Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 59395 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 297(@200wpm)___ 238(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59395 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 297(@200wpm)___ 238(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
Josh’s hand on her body stirred an unfamiliar, uncomfortable anger in me. I’ve never been jealous in my life, but I was jealous tonight. I took her into my office knowing damn well what I was feeling, and the risk it represented. She is my employee. She is not for me, and I am not my father. I will not become my father.
I will not touch Bella again.
Chapter Eighteen
Bella
I’m running late.
After Tyler told me not to be late, I seem to be trying to do just the opposite. I pull into the parking lot with ten minutes to spare, with no coffee down me. I cannot deal with Tyler Hawk this morning without any coffee. Thankfully, Hawk Legal has its own little restaurant and coffee shop I call our café. We even have our own app. I order coffee for me and Tyler as a peace offering I hope he doesn’t end up wearing. It’s doubtful, considering he controls my paycheck, but I’m human and fallible. As to how I know his drink, we’ve run into each other at Cupcakes and Books, a little bookstore down the road, that Dash favors for his little writing escape.
We both go there for Dash.
It’s the place to corner him. And since he’s always there on Thursday, it’s probably where I’ll be heading after this meeting with Tyler, to talk to him about this mess with Hollywood and his contract.
Setting aside that dreaded meeting, Tyler drinks a cinnamon mocha latte, just like me, which our café creates rather masterfully. Deliciously, too. We both have it recreated at Cupcakes and Books.
I kind of like the idea of this being his drink. It makes him a bit more human. And he is human, no matter how hard he tries to hide it. He’s never watched a chick flick? I find that hard to believe. He just feels like he can’t risk being human, as if being human is weak, but judging from how his father treated him, I know where that comes from. Jack Hawk taught his son to show no weakness.
And Tyler mastered the skill.
With two minutes to spare until my meeting with Tyler, I’ve unloaded my purse and briefcase in my office and make my way to the café. The cups are waiting on the counter, and I’m about ten seconds from securing them when I hear. “Bella.”
At the sound of Josh’s voice, my energy spikes, and I whirl around only to find him red-eyed and exhausted. He’s been drinking. He must read my assumption on my face, because he says, “I haven’t been drinking. Well, not this morning.”
“How did you get back here?”
“The receptionist was trying to find you for me and sent me here to wait. I just came to apologize. I’m going into rehab, and yes, I know in showbiz rehab is everyone’s way of sidestepping trouble, but that’s not what is happening here. I just—” he scrubs his jaw. “I was an asshole, and my mother wouldn’t be proud of me. I should have asked you to coffee because I do like you, Bella. I handled it all like shit.” He throws his hand up to his sides. “I shouldn’t have said that. I better leave.” He turns to walk away.
He’s nothing like the arrogant ass from last night this morning, and I can’t say if that’s an act or fear or real remorse. Nevertheless, I want to be a part of his solution, not his problem. That’s who I am. That’s why I like my job. I do well, but I do well because my clients do well.
I call after him. “I forgive you.”
He turns and looks at me. “Yeah?”
“Yes. Be well, Josh. And when you are, we can make lots of magic together. Work magic.”
It’s then, that I realize Tyler has entered the café and he’s watching us, and I hate the way my pulse races and not with the idea of a potential confrontation but with his presence, with memories of his hands and mouth on my body. But truly I should be thinking about poor Josh, because Tyler is in his path to the door. I’d warn him but it’s too late. Josh turns and takes several steps toward Tyler before he halts abruptly. I fret within myself, trying to decide if I should intervene, but Tyler talked with Malcolm last night about Josh. As long as Josh remains apologetic, he doesn’t need me. If he doesn’t remain apologetic, there is no saving him anyway.
Tyler closes the space between himself and the other man. Seconds tick into a minute at most, and then Josh is walking to the door. I have just a moment to drink Tyler in—tall, dark, and good-looking—so damn perfect in a fitted, pinstriped blue suit. He is all man, no question on that point, arrogance dripping from him. I melted for him, and how could I not?