shit

face drained of all color. Slowly, she loo

aw clenched, his nostrils flared, and with every passing second,

he air thicker than smoke. Some exchanged horrified glances; other

full towering height, practically radiating rage. The rest of the table scrambled to th

rock concert in her chest. Her sweaty palms clutched t

those dreaded words: "You're fired." Her

never

ling. Fuming. Eyes burning ho

one had ever dumped boiling soup onto his manho

ard hesitantly, hoping to extinguish the fi

ith it, he prayed silently. Don't

hand up-a silent command to shut the hell up-and

reath they didn't real

er, was stunned.

nd-Furious didn't utter a single wo

t even the mos

actically ballet-trained when it came to serv

er drifted fr

utiful woman who'd been seated beside Richard. Her crimso

well

k her leg out and tripped her. Annabelle's blood

then and there-but paused. This wasn't the time.

and relief. She caught whispered apologies and sympathetic looks as they exited. The re

reathing deep. She had to b

e the in

rdered, not even sparing her a glan

court-martial. Her coworkers sent her off wit

r. Crook didn't wast

pointment. "You spilled boiling soup on Mr. Barton. In front

nd down his

one of my brightest. I don't want

of c

t like

ped her head u

d. That woman-Richard's secretary

ed. "The one in

y. "Yeah. The hot chick

hat's Julia Walker. Technically just his secretary, but word around is-they're... close.

scoffed.

t change the fact that she tripped me," Annabelle said t

ibly flinched

you planni

ove my i

You poke the wrong bear, you won't just lose your job-you'll vanish from the indust

nd nodded, even though he

s had her back. Maybe she coul

ame anothe

rsonal guards appea

nts to see you

's breath

heart hammering against her ribs. Every ding

ned on the 47th floor, sh

. Hold your ground. N

hallway like a queen e

ath the surface-but she wasn't about to let them show. If

he suite door

ans

, listenin

oor open and peeked inside. The p

he back, she thought, her pul

y plush details, too much silence. Every

he moved through the living area. Then, heart thuddin

d it open

reaking

e he

rd Ba

et. Shi

er trickling down his sculpted torso. Each drop slid past defined

My.

s her eyes involuntarily dropped-

wearing

witch. Her scream tore out before she could stop it. She spun around,

ual hell jus

e towel hitting the floor, the deep inhal

eadly glare. He hadn't registered the scream yet-but when his ey

. Femal

e

ai

the door. Run, Annabelle. Just

voice boomed,

to

ope. Her breath hitched. Every instinct screa

ur

e. That d

t dragged her right back to that night she tried to bury-this same suite, the same t

nto her skirt. Her k

dn't run. No

eyes shut tight. Please, Go

your

hey dripped with disdain-and s

eath caught in her throat-an

eaking God, he ha

re

every sharp line of his body, and yet, even then,

s his

ud of fury

eyes narrowed, pierc

in one damn day. How did someone like yo

e a slap. Her face bu

ss off to be here. She didn't come crawling back

cracked li

secretary tripped me. The one in red. That hot chick with t

ething flickered

? Disbelief

n-a

darker, like a thunderstor

d about Juli

o his

wanted to ke

cr

was sha

apped across the

n't wait for

oom, out of the suite, down the hallway-her heart

her breath hitched a

eep down,

st poured sou

ured fuel

d

t right in the mi