Page 73 of Coldhearted King

I smile and return the hug. “Thank you.” After a bracing breath, I pull my purse strap higher on my shoulder and head out.

When I get to the office, I quickly scan the foyer before I press the button to the elevator. The last thing I need is to get caught in a metal box for multiple floors with either man I’m trying to avoid. Thankfully, I don’t see them, and I ride up with several people I’ve never met before. When I get to our floor, I slip past them and hurry to my desk.

I log on to my system and start on my plans. I really want them signed off by next week. As far as I’m concerned, the faster this project is completed, the faster I can get out of this building and away from Cole. I just want to put what’s happened behind me.

I manage to get absorbed in my work, tuning out everything around me, until the phone on my desk rings. I don’t recognize the name on the screen, but I answer the call. “Hello?”

“Hi, Delilah? This is Sophie. I’m Tate King’s PA.”

“Oh, hi,” I say tentatively.

“Tate would like to have a word with you in his office. Do you have a spare moment?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Great. And if you have any finished schematics or 3D renderings, can you bring some of those as well?”

I blink, immediately looking down at the plans neatly laid out on my table. “Okay. Can I ask what this is for?”

“He’ll discuss it with you when you get here,” she says pleasantly enough.

“Okay, thanks. I’ll be up straight away.”

I hang up, then stand, smoothing the wrinkles out of my dress. I don’t know what the head of marketing might want to discuss with me, but Tate’s timing has me wondering if it has anything to do with what happened between Cole and me. Surely not. Billionaires have more important things to do than involve themselves in each other’s failed flings.

After gathering several of my plans, I make my way to the top floor, hating that I both hope to avoid Cole and wish for a tiny glimpse of him. I steel my spine as I exit the elevator, doing my best to keep from turning my head toward his office door as I pass. From my peripheral vision, I can see it’s closed anyway. I continue down the hallway until I reach Tate’s office, then approach the woman sitting at the desk outside, who I assume is Sophie. “Hi, I’m Delilah. I’m here to see Mr. King.”

She offers a warm smile. “Nice to meet you, Delilah. You can go in. Tate’s expecting you.”

I nod my thanks, knock on his door, and enter once he’s invited me inside. I give the large room a quick glance before focusing on Tate sitting behind his desk. The office isn’t too different from Cole’s. It has the same big windows with the same incredible view. Similar elegant prints adorn the walls, and beautiful wooden furniture dominates the floor space.

Tate is leaning back in his chair and smiling at me. My breath catches. I’ve never seen Cole’s younger brother up close before. Unlike Cole, who’s usually always in a three-piece suit at work, Tate has his jacket off and his shirtsleeves rolled up to reveal his muscular forearms. Like his brother, he’s gorgeous, even though he looks quite different from both Cole and Roman. Where they’re all dark hair and icy eyes, Tate is golden-blond and tawny. Just as beautiful and just as deadly to women’s hearts, I imagine. I’m sure he uses his good looks and charm to make women fall for him just as easily as Cole.

“Good morning, Miss West,” he says.

“Please, call me Delilah,” I say.

He nods. “Feel free to call me Tate. With multiple Mr. Kings in the building, it gets confusing.”

I give him a small smile, then turn to close the door behind me.

“You can leave that open,” he says, stopping me.

That’s weird. Does he think I’ll take advantage of him if the door is closed? Has Cole told him about us, and now he thinks I’ll make a move on him too?

That thought has me lifting my chin as I take a few steps closer to his large desk. “I brought some of my plans, like you asked.”

“Great, I’ll take them.” He stands and holds out his hand. I walk closer and pass him the rolled-up schematics, which he opens and lays flat on his desk.

“Can you show me what these are specifically?” he asks.

I’m still confused about what he’s after, but I move closer and slightly lean over the desk as I point out the different plans I brought with me. “These are the initial concept designs. These are the modifications I made post-site visit.” I glance up at him, just in time to catch him looking over my shoulder. Before I have time to turn and see what’s caught his attention, he’s returned his focus to me.

“Do you have interior schematics?”

I flick through the sheets and pull out one showing an internal section and place it on top. “These aren’t complete yet. It’s what I’m working on at the moment.”

He glances over my shoulder again, and this time I turn to look. I can’t see anything through the open office door, and I’m a little annoyed. I still don’t know what I’m doing here, and now Tate doesn’t even seem interested in what I’m showing him.

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