Chapter 11
Gisele arrives fifteen minutes before our meeting, and I see her rushing past my door like she’s on a mission. The click of her heels against the office floor echoes in the hallway. She’s wearing a fitted sheath dress in black that hugs her curves, but it’s her hot-pink heels that make me move toward the door so I can watch her walk the rest of the hall to her office. When I first saw her yesterday, I knew having her around would be distracting, but I didn’t see myself checking the time impatiently just to catch a glimpse of her.
I lean against the doorframe, subtly watching her as she hurries down the hall. Her flawless little body disappears into her office, and her eyes meet mine as she clicks the door shut. I let out a slow exhale. I fell asleep last night after getting off to the thought of her. I know giving her my number and texting her was a bad idea, but when I saw her sitting at the bar with my buddies, something came over me. A possessiveness. She was mine first, I found her, and now they all got to be friends with her, drinking like old friends while I slaved away at work. I called her outside to make a point. I wanted to be on her mind like she was on mine.
Parker appears in the hallway, an ominous smirk on his lips, and I know I have just made it way too easy for him to catch me acting like a creeper. “You had to pull an all-nighter to get ready for this meeting?” He laughs, implying I look like shit. While work-related stress would normally be the reason for not quite being ready for our management meeting, today it’s the golden-haired beauty wearing the hot-pink heels.
I straighten up and run a hand through my hair, attempting to compose myself. Bumping into her last night had me on edge, reliving every second of the night we had together. I’m worried about her in this new place. The type of friends she’s making, both female and male. I know it’s none of my business, I’m just her boss—I made that very clear yesterday. But I didn’t like seeing her out with that particular group last night. I know all of them well, and while I would trust Elliot and Parker with my life, I don’t want them around her when I know I have to keep my distance.
Parker is one of my closest friends. After spending most of our childhood totally inseparable, I went off to college, and he joined the Army with Elliot. He returned home a couple of years ago with a chip on his shoulder he refuses to talk about and an engineering degree. He’s worked the last five years in construction and property development and was one of the first to offer help reinventing The Alexander. Where I focus on crunching the numbers, he has a groundbreaking vision to revitalize this place. We make a good team, but that doesn’t mean I want him anywhere near Gisele.
As Parker chuckles, I shoot him a half-smile, trying to play off the unease. “Nah, just had a late night. You know how it is.”
He raises an eyebrow, still grinning. “Late night, huh? Anything interesting keeping you up?”
I shake my head, not willing to share the details of my encounter with Gisele. “Just work stuff. Let’s get ready for this meeting.” I turn away, fixing my tie and tucking in my shirt. I feel his scrutinizing eyes boring into me. “How was your evening?” I inquire, searching for any scrap of information he has on Gisele and what she got up to after I left.
Parker leans against the doorway, arms crossed, his lips turning up at the side into an arrogant smile. “Interesting. Your new event coordinator is a lucky find. I can see why you put her straight into the events role,” he says, his eyes still assessing me with curiosity. I wonder what exactly he is trying to imply. That I hired Gisele because she’s attractive? He should know me better than that.
I shoot him a firm look, straightening my posture. “She was employed by Emerson,” I clarify, not wanting him to get carried away with assumptions. The last thing I need is whispers getting around this place that I am just like my father. After that article, it’s been hard enough defending our reputation.
“Uh-huh,” he says, his tone suggesting there’s more to the situation. “She is certainly causing a frenzy wherever she goes. Paisley is obsessed with her already, and the looks she gets from random people on the street—she’s something special. Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed.”
Where have you been with her that you even noticed how people react to her, apart from McAllisters? I huff.
He grins, having just gotten the reaction out of me he wanted. “We drove in together this morning. She doesn’t have her own car yet. And since we both had to be in earlier, I let her ride with me.”
“That was nice of you,” I mutter, unimpressed.
“Paisley set it up. I think she’s trying to fix us up. And I had to show our newest resident a little Southern charm since she won’t get it from you,” he says, taking another dig.
I glare at him. Is he fucking with me? “Your sister’s a menace. She realizes you’re considered management around here. And besides, Gisele is way too young.” I tell him the same thing I keep telling myself. Maybe I didn’t realize that night in New York, but I certainly do now. She’s only twenty-three; that’s younger than my sister. That just adds to the reasons why I should stay away from her.
