"Thank goodness. Such a close call." I let out a sigh of relief after getting off the phone.
I managed to get in touch with the tailor in Switzerland. Thank goodness he was already awake. I've just sent him payment from the digital wallet set up on my office computer and told him to deliver the suits to the hotel as soon as he's finished with them.
In short, I've managed to prevent a disaster. Now, Shawn is all set for Switzerland.
And I can go home.
My lonely flat.
I glance at the door to his office as I gather my things. I can see the sliver of light beneath it so I know he's still inside. I should get home before he knows I'm here and —
I gasp as I see the leather-bound journal inside my purse.
What?
I pick it up and flip through the pages just to make sure it is what I think it is. It's my journal, alright. I must have accidentally shoved it inside my purse along with my other things while I was panicking over my mistake.
Oh, Felicity, you can be so stupid sometimes.
I'm about to put it back in my purse but the door to Shawn's office opens and I panic again. I stand up so abruptly that the purse on my lap falls off. Before I can pick it up, I realize I'm still holding my journal, which I definitely don't want Shawn to see, so I quickly hide it behind some sheets of paper on my desk.
"Stell?" Shawn calls in surprise. "Are you okay?" he approaches.
"Yes," I answer as I pick up my purse and its spilled contents. Then I stand up and face him with a smile. "Everything's fine."
Shawn doesn't look convinced.
He stares at me with a puzzled expression and I realize I must look like a mess. I didn't get to tie my hair before I left home and it's flowing past my shoulders with more than a few strands out of place. And what I'm wearing is a lot more casual than my usual office outfits - khaki slacks and a plain white blouse. Shit. Why did he have to see me like this? I've just ruined the image of the woman who's efficient, cool, calm and completely in control that I've tried so hard to create.
"Weren't you wearing something else earlier?" Shawn asks.
Yup. Something nicer.
"I was,'" I admit as I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "I already went home, changed, and was all set to enjoy my weekend, but I suddenly remembered something I had to do."
"It couldn't wait until Monday?"
"Not really. And I didn't want to worry about it over the weekend so..." I draw a breath. "Anyway, it's done now. Nothing to worry about. I can go and enjoy the weekend."
Shawn nods. "You do that."
"How about you?" I ask him.
I know he just gave me my cue to leave, but a part of me can't help but want to extend this conversation even just a little longer, especially considering this is the first time he's talked to me in days.
"Are you sleeping in your office again?"
"No. I don't think I will." He touches his neck. "I miss my bed."
I suddenly have an image of him between black sheets, completely naked and with a massive bulge poking the silk. I shake it off. It's one thing to imagine him while I'm in my apartment. It's another to do it when he's standing right in front of me.
"Well, you need to rest, too," I tell him. "I know you're stressed about this Swiss acquisition, but you need to be in perfect health so you can stay at the helm."
"I know. Thanks."
He smiles and my knees go weak. Why does he seem to have a stronger effect on me than usual? Is it because of what I'm wearing? Because of what I was doing earlier?
I swallow. "You're welcome. And I should go."
Before I completely lose control and make another stupid mistake.
"Good night."
"Good night," Shawn says. "And take care."
I nod and walk away.
Somehow, it's more difficult than usual, especially since I can feel him watching me. I can feel his magnetic force and I almost want to just succumb to it, to turn around and throw myself at him and make my fantasy come true instead of going back to my empty, lonely apartment. Besides, I can tell he needs a break, and there's no one here right now, so we could do whatever we want, and no one would know. It would just be our own dirty little secret.
The thought is enough to make my cheeks hot, and I'm glad Shawn can't see my face. I keep walking, reminding myself with every step I take that Shawn is my boss.
No more mistakes today, Felicity.
Get a grip.
Strange, I think as I watch Felicity disappear behind the elevator doors. I feel like the woman I've just spoken to is completely different from the one I've been working closely with for the past two years.It's not just because Felicity looked different. I've only ever seen her in stiff dresses or colored silk blouses and tight-fitting skirts, but tonight she was wearing pants and a white top that seemed to hang from her shoulders. The topmost button was left undone, too, and though her cleavage remained concealed, I could see her black bra through the thin fabric. I had to keep myself from staring at it, in fact. Then there's her hair.Apart from that first time I met her, I've always seen her with her cappuccino mane all combed back and tied up, which is attractive enough, but nothing compared to when she has her hair down. There's just something sensual about a woman whose shiny locks are flowing freely past her shoulders, like they're inviting me to run my fingers through them.
