, leaned in at the side of her neck and inhaled. “I could find you in a darkened room. Your perfume, the way it scents your skin, makes me want you.” He breathed in deep again, then sat beside her. “You’ll cancel your dinner with Lange.”

“We’re not a couple. You don’t have a claim on what goes on in my personal life.”

“What if we were?” His eyes widened for a moment—he looked stunned by his own words. “Please cancel your date, Kennedi.”

She read the vulnerability in his gaze. “I declined his invitation.”

“Thank you.” His cell rang on the desk. He came to his feet and strode over to it while saying, “It’s likely my attorney. We have a conference call next Wednesday before you and I meet.”

As he started in on his phone conversation, Kennedi sat there in a mind fog. Something just happened, but I don’t know what. He wasn’t easy to read. Shoving the confusion back, she grabbed her handbag and headed for the door.

“Kennedi?”

She turned, and he was in front of her with a quick, long-legged stride. With the cell phone pressed at his chest, he cuffed her nape and delivered a forever-long, tongue-stroking kiss, then drew back.

“Are you headed to your store?” he whispered, eyes smoldering.

“No…I mean yes, but I have to make a stop someplace else first. It’s just Evie and me. Tabitha’s out of town for the week. I’m still getting things packed up.”

“Stay safe.” He turned away and continued on with his conversation.

She stepped out and leaned back against the door as a multitude of feelings rushed through her, feelings she no longer wanted to push away. I want him. Damn, how I want that man.

“Checkmate.”

“No way!” Kennedi laughed and sat back. “Pop, you’re so good at this.” She’d held back several moves to allow him to advance, but why ruin a good night?

“That I am.” He grinned. “Want to start another game?”

She checked her watch and slipped on her heels. “I should head out. I know the staff lets me stay past visiting hours, but I wouldn’t want to push it. I need to stop at the store on my way home.”

“You’ll bring me blueberry scones?”

She’d finally had the mental strength a couple days ago to put the Business Closed sign upon Chase Confections’s door. “Yes. Love you.” She went to him and kissed his cheek, then headed to the door.

“Love you too, my angel. Dean sends his love as well.”

She rotated. “You spoke to your attorney? He’s back from vacation? I left him several messages, but he hasn’t returned my calls.”

“Yes, he stopped by yesterday. I cleaned his clock over a game of chess.” He laughed. “Dean had my papers. They weren’t lost. He had them.”

Kennedi looked around. “Where are the papers?”

“I told you. Dean has them. He’s taking care of everything until I can get back on my feet. He needed me to sign.”

“Pop, you put me in charge of Chase Investments.”

“Dean can help.”

“I don’t need his help. All business should go through me.” Her voice raised, and his eyes fluttered, a look of confusion sliding over his features. Taking a breath, she leveled her tone. “You shouldn’t be signing anything without my knowledge. Don’t sign any more papers.”

“I’m tired.” He went to the bedroom and settled into bed. “You have a lot on your plate, angel, helping your mother out with the boutique and all. It takes a lot out of her.”

The switch in his brain had been flipped, and she’d been the cause. “Pop, I didn’t mean to yell.”

“Go take care of things, angel.” He brought the cover up beneath his chin, suddenly looking about as frail as she’d ever seen him. “I’m tired. I’m going to sleep.”

“Good night,” she said quietly, remorse clogging her throat on her slow stride out of the suite.

She made a mental note to leave instruction for the administrative staff to remove Dean Watts from the visitors’ list.