Be My December (9 page)

“Eden Rivers, I’d like to officially introduce you to Ky Crawford.” Josh waved his hand effortlessly between the guy formerly known as Crawford and me. My body stiffened and I lost the ability to speak. Ky’s eyes softened momentarily at my shocked expression while his perfectly pout mouth stiffened into a tight line. “Ky is the Marketing Manager of Anderson Publications, my less cooler than me older brother and as we all know your knight in shining armor.”

Shit! Fuck! Bullshit!

Finding my voice and silently demanding my confidence to return I held out my hand warily. “I had no idea.”

Ky shook my hand firmly and when he spoke, his words were laced with animosity. “I knew all along.”

He dropped my hand dismissively and stormed through the open space of the foyer. My eyes were glued to his retreating figure and no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t tear my gaze away from him. My head swirled with disbelief. How did I not put two and two together? Who would call their child Crawford anyway? The look on his face when I was called out would be engrained within me for a long time.  He glanced over his shoulder at me quickly before he fell into hushed conversation with the young woman who had greeted me earlier. My heart beat so erratically in my chest that I was sure Josh could hear the thumping.

“I’ll text you later Eden,” he said softly with a subtle shake of his head. “I’ll get your number from Lauren.”

I had barely made it out of the building and into the craziness of New York City before my phone’s constant buzzing from within my bag grabbed my attention.

Tori’s name flashed on the screen and her excited voice shattered my hearing when I clicked to accept the call. “Eden, tell me everything. What did they offer?”

Leaning against the glass walls of the building, the air of New York City was hastily chilling around me. Late November had hit and it was only a matter of time before the air you breathed shattered your lungs and the beautiful spectacular of December in New York City would arrive, something I had missed so much during my time away. I listened as my best friend rattled off a million questions, never allowing me the chance to answer.

I looked back at the vast double doors, and my heartbeat returned to normal although my sense of unease was sky high. My nerves had disappeared and had been replaced by frustration. A confidence I had longed to have was now gripping me fiercely. “I feel like I should go back in there and apologize for rushing out and find out if
Ky Crawford
actually wants me to work for them. God I’ve probably just completely fucked this up. ”

I heard Tori inhale sharply before she responded. “If it was me, I would storm back in there and demand to know what the fuck was going on, but you aren’t me Eden. You do what you feel like you should do.”

Josh’s presence taunted me as we stood side by side in the foyer. Our receptionist’s eyes widened as she watched us nervously. A Crawford showdown was only moments away, and she had been front row for many in the past. I loved my brother to death, but seriously he annoyed the fuck out of me on occasion. Brutal silence fell around us as unspoken words fired between us. This wasn’t how it was meant to happen. Josh wasn’t meant to meet with Eden, I was. I was the one who was meant to schmooze her, not my pussy obsessed brother.

“What the fuck was that?” Josh bitter words finally broke the silence.

My head swung wildly toward the door, hoping to Christ that Eden had left and wasn’t witness to this. Thankfully my eyes found an empty space, and she was nowhere to be found. I turned back toward Josh to find him eagerly awaiting my response.

“It’s none of your concern.” I sighed deeply in frustration.

“This is going to blow up in your fucking face.” Frustration fell from his words. He took off toward the elevator. I shot the receptionist a warm smile and followed closely behind my fuming brother.

“Just let me do this Josh, I know what I am doing,” I demanded, as we stepped into the elevator and made our way to the fifteenth floor. The space around us filled with heated testosterone and frustration.

The moment the elevator door opened, I stepped out. Curious eyes took me in as I stormed through the open-plan office toward my corner office that looked over the city.

“You need to apologize to her for the way you acted.”

Josh stormed through my office door slamming it loudly behind him. He could be such a bitch at times. I stalked toward him.

“I know.” I sighed. “I was just shocked to see her. Why was she here anyway? She was on my calendar for three thirty.”

“I just got the message on my phone that I had a meeting at three pm today and then I was called down saying Eden Rivers was here for a meeting with me. I am guessing our appointments got mixed up. It’s not a big deal.” Josh strode across the room and opened the hidden liquor cabinet beside my private bathroom. Fishing out a bottle of vodka and two glasses he poured the clear liquid. “I told her the gist of things, but you will have to inform her of the details. I can only wing so much.”

I took a glass from Josh and crossed my office toward the window and looked out over New York City. I loved the enormity of this city. I had disappeared into the nooks and corners when I needed to escape many a time.

The crackle of my desk intercom crushed the silence. “Ky, Miss Rivers would like to speak with you if you have a moment.”

I looked at Josh who shrugged his shoulders in confusion. I thought she had left. “Sure Lauren, send her in.”

Soon enough, a soft knock penetrated the air before the door crept open. She didn’t wait to be invited in. Very interesting. Eden’s head poked around the door and her eyes connected with mine.

“Come in Miss Rivers,” I instructed. Hesitation greeted her steps and she walked in and stood beside my desk. Josh coughed and Eden’s head flew toward the bar where Josh looked on amusingly.

“Vodka?” Josh asked raising his glass in suggestion. I stared at her like a blood hound. I didn’t hide the fact that my needy eyes were basking in her body, standing before me wrapped tightly in a snug grey skirt which made her curves pop. Her body was perfection; feminine, voluptuous, and enticing. Fuck, I found her gorgeous in jeans and that red jacket but seeing her dressed like this, in business attire, caused my balls to tighten and my mind to flash images of her wearing those red heels and only those red heels. Her body oozed sexuality, but it was like she was desperate to keep it locked away.

