Page 14 of When Hearts Ignite

He clears his throat and sits down in his chair, the strange tension dissipating instantly, like everything was just figments of my overly creative imagination. His eyes are once again dispassionate, his bearing as cold as a statue, looking every inch the King of Wall Street as everyone calls him behind his back.

Only the faint pulsing of the vein on his forehead indicates the last few moments had impacted him somehow.

“I’d like you to join the two projects I’m kicking off next week. Have you heard of Scott Enterprises and TransAmerica?” His voice carries a tinge of hoarseness, and he takes a leisurely sip from a cup on his desk.

“Of course. The real estate empire is headed by the billionaire, Adrian Scott. I’ve also read online he’s your brother-in-law, and TransAmerica, well, everyone knows them. Your father plays a big role in the company.”

He nods, a faint smile on his lips like he’s pleased I’ve done my research on him. “Adrian just signed an agreement for us to manage half of his investment holdings. As for TransAmerica, we’re mainly research gathering right now, but things may change quickly. I only want the best and the brightest on my team, and not only because this relates to my family, but also because of the size and influence of these companies on the broader business community.”

Steven cocks his head to the side before dipping into a curt nod. “I’m usually good at reading people. I’ll send Hayley an email to let her know you’ll be joining us. Kick off meeting is eight a.m. sharp. You may go back to your desk now.”

My chest bursts with pride, bubbles of excitement flooding my insides, and I bite my cheek to keep from screaming or squealing. I climb to a standing position, my feet practically bouncing on the floor.

“Thank you, sir!” Steven’s eyes lift to mine once more, the irises darkening a smidge, but I’m too excited to care. I rock on my heels, my lips splitting into a wide smile. “Thank you so much for the opportunity. You won’t be disappointed.”

Spinning around, I take a few steps toward the office door, only to find my fingers still clutching the lapels of his expensive suit jacket.

Turning back, I begin to shrug off the jacket—

“Keep it until your shirt dries. Just leave it on your desk before you leave. I’ll pick it up before I go home,” he instructs, his eyes pinned to the computer, his fingers flying over the keys in an incessant rhythm. He has put on a pair of thin, metal-rimmed rectangular glasses, the ensemble only making him more devastatingly handsome.

My heart skips a beat.

“Thank you, sir.”

The clattering of keys stops briefly, then restarts, and he proceeds to ignore me as I walk the rest of the way out of his office, the elation thrumming through my veins better than any coffee or alcohol in the system.

I inhale deeply, the intoxicating scent of the ocean breeze with a hint of sandalwood, pear, leather, and spice sifting into my nose, and I burrow deeper into the jacket, which wraps around me like a warm hug. I try to convince myself even a blind woman would find Steven attractive and the clamoring in my chest and the butterflies flapping their wings in my stomach are just reactions to being excited about being part of his team.

That’s all there is to it.

The darkness swallows me whole, tangling its thick tendrils around my wrists and ankles as I fight to escape. I teeter at the edge of consciousness, my arms and legs flexing and kicking to no avail as dense smoke glides over my body, the swirling midnight pulling me back down into its murky depths.

I jolt, my eyes blinking open, and I find myself standing in the dark hallway of my home. The wind whips against the windows, the glass rattling along with the haunted howls, and I shiver, even though I’m wearing my favorite blue sweater and the brand-new jeans Mother purchased last week when she was out shopping with her friends.

Nana visited a few days ago and sewed a superhero patch on the right pant leg. It’s so cool. She told me I was now a superhero myself. It’s what I wanted for Christmas, but Mother said I was too old to play with action figures anymore. But this is better than a toy because Nana said these pants are now magical.

“I’m only eleven, Nana. How can I be a superhero?” I gripped the jeans, my grubby fingers softly tracing the red cape. Mother was going to be so mad Nana ruined the pants.

But I love it.

“You only need to have a brave heart to be a hero, my darling Stevie.”

I look up, finding the face before me fuzzy, a light glowing behind her head. Nana? Why can’t I see you?

I miss Nana. She gives me the best hugs, outside of Emily, that is.

The floor moves beneath me, and I’m back in the scary hallway once more. A large wail travels in from the outside and lighting flashes through the dark room in a streak of white. My heart pounds in my chest just like the time Emily dared me to watch that scary movie about a ghost with her last Halloween.

She said the movie was for big kids and because she was thirteen, she wouldn’t be scared, but she said I would cry. I was buried in the blankets for half the movie, but I stuck through it, because I wasn’t going to lose the bet with Emily. And I didn’t cry at all.

A low rumble ripples through the hall. Squeezing my eyes shut, I put my fingers in my ears, knowing what’s about to come. A piece of paper I forgot I was holding flutters to the ground.

Don’t be scared, Steven. You’re eleven now. You aren’t allowed to be scared. You’re a Kingsley, and Kingsley men don’t let emotions get the best of them.

I keep repeating what Father told me two nights ago in the library before another piercing roar of thunder shakes the windows. Whimpering, I curl myself into a ball on the floor and try not to cry, but tears fall down my cheeks, just like the rain outside. My lips wobble and I scrunch up my nose, swipe my face, my heart pounding so fast I could barely breathe.

Father will be so disappointed if he sees me crying.

---