I left the room, heading for my office, feeling the weight of his intense gaze. The more he saw me, the more likely he’d recognize me.
If he hadn’t already.
I pushed open the glass door to my office, sighing at the sight of my cluttered desk, papers stacked haphazardly.
I dropped my manuscript on the floor with a thud, then started to tidy up, crumpling some papers into balls and tossing them over my shoulder toward the trash can.
The heat from my makeshift mask was making me sweat. I hesitated for a moment, then untied the knot, letting the fabric hang around my neck.
As the cool air hit my skin, I kept tossing paper balls over my shoulder, stopping when I saw the cover of an ~Azure magazine.
My heart pounded at the sight of Daniel Rossi’s handsome face on the cover. I could almost feel the sharpness of his jaw under my fingers as I held the magazine, studying it.
Rolling my eyes, I tossed the magazine over my shoulder, tensing when I heard a grunt.
He muttered a curse, his deep voice sending a shiver through me. I quickly tied the scarf back over my face and turned to face him.
He pulled the magazine off his face, raising his eyebrows.
“I’ve had employees who didn’t like me, Miss Millar,” he said, “but no one’s ever thrown a magazine at me.” He whispered the last word.
“I’m sorry?”
He ignored me, instead looking me up and down. His posture was authoritative, a frown of disapproval on his face.
“I want this mess cleaned up by the time the Lionharte representatives leave.”
I nodded, swallowing hard as I looked at the piles of crumpled papers next to his leather shoes.
His steps flattened the papers as he moved closer, his cologne filling the air, making my head spin.
I stepped back automatically, my back against my desk.
“I’d also like you to turn in your current manuscript.” He stopped a reasonable distance from me. “The competition is optional, but it might give you an advantage if we have to make more job cuts.”
A bitter taste filled my mouth. “So you’re just going to keep firing and replacing people? Do you know how many people have lost their jobs?”
I bit my lip, surprised at my outburst.
His jaw clenched.
“I don’t abandon my employees. They’ve all been offered jobs at a sister company.” His words were a warning, echoing off the glass walls of the office.
“I apologize. I didn’t mean to offend.”
“But you did offend.”
I looked down, my cheeks burning, wondering what would happen if he ever found out who I was.
I almost wished I hadn’t looked up when our eyes met again, a strange feeling in my stomach. I scoffed to myself as he left, closing the door quietly behind him.
With that thought, I started cleaning up my office, memories of the night before making my cheeks hot.
Time flew by, the constant ticking of the clock signaling an approaching headache.
I stuffed the last of the papers into the trash, slung my bag over my shoulder, and headed for the smell of coffee, half-asleep.
In the cafeteria, I watched the manager as she fiddled with the coffee machine. “Hi, Melinda.”
She gave me a sharp look, grunting in response.
Ignoring her rudeness, I cleared my throat. “I heard there’s a competition going on?”
“Yes. The deadline’s in six months.”
“What’s the prize?” I asked, trying to hide my excitement. She narrowed her eyes at me.
My dreams seemed within reach, the chance to be published just a step away. The news of the competition—and the caffeine—gave me a burst of energy.
I left the room in a daze, a big smile on my face.
The smile disappeared when I saw him. He was in a heated conversation on the phone, gripping it tightly.
I quickly brought my hands to my face—my scarf had slipped down to my chin, revealing my features.
His eyes moved to me, then narrowed at something the caller said. I took the opportunity to retie the scarf tightly.
My heart pounded as he turned back to me, confusion in his dark eyes. He ended the call, his eyes locked on mine.
“Rose?”
But I was gone before he could say anything else.
I rushed to the elevator, pressing the buttons impatiently, then let the doors close on his stunning face, sighing with relief.
Christmas lights lit up the streets as I parked in front of my house, the distant sound of holiday music coming from a house down the street.
I realized that last year, I was the one with the loud music and crowded house.
There would be no music, and she’d give out assignments instead of gifts.
Still, I wished I was somewhere else, with someone else, instead of alone with the bare walls and plain furniture of my house.
“Merry Christmas, Rose,” I murmured to myself, slipping off my coat and sinking into the couch. My laptop found a home on my thighs as I started to sift through the mountain of unread emails in my inbox.
One email caught my eye. A message from Melinda at this hour could only mean one of two things: more work or an invitation.
My lips twisted into a frown. This wasn’t even an invitation. She was asking me to do her dirty work.
No way.
I snapped my laptop shut, crossing my arms and staring out the window at the twinkling lights that draped the streets. Every house was overflowing with guests, cars parked bumper to bumper along the curb.
With a sigh, I looked away, only to have my gaze land on the white scarf I’d worn today, its stark color draped over the edge of the table.
With a sudden surge of energy, I sprang from my seat and was out the door in no time. I needed to distract myself from thoughts of Daniel.
Even if it meant decorating Melinda’s house.
