Take Me by Onne Andrews Read Free Book Online

potential business.
    “Stalking him.”
    Adrenaline shot through my bloodstream, and
my heart pounded. “No! Oh, god, no. I wanted the job here long
before I met Ian.”
    From the smirk on Sheila’s face, I hadn’t
just stuck my foot in my mouth. I had shoved my leg down my throat
up to my knee.
    Emmett fished in his pocket, pulled out his
keys and slapped them on the table. “Can you drive a stick?”
    “Yes.” At last, a question I could answer
without my blood pressure skyrocketing. A little relief seeped into
my veins.
    “The job’s yours on one condition—I want my
attorney-slash-board member back. You screwed this up; you fix it.
Consider it your first test as CEO.”
    “Yes, sir.” I tried to project confidence,
but I didn’t have a damn clue how I was going to woo Ian Hollister
back into the Radcliffe Software fold again. Well, except for the
obvious method, which is how I’d inadvertently destroyed Emmett’s
business relationship to begin with.
     

Chapter Five
     
    The GPS on my phone announced the last turn,
and I pulled into the office building’s visitor parking lot. Sheila
had scribbled the address on a napkin for me. I couldn’t admit I
already had Ian’s business card. I’d made enough of a fool of
myself at lunch.
    The way my stomach roiled, I was thankful I
hadn’t eaten the crab legs and fries. Sheila promised to feed me
once a week after I found a place to live, as if my success in my
current mission was a done deal.
    This close to five o’clock on a Friday meant
the offices should be starting to clear out. I prayed I was right.
Fewer witnesses if my encounter with Ian devolved into a shouting
match.
    Not that I really believed it would. He
struck me as the type who would be ice cold when he was
furious.
    I couldn’t remember walking across the
parking lot or riding the elevator to the correct floor. All I felt
was an arid mouth when the pretty, young receptionist inside the
lobby of Hollister & McKinney smiled and asked, “How can I help
you?”
    “Is Mr. Hollister in?” I managed to force out
the words without choking on the sand in my throat.
    “May I say who’s calling?” Unconsciously, her
attention darted to the hallway on the right.
    “It’s a surprise.” I placed my index finger
on my lips and winked at her.
    “Ma’am! You can’t go back there!” she called
when I pivoted and marched for the large office at the end of the
corridor.
    I ignored her. Besides, she hadn’t said he
was in a conference or with a client, so I knew I wouldn’t be
interrupting something. Running to beat her warning appeared too
damn desperate though, and I wasn’t about to resort to such
tactics. Behind me, I could hear her pseudo-whispering to Ian over
the intercom.
    No knocking. Instead, I shoved the door
open.
    Ian stood behind his desk, a look of
resignation on his handsome face. A face I’d hoped to wake up to
tomorrow morning.
    “We need to talk.” I closed the door behind
me.
    “Did you know?” His words were tight, drawn
around the same question he’d asked at Radcliffe Software.
    “No, and neither did you. It was—” I couldn’t
call it a mistake. Looking back, I understood I would have done the
same thing all over if given the chance. “It was two people who
were lonely and found a connection.” I took two steps forward. “And
we are going to deal with the consequences like adults. Not hide in
our rooms like pouting teen girls.”
    His pale eyes widened. A slow blink followed.
“Excuse me?”
    “That’s exactly what you did by quitting and
you know it,” I shot back.
    Behind me, I heard the door open. I expected
the receptionist, but a masculine voice said, “Everything
okay?”
    I whirled to find a balding man. His
custom-made suit elongated his stout build. His deep-set eyes
regarded me with a shrewd look, analyzing my presence.
    “Everything’s fine, Harry.” The other name on
the marquee. Harold McKinney. Ian’s partner.
    I stuck my palm out. “Lacy