Page 43 of The Wicked Virgin

CHAPTER TWENTY

Tammy

The elevator pinged and I stepped into the reception on the thirtieth floor. Nothing was different at Luxor, the space decorated in luxurious shades of beige and white, the walls gleaming. But what did I expect? Even if my world had been torn apart, it didn’t mean that the company was crashing, that bricks were falling from the sky.

So I took a deep breath and approached the reception desk. Norma, bless her heart, smiled at me, her eyes twinkling.

“Hi Tammy,” the elderly lady said, her voice kind. “Good to see you.”

“Hey Norma,” I said, trying to look calm despite my racing heart. “Is there any way to see Mr. Martin today? Is he in his office?”

And I dreaded the reply, half expecting the grey-haired woman to say something along the lines of “Oh I’m sorry, Mr. Martin has flown to Europe and won’t be back for two months.” If I got that answer, I wasn’t sure what I’d do because it meant that Nick didn’t want to see me ever again and was giving me the soft send-off.

But Norma’s hands flew on the computer and she pursed her lips.

“Wait right here,” she said. “Take a seat and let me check.”

I wandered on wobbling legs over to a plush leather couch. Oh god, what if she came back with an answer/nonanswer, the kind that was a polite no?

But within minutes, Norma was back with a kind smile.

“Mr. Martin says to go right in,” she said with a wink. “I trust you know where he sits?”

And I flushed. Was she alluding to something that I didn’t know? But I brushed it out of my mind, shooting the old lady a grateful smile before getting up and bracing my shoulders. I still had to face the She-Dragon, that bitch Jeanette, who was likely waiting for me with her claws out even now, ready to draw blood. Taking a deep breath, I propelled myself forward, willing myself to breathe, donning a suit of invisible armor. I pasted an empty smile on my face in anticipation of war.

But to my surprise, her station was empty. And I mean, empty, empty, not like ‘gone to the bathroom’ or ‘back in five’ empty. There was no computer anymore, no printer, no binders, just a couple post-its and a stapler, like her workstation had been deserted.

My eyebrows knitted as I stared for a moment. Had Jeanette been transferred somewhere? Was she demoted to the building basement, where I used to sit? Or maybe, just maybe, a small voice in my mind whispered, the blonde had been fired and I’d seen the last of the viper. My heart started fluttering again for reasons I couldn’t understand, but I squared my shoulders resolutely and knocked on Nick’s door, the oak loud and resonant.

The billionaire’s deep growl rang out immediately.

“Come,” came the curt command. Oh shit, that was fast.

Tentatively, I pushed open the heavy door, letting myself into the spacious office. Taking a deep breath, I allowed myself a quick glance around. Again, everything was as I remembered, not an item out of place, everything immaculate, polished, gleaming from head to toe. The floor to ceiling view was still gorgeous, Central Park in the midst of the changing of the colors, leaves vibrantly yellow, red and orange through the glass panes.

And the man at his desk was just as gorgeous. Nick took me in, his blue eyes shuttered, devastatingly handsome with his hair swept off his forehead, commanding in a perfectly-tailored grey suit.

“Tammy,” his voice rumbled, his expression neutral. “Not someone I expected to see. What brings you here today?”

I stepped forward a bit, stuttering slightly, my cheeks flushing.

“I … I came to apologize,” I said quickly, getting past the hard part first. “For making a scene, for running in here like a crazy lady and shouting at you.”

The big man steepled his hands thoughtfully.

“Apology accepted,” his big voice rumbled. “I understand you were upset and acting under strain, so I accept.”

I gasped, pausing for a moment, the air leaving my lungs in a whoosh.

“That’s it?” I said. “That’s all?”

The big man eyed me with amusement.

“Unless you have something more to say?” he asked, eyebrows arched. “You’re the one who came to me, not the other way around.”

And I felt myself getting angry again but took a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm. I swear, Nick could really get under my skin, knowing exactly which buttons to push, and I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do more, kick him in the shins or kiss him.

So I took a deep breath and spoke again.

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