Page 12 of One Little Mistake
“Lexi?” The deep, hoarse timbre of the sound nearly knocks me on my ass as I turn to face the office.
“Keep your pants on, East. I’m busy with our new girl here,” Mason yells back.
“You’re going to get me into trouble,” I hiss, and even though it goes against every bone in my body, I follow the sound of Easton’s command.
“You know, if you stopped yelling, your throat wouldn’t be so raw.”
“Was Mason giving you a hard time?” Easton barks.
“No. He’s actually one of the few that will talk to me.”
“He … what do you mean? Are you saying my employees are unhelpful?”
“No. I’m saying you’re such a tyrant they hide before I can get too close.”
He scowls, and I wait for the tongue lashing, but Mason’s bark of laughter has us both glancing at the open door. Mason retreats with his hands raised before Easton can say anything. If he doesn’t fire me for swearing, Mason will surely get me fired with his special brand of crazy.
Easton doesn’t miss a beat, and the second Mason’s out of earshot, he starts barking orders. But I’ve made it my mission to always be three steps ahead of him.
“I need the—”
I toss two folders onto his desk.
“But the meeting—”
I set down the rest of my stack with enough momentum that the air stirs up the papers on his desk.
“Youneedthe files in chronological order. Youneedthe financials on every transaction for each building on that block for the last fifteen years. Youneedyour travel information updated because you have to leave in,” I check my watch, “forty-five minutes to meet with the Douglases’ who are in New York and not returning before they leave for Europe. Youneededall this shit an hour ago, but I couldn’t get it to your grumpy ass because I’m still digging out of the mess your last assistant had going on. It’s also nearly impossible to get anyone around here to help because you’re such a pain in the ass they’re all afraid they’ll catch your wrath, so you’re getting it now.”
He sits back, possibly stunned. Definitely pissed, but not saying anything, so I take it as a win.
“Have you always sworn at your bosses?” he finally asks.
“Yes, when they’re unbearable assholes.”
“I need you to come to New York with me.”
I gasp audibly. That isn’t what I was expecting at all, and I feel my body tense involuntarily. Being in the south has been a needed distraction from life, but going to New York is as good as being back in Boston. Memories I’ve happily repressed for the last couple of months fight to break the surface of my self-imposed walls.
“For what?” The snark is so deeply ingrained that it pops out when I really want to say, ‘Please don’t make me.’
Instead of answering, Easton lifts a random folder. “Building #432 on Charles Street East. What are the specs?”
“It was last purchased in 1994 by Richard More. The bank foreclosed in 2001, and it has sat empty after multiple sales fell through. The historical society has its claws in it, making it difficult to turn over due to their restoration guidelines.”
Easton almost smiles. His lips shift before he tamps it down, but I see it in his eyes. He’s proud of me, and as much as I hate how that makes me feel, my body preens under his approval.
“That is why I need you with me, Lexi.”
“You’re very needy, Easton.”
Standing, he places his hands on the desk and leans forward so we’re almost nose to nose. “I pay you to anticipate those needs, Lex.” His voice is dangerously low and causes a shiver I fight to hide.
Hating the reaction he elicits from my body, I force my inner bitch forward. “I believe I’ve already proven,Easton, that I do that better than anyone.”
His eyes focus on my lips as I speak, and my tongue darts out to wet them of its own accord.
“You two look cozy,” Preston jokes as he enters the office.
