Page 21 of My Heart Still Beats
Apple:Have a good evening. I’ll slake my horniness elsewhere. Ciao!
Ben:Take care.
I shove my phone in my pocket and walk around my rec room. I have a house in a luxury community. I only recently moved there from my downtown Boston penthouse. It’s the quintessential bachelor pad with a sleek contemporary design, lots of glass, steel, and stone accents. My large lawn is home to elegant shrubs and a fountain and koi pond.
The inside is spacious with high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows that flood the space with natural light. The colors are a masculine mixture of blacks, grays, and whites, accented with bold artwork and high-end furnishings. The place boasts a home theater, a game room, and a fully-equipped gym.
And of course a spacious master bedroom complete with king-size bed, walk-in closet, lounge area, and en-suite bathroom with shower, jetted tub, and infrared sauna.
I love it all.
Apple’s been there many times, and I could have easily accepted her invitation. She’d have come over, and together we could have taken care of business. No different than any other time we screwed.
Except everything has changed.
I met Tessa Logan. Tessa Logan, who I know damned well I should stay far away from.
Only problem?
I can’t get her out of my mind.
Chapter Five
Tessa
It’s Monday morning, and I have a meeting with my boss. I’m back at the office, which freaks me out a little, but I suck it up, put on work clothes, and enter my building by eight o’clock.
All eyes are on me—at least it feels like they are—when I walk into the office suite, as if I’m flashing that neon tattoo on my forehead.
They all know I’ve been gone for a few weeks. That’s no secret.
Most likely they all know why.
I don’t make eye contact with anyone, and I wave hastily to the receptionist after her, “Welcome back, Tessa.”
After grabbing a cup of coffee, I head into my office and fire up my computer.
I go through emails until my meeting at nine.
Then I rise, walk the hallway to my boss’s office, and knock.
“Come in,” Charlotte Peterson says, her gaze never straying from her computer monitor.
Charlotte’s new, and I haven’t worked with her for long. Since I’ve been working mostly remotely, this is the first time we’ve talked in a while.
“Tessa, please have a seat.”
I do my best to paste on a smile and take a seat across from her desk.
“How have you been?”
I nod. “I’m fine. Thank you for asking.”
Charlotte looks up from her computer screen and frowns. “I won’t beat around the bush, Tessa, and trust me when I say this has nothing to do with your quality of work. But we’re making cutbacks, and unfortunately we’re going to have to terminate your employment.”
The news should shock me. Worry me.
But all I feel is numbness.
