Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 34934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 116(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 116(@300wpm)
And damn, the grownup version is even better than the childhood Elijah.
He’s muscled, smart, and confident, and when he talks, everyone listens. He’s an amazing boss, and not just to me. It’s obvious that the office staff and the crew out in the field love him and respect him. It would be so easy to let my feelings get out of control. But no, I’m going to keep tamping them down because I can’t go there. If I do, it will ruin everything.
He’s just being nice. He’s my brother’s best friend, and he’s looking out for me. He did it when we were younger, so of course he’s going to do it now.
Carrie comes into the conference room, breaking me from my wayward thoughts. She’s carrying a huge bouquet of flowers. “Oh my God, they’re so beautiful.”
She holds them up. “Thank you. I love them. My boyfriend gave them to me, and I couldn’t leave them at home since I spend more hours here than there. You’re not allergic or anything, are you?”
I stand up and come toward her, pressing my nose to the fragrant flowers. “Allergic? No! They’re so beautiful. What’s the occasion?”
She shrugs, smiling. “Just because.”
I gasp. “Ooooh, just because. That’s so sweet.” I softly touch a red petal. “You know… I’ve never been given flowers before.”
Her mouth drops open. “Samantha… you’re kidding me. No man has ever given you flowers?”
I wave her off. I don’t know why I confessed that, but I did now, and I can’t take it back. “Yeah, but it’s no big deal. I don’t even know why I told you that. Your boyfriend sounds like a keeper.”
Her smile gets even bigger. “Oh, he’s a keeper all right. I think he might be the one!”
We both giggle, and Carrie says, “Okay, I’m going to put all this up, check and send a few emails, and then we’ll continue with training, okay?”
When she walks out the door, I hear her say, “What’s up, boss man?”
Seconds later, Elijah is peeking in the door, looking at me worriedly. “You doing okay?”
I nod. “Perfect! The car is a dream, Elijah.”
He smiles. “Okay, well, your office is ready. I have your computer set up, and if you want to take a look, you can see what else you need to be comfortable. Carrie can show you how to order whatever you want.”
I stand up, grabbing my papers and notepads. “I’m sure it’s perfect.”
He shows me to the office, and his cologne wafts toward me. I breathe him in, wanting to bottle it. His scent brings me a comfort that I crave. Instantly my mind goes to sleeping next to Elijah with that scent surrounding me. My whole body tingles, and I’m so lost in thought that he catches me staring at him when he turns around in my office.
He smirks as if he knows exactly what’s going through my head. “Well. What do you think?” He sits down in my chair and bounces a little. “I tried out the chair at the office supply store, and this one has a massager, foot rest, and a lumbar support.” He stands up and moves to the side. “Test it out.”
He takes the papers from my hand and gestures for me to sit down.
As soon as I sit down, he lays the papers on the desk. “This button puts the foot rest up.”
I shake my head and bite my lip. “This is too much.”
He puts a finger on my chin and lifts my head. “You deserve it.”
I suck in a huge breath. “I deserve it,” I say out loud, and to myself, I promise that I’m going to deserve this kind of treatment. I’m going to work hard and really make a difference here.
He puts his hands on the arm rests of my chair and leans over me. We’re staring into each other’s eyes when suddenly he clears his throat and pulls back. He crosses his arms over his chest as he leans against the open door. “Okay, well, I’ll let you get settled. Everything going okay? You need anything?”
I shake my head. “No, this is perfect, Eli. Thank you.”
He points to the ceiling. “I left the windows open all night and ran an air purifier so there are no fumes, but you tell me if anything—”
I hold my hands up. “This is perfect. Thank you.”
He nods and is about to leave but stops suddenly. He taps on the door jamb. “Oh, one more thing. I’ve noticed some guys spending more time filling out time cards when they come in and interrupting your work—”
“They’re not. I’m fine.”
He nods, his jaw tightening. “Just let me know if anyone bothers you or makes you feel uncomfortable, that’s all.” He runs his hand through his hair. “The guys that work here are good guys, but I don’t want you dealing with unwanted attention or anything.”