Page 14 of Collision

Sitting back in my chair, I gesture to the seats against the wall. “He’s just on a call. If you’d like to take a seat I can let you know when he’s ready for you.”

Josh nods slowly as he steps back and relaxes into a leather seat, his hand coming up to brush over the five-o’clock-shadow forming on his jaw as he watches me work, and I struggle to focus on the words in the manuscript in front of me.

As time creeps forwards I sneak glances at him, expecting to find him on his phone or doing something other than watching me, and each time he smiles as if he’s caught me doing something I shouldn’t.

Something beneath my skin tells me hehascaught me doing something I shouldn’t.

After being caught looking at him for a fourth time, I remove the highlighter that is jammed in my hair and let my curls cascade down to form a barrier between us. I highlight a passage of the text in front of me and write down my suggestions as I pray for Jamie to finish on the phone quickly.

The intercom buzzes and I jump. Josh smiles.

Great. Now I look nervous.

I reach for the phone and smile over to him.

“Hey, Boss.”

“I hate when you call me that.” A noisy rustling seems to crackle down the phone, making it nearly impossible to hear Jamie, and I roll my eyes. I’m on speaker and he’s searching his desk drawers. “Is Josh here?”

“Yes. He got here about ten minutes ago.”

Josh shifts in his seat.

“Great. Send him in?”

“Will do, Boss.”

Leaning forwards when I speak, Josh smiles as something flickers behind his eyes - amusement maybe? - and my stomach flips.

“You can go on back now. Do you know which one’s his office?”

He rises to his feet swiftly, brushing down his jeans and pausing to look at me again. “Yeah, I’ve been here before. Thanks, beautiful.”

I can’t help the smile that escapes me. It’s small and embarrassed, and still it’s intoxicating, and for the briefest moment it hits me that maybe I enjoyed feeling his eyes on me? For the first time in a long time, I think I could have enjoyed the attention.

As Joshua Lucas waltzes through the office with the command of someone who knows how important he is, Max slowly slinks towards my desk, breaking into a mini run when Jamie gestures to the small meeting table in his office and closes the blinds.

“Okay.” He grins, his eyes shining as they dart between the closed door and me. “You might claim Baby Blue isn’t interested, but that beautiful London boy, who just so happens to be sitting across from your brother in what I am assured is a meetingwayabove my pay grade, just spent ten minutes trying to figure out how to get you out of this office and into his bed.” He’s shaking with excitement.

I bury my face in my hands and laugh as I groan.

“Okay. Okay. You might be right.” When I glance up Max is positively beaming with pride. “I’ll give you that one.”

Max grins as he perches against the edge of my desk with his back to the elevator.

“I mean, Mikaela Wilcox, I am not condoning workplace rendezvous.” He raises an eyebrow as I twist in my chair, my fingers pressed against my lips as I steal a glance in the direction of the office. “Actually, forget that. I really am. Rendezvous my gorgeous girl.Ren-dez-vous.”

“I’m sure you’re not paid to sit around at reception and flirt all day, Mr Kingford.” The icy acidity of Ben’s tone cuts Max through and stops his laughter in its tracks. My eyes widen slightly at the sight when I turn to see Ben standing with two takeaway cups in his hands and a scowl on his face. “You were up early this morning. I figured you might need some caffeine.”He places a steaming cup of coffee onto the desk and turns to Max, who’s still standing awkwardly beside me. “Your job, Mr Kingford?”

“Yes. Of course.” He shoots a worried glance my way and I nod. “Sorry.”

As Max scurries back to his desk across the open space, Ben rounds back to me and I feel my chest tighten.

“How’s your day going?” He smiles slightly and I furrow my brow. Right after he’s just been so rude, now he wants to be nice? His eyes shift slightly, following Max back to his desk, and I snort. He glances back to me at the noise, an amused smile pulling at his mouth, and his teeth graze the fullness of his lower lip.

What the fuck?

“It was going swimmingly until you swanned in with that attitude, thanks.”

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