Parker chuckles, pushing himself off the doorframe. “Didn’t stop you.” He grins like he knows my dirty little secret. “I have known you a long time, Brody. Did you think I wouldn’t work out who she was?”
I realize why he’s being a pain in my ass this morning; he’s pieced it all together. Like an idiot, I told him about the girl I met in New York. “Shit,” I mutter, running a hand through my hair. “No one can know about this, you understand that, right?” He knows what I’m up against. While technically I didn’t do anything wrong, since she didn’t work here when we slept together, it won’t stop the rumors. Lana is desperate to find any reason to prevent me from taking over the business, and since I cant trust Victor, I need to be careful not to give them any ammunition.
“You haven’t done anything wrong. She wasn’t an employee back then,” he says, like I’m overreacting.
“But she is now.”
“Stay away from her now. It’s simple. Unless you are the one who tracked her down to offer her a job?”
“What kind of a psycho do you think I am? It’s just a coincidence.” I pace back and forth in the room, trying to process the situation. I thought I had it under control when it was just the two of us that knew, but now, this is how rumors start. Whispers spread through this town faster than wildfire. “She wanted to change her life, try something new, and she ended up here.”
“That’s a pretty big coincidence,” he says, echoing exactly what I was thinking yesterday. But after she explained why she was here, it sounded plausible.
“I agree,” I say, remorseful.
His brow rises, and I hate that he knows me so well. “What did you do?”
“I accused her of stalking me. Following me back here and getting the job because of me,” I admit, knowing how terrible it sounds. Truth be told, I’m lucky she turned up at work this morning.
He throws his head back, laughing. “You’re an idiot. Why would a girl like that stalk you? She’s famous, isn’t she? And stunning. She could get any man she wanted, and you accused her of moving across the country to take an entry-level job just to be close to you. No wonder she can’t stand you.”
I whip my head back to glare at him. “She can’t stand me?” She told him that?
“You’re a grump who hides away in his office instead of socializing with the rest of us. Are you really surprised?”
For fuck’s sake. I know we got off to a bad start yesterday, but that was because I wasn’t prepared to see her. I feel like we ended on a better note. “You need to forget everything I told you about her. She’s here to reinvent herself and doesn’t want anyone to know who she is.”
He looks guilty, and I already know I’m going to hate what he is about to say. “Too late. When I worked out who she was, I might have just blurted it out to Paisley.”
I close my eyes, trying to block him out. Of anyone, Paisley is the worst one to know your secrets. She spreads gossip in that flower shop worse than old Mrs. Rashford. “Of course you did. Is there anything you don’t tell your sister?” I sigh, realizing the mess I’ve created is about to get chaotic. If Gisele already thought I was a jerk, I don’t want to know what she’s going to think of me now that her secrets are about to be spread around town.
“I didn’t tell her you banged her, just that you met her in New York last month and she was a Broadway star. Elliot seems to think she’s got a thing for you. It was obvious you two knew each other already. If you wanted to keep it on the down low, you probably shouldn’t have stalked over to our table and demanded she come out front with you like some controlling asshole.”
I know he’s right, but there is something about her that makes me feel out of control. I saw her there with them and felt compelled to show her who’s in charge. I catch a glimpse of Gisele walking past the door, and I realize it must be time for my meeting.
I run a hand through my hair, not sure how to get control of this situation again. “Not another word to anyone else and get your sister to keep her mouth shut as well,” I say quietly as we make our way toward the conference room.
The hum of conversation subsides as we enter the room, and all eyes turn toward us. I notice Gisele has taken a seat beside Victor, and my spine straightens. He leers at her in a way that makes me uncomfortable. I shoot him a stern look, silently warning him to keep his distance.
Gisele’s eyes meet mine, and she smiles sweetly. My heart does a strange flip at her sweetness, but I keep my expression neutral. Why does she have to be so breathtakingly beautiful? It’s distracting. And when she smiles, it does things to me it shouldn’t. I take a seat at the head of the conference table and wait for the rest of our management team to get settled.
I take charge of the meeting, commanding the room’s attention as we dive into discussions about this month’s budget and staffing adjustments, along with the section of the hotel that will be closed due to renovations carried out by Parker and his team. Elliot explains the menu improvements and how much it’s going to change our bottom line, impressing even Victor. Lana sits toward the back of the room, quietly watching. If it were up to me, she wouldn’t be here. She’s not staff, but Victor is adamant that she be included. Because it’s what my father would have wanted.
