Page 2 of The Attraction

Pushing all these thoughts of sorrow from my mind, I get back into finishing off the work emails I need to finalize tonight so I can get out of here.

At the same time, my stomach lets me know it’s hungry after listening to Felisha talk about dinner.

Hitting the send button on the last one, it doesn’t take me long to shut down my computer, grab my bag, and head out of my office, which used to be Felisha’s before she took over her father’s position as CEO. It felt weird taking over her desk, but it hasn’t taken long for me to adapt to it, and now it feels like home. Because let’s be honest, we spend more time at work than we do at home. So, with a few of my own personal touches, it’s my new home away from home.

Heading out through the reception area to the elevator, I see Sandon Bock, our head of security, talking to the guard who is on night shift. A necessary evil we have to put up with since Felisha’s father, Ewan Kentwall, was asked to leave, and not in a good way. Felisha had to bare her soul and reveal that her father had been selling off pieces of the company to cover his gambling debts and then remove him from the board. Needless to say, he didn’t take it well. Since then, it was decided to increase security to keep everyone safe and mitigate any risk.

“Evening, gentlemen,” I say, giving them a smile as Geoffrey, the guard, presses the down button to call the elevator for me.

“Burning the midnight oil again, I see, Harper,” Sandon says as he steps up next to me.

“Pot calling the kettle black, from the man who is also still in the office.” But truth be known, his job is twenty-four seven. Keeping everyone safe is a never-ending job, even when we are sleeping. Although Felisha does compensate him well for that inconvenience.

“Fair point. You’re heading home then?” he asks as the doors to the elevator open and we both step in, one after the other.

“If any other man asked me that question in this office, I wouldn’t tell them the truth, but it’s you, and let’s be honest, you’re the one man who probably knows more about me than I do, so the answer is yes, I am, thank goodness. It’s been a long day, and I still have plenty to do once I get there. How about you?” I ask, throwing my bag up onto my shoulder, and leaning back against the wall.

“I wish I was heading home, but unfortunately, I need to meet with Remington over at the Darby Hotels office so we can run over Felisha and Flynn’s combined schedules over the next few months. So far, we have managed not to tread on each other’s toes with our jobs of protecting our bosses, but I just want to make sure it continues that way. Who would have thought that we would be working so closely and amicably with our biggest competitor in the hotel industry. How life takes funny twists and turns.” He rolls his eyes at me.

I do feel for Sandon because it can’t be easy to manage the union of two such powerful and wealthy people who, during work hours, are in different companies, but out of work hours, they are together all the time. Who is responsible for their protection then? Who calls the shots when and if shit gets real?

To be honest, I have no doubt it would be Flynn calling the shots and both Remington and Sandon falling in line behind him. That man is so in love with Felisha that he is so protective of her, which I kind of respect. I haven’t ever seen that before. Not from my gutless father and certainly not from Ewan, Felisha’s father, who Ivy divorced when we were away at boarding school. He was a douchebag, and that’s being polite.

“Sounds like fun. I hope he is at least providing dinner.” Remington is a great guy, and over the last few months, I have actually seen a hint of what decent men are like. When Felisha and Flynn’s whole sex tape scandal erupted all over the internet and we found out who was responsible, Flynn’s boss and best friend Nic, Rem, and Flynn’s brother Forrest all stepped up to have Felisha’s back. Even though she was their competitor, they didn’t care and closed ranks around her. Since then, we have all spent many nights out together as a group, and the more I get to know them, they treat me as one of the group, and Flynn has almost adopted me as the sister he never had.

Even though I’m just an extra because of Felisha, deep down I feel like for the first time, this is a group of men who would have my back too if I ever needed it. It’s a strange feeling and not one I ever expected after I have built my resistance so hard not to accept help from any man. I’m still not sure I would take their help, but it’s nice to know that it’s a possibility if shit ever got real.

“No, it’s my turn to buy dinner, so I’m picking up pizza on the way, and not that you heard it from me, but maybe a few beers to wash it down with.” Sandon’s voice breaks into my thoughts about my new life that is being created around me. Even more special is the friendship I have with Nic’s wife Tori, Rem’s wife Elouise, and Rem’s friend Cherie who is one kickass woman. We are all different ages and come from vastly different backgrounds, yet we are like our own little mixed bag of beauty and fun.

“My lips are sealed. What the boss doesn’t know won’t hurt her.” Both of us start laughing, knowing Felisha couldn’t care less.

As we reach the underground parking, Sandon moves as the door opens and waves his arm to offer me to leave before him like a gentleman.

“Tell Rem I said hi, and I’ll see you tomorrow.” I walk toward my sleek dark green Audi A5 Cabriolet convertible parked in the spot next to the one marked for the CEO of Kentwall Enterprises. It still seems surreal to see that as Felisha’s title now.

Knowing that Sandon is standing watching me and won’t get into his car until I’m safely reversing out of my spot in mine, I don’t waste time so he can get moving too.

Driving to my temporary apartment, I decide I can’t be bothered to pick up some dinner and I’ll just make a protein shake and that will do. I literally don’t have the energy to cook anything.

If there is one bonus to leaving the office late, it’s that the traffic isn’t as bad through the streets of London. So, it takes me no time at all to be pulling into the underground garage and parking in my spot. I didn’t realize how tired I was until I turned the car off, and the energy I need to get out and head up in the elevator seems like a lot.

Looking across the garage, I notice Forrest’s car is already in his spot and he has beat me home from work. Although after hearing about his home office set-up, he is probably still working, checking on his investments on the overseas stock markets that are now open for the day.

Being the chief financial officer for Darby Hotels and also managing all the investment portfolios for Flynn, Nic, and Remington, I can imagine his job is full-on. He is such a serious man and likes to play everything by the rules, and I’m not sure what else he has in his life apart from work.

But holy shit, is he hot or what.

Not like your average hot guy, but the kind of guy that makes your legs squeeze together and your nipples stand up and say hello when he looks at you with that stupid broody look.

No other man has ever made my body react like he does, and that is saying something, because over the years, I have been with a few powerful men like him—including royalty in this country. And let me assure you, that guy was great in bed, but there is no way I would want to live a life in the spotlight like they do. It’s bad enough in our world of high-society living that the paparazzi love to post click bait articles about us just to sell stories. Poor Felisha has it far worse than me, but there are times I get caught up in it and my name is splashed across the internet. The royal encounter was one of them, of course.

From the first moment I mentioned I wanted to test the waters with Forrest for a night of fun, Felisha forbade me from going anywhere near him. Being the brother of her now fiancé apparently makes him off limits. As a woman who is about to turn forty, I don’t feel like I have to answer to anyone… but for her, I’ll try to stay away.

I said try.

That’s not a promise!

FORREST

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