Page 128 of Taming the CEO

His words sliced through me. Maddox had been so adamant about making those changes, about preserving Mom's legacy. He wouldn't do it. He wouldn't lie to me. This had to be something else. Maybe they didn’t have time to get the new plans to the council.

“My relationship with Maddox is none of your concern," I said. "I think it’s best I leave. Have a great day, Bill."

I left his office before he could add anything else. I hurried past Greta, who asked me something, but I was moving so quickly that I didn’t hear what she said. I needed fresh air.

Once I was outside, I exhaled sharply and then took a deep breath through my mouth. Closing my eyes, I tilted my head back. The snowflakes fell on my skin. It calmed me down, though that plan was dancing behind my eyes, mocking me.

I opened my eyes and headed straight to my car. I was still shaking. Now I was cold, too, on top of being angry. Climbing inside, I turned on the heat and wrapped my arms around my torso. I wanted to call Maddox but decided against it. I needed to talk to him face-to-face.

He'd told me he was going to be in his office today, so that was where I was heading. The snow was even worse in Boston, but thankfully the plows were out and about, so the streets weren’t too horrible.

It was only when I entered the city that I realized I didn't actually know where his office was.

I bit the inside of my cheek and then decided to text Natalie.

Cami: Hey, it's Cami. I want to surprise Maddox at the office. Can you give me the address?

She responded a few minutes later.

Natalie: Sure, here you go.

I plugged the address she provided into my GPS and headed straight there.

The city was in full Christmas mode already. Decorations had popped up everywhere, making it unrecognizable from the last time I'd visited.

I tried to mull things over in my mind, but I couldn’t decipher what Bill was up to. I was already in a frenzy when I reached the address Natalie had given me, and I circled the streets three times before I found a parking space. Then I practically jogged inside the building. She'd told me to come straight to the upper floor.

"Hi." That came from Natalie, who met me when I stepped out of the elevator. She had her coat on and her laptop in hand.

"You're heading out?" I asked, then looked around, noticing the offices were empty. "Where is everyone else?" I'd assumed the place would be buzzing at this hour.

"We have a huge event that's starting in about an hour. Everyone's already there. I just stayed behind to wait for you."

"Oh. Where's Maddox?" I asked.

She pointed at a door at the far end of the main area. "He's in that meeting room. He's had back-to-back calls all day, and sometimes when that happens, he shuts himself in one of the rooms. I didn’t get a chance to tell him you were coming, so he’ll be surprised. Have a fantastic evening."

I blushed as I realized the meaning behind her words.

Oh, Natalie, if you only knew.

When she left, I headed straight to the door she'd pointed at. Maddox's voice was booming inside. I knocked lightly and then opened it just so he would know I was here.

He didn't notice me at first. He was frowning, looking into the distance and talking into headphones. But then he glanced up at me, and his face instantly transformed. He flashed me a huge smile. My heart started beating faster.

I waved at him and mouthed, "I'll wait here."

He shook his head.

"Rob, we'll continue this tomorrow, okay? I'm calling it a day. Right, thank you. Yep. That's exactly what we'll do," he said, then lowered the phone from his ear.

"This is a pleasant surprise.” He grinned, then frowned. “You didn't tell me you were coming and I forgot, did you?”

I shook my head. "No. I asked Natalie for the address."

"That would explain her smart-ass smile." He walked to me. “What's wrong? Something's wrong."

"How could you tell?" I asked.

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