“May I help you, sir?”
I spun around and grinned at the receptionist. Her eyes lit up when she saw me and I flashed my crooked grin. “Hey there.”
Running her tongue quickly along her bottom lip, she smiled. “May I be of service to you?”
“Yes. I’m actually looking for Taylor Atwood.”
Her smile faded some while she sat up a bit straighter. “Taylor?”
“Yes,” I replied with a nod. “Taylor. Is she in?”
“I’d have to check, may I tell her who is here to see her?”
I wasn’t sure if I gave her my real name Taylor would tell her she didn’t want to see me. Maybe I should give her a fake name. After going back and forth in my head I decided to go with my real name.
“Jase Morris.”
As she picked up the phone, she flashed me a flirty smile. “Jase . . . that’s a nice name.”
“Thank you.”
Looking away, she spoke. “Ms. Atwood, there is a Mr. Jase Morris at the front to see you. Yes, I’ll let him know.”
The back of my throat ached. She didn’t want to see me.
The receptionist hung up the phone and gave me a polite smile. “Ms. Atwood asked if you would please take a seat. She’ll be with you in a few minutes.”
A rush of relief raced through my body as I let out the breath I hadn’t known I was holding in. With a quick spin on my heels, I made my way over to the chairs and sat down.
Five minutes passed before I heard her voice coming from down the hall. “I’ll get those numbers on the investments over to you this afternoon.”
Taylor and a guy a few years older than me rounded the corner. When she put her hand for him to shake it, I couldn’t help but notice the way he looked her over like he wanted to devour her.
Fucker.
“Thanks so much, Ms. Atwood. You wouldn’t happen to be free for lunch would you?”
Taylor stole a glance in my direction. “I’m sorry, Mr. Burns, I wish. I’ve got another appointment right now.”
Ouch. That one hurt. Standing, I cleared my throat while the asshole looked me over. Turning his attention back to Taylor, he said, “Well then, we’ll have to make it for another day.”
“Sounds like a plan. Have a good day, Mr. Burns.”
When he placed his hand on Taylor’s arm, I squeezed my hand into a fist. “Have a good afternoon, Taylor.”
Taylor walked up to me with a blank expression. “Jase, what are you doing here?”
My smile quickly faded. “I was wondering if I could speak with you.”
“You couldn’t call?”
Glancing over to the receptionist, I lowered my voice. “You haven’t answered any of my calls, Taylor. Otherwise I would have.”
“Follow me,” she said making her way back down the hall.
Once we got into her office, she shut the door and motioned for me to sit down.
“Man, I feel like this is a serious meeting or something,” I said with a chuckle. Trying to lighten up the tension in the air.
Her eyebrow arched as she stared while waiting for me to start the conversation.
“I um . . . well, I wanted to first off apologize for what happened in Paris. I regret what happened.”
Her face turned white as a ghost. “What?” she whispered.
“No! I don’t mean I regret making love to you; I would never regret that, Taylor. It was the most amazing time of my life.”
Taylor looked away as her cheeks flushed. “I see. What exactly are you regretting then?”
“What I said afterwards . . . what happened. For pushing you away because I was scared.”
“Scared? Why were you scared?”
Everything! Hurting you, letting you into my heart to hurt me. The insane way I feel about you that has my heart stopping every time you smile at me. My heart was pounding in my chest as I drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out. Hell if I wasn’t scared shitless now.
“Taylor, I’ve never felt like this before. You know I love you and I would never do anything to hurt you.”
“Really? Because making love to me and then telling me it wouldn’t work between us and leaving with another woman hurt me. A lot.”
Pulling my head back in confusion, I asked, “What are you talking about? I didn’t leave with anyone.”
Taylor let out a gruff laugh. “Really? Cammie left with you, or have you forgotten that?”
“She followed me out the door; I didn’t go anywhere with her. I walked around Paris for hours by myself.”
Taylor sat back in her chair. “You . . . you didn’t spend the day with her?”
“Fuck no. Jesus, Taylor, do you really think I’m that much of an asshole?”
With a smirk, she replied, “If the shoe fits.”
Well damn.
“I freaked out and got spooked, but I honestly was and still am worried about dating and living so far apart from each other. But I think we can make it work.”
Folding her arms across her chest, Taylor slowly shook her head. “So just like that, huh? You think you can walk in here and give me some sorry excuse for an apology and I’m going to fall at your feet and thank you for coming back to me?”
“Sorry excuse?”