Page 184 of Enthrall Ecstasy
I squeezed my mouth shut so I didn’t eat a flying leaf or a stick, silently swearing at the bastard for blowing us both into tomorrow with those blades.
Cameron turned off the engine and opened the door. He climbed out, ever mindful of the still-whirling chopper blades.
He walked over to us, his swagger confident.
Gone was his tailored suit and in its place he wore jeans and a white T-shirt—his choice of battle garb for this war with me on a Malibu hill.
His hair was ruffled and he had a five o’clock shadow that I wasn’t used to seeing on him. To be honest, he looked sleep deprived. Oh, the joys of parenting.
I imagined that the unknown corporate spy within Cole Tea was also weighing on him.
Having to hear his reaction to my behavior over the last week made my chest tighten.
He joined us on the precipice. “Some view.”
“Thinking of buying it?” I asked, preferring small talk.
“This shit hole?” Richard scoffed. “No.”
“It’s not bad if you can tolerate the sound of crashing waves,” said Cole. “How does anyone focus?”
Seriously, this place was a goddamned slice of heaven and if they couldn’t see it, they were insane. More than this, both were wealthy and probably couldn’t imagine the rest of us still holding on to reality—no matter how terrifying.
“How’s Rue?” said Cameron.
“Haven’t spoken with her.” I’d tried not to think about her.
Because her note had made it clear we were simply a blip in time.
Maybe I couldn’t resist thinking of how it felt to run my fingers through her hair…or brush my lips over her delicate freckles. I couldn’t forget how it felt to press my lips to hers and feel the softness of her kiss, the tenderness of her embrace. The sound of her laughter was imprinted on my brain.
And the stillness she brought—the feeling I was no longer chasing time.
No longer running from myself.
Cameron patted my back as though reading my thoughts. “Well, this is not easy on anyone,” he began.
Turning to face him again, I tried to read what my punishment would be—but it was clear.
Their secret glances revealed this was hard on them, too.
I deserved it.
Cameron stepped away and put some distance between us, seemingly thoughtful, like he was trying to find the right words.
“If it helps,” I offered, “I’ve already fired myself.”
I’d also lost the girl.
And forced my boss to cut me loose.
This San Diego boy once had nothing, and because of it, had remained terrified of losing anything good that came his way.
Bravo, my self-fulfilling prophecy had come true.
“You have a great future, Shay,” said Cameron.
That was something you told an intern, not someone like me—a man who’d once had the privilege of being Cole’s right-hand man.
