The One That I Want (Scorned Women Society Book 3) Piper Sheldon (classic books for 12 year olds .TXT) 📖

her luxurious lashes. Her face was unreadable. But she wasn’t pulling back either, was she? Her gaze flicked between my eyes, dropped to my lips and then quickly shot back up. Our faces were only inches apart. My mind screamed a thousand reasons why it would be a great idea to close the distance between us. But then Skip’s dour expression popped into my head. Arms crossed over his flannel shirt and his face turned in a frown. Talk about a bucket of ice water dumped on my head.

My focus moved back to my knuckles. I cleared my throat and asked, “Why is it these shallow little cuts always burn more?”

“It’s because they’re not deep enough to trigger the pain receptors like a deeper wound does. That’s why paper cuts never seem to stop hurting,” she explained matter-of-factly as she placed little Band-Aids on each knuckle. A tiny frown formed between her eyebrows as she worked.

“Huh. Interesting.”

She was placing the last Band-Aid on when she added, “And because you’re a big baby.” She flicked a playful glance up at me through her lashes. That look did little to calm my heated blood.

My hand remained in hers as she went down the line and checked each bandage was properly stuck to each finger. “Nice hands,” she mumbled and I hardly heard her.

“What was that?” I asked. Had she just complimented my hands? I would need her to say that louder. I needed that recorded actually.

She shook her head and stood up and away from me.

She took a deep breath, and before she could speak, I said, “Look. I want to apologize for Friday night …”

“We should talk about it,” she said, seeming to choose her words carefully. “I’m the one who needs to apologize. I was just caught off guard. When I learned that you were William’s partner—”

“Skip’s business partner,” I inserted.

“Right. It just threw me off. I was in work mode. I’m trying for a promotion and there is a lot at stake. Still. I’m sorry.”

She leaned back on a shelf, looking down on me with sincere regret. I was still crouched on the bucket covered in tiny bandages. I wasn’t feeling my most masculine at the moment but again Skip’s words played in my head. She needed to feel comfortable to open up. So I hugged my knees planted almost to my chest, feeling like a giant man-child. I’d endure far worse to see that light returning to her that I first saw in Denver.

“I didn’t mean to bombard you. My plan was to tell you who I was before the meeting with Vincent,” I said. I tried to cross my leg but almost tipped over, so I uncrossed it and tried to look serious. “And I didn’t know who you were the night we met in Denver, I promise.”

She nodded like she believed me. “I think I’d—”

Just then the little door to the janitor closet opened and light spilled in. Roxy stood up straighter. Vincent stood framed in light.

“Roxanne. I was just looking for you.” His gaze then found me sitting like the naughty kid wearing a dunce cap. “Mr. Olsson.” One sharp eyebrow cocked. “Everything okay?”

Roxy stepped forward. “Minor mishap. He was helping me move a box. I’ll fill out an incident report for the supplies,” she said in a brisk business tone I was growing accustomed to. Unfortunately.

The well-dressed man nodded. His sharp eyes looked to Roxy and back to me. Then back to her again. “I was looking for both of you,” he said. “Let’s go back to my office to chat.”

Roxy wouldn’t look at me. Instead, she nodded and followed his retreating figure. I would have been more hurt but getting off that bucket with my ass half asleep required my full attention.

Roxy

After the fiasco at the drive-in, I spent the weekend preparing for my next encounter with Sanders. I replayed the relief and disbelief of seeing him again, only to have it dashed by my own selfish worries about my career. I knew I had hurt him but damn, I could have used a warning that night. A weekend of talking myself up all thrown out the window as soon as I saw him. I had a whole speech prepared about a professional working relationship and how important it was for me to focus on my work. And then the second I heard that voice, smelled his soapy man smell, I was a goner. He was catnip and I was a pussy.

And now here I sat between Vincent and Sanders, trying to get my bearings.

I checked back into the conversation when Vincent addressed me. “… But what I’m hoping for, Roxy”—I didn’t miss how he emphasized my name—“is that you two will work closely with MooreTek. They’re a big client for both of us. Based out of California. They’re coming next week for a corporate retreat, and if they’re happy, it could mean a lot of potential future business. It will be good to see how you handle an event of this size,” he finished to me.

He clasped well-manicured fingers on the desk which looked marginally more tidy since the last time I had been in there. Based on the fact that his phone hardly stopped buzzing during our entire conversation, he still had a lot on his plate. Vincent proposed to Sanders that Outside the Box work directly with the Lodge for the visiting corporate account. It would be a chance to see what corporate adventuring was all about and how it could integrate with the Lodge. When I glanced to the side, Sanders was grinning ear to ear. I fought the instinct to roll my eyes at him.

“This is fantastic,” he said. I felt him look to me but I stayed focused on Vincent. “Of course I’ll have to check with my co-owner,” he finished in a more serious tone.

“William?” I asked, finally turning to him.

“Skip, yeah. He only had great things to say about his meeting with Roxy,”