Chapter 3
Three
I should have seen it coming and maybe if I hadn’t been so distracted with not screwing up this meeting, I would have put two and two together. But I hadn’t and now Mr Tell wore the expression of a man who knew he had won, and it annoyed the hell out of me.
I tried to pull my hand out of his but he tightened his grip, as if it was some sort of game to see how uncomfortable he could make me.
He watched me closely, seeming to enjoy how deeply he was affecting me.
His smug gaze wavered when I yanked my hand out of his.
The moment hung between us for a beat, then two, as we eyed one another.
The tension between us broke when a third man rounded the corner. I breathed a sigh of relief and didn't miss the amused look in Mr Tell's eye. He'd gotten to me and he knew it.
"Mr Fitzpatrick?" I asked, praying I was right this time. The man nodded but before he could speak I thrust my hand out. "I'm Lola O'Connell." Riley took my hand, looking a little confused. Of course, he didn't know who I was. "I'm filling in for Mark Tafferty."
"Mark isn't coming?" he asked, his Irish accent thick and delicate at the same time. It reminded me of Natalie's accent and I wondered if he was from Dublin too.
"Unfortunately, no. My employer, Rosie May, called you this morning…
" I trailed off at his blank expression.
Oh god, had she forgotten to call him? All three men looked confused.
Well, Riley looked confused. Elliot just looked disinterested and Mr Tell looked like he was thinking about something that I didn't want to think about.
Riley pulled out his phone, pressed a few keys, and then held it to his ear. I waited.
"Voicemail," he told Mr Tell. I waited as he listened to the message Rosie had left for him.
I smoothed out my dress as I waited and winced as the material rubbed over the scrapes on my palms. My hands still stung from the fall.
"Are you hurt?" Mr Tell leaned in, his presence imposing, but he didn't touch me. I would have been touched at his concern if he had actually seemed concerned. Instead he seemed annoyed that I had impacted his day.
"I'm perfectly fine, Mr Tell.” I'll admit that his cool beauty and sharp attitude had flustered me before, but Riley's interruption had given me the chance to catch my breath.
I didn't need to be intimidated by him, or anyone else, and there was no way I was going to let my racing heart and my sweaty palms screw up this meeting. No way in hell.
He watched me closely, clearly waiting for a reaction. I imagined he was a man that was used to getting one but I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction.
Just ignore, Lola. Ignore. You're here to do a job, just focus on that and then get the hell out of here.
Riley ended the voicemail and Mr Tell took a small step away from me, though at well over six feet, his presence was still definitely felt.
"Well that's a shame, I was hoping to meet the man." Riley looked at me expectantly. What did he want me to do about it? Teleport Mark here from his mother's bedside?
"Well, I'm sure he was hoping his mother wouldn't have a stroke yesterday but hey," I shrugged, "what can you do?" I gestured with my file. "Shall we?" Three sets of eyes fixed on me. I swallowed a gulp of panic at the belated realization that my trademark feistiness might not be welcome here.
There was a pause, and then to my immense relief, Riley laughed.
He was much more comforting to look at than Mr Tell.
Jeans and a light blue shirt sat well over muscles honed from years working outside.
His dark hair had a slight curl to it and he was one of those rare breeds who suited thick glasses. His brown eyes had a warm look to them.
His phone rang in his hand and he sighed when he saw the caller ID. He shared an exasperated look with Mr Tell that seemed out of place for a business relationship. I wondered if they knew each other outside of work.
"I'll meet you inside," Riley mumbled and wandered off, abandoning me once more with Mr Tell.
Without a word, he gestured back the way I'd come and, matching his silence, I began to walk with him. Elliot followed a few paces behind and it surprised me that such a large man could make so little noise on the gravel-covered ground.
I jumped as I felt a hand on my lower back guiding me, like a child.
His hand was a burning pressure on me, heating right through my dress.
All the while we walked, I could feel Mr Tell looking down at me from the corner of his eye, gauging my reaction.
