Page 29 of Surrender (Angels Halo MC Next Gen)

“I offered to help out,” Elias commented while skimming his thumb up and down my arm. I wasn’t even sure he realized he was doing it, he was so focused on his mom. But the contact was soothing, and I was able to push all my crazy that was so close to the surface back into the deep, dark hole it had attempted to overflow from.

“You’re needed here. Sammy is a godsend and can handle the clients, but we would be scrambling without you in the office. Reid is too hotheaded. And even if he weren’t, and I was desperate enough to get him back in here to deal with some of these assholes, he’s overseeing our top projects.” She rolled her eyes. “Sammy, did anyone tell you about the time Reid punched a client?”

I grinned. “Which time?”

She snorted. “The time Ben actually had to arrest him. He only got taken down to the station to make the client happy. When the dickhead left, Ben released him. But still. We lost a lot of projects when Elias was in New York for his internship. I love both my sons, really, I do, but Reid keeps me up at night. Elias is the good one.”

“I know.” I knew exactly how good of a man Elias was. I’d stalked him long enough that I was well aware of every last detail about the man who was the key to my happiness.

Giving me a wink, she changed the subject, and Elias had to get her something from his office. “Hop up, baby girl. This won’t take long.”

I stood. “Take your time. I’ll grab us some coffee.”

“Eat your muffin,” he called over his shoulder as he followed Jos out.

“Sure thing, boss man,” I said with a roll of my eyes.

“I saw that,” he growled without turning around.

A silly grin spread across my face, my earlier meltdown fading away as a happiness I’d only ever felt with Elias zinged through my entire body. Taking a bite of the chocolatey goodness, I left the rest on my desk while I went to pour us both coffee since I was sure the one I’d picked up on my way to work was cold now.

A coffee station was set up behind the reception desk, but there was none brewed. Crystal wasn’t at her desk, but I had no issue making a pot of coffee. Humming to myself, I set everything up and flipped the button.

While I waited, I swiped through my emails, trashing most of them and saving the rest for after work to reply to. I wasn’t surprised to see one from my brother with the subject line: WE STILL NEED TO TALK.

I deleted it without opening the damned thing.

How Nova put up with him, I didn’t know. My sister-in-law was a freaking saint for loving him. God knew I would have killed him years ago if it weren’t for her.

When the ringing phone became too much for me to endure, I answered it myself since Crystal was still MIA. Two calls later, I was talking to a potential new client when a deliveryman walked in.

I gave him a brief once-over, making sure he wasn’t a threat before focusing on the conversation once again. He set the box on the floor and leaned against the desk, waiting. Keeping him in my peripheral, I jotted down a few notes and then scheduled the new client appointment before hanging up.

“Do you need me to sign for that?” I asked.

He gave me a leer and leaned down a little more. “What I need is your number, pretty baby.”

Reclining in the chair, I took a closer look at him. Short, dark-blond hair, brown eyes, decent physique. His shirt was a size too small, no doubt to make his biceps look bigger than they actually were. His smile would have been nice if there weren’t a cockiness to it that set my teeth on edge.

And the whole “pretty baby” thing?

Cringe.

Although I had to admit, if it were Elias calling me that, I probably would have melted. He could have called me his dirty little whore, and I would have happily dropped to my knees and sucked his cock.

Not so much for the skeevy delivery guy.

“Sure,” I said with a coy smile as I fluttered my lashes at him. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Crystal coming down the hall, and I didn’t miss that she paused right in front of Elias’s office. “It’s 328-7448.”

His smile turned into a glare, letting me know I wasn’t the first person to tell him to EAT-SHIT.

“Bitch,” he muttered as he turned to go.

“Call anytime,” I cooed, as Crystal finally reached the reception desk.

“Wow. Slut much?” she muttered just loud enough for me to hear. “Thirsty whore.”

I rolled back from the desk, ignoring her. Picking up the now full coffeepot, I poured two mugs and then added a few teaspoons of sugar to Elias’s, leaving my own alone.

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