Page 46 of The Keeper

“Yeah, well, better hasn’t texted me yet.”

“Oh hush,” I said. “Have you met Bennet Logan yet? In person? I know you’ve been emailing quite a bit.”

“No. Saturday was supposed to be the big in-person meet up. I can’t believe I got sick on the flight over.” She wrinkled her nose. “Don’t tell anyone that’s why I bailed. Makes me sound lame.”

“Your secret’s safe with me.”

Professionals young and old scurried through the atrium, some talking on the phone while others deftly avoided collisions as they texted or scrolled through whatever was more important than looking straight ahead.

It was a little after two in the afternoon. Hannah and I were scheduled to see Bennet right around now. Actually, this was Hannah’s meeting to discuss the Legends possibly playing here in the fall. He’d emailed me this morning to see if I was available to join.

“Ladies, there you are.” Bennet’s voice echoed through the atrium. He commanded the space without much effort, nodding hellos to several people. His strides were long and determined. Bennet was the archetypal vision of wealth and power in his double breasted gray suit. “Apologies for my tardiness. I seem to have double booked myself this afternoon.”

“We’ll let it slide this one time,” I tsk-tsked with a smile.

Bennet grinned at me, then turned to Hannah and extended his hand. “Pleasure to finally meet you, Ms. Pruitt.”

Hannah appeared to be a little awestruck by our host. I stifled a laugh, wondering if I should have warned her about being in the presence of the god of thunder. Bennet seemed a bit thrown himself. The extra long stare they shared put me squarely in third wheel territory.

“So, what do you have planned for us today?” I asked, trying my best to cut through the foggy layer encasing the two of them.

“Like I said, I double booked myself so we have one stop to make before we can start our meeting.” Bennet’s amber eyes did this little twinkle thing that instantly made me suspicious.

“I’m sure whatever you have in store for us will be fine.” Hannah’s normally strong, clear voice sounded almost breathy.

“Okay then, lead the way.” I gestured toward Bennet, hoping to spark something other than hormones. He picked up on my cue and led us to the elevators.

I stayed a step or two behind them, observing how they interacted. Bennet seemed unsure about what he wanted to do with his hands. He kept fidgeting. Granted, I’ve only interacted with him once, but I’m smart enough to pick up on nonverbal cues. As for Hannah, she kept talking in a breathy voice, which is so out of character for her.

Once we got into the elevator it became abundantly clear I was now invisible. Grinning to myself, I pulled my phone out. I hadn’t texted Xavier yet like I said I would. No time like the present.

Me: Hey. All recovered from your big press conference? V

I slid my phone back into my bag just as the elevator doors opened. We walked into a lobby. The name Impact XM hung from the wall in black metal letters.

Of course.

OF. COURSE.

Double booked, my ass.

I looked at Bennet and lifted an eyebrow. He just smiled at me and shrugged.

“The innocent act doesn’t really work on you, Bennet,” I muttered, looking around.

The whole space was decorated in shades of black, gray and white. A black and white photo of mustang horses running free covered an entire wall. Captivated by the photo, I walked closer to get a better look.

The animals’ muscular bodies were captured mid-gallop. The lead horse in the photo was dark, most likely chestnut-colored. The image felt powerful and very masculine. Almost like…

“I’m comforted to see you’ve remembered how to use your phone, Ms. Chase.”

I shivered when I turned. Xavier’s stare zeroed right in on me while he waved his phone in my direction. I wet my lips on instinct. The corner of his mouth ticked up in a wicked grin.

“There he is.” Bennet beamed as he approached his friend. “The man of the hour. So proud of you, mate.”

He embraced Xavier before introducing him to Hannah. I did my best to maintain a professional smile but so help me, just being in his orbit makes it nearly impossible.

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him if I wanted to. Black jeans hugged his long, muscular legs. A black button down shirt hid his sculpted torso but I knew all too well what waited for me underneath. His left hand was clasped over his right arm at the elbow, giving me a great view of the black and silver rings adorning his thumb, middle, and ring fingers.

---