24 1/2 Kisses (A Bashir Family Romance) by Kennedy Claire Read Free Book Online

about his touch felt… possessive .
    “Scarlett, you have more time. I mean, I can give you more time.”
    He wouldn’t let go of my arm and his eyes had a hint of desperation in them.
    Dev, what’s your angle?
    “I’m ringing the bell at the New York Stock Exchange tomorrow. You should come see it. And I’ll give you the rest of the interview. Then we can do whatever you want. Go our separate ways.”
    He asked like he was inviting me to his sixth grade soccer championship. “ Come watch me play, Scarlett…”
    I untangled myself from his hold and stepped into the open elevator.
    “I don’t have much of a choice, do I.” I said, tasting the bitterness on my tongue.
    The doors shut and I was finally free of him, but I knew that was just a temporary feeling.
    You’ll never be free of him…
    Stop it, Scarlett.
    As the elevator descended, I tried to push all my feelings down with it. They were emotions I had ignored for so long—ones that I had worked to keep buried below the surface, and now they were threatening to tear my heart open.
    Be strong, Scarlett.
     
    The next morning, I took the subway to the New York Stock exchange. Bill thought it was a great idea to see Dev in action and a decent photo opportunity, so Eric met me out front. His eyes lit up as usual when he saw me.
    “Bright eyed and bushy tailed this morning, Scarlett,” he greeted me with a disarming smile.
    I sipped some hot green chai from my to-go mug and tried to look alive.
    “Ready to see the epicenter of New York greed in action?” I asked as we entered through a door under the large, neo-classic Greek pillars.
    We watched from the crowded floor of the exchange as Dev approached the upper platform surrounded by his well-heeled posse, dressed in sharp suits and avariciou s smiles. As he rang the bell announcing that the market was open for trading, I could almost see dollar signs dancing in their eyes and hoped Eric could catch the unbridled greed on camera. As soon as the bell rang out, the floor became alive with brokers and traders grasping to make a buck on the day’s action.
    I had never seen Dev so in his element.
    Eric took several pictures and then pulled me aside.
    “Sorry to leave you but I have another shoot in twenty minutes.”
    I panicked.
    “No, no, Bill said I had you for the entire day if I needed you.”
    “Yeah, but Paul got sick today. I have to cover him for a shoot in Miami.”
    His seemed to pick up on my dread of being left alone. He rubbed my arm tenderly—his touch was comforting and slightly intimate .
    “Can I take you out later tonight—like on a real date?” He asked, his gaze turning serious and sweet.
    I glanced up at the platform behind Eric and caught Dev’s intense stare. I needed to move on from him. Maybe Eric could help me.
    “Yes, I would love to.”
    “I’ll pick you up. There’s a place I want to show you.”
    “It’s a date.”
    He quickly pecked my cheek and left me standing there, like a lamb left in a den of wolves. And the biggest and meanest of them was on his way over to me.
    Barely a minute after Eric was gone, Dev was standing in front of me in his dark suit with his matching eyes.
    “What did you think, Scarlett? With our latest merger with Lincoln Community Bank, we’re expecting at least a twenty five percent jump today. There’s still time for you to get in early.” He sounded enthusiastic, like he was soaking up the energy from the room, whereas I felt myself being quickly drained by it.
    “I don’t follow the markets nor do I want to. Where can we finish the interview? It’s pretty loud in here.”
    Dev grabbed my arm and led me outside where a shiny Bentley limousine was waiting on the curb. The driver opened the door for us and he escorted me in. If my churning stomach was any indicator, I was suddenly sitting much too close him.
    Gasoline, meet lit match.
    “Are we going to your office?”
    “We’re here.”
    “I seem to remember sitting in an office. Are