Page 16 of The Innovator

CHAPTERSEVEN

GRAYSON

Even with a packed schedule that didn’t leave room for a detour, I headed downtown to see Natalie when I shouldn’t have.

“Is Commissioner Conner available?” I asked Marge, a silver-haired clerk who had been with the city for twenty years.

I already knew the answer because he had told me in an email that he’d be taking time off to spend with his wife in Texas. But I didn’t want to show up and just ask for Natalie. That would make it seem like I needed her. I didn’t need her. I just had a question for her.

Stop lying.

Since when did I need to explain why I had to do something?

Since Natalie.For some reason, I couldn’t stay away.

“Sorry, he’s out of the office for the rest of the week, Grayson.” Marge recognized me from all my visits. “Do you want to leave him a message?”

“No. Where’s Natalie?”

As though on cue, I saw her walk down the hallway.

Marge said something to me, but I didn’t listen. Instead, I walked away to catch up with Natalie.

She wore a gray skirt, which fell below her knees and outlined her ass beautifully, and a light blue top, which brought out the colors of her eyes. The scent of her fragrance dragged me along as though she yanked at my tie. It annoyed me. I couldn’t stop the pull. I’d always been the one in control, but around her, my self-control wavered.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, surprise wrinkling her eyebrows. Her face was like a breath of fresh air, no makeup, yet so perfect.

This was what I needed to see—something different from my gloomy world.

Most of the women I’d dated dolled up for me, but it was Natalie’s natural beauty that stilled my senses. The rawness of her features was the honesty I’d been waiting for. I didn’t want anything covering up the truth. Natalie delivered that to me without knowing.

“Do you have any information regarding The Prism?” I asked, trying to regain my self-control.

A man who lacked control was a man on a ship without a steering wheel. Or he could be a building with rotting beams that could collapse at any moment. I didn’t appreciate anyone threatening my character. But Natalie was doing a lot more to me than threatening my self-control. She tugged at a deep place within me that even I didn’t know existed.

Your life fell apart before Natalie showed up.True, but I didn’t like her poking at my vulnerability.

And yet, you’re here allowing her to do exactly that.

I swore sometimes I wanted to kill my other self. Maybe I’d developed a multiple personality disorder. People who experienced that psychological syndrome did some illogical shit.

She paused in her steps. “No. I have other responsibilities too. Things don’t work that fast here. Don’t you have other projects pending? Maybe you can focus on those? It’s only been two days since we last spoke.”

“But Three Point Parkshouldbe your priority.”

“Says who?” Blue fire flickered in her eyes, and my cock twitched.

“Says the man who donated millions of dollars to the City of Providence. I’m basically paying your salary. Three Point Park is going to be a staple in Providence. The city knows this.” I stepped closer, inhaling another whiff of her scent. “The faster the project moves along, the sooner the city will get to show the world how great it is.”

She searched my face, but didn’t reply. I’d give anything to see into her mind.

“If you need me to tell Robert to delegate your other projects—”

“I don’t need you to meddle. I can manage my schedule. Thank you.” She continued walking, and I kept up with her.

Following a woman around was an abnormal routine for me. In the past week, irritation had crawled all over me like a colony of ants staking claim on my life, biting me from all angles. I needed sleep and a month’s rest without thinking about work or my issue with Derek. An unexpected storm rolled in last year and destroyed my stability. I went from living a carefree life to one that trapped me in this odd loop of repetitive confusion and unhappiness.

You’re doing it yourself.

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