Page 7 of One Little Mistake
“It’s never even part of the fucking equation. The Macomb family has taken the last shot at me they’re ever going to get. I don’t lose, and I don’t ever lose to them.” My voice is deadly, but if it affects her, she doesn’t flinch.
To my complete shock, I watch as she removes her shoes, rolls up her sleeves, and sinks to the floor next to the pile. “I’ll need a little time to get organized,” she says without looking up. When I don’t move, she lifts her gaze to meet mine. The pain I see reflected in her startlingly blue eyes cuts deep, and my instinct is to reach for her. “Ah, I thought you said this was urgent?”
Swallowing thickly, I nod and turn away. “Yeah, it-it is.”
“Then get to work and stop hovering.”
Glancing over my shoulder, I misstep and almost crash into the chair.Did she really just order me to get to work?
“You’re staring.”
“You’re a bi– bossy. You’re bossy.”
Lexi doesn’t acknowledge me, but I swear I see her smirking behind the curtain of blonde hair.
Chapter 4
Lexi
Rolling my neck from side to side, I realize I’ve been sitting on the floor for … Jesus, I don’t even know what time it is. Carefully, I lift piles of folders off the floor in search of my phone. Easton left a while ago for a meeting, and honestly, I was thankful for the silence.
The first hour went by in a blur, both of us working on our assigned tasks, but when the office started filling up for the day, Easton went from grumpy to an all-out asshole. There wasn’t a single please or thank you that left his lips all morning. God help anyone who actually entered his office.
The air shifts, and I know without seeing him Easton is back. Seconds later, he barks my name.
“Lexi? What the fuck are you doing?”
His harsh tone puts my defenses on high alert. “What does it look like I’m doing?” I snap. “And do you swear at all of your employees, or am I just the lucky bitch?” Yeah, I know he almost called me a bitch earlier. It wouldn’t be the first time, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. I’m better off acting the bitch than appearing weak.
East seems flustered for half a second before he’s crossing the room with purpose. “It’s three o’clock in the afternoon.”
“What?” I search the room for a clock, but still don’t know where I put my phone. “No, it’s—”
Easton reaches down and hauls me to my feet. I want to yell about him manhandling me, but his powerful hands on my body are my first taste of safety I’ve had in months, and I swallow my words.
When he stands me up, I realize my foot has fallen asleep, and I wobble in his strong grasp. Holding me at arm’s length, Easton glares at me. “Have you even moved from this spot?”
Yanking myself free, I put some space between us. “What the hell has crawled up your ass and died? You said this was a priority.” I gesture toward the now neatly stacked piles. “You said you were in a time crunch, and you needed this done. It’s done. All organized for his Royal Assness.”
“Royal Ass … what? What do you mean it’s all done? There’s no way.”
“The files date back to 1972. I organized them by year, then by town, and then again by street. You didn’t exactly give me much information to go on, so those were the three things most of the files had in common. It seemed like the only way to make any sense of what was in each one.”
Easton blinks slowly. His nostrils flaring are the only sign that he isn’t as composed as he’s leading me to believe. Eventually, he breaks. Placing one hand low on his hip, he uses the other to rub his temples. “You’ve been sitting there on the floor for seven hours?”
“If it’s three, then I guess so. Nice to see you passed second-grade math.” Turning my back on him, I shift things around, still searching for my phone.
“Did you eat lunch?” His tone is accusatory, and I feel my spine tighten.
“I’m not hungry.”
“Well, guess what? We’re going to be here a while, so you need to eat. What do you like?”
Whipping around, I snarl in his direction. “First, I said I wasn’t hungry. Second, I brought a salad. Third, I really think you should see a proctologist and get that stick removed. It’s so far up your ass, I can’t figure out how you’re able to bend.”
Laughter I recognize fills the room.Fucking Preston. Now I have to deal with two rich assholes.
“Did you need something, Preston? Apparently, one of my jobs is to keep everyone away from his Royal Assness.”
