Page 162 of Begin Again, Part 1

LIKE THE MAFIA

Eden had just returned from the break room with her last cup of tea for the day, ready to wind down for the afternoon, when her office phone rang. She picked it up, listened to the voice on the other end, and placed the phone back on its stand, taking several shaky breaths to calm herself before she dashed out of her office.

Their meeting was bound to happen at some point, but she didn't expect it to be so soon. How was she supposed to look at Liam when she couldn't remember a large part of Friday night? A quick check of her call history, while she nursed Brenda's hangover cure sometime after midday on Saturday, had confirmed she'd drunk-called him during her bender.

As she weaved through the hallways, Eden tried again to recall Friday night's events, but the only stuff her foggy brain came up with was Aleksei Ivanov, her subsequent fight with Liam and her first kamikaze shot in two years. Everything after that was permanently deleted memories. It was almost as if Frankenstein had reached deep inside her head and wiped her brain clean.

"There you are, Ms McBride!" Gibby said as she rushed to her side and hooked their arms, surprising Eden with the gesture. This was probably as close to affection she'd ever get from the older woman.

"Mr Anderson is waiting for you." She continued as she walked her to their boss's office. "He's just come back from Port Alfred and clearly exhausted from dealing with the investigators, so I don't think this will take long. He needs to head home and get some rest."

Liam stood in front of the window when Gibby showed her in and shut the door behind her, gazing at the view beyond, his hair burning bright in the fading sunset. The fabric of his white short-sleeved cotton T-shirt strained over his ridiculous muscles, his biceps screaming at her to come and touch them. Surely it was a crime for him to expose his guns like that. And how did HR even allow him inside the building, looking so devilishly tempting?

But that wasn't even half of it. The way his faded, slim-fit, ripped jeans sat on his butt had to be another violation of the company's dress code. The only sensible things about his outfit were the Vans on his feet, and the sports jacket draped neatly over the backrest of his executive chair.

Eden was tempted to run up to him and throw her arms around his waist. She wanted so much to rest her head on his back and listen to the reassuring sounds of his rhythmic breathing. She wanted to hold him and ask about his trip and the fire at their shipping depot. But what right did she have to act like a concerned girlfriend when he only hired her for one reason? And boy, did she fail miserably at that one job! Her heart still ached at how abruptly he'd told her he no longer needed her help.

Liam turned from the window, eyebrows arched and a small smirk on his lips. Aware that she was shamelessly staring, Eden picked up her jaw from the floor, convinced she'd need tons of tissues to wipe off her drool.

"Enjoying it?" he asked, his tone dripping with amusement.

Eden narrowed her eyes. Was he low key flirting with her? His voice and the ghost of a smile on his lips said he was, but his stormy eyes betrayed nothing.

There was no way he was flirting, Eden decided as she shifted her gaze to the daunting stack of files of different colours and thickness piled high on his desk. He was either the worst slacker in the world, or his job was too demanding because his desk was always a mess.

"—Ms McBride?"

She snapped her attention back to him. He was still waiting for a response to his vague question.

"Enjoying what, sir?" Eden asked, praying her cheeks and ears weren't as red as they felt.

"The view. You were watching it so intently," Liam said as he stuffed his hands in his jeans and leaned on the glass. He eye-fucking her as his gaze travelled down her body, lingering on all the places he'd caressed and kissed that one steamy night at the penthouse. It was hard to believe it was just a little over two weeks ago. The memory of his hands on her bare thighs and his tongue deep in her core, doing stuff to her, was still so fresh in her mind—

"Eden?" His eyes were back on her face now, that small smirk still there, like he could see her red hot thoughts, and he wouldn't mind giving her an encore or two. She didn't understand it at all, the magnetic pull between them. He didn't have to be close to her or touch her. A mere look from him set her body on fire.

She shifted the weight on her feet and pushed her hair behind her ear. "Yes. It's lovely."

Liam nodded and didn't say anything for some time, seemingly happy to watch her fidget. She was starting to think he'd called her in just to stare at her when he suddenly shifted from the window and crossed the room, startling her with his sudden movements.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, one eyebrow shooting up questioningly.

"Everything's perfect," Eden replied, hating that her voice wasn't as steady as she would have wanted.

Liam nodded while he looked through his messy desk. He picked up a white envelope and waved it at her. "The reason I called you in."

Eden made no attempt to take it. She was pretty sure it was a warning for getting blind drunk at Crush. Or a pink slip to end their contract. Since she was no longer of use to him, it made sense he'd send her packing.

"Do I have to come over there?" Liam asked as he ran his hand through his hair, a small frown creasing his eyebrows.

"No, sir." She took a step closer and held out her hand.

He searched her face, holding her gaze. "Are you okay?"

Eden bobbed her head. But how could she be okay when he was letting her go?

"Are you sure?" Liam pressed, placing the envelope in her hand.

She ignored him and gawked at her pink slip. "If there's nothing else—"

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