“No thank you,” she answered and then swung back to face me. An exasperated look swept over her face as she took me in. Eden Rivers was strikingly beautiful; her features complimented each other so perfectly, like rain at the end of a steaming hot day. Her sea blue eyes came to life as I stared at her and she held my gaze. Seconds passed but it felt like hours that I was locked in the tranquility of her eyes. Her bottom lip, sheening with a thin layer of pink gloss, was tugged between her teeth, and she finally broke our trance.

“I wanted to apologize for rushing out on Josh,” she said softly and shot Josh a sweet smile before turning back to me and the sweet smile disappeared. “And I wanted to ask if you actually want me for this job? Your reaction to seeing me makes me believe you don’t.” 

“Am I speaking with Eden or Kellie?” I asked and stepped toward her.

My blood boiled with lust. Her aggression and the look of complete frustration she thrust toward me shot my body to life. The air in my office was thick, it swirled with an uncontrollable need that only she could bring on. I was losing all sense of reality because she was wearing a tight skirt, heels, and an attitude.

The sound of Josh’s soft laughter grabbed my attention. Reluctantly I pulled my eyes from Eden and shot daggers at him. I was fumbling and losing my shit because of this woman, and Josh loved it.  

“I might leave you to it.” Josh walked through my office and stood before Eden. He drunk her in and it pissed me off to no end. “It was great seeing you again Eden. You have my number if you ever need me. Call me day or night.”

He leaned in and kissed her cheek.
Cocky bastard
.

Josh walked out chuckling as he shut the door behind him. I was alone in my office with Eden. I took a minute to stare at her. She stood by the floor to ceiling window looking out over the city, her shoulders slightly slumped, and the sounds of her deep sighs penetrating the air. I took a moment to get my thoughts into check. My professionalism had flown out the window, and I needed to get a strong hold on it.

Eden turned slowly and faced me. She looked petrified but with the signs that she was trying desperately to look confident.
Just cut to the chase Ky
. I took a seat at my desk and motioned to the vacant chair opposite. Without saying a word to me, Eden moved gracefully through my office and sat quietly in the chair I’d offered.

“Why didn’t you tell me your name?” she questioned.

“You didn’t ask Eden. Although, I specifically asked what your name was and yet you still blatantly lied to my face.”

“I’m sorry. It was a shitty thing to do but for one night I just wanted to be someone else.”

“I only want to talk to Eden,” I stated harshly. Her eyes widened, and I immediately regretted my tone. “All I want is Eden Rivers.”
Fuck!
“All we want is Eden Rivers,” I corrected myself quickly.

“Why? I don’t understand. You don’t even know me yet you are offering the world.”

“I’m definitely not offering you the world.”

She stood from her chair and walked back toward the window. Her hand pressed so delicately against the glass, and I watched as her shoulders rose as she took a deep breath. I took three steps and stood directly behind her. My senses were overcome by her sweet scent. I was standing too close but I couldn’t move away.

“If you are willing to still work with us then I’d be very happy to have you on board. What do you say Miss Rivers?”

“Yes,” she whispered without hesitating, her words coming out in a husky breath. She turned slowly and there was barely a few inches between us. My gaze grew deep as I stared at this woman standing before me. There was no consideration in her answer, no breath taken, no deliberation flashing within her blue eyes. Tori’s words instantly came back to me. She couldn’t say no. “I should go. I have to get back to the island.” She spoke more confidently, taking a step away from me. An action I didn’t miss.

“I will take you,” I blurted out, now I was the one spewing out things without consideration. “I’m about to leave for the day.”

I stalked toward my desk without awaiting her answer, packing up my laptop and pulling my keys from the desk drawer while she waited in silence. I knew her eyes were on me. What the hell was I doing? It was four thirty on a Thursday afternoon. I should be staying at work for at least another eight hours. I didn’t give her a chance to answer, I pulled my jacket off the back of my chair and pulled my arms in, finally looking at her. She stared at me wide eyed and in confusion.

“Ready?” I stood before her. “We should get to know each other considering we will be working together.”

I walked out of my office without another word. My breath held until she fell in step beside me. I didn’t think she would follow me. I was expecting her to laugh in my face, tell me to fuck off, and pull out of our show completely. She shocked me yet confirmed my worst fears. Yes. In silence we walked toward the elevator and made our way to the ground floor. It wasn’t unusual to find Josh blatantly flirting with the new receptionist, to be honest I was shocked that he hadn’t already got to her. The look of shock on his face was almost too much to take in. Seeing me packed up for the day so early was confusing for anyone.

“You’re leaving?” he gasped, his eyes wide.

I coughed to hide the laugh that filtered out. “Yep, I’m going home.”

“Are you sick?” His voice rose high in question.

“No Josh, I am just leaving for the day.”

“But you— Okay, I’ll stop by later.”

My eyes were determined to lock onto the man sitting beside me. He had been a complete gentleman by opening the passenger door for me and making sure I buckled myself in before he walked around the front of the car with confidence exuding from each step.  His body folded so perfectly against the leather of the seats, his hands gripped tightly to the steering wheel, and his strong jaw was locked tight. My eyes roamed vicariously over him, and I had no control to stop it. Seeing him dressed in tailored dress pants and a crisp white shirt was causing my heart to race frantically.