Emerson introduces Gisele as her new events coordinator, and she’s welcomed warmly. We’re making progress slowly, and team morale amongst the management staff looks to be improving, even though I know there is still a long way to go. As it stands, our numbers are up, but I’m not seeing an increase in profits yet. That part I don’t let on. When the meeting concludes, the room empties out quickly, with everyone needing to make a start on their workday.
Victor lingers, talking with Gisele. By her body language, I can see how uncomfortable she is. She glances toward me, and I take it as my cue to interrupt. I clear my throat, catching Victor’s attention.
“Victor, I need a moment with Gisele regarding some upcoming events. Mind if I borrow her?” I ask, telling him with my eyes that it’s not up for discussion.
“I’ll come find you later to discuss my corporate ideas,” Victor grumbles but reluctantly agrees, giving Gisele a lingering look before finally walking away. I stand, motioning for Gisele to follow me as we exit the conference room.
I find a secluded spot in the hallway and direct my attention toward her.
“What was that about?” she asks, looking confused.
I watch him walk back down the hall with Lana. “He’s a creep. I don’t trust him around you.”
“He’s your general manager. If you don’t trust him around female employees, then why is he still working here?”
“He’s still working here because my father employed him, and he has been with the company since before I was born. I also haven’t got any proof yet, it’s just a feeling and some rumors. But I don’t want you alone with him. Do you understand?” I say a little more seriously.
“Well, look at you getting all protective of me again,” she says with way too much sass for my liking. She thinks this is a joke. It’s not. Victor’s up to something, and I don’t want her caught up in whatever it is.
“I’m serious, Gisele. The way he was looking at you isn’t normal.”
Her brow knits together. “It’s the same way you look at me.”
Shes comparing me to that creep. I might be a little older than her, but I’m not going gray. I also look at her that way because I know she was into me in New York. Our chemistry together was off-the-charts hot, and I know the feeling is mutual, even if it shouldn’t be now. “It’s not.”
She takes my tie in her hand and runs the silky fabric through her fingers, just like she did in New York. It’s sexy as hell, and I have to remind myself where we are to stop from shoving her against the wall and kissing her like I want to. “So, to my face, you’re going to pretend like there’s not something here, but I was good enough that you bragged to Parker about me.” She drops the tie. “Or was it just that you wanted him to think you could bang a Broadway star, give you extra credit with the other guys around here?”
Of course, she’s going to bring this up now. “It wasn’t like that, Gisele.” I sigh, cursing Parker for telling his sister.
Her hands go to her hips, and I can see she’s not impressed with me. “What was it like then, Brody?” she snaps. And fuck, that mouth of hers, I can’t take my eyes off it. Her lips are painted a shade of pink to match her shoes. I move so she is against the wall, the two of us only inches apart. It takes everything I have inside of me not to touch her.
“Parker was the only one I told,” I say, dropping my head closer to hers. “I had a really great night with you. I was disappointed when I got back to my room and you were already gone. I was hoping to exchange numbers or... I don’t know. I told him about you because I had never met anyone like you before. But now that you’re here working for me, this can’t happen. Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t want it to if it could,” I admit, my voice low and coming out as more of a growl.
I find myself irresistibly drawn to her when were this close. What I wouldn’t do to run my fingers through her hair or kiss her plump lips right now. Maybe bend her over my desk and punish her for sassing me yesterday.
She bites her lip as she studies me. I would kill to know what’s going on in that head of hers. What she made of my admission. I don’t normally go around telling one-night stands I wanted more with them. In fact, I never have before. “No, it can’t, and it wouldn’t anyway. I’m here to change my life, not fall right back into old patterns, getting messed up with guys I work with.” She sighs. Placing a hand to my chest, she shoves me back out of her space. “We had a nice night together, Brody, that’s all it was. I don’t need you looking out for me. I grew up in New York, I can handle myself in this town. Like you said yesterday, you’re my boss, nothing more.”
I stare back at her, hating the words as soon as they fill my ears. It’s one thing when I tell her we can’t be anything more. But when she says it, it hits me right in the gut like a sucker punch. She turns and walks away, leaving me watching her, feeling empty inside. I try to reassure myself it’s better this way, safer, but I already know it’s not. I want her desperately. Once wasn’t enough.