Page 8 of The Woman

My brows draw together again, and I’m about to ask how the hell she knows what food I like when I remember the information sheet I had filled out before I made the selection. It’s given to our chosen ones to help them serve us better. That’s probably what she was reading when I got home earlier.

“I’ll eat it tomorrow,” I tell her before turning around and walking toward the hallway. When I hear her footsteps trailing behind me, I swing around, leveling her with a glare that makes her feet stutter before coming to a stop. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I thought I was to give you company tonight?”

Eyes narrowing, I take a slow step toward her. “You are to do what I say.” My words and tone have her shrinking back a little, but those pouty lips remain slightly tilted. “I don’t need your company. You have your own room with your own bed.” I nod to her doorway, and she glances over her shoulder at it but doesn’t move. Clenching my jaw, I step forward, grab her arm, and lead her to the room, flicking on the light before pushing her through the door. “Your room.”

She turns to me, and I swear there’s a flash of something on her face before it blanks. “Okay, thank you.”

With a harsh exhale through my nose, I turn around and decide to head into my office instead. Once sitting behind my desk, I glance down at the hand that just held her arm. Her skin was so much softer than any others I’ve felt, almost like the delicate petal of a flower, and that sweet scent of hers . . . Shaking my head, I open my laptop with more force than necessary and try to focus on starting that rendering again.

It’s not until a frustrating hour later when I hear some noises coming from my kitchen that I realize what this nagging feeling in the back of my mind has been that has stopped me from concentrating.

Rising to my feet, I walk to the door, gently open, it and peek out. From here, I can see into my kitchen, and there is Avery, bent over with her head inside my fridge. I told her that I had eaten, but I didn’t ask if she had.

That’s exactly what I was telling Edison at O’Malley’s. Instead of being able to get a couple of extra hours of work done, my subconscious was busy wondering whether or not she had eaten and what she was doing out there.

I turn the light off and close the office door behind me with a defeated sigh. Nothing will get done tonight, so I might as well just go to bed.

Chapter 5

When I step out of my bedroom in the morning, I’m hoping that Avery will still be sleeping and I can avoid seeing her before heading off to work. But the scent of coffee wafting down the hall tells me I’m in no such luck.

“Good morning,” Avery greets from the breakfast bar.

I make a barely audible grunt and move into the kitchen to grab something to eat on my way to the office, as well as pour some coffee, but Avery comes shuffling around the bar.

“I prepared you a bagel with cream cheese and poured coffee into a mug for you. They’re in the warmer. Let me get it.” She hands me the plate and mug and then smiles up at me before spinning around to take her seat again.

The sway of her hips has my gaze flitting down to the little shorts she’s wearing today as she walks away, and I notice that half of her ass cheek is visible. Heat sparks in my groin at the sight of it and travels through my body. For fuck’s sake.

I avert my eyes and clear my throat, annoyed that I keep noticing her body. “You didn’t need to do that,” I tell her instead of saying, “Thank you.”

“I wanted to,” she answers and takes a mouthful of her own food.

“Don’t say that,” I snap, deciding to sit and eat for a minute. “You didn’t want to. You did it because you’re supposed to.”

My mug is halfway to my mouth when she speaks again, halting my sip. “I wanted to.”

I turn my attention to her, a little surprised by her reply, but she’s not looking at me. Her attention is solely on her food. Perhaps I imagined it.

There is nothing more said between us as I quickly finish my food and get out of there as soon as possible, leaving her still sitting at the breakfast bar.

Tilting my head, I look up at Carsen Architecture in front of me as I walk toward the front doors. My grandfather, and to a certain extent, my father, have been doing things a little old-school and often follow outdated methods. I’m hoping I can bring in new revenue with a younger touch.

I can sense curious glances and scrutinizing stares on me as I walk through one of the main areas to pick up some copies of paperwork I need, but as soon as I turn in their direction, they quickly turn away. My eyes narrow, wondering what that’s all about as I pass them. I’m often looked at warily while they wait for me to give them an important or time-sensitive task, but this is different.

I ride the elevator up with my arms crossed and a frown in place. My grandfather is leaning against his assistant’s desk when I step out on the top floor. He checks his watch, murmurs something quietly to Gary, and then steps over to me before I can make it into my office.

“Phoenix,” he says, placing a hand on my shoulder and leading me into my office. “Tell me. How did your night with the female go? Was it what you were expecting?”

Stepping away from him, I move over to my desk and take a seat while trying to figure out how to answer. “She is an agreeable companion.”

He studies me a moment with searching eyes as he sits opposite me. “Agreeable?”

“And tidy.”

Eyes narrowing, he sits straighter. “You didn’t have sex with her.”

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