Page 27 of Tormented Bastard
Katie was silent on the other end. When the silence stretched out to the point I fidgeted with a thread on the comforter, I continued, ignoring the pregnant pause. “It’s a huge house—he’s on one side, I’m on the other. It’s all very aboveboard.”
I decided against mentioning that I’d cooked breakfast and that we’d had three run-ins where I could easily find myself in his bed if I wasn’t careful.
“Okay.” She drew out the word into multiple syllables. “So, how’s it going? Did he agree to be the speaker?”
I ran my finger across the mousepad of my laptop to wake it up. “He said he needed to think about it.”
For some reason, the need to protect Chase from the fears I imagined were holding him back was strong. I didn’t want to explain to Katie the reasons for his hesitation. Hell, I didn’t even really know why he was hesitating. What I knew about his reasons for leaving New York weren’t much more than what the papers splashed across their front pages.
We hadn’t exactly done a lot of talking after his wife’s memorial service.
My cheeks burned with shame and yet I couldn’t ignore the quickening in my belly at the thought of how we had spent that time together. Even his arm in a sling from his recent surgery hadn’t stopped us.
“Anyway, I don’t know how long I’m going to be stuck here. For the moment, we still have power, and Chase says he has a generator. So hopefully I can still work.”
“Okay, what do you need me to do here?”
And that’s why I loved Katie. She had been privy to some of my more personal moments, including the dark days four years ago after I left Chase and ignored his calls. But she knew when it was time to ask questions and when to leave it alone.
I rattled off a list of things I needed her to do. Pull from customer files, reschedule more meetings, and redirect some of my work to a couple of trusted key players.
“I think that’s it for now. I’m going to work on the proposal for the corporate Christmas party on the docket and check on some things for the charity ball.” I blew out a breath. “And hopefully get an answer from Chase here soon.”
“Did he give any indication of how much time he needed?”
“No, but I know we’re running out of time. Don’t worry, I got this covered here. Just hold down the fort there, okay? I’ll love you forever and take you shopping at Bergdorf’s for your birthday.”
“Well, you’d love me anyway, and I never turn down a trip to Bergdorf’s.”
“This I know well. Thanks for helping me out. Call or text me if you need anything.”
“Will do. Hey, Eden?”
“Yeah?”
“Be careful, okay?”
“I’m perfectly safe. I’m telling you, this house—”
“I’m not talking about the storm, Eden. We both know this.”
The solemness in Katie’s voice made me smile. “Thanks for looking out. Don’t worry. I got this.”
“Okay, boss.”
“Bye, Katie.”
I put in my earbuds and started a deep focus playlist, wrapping myself up in work. The ever efficient Katie had already sent me three of the files I asked for while we were on the phone.
I worked for several hours, only looking up when the power shut off, plunging my room into shadows. I had gotten so lost in my work, I almost forgot where I was. I slid off the bed and moved closer to the window, stretching my arms over my head to work out the kinks. The weather conditions had further deteriorated, and it was becoming hard to see much outside the window from the rain lashing against it. Thunder was an almost continuous roll, and lightning bolts split the purple skies.
Licks of fear scraped along my skin, and I worried about the strength of the glass. Chase said they were hurricane windows, so I assumed they would hold. Tree debris began flying around the air. The water was dark gray and angry, no longer the turquoise beauty on a clear day. White caps danced along the top of the waves that crashed against the shore, and the storm surge marched up the beach. I swallowed and pulled the curtains closed.
I sat back down on the bed and picked up the phone, noting that I no longer had cell service. “Damn it,” I said with a sigh. I didn’t even bother to see if I could make the Internet come back. I tossed the now expensive paperweight on the bed.
I started at the knock on my door. It was stupid, because it had to be Chase on the other side of the wood, but butterflies swarmed in my belly.
When I opened the door, he stood on the threshold, hands in the pockets of low- slung jeans and a white T-shirt stretched across his broad shoulders. “Hey. You okay?”