"Another," I tell the bartender after setting down my empty glass of Scotch for the fourth time. He refills it from the bottle within seconds."Same here," Ryker says, pointing to his empty glass of gin tonic."Looks like the two of you are having it rough," Asher remarks as he takes a sip of his martini. "It's that Swiss acquisition, isn't it?""The question is: Why don't you seem as anxious?" Ryker asks him. "Or have you forgotten that if this acquisition doesn't push through, it will be bad for the whole company?""I know, but it will still be worse for the two of you," Asher says.Ryker frowns."Maybe we should just leave him here when we go to Switzerland," I say."What do you think, Ryker?""Hey!" Asher complains. "No fair. I've already made plans for Switzerland."Ryker raises an eyebrow. "Plans?""I've heard Swiss women are gorgeous."Ryker rolls his eyes. I know what he's thinking — that some things never change."We are going to Switzerland for work, you know," I remind Ashe
Shawn is taking me with him to Switzerland? I can't believe my ears.He's never brought me along on his business trips before. Why now? Why all of a sudden? If he was planning on bringing me along, he could have told me weeks ago. I've already made all the arrangements. He didn't think of it then, so why think of it now? What made him change his mind?"I know it's a bit sudden," Shawn tells me. "But I've realized that this trip is even more important than I thought. I've never handled an acquisition this big. I want to be prepared for anything, so I need you there."Perfectly understandable, but I still can't bring myself to believe it. My fingers clutch the edges of the tablet in my hands, afraid that like this dream come true I've just been handed, it might slip away and shatter.Can this be real? Is it really alright for me to go to Switzerland with Shawn? I mean, we'll be traveling together and we might find ourselves alone together. What if I lose my composure again like I did la
The flight from Chicago to Zurich takes a little less than nine hours.I spend the first half hour marveling at the inside of Shawn's jet - well, it's owned by the company, actually, but this one is for the exclusive use of the CEO.It's a Gulfstream, or so Henry, the lone flight attendant on the plane, tells me. It's supposed to carry only eleven passengers, so I thought it would be small and cramped. Boy, was I wrong.Sure, it definitely looks like a dwarf on the outside compared to the gigantic commercial planes, but inside there's enough space for a kid to run and kick a ball around. And that's just the seating area. There's a dining area with a bar, a kitchen, a bathroom with a shower and a conference room.More than the space, it's the atmosphere of luxury that has me gasping and gaping in awe. The soft leather seats that come with neck massagers and convert into flat beds. The thick, burgundy carpet. Ambient lighting. My own 15-inch TV. Then there's the service designed to make
"I don't think I've ever eaten anything quite like that," I say as I dab my lips with the table napkin. "Is this what you eat all the time?""Not all the time," Shawn answers. "But it's one of my favorites. The chef who designed this, he was serving his food in a small hut when I first met him. Now he has an empire not just all, over Asia but all over Europe, to — ""And he's here?" I ask with arched eyebrows."No. He hates flying, But the chef who cooked for us this evening trained under him, among many others. He's very skillful,"I put my hands up. "No need to convince me. If the next dish is as good as this, I'll be very happy."Shawn grins. "I think you will be."Moments later, the second course arrives — a pair of pot stickers with a bit of salad on the side and a dark dipping sauce.The moment I see it, my chest tightens. I grip it as I draw a deep breath."Is something wrong?" Shawn asks me.I shake my head but fail to conceal my emotions. "It's just that this is one of the th
I guess those heaps of energy ran out.I turn off the light above Felicity's seat and press the button to push it back a bit further so she'll be more comfortable. She stirs but remains asleep. I drape the fleece blanket over her, Wrapping it around her shoulders. She gives off a sound of contentment like the purring of a cat. It makes me smile, but at the same time I feel a sliver of anxiety as I stare at her sleeping face.Felicity, what am I going to do with you?I've never met a woman who could make me feel so many emotions all at once. Earlier, while she was working, I couldn't help but admire her for working so hard. Her fingers were punching the keyboard like crazy, her eyes boring holes into her screen. It made me feel almost ashamed because it felt like she was working harder than I was. But it also inspired me to keep working hard myself. At the same time, I wanted to wrench her laptop away from her and tell her to stop working so we could continue with the conversation we h
The first thing we do is take a cruise across the sparkling lake, which is right next to the hotel.Afterwards, we head to the Old Town. We explore it on foot, starting from the Bahnhof on Main Street. Then we take a stroll past the colorful houses on Augustinergasse, drop by the Lindenhof and stop by the Uraniastrasse Police Station to see the vibrant murals by Augusto Giacometti.Through it all, I notice that Felicity still seems wary of my company. She keeps her distance from me and doesn't speak unless spoken to. Every now and then, she slips and drops her guard, especially when something interesting catches her attention and she forgets that I'm there, but when she remembers, she's quick to put it up again.I still don't understand why, but I don't mind. I'm still glad I decided to accompany her. It's evident she's excited to explore Zurich, even though she's trying her best to hide it, and the more she sees, the more she seems to fall in love with the city. As she takes in the s
I shouldn't have offered to share my umbrella with Shawn.It was a bad idea, a recipe for disaster. My umbrella is designed for one person, not two, and Shawn is a big guy, so right now my shoulder is getting wet from the rain, which means it's getting cold, though I'm trying hard not to draw Shawn's attention to it.Also, Shawn's taller than I am, more so since I'm not wearing heels, so he's the one holding the umbrella. In one way, that's good: I think my arm would fall off if I was the one carrying it. The problem is that every time the breeze blows, drops of rain land on my cheeks. Thank goodness the rain isn't that hard — a gentle shower rather than a downpour — or I'd be completely soaked from head to foot by now. But that's not why I think I made a bad decision.Shawn wraps his arm around me and pulls me closer to him.His hand rests beneath my armpit, close to my breast. "You're getting wet."I pull my arm tighter towards my chest so it doesn't bump against his firm stomach in