Rune Micah’s chocolate-brown orbs flashed as I met his eyes, and I melted at the fervor burning bright for two point five seconds as Elisabeth exited in a huff, Amy’s annoying voice drowned out by the power of the moment. Then, he’d opened his mouth, reminding me why I was pissed at him most of the time as he said, “Follow me, Ms. Hendrix,” snapping his mouth shut before he spun on his heel, totally disregarding Amy in the process. The sound of my last name on his lips sent a sharp pain through me as he appeared to be adhering to my request for everything to remain professional inside the office. I didn’t have any plans to continue a relationship with Shane or Micah, but something about Micah’s overt formality left me disappointed. Amy’s hurt feelings were the last thing on my mind as I shadowed the new CEO out of the room, her blatant indifference when Elisabeth had been accosting me at the forefront of my brain as I left. Micah didn’t slow, and I was having trouble keeping up w
Shane Rune didn’t raise her voice or hurl unfair accusations at me, and I was grateful her reaction to my idea had gone better than I’d expected. Just the same, the flat tone as she’d delivered her inquiries had wormed its way deep, and I couldn’t wholly refute her snap judgment. She didn’t know much about my past, so it was easy for her to see the nice clothes, fast car, and luxury apartment I had in the wrong light, and I couldn’t blame her for the upset she’d tried to smother at my proposal. I’d seen how passionate she was about the center, and it was part of the reason I’d made up my mind. Yet, an even larger piece of me desired to do some good for kids who might be going through tough situations at home, well aware of how dire a need that could be for some. So, no, I didn’t know how this particular rec center served the community, but I was familiar with the positives it could create within our youth from my experience on the other side of the fence. Moreover, her reaction o
Micah It only took a few minutes to put away the leftovers and load the dishwasher, but that regrettably left me with plenty of time to fret, to overthink and analyze how I could help change Rune’s opinion of me. Although it might seem a bit odd for me to be doing the dishes when I had more than enough money to last me a lifetime, my parents had instilled the value of hard work in both Shane and I’s brains. They had somehow managed to juggle it all without the extra help when I was growing up, and I was more comfortable without somebody invading my personal space. Not to mention, Shane cooked better than anyone I knew, so it made sense for us to do everything ourselves. There was something to be said about my friend’s ingenuity when crafting a meal, but, musing to myself, I think that I relished the sometimes-exotic dishes he tested out the most. When I couldn’t find anything else to keep me occupied, I gave up on finding a distraction, pouring myself a stiff drink instead before
Micah Sara called the second Rune had pushed through the double glass doors into the main office, and I was on my feet in an instant, determined to meet her before she made it to her own office. I’d asked the receptionist to have Rune come see me before she did anything else, but there was no guarantee that the stubborn woman would listen, disregarding her assertion to the contrary on the voicemail. Be that as it may, I was stunned when I’d strolled through the doorway, almost running into the woman in question in the process of pulling the door shut behind me as she hurried in my direction. Part of me had expected her to try to dodge me all day as she had on Wednesday, but I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong in this matter, though I supposed passing by my office was the fastest way to get to her own if I really thought about it. Still, Rune’s hands were clearly full, and I was shocked she hadn’t spilled a drop from the cup she was precariously balancing with her right arm pres
Rune I cringed as Micah did a terrible job of hiding his emotions, the green monster on his back as plain as day as he spat out, “Avery? As in the Avery that’s a designer and editor here?” “We’re one and the same, boss man.” Avery replied, grinning rakishly as he shot me a wink. Avery and I weren’t best friends by any means, but he’d been my ally when Amy and Elisabeth were crammed in here with us, leaving a shared bond behind that kept us close. We both had hectic schedules that required flexibility, albeit for different reasons, so it wasn’t often that we ended up working in the office together. I still couldn’t believe Micah had found a way to make this happen, but I was also prepared for the uptight man I’d experienced since being reintroduced to him in a new role after sneaking out of his bed that first night. Avery tended to take things too far at times, and I didn’t miss Micah’s furrowed brow and clenched jaw in response to my friend’s disrespect. In any case, I knew Aver
Rune Neither Shane, nor I spoke as we exited the room, remaining silent as we ambled down the hallway to the elevator, but he did reach out to help me with the tote bag I was carrying that had all my work things in it. Micah stepping in to help me when I’d arrived earlier today was the last straw, our resulting conversation leaving me off kilter even now, and I’d broken down and rummaged through the lost and found for the bag to ensure I was able to make it downstairs in one trip by myself. Regardless, I didn’t argue with Shane when he offered his aid, knowing it would do no good, and the reprieve from the hefty weight was welcome. However, I cleared my throat once we were enclosed within the diminutive metal box, risking a glance up at him as I admitted, “My car is okay, but thank you for the offer to take a look at it.” He was already observing me, and the intensity in his deep brown orbs ensnared me as he answered vehemently, “Your car is on its last leg, baby, and I’m not conv
Shane I had hoped to be able to get some firsthand experience when I’d headed to the rec center on Thursday, but Tom, the man in charge from what I could ascertain, had put a swift halt to my unrealistic expectations. To be fair, I’d been thinking about the possibilities of what we could accomplish together with Rune’s help, but I hadn’t considered one of the most important things. They had to run a background check. It didn’t matter who I was or how much money my company was donating to them. I respected the hell out of Tom for how they took the safety of the kids into consideration, and I knew then and there that there was no better place for Griffin Fashion to invest in giving back to the community. Even so, the day wasn’t wasted, and I was able to hash out some details with Tom without the distractions of kids running around or a stunning blonde stealing my focus. It didn’t come as a surprise when he informed me that he would be retiring soon, but we were amazingly of like mi
Shane I whipped my head up at the mere mention of her name, its uniqueness leaving zero doubt in my mind as to who my sister was referring to, but I didn’t have to look far before my eyes alit on the fair-haired female. My heart threatened to pound out of my chest as Jas and I crossed the short distance to where Rune was watching a group of boys play on the only useable portion of the floor. Nevertheless, it was enough time for me to get my head screwed back on straight. The cute little bewildered expression on Rune’s face as she puzzled out the connection between Jasmine and me was driving me crazy, and I wanted nothing more than to haul the lush woman into my arms and claim her with my scorching kiss. At any rate, I wasn’t about to unleash the full level of my need here in the youth center, nor was I going to shove my sister aside to get to the woman I was enamored with, but my brain was working a million miles a minute, plotting on my next move to try to win Rune over. She was