Page 20 of Mafia Rules

A few seconds later, my phone rings.

"Eve!"

"Sorry, I'm on my way in. Just having car trouble." Her voice sounds different, shaky.

"Did something happen?"

"Yeah, I broke down, and I'm waiting for CAA," she says with a cute chuckle at the end.

I feel my racing heart calm down at the sound of her calm voice. "Where are you? I'll send my driver."

"I have to wait for the tow truck, Ash," she pleads.

I'm not convinced she's being truthful, but I'll know when she's in front of me. I needed her with me. "Are you sure it's not me?"

"Did you break my car?" Eve giggles. "Oh, he's here. I'll grab a taxi and be there soon."

Eve hangs up before I can offer her anything more. But I can breathe again. What that girl does to me? I pick up all the papers on the floor, not wanting Eve to know I had a mini breakdown. She couldn't know the full me yet. I'm scared I might be too much for her.

"I thought I heard something," Stella interrupts me while I'm on my knees cleaning up my mess.

"It's been a day, Stella," I grumble.

"It's only morning yet, Mr. McKenzie." Stella picks up the last of the papers by her feet. "What do you want me to do about the girl? I know you don't tolerate lateness. She is young."

"I’ll have a talk with her.” I avoid the look Stella is likely giving me right now. I once fired a new hire for being three minutes late. Eve is two hours late. “Car trouble.”

Stella nods with raised eyebrows. “Is there anything I can do before she arrives?”

“Can you confirm my afternoon appointment?”

“Yes. I’ll do that now,” Stella says, already leaving.

What the fuck was wrong with me? I had to focus on this client. If I can’t close this deal, I’m fucked.

I hear the door swing open and heels rushing into the lobby. “Eve?” I call out and meet her at her desk.

“Sorry Mr. McKenzie—”

Before she can say more, I grab her face with both my hands and kiss her lips, my tongue moving between them. At first, she doesn’t react, maybe I’ve caught her off guard, then she leans in, and I let her take over before she resists once more.

She pulls herself away from me. “Ash.” Her face is flushed red. “Stella.”

“I don’t care. I was worried about you. Why didn’t you answer?”

She sighs. “Because I knew you would want to rescue me, and I had everything under control.” She pulls off her scarf and jacket to reveal one of the outfits I bought her. A light-blue wool sweater that hugs her curves perfectly and a dark-blue skirt with brown knee-high boots.

“Let me,” I practically beg her, taking her jacket, breaking my own rule of getting to close.

She pushes me away and sits at her desk, turning on her computer. “We have to prepare for our meeting this afternoon.”

Her voice is formal, and she opens her e-mail and scans the new ones.

“That’s amemeeting,” I say, fully aware she knows she doesn’t meet withthatclient.

Her cheeks blush, and I see her eyes water a little. She clears her throat and starts typing with one finger. I stand beside her, not moving, waiting for her to pay attention to me.

I lean down, with one hand on her chair and another on her desk. “When will you tell me what’s going on?”

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