Page 2 of Sexting the Silverfox

“I’ve complained repeatedly and have spoken to everyone in the administrative office. I also emailed anyone else I could find who might be able to help, and I am aware other homeowners in the complex have as well since I’m not the only one dealing with this problem.”

“And?” He leans back in his chair, apparently listening to me, though I get the feeling he doesn’t really care or he’s just judging my reaction to his indifference. I’m not sure. Either way, it’s annoying as hell.

“And? And they’ve been giving me the runaround and nothing else. When did your company buy the complex? Three weeks ago? Four? Six? I’ve lost track because I’ve been too cold to think of anything else. This situation is unacceptable. All I am being told is, ‘Sorry, Miss Smith, we’ll send somebody to check it out.’ And so they send the building’s maintenance guy who then tells me it’s a supplier issue. When I call the supplier, they tell me it’s a building issue. And so on and so forth. In the meantime, it’s the middle of January, and I’m still freezing my ass off.”

He nods a couple of times. “Anything else?”

His arrogance and apathetic tone are pushing my buttons. But I’m already amped up, so I keep going, listing every issue I’ve ever had with the building and the previous owners. Apparently, I’ve got a lot of negative energy stored up, which is ironic since, as a kindergarten teacher, I’m supposed to be the cool and levelheaded one by nature. Nonetheless, I unleash it all on this man.

I came in prepared to deal with a rich and entitled prick who had no idea how to handle the property he bought, yet I’m the one on the verge of losing my shit while he sits there, dangerously good-looking and infuriatingly composed, watching me.

By the time I’m done, I’m out of breath. “I apologize for the deluge,” I say. “But since you insisted on having one-on-one meetings with Emerald residents, I figured you’d want to hear what I had to say.”

“I expect nothing less,” Jason says.

It’s amazing how intimidating a man can be without saying a word. Jason Winchester has barely spoken yet, beneath my winter coat, I am shivering and simmering at the same time.

Every time our eyes meet, I get a jolt somewhere inside my chest, and I feel the heat spreading downward.

After what feels like the world’s longest pause, he says, “I’ll tell you what. I’ll give you a complimentary stay at one of my penthouses in Lake View while we sort out the heating issue in the building.”

“What?” I ask, not sure I heard him correctly. “Are you kidding?”

He doesn’t seem fazed, only amused. “No, I’m not. I agree with you. It’s inhumane to have you staying in a place with no heat and barely any hot water in the middle of a Chicago winter.”

“Well. I can’t possibly stay in a stranger’s home, and Lake View is too far from my work. That is not a viable option.”

“Audrey, rather Miss Smith,” he begins, and I notice a slight change in his tone. “Whatever the issue is with The Emerald Residence, it won’t be resolved overnight. Besides, I now have to replace the entire building staff over there since they clearly haven’t been doing their jobs.”

“Hold on,” I say, my blood suddenly running cold. “That’s a lot of people, and at least half of them are good folks. They work hard, and they have families to support. You can’t do that.”

“Well, you can’t have it both ways now, can you?” he asks, smirking. “What’s it going to be, Miss Smith? You came to me with a problem; I have offered the only solution I have available for you at this time. My penthouses are momentarily unoccupied, and I don’t mind letting you stay there while your place gets fixed. But I still have to do something about the building management, either way. No matter how you look at it, someone is going to lose. Would you rather it be you? Again?”

I think of Sammy, who manages the janitorial team; Rosa, who handles the day-to-day logistics; and Manny, who has been nothing but kind and patient with me when his own bosses had him telling me to call this number or that number. They don’t deserve to lose their jobs because the building owners are absolute crap. He’s talking about firing the wrong people, and it’s completely unfair.

I shoot up from my seat. “It’s not fair,” I snap, my anger getting the better of me. “It’s not ethical. And it’s not what I came here for, Mr. Winchester. I expect my heating problem to be fixed within the next forty-eight hours, or I will have no choice but to let my lawyer handle it from there!”

Little does he know I can’t afford a lawyer since every penny I have is tied up in my apartment, and my kindergarten teacher’s salary won’t even cover a single consultation with an attorney.

He says nothing, which makes me feel helpless and vulnerable, but his cool gaze tells me he got the message.

“Thanks for nothing,” I mutter as I stand up and turn to leave.

“Hold on, Miss Smith.”

I turn around just in time to see him get up and offer me a business card. “What’s that?” I stupidly ask.

“I think you’ll need it.”

He walks over and hands it to me. Our fingers touch for the briefest of seconds, and it’s enough to make my vision temporarily hazy as I stare at the card. “We’ll see about that,” I scoff.

He’s confident and somewhat cocky, but I try to leave with my head held high.

However, by the time I reach the elevator, I’m trembling like a leaf in the wind, and not because of the cold. I’ve been rattled to the core by this man, and I have no idea why. It’s as if my own brain and body have turned against me.

I was supposed to keep my cool at all costs. How did I go off the rails so quickly? How did I practically throw a tantrum in front of one of the most attractive, not to mention seductive, men I’ve ever encountered?

Chapter 2

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