Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
annalise
Maddox Kamado is the last person on Earth I want to see. As if I didn’t already dread working here—now I’m forced to be in the same room as him? I’ve avoided watching sports like the plague, so I had no idea he was even back in San Francisco.
My feet remain planted, fingers tightening around the paper cup as if it could shield me from the pull of his gaze.
Despite my hatred for him, I can’t bring myself to look away.
He’s undeniably handsome. Deep brown almond-shaped eyes, soft lips, and a perfectly chiseled jaw.
His sense of style certainly enhances his appeal.
He’s donning a crisp, pale blue button-up shirt paired with navy slacks and Louboutin oxford shoes.
The accessories he chose add a nice touch to his polished look: a gold Cuban link chain, a Rolex Submariner, and diamond stud earrings.
“Wait, you two know each other?” Veronica’s eyes flick between Maddox and me.
“Yeah, we used to date.” Maddox shifts his weight, tapping his foot and rubbing the back of his neck. He looks as uncomfortable as I feel.
“What a small world. That won’t be a problem now, will it, Amy?” Veronica crosses her arms and narrows her eyes at me.
Oh, it’s going to be a huge fucking problem…
“Well?” she asks when I don’t answer her.
Placing the coffee on her desk, I shake my head. “Of course not! My history with Mr. Kamado will have no effect on my ability to remain professional.”
The tension in the room curls around us like thick clouds of smoke, suffocating us. A thousand unspoken words hang in the air.
“Good, because he’ll be working with us for a while. Collaborating with someone as successful as Mr. Kamado here could bring a lot of profit to our company,” Veronica says. “We can finally be number one and beat Velocity.”
Velocity is another athletic wear brand that happens to be our biggest competitor. Veronica consistently seeks to develop new ideas to outperform them in sales, but Dauntless always falls short.
She picks up her coffee, taking a sip. “Did you make sure it was soy milk? I do not need a repeat of what happened last time.”
I try to stifle a laugh as I recall the incident. I forgot to ask for soy milk, and Veronica took multiple trips to the restroom during a very important meeting. I was shocked she didn’t fire me on the spot.
“Yes, it’s soy milk,” I reply.
“So, Annalise,” Maddox starts, shifting his gaze to me, “will you be one of the designers on the team?”
Veronica nearly spits out her coffee. “Oh, please! She’s just an assistant,” she snorts. “She can barely get my coffee orders right. There’s no way I’d trust her to handle designs.”
Heat floods my cheeks as I stare up at the ceiling, fingers twisting the hem of my shirt. Drawing in a shaky breath, I fight back the tears that are threatening to spill over.
I can feel Maddox’s gaze lingering on me, heavy with pity. I straighten my spine. I won’t let him see me break. Being belittled by Veronica has become a normal occurrence, but having Maddox of all people hear it is humiliating.
“That’s a shame. Ms. Monroe is extremely talented. I’ve seen what she’s capable of,” Maddox says.
Veronica ignores his comment and quickly changes the subject. “Mr. Kamado, would you like some coffee? I’m sure Ava here won’t mind going back to Rise and Grind to grab you a cup.”
“Annalise,” Maddox grumbles.
“Pardon?”
“Her name is Annalise,” he says firmly and I pinch my eyes shut. Him correcting her isn’t going to get us anywhere. She won’t learn it. And it’ll only serve to piss her off.
“Isn’t that what I said?” she asks, feigning innocence.
Maddox gears up to say something but I cut him off.
“I don’t mind going to get you something.” I smile through gritted teeth. “What would you like?”
“I’ll have an iced macchiato.” He smiles at me, dimples creasing his cheeks.
Those damn dimples.
They still have the same effect on me after all these years. His smile, paired with that ridiculously handsome face, can make any girl swoon. I was foolish enough to fall victim to his charms.
I return from my second coffee run of the day—thanks to him—and hand over his iced coffee. “Here you go, Mr. Kamado.”
“Thank you so much, Ms. Monroe. I appreciate it.” He takes a sip from his coffee and it spills all over his shirt—which probably costs more than what I make in a week.
I may have “accidentally” loosened the lid slightly before handing it over to him. Oops.
“Oh, my goodness!” I gasp, putting on my best innocent act.
Maddox’s glare lets on that he knows it was no accident.
“Mr. Kamado! I’m terribly sorry!” Veronica pulls tissues out of the Kleenex box and hands them to him. “I’ll pay for your dry cleaning and if the stain doesn’t come out, I’ll buy—”
“That won’t be necessary,” Maddox interjects, waving her off. “Do you have a shirt I can borrow?”
“Oh, of course!”
On her way out the door, she pauses in front of me. Her upper lip curls into a sneer. The vein on her temple pulses. “We need to have a chat later.”
The loud slam of her door reverberates throughout the office.
Oh, I am completely fucked.