When I gave him none, his thumb dug slightly into my spine, applying a pressure that I couldn't ignore.
It felt like a subtle claim on my body. Or a challenge.
I quickened my pace in an attempt to outrun his hand.
I peeked up at him and saw a glimmer of amusement in his eyes.
My temper flared and I came to an abrupt stop.
"You know, I've been walking without a hand guiding me for quite some time, Mr Tell." I waited for a smart response but got none.
He cocked his head slightly, looking at me as if I was a mathematical equation he couldn’t work out. His hand fell away from me as I met his gaze head on. Alfie Tell looked like trouble waiting for a place to happen.
I set off at a brisk pace, trying to ignore the harsh pounding in my chest.
As we rounded the House and made our way up the steps to the foyer entrance, he turned to Elliot who had remained stoically passive despite the tension between his employer and I. I expected he was used to his boss’s effect on the opposite sex.
"Deal with the car," Mr Tell told him with barely even a glance. Elliot dutifully nodded and walked off towards the car park. I stopped, gaping at the arrogant man.
"That was so rude."
"Excuse me?" He rounded on me, his voice barely above a whisper, but the chatter of the workmen stopped and I knew we had an audience.
"That." I gestured to Elliot's retreating form. "Do you treat everyone that way or just the people you pay to put up with it?"
This stranger was riling up the deepest parts of me and even though I knew I was screwing up in a big way, I just couldn’t let it go. Contract be damned.
"I'm a very busy man, Miss O'Connell," he said, his voice a low rumble that sent a tremor up my spine.
"Elliot understands that. He also understands that I value him immensely.
" He took a step towards me and I held his gaze, my arms folded in front of me, keeping him from getting too close.
I stiffened as he took my chin in his hand.
"Never tell me how to speak to my employees, do you understand?"
His command did something to me. It rolled over my flesh and made me sweat. I felt a primal urge to drop to my knees in submission. Instead, I jerked my chin out of his hand.
"Or what? You'll put me on the naughty step?" Shut up, Lola!
Mr Tell took a step back and there was a silent intake of breath from everyone around us as we all waited to see what he would do. To my annoyance, he appeared to be biting back a smile.
He examined me with that cold gaze for a moment longer before his hand went to my back again and he guided me into the house.
Somehow, even though I'd gotten the last word, he still seemed to have won.
I opened my mouth to tell him again to remove his hand but that was quickly forgotten as I entered Harrington House.
"Wow." My eyes widened as I took in my surroundings.
I found myself in a huge, circular entrance hall with rooms leading off either side and a dual staircase in front of me that led to separate wings of the House.
The renovations weren't finished, that much was clear, but its bones were here, and the promise of what it would be was visible.
I itched with the urge to dash off and explore. I was practically bouncing on my toes, giddy with excitement.
A pair of workmen came by carrying a chandelier between them and I stared, open-mouthed.
It was peculiar to see something so close that you could usually only see twenty feet up.
I watched the men disappear with it into a room off to the left of the grand staircase. Without thinking, I followed them.
Everywhere smelled strongly of paint and varnish and in every room there were decorators busy at work.
I found the men with the chandelier placing it with care in the corner of a vast room.
I turned to find Mr Tell following a pace behind me.
It occurred to me that I should probably have asked permission before I went scampering around his property but he didn’t seem to mind.
"What room is this?" I asked, taking in the huge space. It took my breath away.
"The Gold Function Room. It was once used as a ballroom I believe." He watched me, his hands in his pockets as I explored the room a little. I looked up, admiring the gold ceiling panels.
"Ballroom sounds better," I told him and the corner of his mouth twitched again. "Your face won't crack if you smile, you know."
"Outspoken little thing, aren't you?"
"I prefer impertinent." Rosie would probably murder me if she knew I was speaking to him like this but I couldn't help it. I’d never been very good at holding my tongue and besides, he seemed to be enjoying it.
"Wow," I breathed again as I took in the Botticelli-style ceiling.