I swallow hard, the lump in my throat tightening as nerves twist painfully in my gut. My promise to remain professional flew out the window when I saw him—I completely lost my cool. Now, I’ll probably have to pay the consequence.
“Thanks for ruining my shirt,” Maddox snaps.
“You make all that money bouncing balls for a living. You’ll be alright.”
Maddox unbuttons his shirt, revealing the glorious physique only a professional athlete can achieve. I try not to stare but fail miserably, completely captivated by the man standing in front of me. He’s always been in shape, but now he’s even more ripped than ever before.
A dragon tattoo coils around his sculpted arm, the artwork so well done it’s practically coming off his skin.
My eyes wander upward, catching on the familiar characters inked on the side of his neck: Japanese Kanji for “never give up.” Those words slam me back to the past, to the day he turned eighteen, when I sat beside him in that dimly lit tattoo parlor, my fingers laced with his.
I’d gotten roses etched into my thigh that day, a quiet rebellion we shared.
My eyes drop lower and a flood of sinful memories surges forward. Like how I once touched him like he was mine. And how we danced, tangled in sheets. Or how we talked about getting more tattoos together. I wonder what the canvas of our bodies would look like if we had kept that promise.
“If you wanted me to take my clothes off, all you had to do was ask.” Maddox smirks, clearly amused by the fact that I’ve been staring at him for what feels like an eternity.
I huff, rolling my eyes. “Please, don’t flatter yourself.”
“So, what brings you back home?” Maddox asks. “I thought you would be on your way to becoming some big-shot fashion designer in New York by now.”
“That’s none of your damn business,” I snap.
“Come on, Monroe. Can you be an adult for a second? We need to talk about what happened.”
“There’s nothing to talk about.”
Maddox takes a step forward, reaching for me. “You can’t stay mad at me.”
“Oh, you have some damn nerve. How the hell are you gonna tell me how I should be feeling?” I jab a finger into his chest. “You have no right, after what you did.”
He lets out a frustrated groan, raking his fingers through his hair. “Damn it, Annalise. How many times do I have to explain myself to you? I didn’t—”
“Save your breath, Kamado! Everything that comes out of your mouth is a lie anyway.”
“You haven’t changed one bit.” His nostrils flare as he leans in, our faces merely inches apart. “You’re still so fucking stubborn.”
“And you’re still a self-absorbed asshole,” I bite back, shoving him hard in the chest.
“Mr. Kamado, I brought you a—” Veronica drops the shirt she was holding. “Oh my!” She blushes furiously, gawking at Maddox’s half-naked body.
Realizing that her eyes have been lingering on him for far too long, she clears her throat and bends down to pick the shirt up off the floor.
“I, uh—I brought you a—a polo. I’m sorry I don’t have a nicer shirt for you.
I plan on creating a business casual line with comfortable, sweat-resistant clothing. ”
“That sounds incredible, Ms. Zhang. I’m sure it will be a huge success.” He smiles.
“You can call me Veronica,” she drawls, twirling her hair.
So disgusting.
Veronica’s attention snaps to me. “What are you doing still standing here, Alexa? Get out of my office.”
I hold back an eye roll as I leave. For fucking once, it would be great if she got my name right.
“You used to date Maddox Kamado, and you didn’t tell me?” Ivy stares at me, her brows knitted together as a mixture of bewilderment and curiosity dances in her eyes.
“Announce it to the whole world, why don’t you?” I grumble. Her mouth stays hanging open for a solid ten seconds.
“Were y’all serious?”
“Yeah… We were together for three years.”
Maddox and I started dating during our sophomore year and remained together throughout high school. He was my first and only serious relationship.
I dated around when I went to college, but it never went further than a few dates. Even now, my trust in men is nonexistent. I can’t allow myself to be vulnerable.
She gasps. “Three years?”
“Unfortunately…” I mumble.
“You know, I’ve heard some rumors about him.” She drops her voice, glancing around the office to make sure no one is within earshot. “Is he really that big?”
I rub my temples. “I am so not having this conversation with you.”
“Ugh, fine! You’re no fun.” Ivy frowns, scooting her chair farther from me.
“Will you at least hook me up with one of his teammates?”
“Nope,” I reply flatly.
“How dare you not help me find a sugar daddy! This friendship is over.”
“Who said we were ever friends?” I arch a brow at her.
Ivy gasps and dramatically clutches her chest.
The door of Veronica’s office opens, and she walks out with Maddox. She introduces him to Trang, one of the fashion designers. They continue to converse about the collaboration. Of course, the role was given to Veronica’s niece. Nepotism at its finest.
Veronica turns her attention to me, shooting me a death glare that causes me to slump in my seat. “Andrea, come here. I would like to have a word with you.”
Uh oh. This can’t be good.
Reluctantly, I get up from my seat, my shoulders sagging as I walk across the office to where she’s standing.