"Impressive isn't it? We had a team of painters from Italy fly in to paint the ceilings.
" His voice was smooth like honey. I was in awe, completely and utterly in awe.
Never in my small, quiet life had I been anywhere like this.
I felt him stepping closer to me, sealing me in a bubble of quiet despite the bustle around us.
"Do you like it?" he asked, his voice low.
"Of course. Your guests are going to be very happy here."
"But you," he stepped into my field of vision, gazing down at me as if I were an ancient language he couldn't decipher, "do you like it?"
I felt as if he was asking me about much more than just the building. My core clenched with instant arousal. What the hell was wrong with me today?
Luckily, I was spared from answering his question when we were interrupted by the click of heels on the marble floor.
The most beautiful woman I’d ever seen glided over to us on red Louboutin heels.
Her hair was black and straight as an arrow down her back, and she wore a black pencil skirt paired with a cream blouse.
She was stunning in a vampiric sort of way.
I tugged at my dress, which suddenly felt a lot tighter.
She clasped his hand in hers and kissed Mr Tell on both cheeks.
"Angie Carter, this is Lola O'Connell. She's here for a meeting with Riley." He turned to me. "Angie is my personal assistant."
Angie Carter turned her perfectly symmetrical face to me and gave me a gleaming smile, a manicured hand reaching out to take my nail-bitten one.
"It's nice to meet you." I smiled, wondering if PAs usually kissed their bosses on the cheek? Maybe. Maybe if your boss was Mr Tell.
"Pleasure," she said, smiling sweetly just as Mr Tell's phone rang.
"Excuse me," he said to Angie. To me he just said, "Stay."
I arched an eyebrow but he was already gone and seeing as I had no idea where we were holding our meeting, I had no choice but to do as he said and stay put. My pride flared again but I squashed it. I had to stop letting him get to me.
"So," Angie said, crossing her arms and tapping a red fingernail against her bicep, "you're the horticulturist? You look a little young."
"No, my colleague, Mark Tafferty, is the horticulturist. He was supposed to be here today but he had a family emergency so I came in his place." I smiled at her and she returned with her own kind smile, putting me at ease.
"I see, so you are an apprentice?"
"No." I suddenly had the urge to make up an impressive job title. "I run the office at the nursery," I managed, finally. She laughed a little and I felt myself relax.
"Ah, I understand. You do the filing!" She laughed again, a tinkling little sound. Nothing in her words was openly rude but the cold glint in her eye unnerved me. My relaxation faded away and my guard went back up. I felt like I was back in school having the mean girls throw gum at my head.
"Have you worked for Mr Tell long?"
"Almost ten years. He usually prefers to have me with him at all times but he had to stay an extra day in New York so he sent me on ahead." She was still smiling at me, that sweet smile that I no longer trusted.
"Miss O'Connell." Mr Tell's voice echoed to me across the vast room.
I said goodbye to Angie and all but ran to him, unsure whether I was eager to get to him or just desperate to get away from her.
"Are you ready?" His hand came to my lower back once more and I let him lead me out of the ballroom.
"Yes I'm—where are we going?" I frowned as he led me towards the staircase.
"To the roof. Riley's already there. It will give us a more complete view of the land and will be easier to discuss the spec from up there." He looked down at me as we began to mount the stairs. "Not afraid of heights are you?"
"No, not at all." I climbed the stairs as quickly as my sister’s ill-fitting heels would allow. I'd never been on a rooftop before and the prospect was exciting. He led me along a series of corridors before finally coming to a ‘staff only’ door which led to a very narrow, poorly-lit stairwell.
"Are you claustrophobic?" he asked. I shook my head and stepped into the dark stairwell without hesitation. "You're not afraid of much are you?"
"Nope!" In my excitement, my earlier tension and annoyance with Mr Tell was completely forgotten. I was about to step into the first important meeting of my budding career. I was nervous, but I couldn't wait.
I burst onto the roof and was drenched in sunlight. He'd been right. You could see everything from up here.
It was incredible.