Chapter 10
Chapter ten
“Elana Porter. Is there something you want to tell me?”
My voice rang through the suspiciously silent house. A house that stayed silent. No footsteps, no giggling.
Glaring at the permanent marker on the wall, I wondered how I was going to cover it up before the open house.
Addy eventually joined me, Orange right behind her. “Why are you yelling?”
“I’m not yelling,” I yelled, narrowing my eyes at the empty hallway behind her. “Where is your sister?”
“Hiding under her bed.”
“Am not,” Elana’s muffled voice countered from her room.
Walking to her room, I lay down on my front so I could see her under the bed. She was curled up on her side, big eyes blinking at me. My anger evaporated. “Honey, you know you’re not supposed to draw on the walls.”
“It wasn’t me.”
My mouth twitched, not from annoyance but in amusement. “So it was Addy who drew on the wall, signing her artwork with your name and in your handwriting?”
Elana nodded.
I puffed out a breath and held out my hand. “Promise not to draw on the wall anymore?” She nodded and grasped my hand. “Let’s finish getting ready or we’ll all be late. I’ll sort out the wall later. And you’ll be helping me.”
After we’d both stood up, I swung her onto my hip. Elana buried her face in my neck, and I hugged her close. “Now, what’s left to do?”
Twenty minutes later, we were finally in the car and on the way to school and daycare. I dropped Addy off with no problems, but Elana was reluctant to leave. She always felt guilty after she did something wrong and usually stuck close to me to make sure I wasn’t mad at her anymore.
It took a lot of reassurances and eleven kisses and thirteen hugs before she was willing to say goodbye.
Five minutes later, I pulled into a parking spot near the office, cursing when I saw I was ten minutes late. A familiar figure was leaning against the building.
My handbag had fallen off the passenger seat when I’d taken a corner a little too fast, and I leaned over, shoveling all the contents back inside. My door opened when I was still head down in the footwell of the car.
Shooting back up, I came nose to nose with Vance.
Since flustered Mae was even worse than awkward Mae, I stayed where I was. “Oh, hey. Hi.”
For the first time, I noticed the green sprinkled in his dark hazelnut eyes.
Some people were attracted to arms. Others to abs. I had always been drawn in by eyes. Not that I wouldn’t look at a nice six-pack, but I was a sucker for a good pair of eyes.
You could tell a lot about a person through their facial expressions and their eyes. And Vance’s were some of the most beautiful ones I’d ever seen.
As if he needed anything else to make him more attractive.
This is going to be a long and embarrassing day.
He held out his hand, and I reached for him automatically. When his fingers curled around mine, I almost sighed in contentment. I’d always loved holding hands. Hugging. Any kind of physical touch.
I let Vance help me out of the car, the attention making me flush. I couldn’t remember the last time anyone had helped me out of a car.
He didn’t immediately release me after he’d closed my car door for me.
Instead, he led me to the office with a familiarity that should have scared me.
I’d had a really shitty time of it if holding my lawyer’s hand was the highlight of my week.
But I refused to feel guilty about it. At least I hadn’t gotten out some rope and tied myself to him, an idea that seemed better and better the more I thought about it.
Sadly, unlocking the front door required the use of both hands, and I was the one who had to let go. At least the door opened on the first try and I didn’t have to wrestle with it.
Once inside, I turned on all the lights, then the heater. The building was ancient and the insulation wasn’t the best, but real estate in Butler was tight despite its small size. Or maybe because of it.
Either way, it was lucky Malena and Keely found a space at all. And one that was right in town. Adding first Thad and now Vance to the office meant all the rooms were taken.
“Give me a minute to put my stuff down and turn the message bank off. Then I’ll show you the space.”
Vance nodded in response, then stood next to the front desk while I put my bag on the hook underneath. Once I’d turned the phones and my computer on, I took a deep breath. “Can I offer you a drink or something to eat? There’s a great café down the street.”
“Why don’t you get settled and I’ll do a coffee run. What would you like?”
“Oh no, that’s okay. I didn’t mean for you to go and get me something. I’m happy to do it. I usually go most mornings.”
“Text me everyone’s order, including yours, and I’ll grab it.”
He didn’t hang around for a response, already out the door before I could do more than open my mouth.
Malena would be in soon, but Keely had an appointment in Denver and wouldn’t be back until late afternoon.
Thad was working from home because Felix wasn’t feeling well.
Riley would be in soon as well, and we were planning on going over a few files together.
After texting Vance everyone’s orders, I listened to the messages and made notes before sending them to Keely, Malena, and Thad. We didn’t get many calls after hours, but there were usually a few on Mondays.
I’d responded to a few emails by the time Vance came back in, carrying a tray and three paper bags.
Setting everything on the glass table in front of the couches, he motioned me over. “Breakfast is served.”
“Thank you. You didn’t have to do this.”
He sat down, nodding to the spot next to him. “Take a seat.”
Because I seemed to have lost my ability to say no to Vance, I gently lowered myself down next to him, careful not to sit too close. Something that was hard to do since the couch was a two-seater.
I should have dragged my office chair out, no matter how awkward that might have been. Instead, I found myself sitting next to Vance, our legs lightly pressed together. And it had to be said that no leg should feel that good pressed against mine. New kink unlocked?
Thankfully unaware of my inner hussy, who was pushing me to lean against him, Vance handed me my drink, then one of the bags. “They said those are some of your favorites.”
I set down my drink and peeked inside the bag. A chocolate croissant, a chocolate muffin, and a brownie.
And that was the moment I made an absolute fool out of myself, ensuring there was no coming back from it this time. In front of one of the most beautiful men I’d ever seen, I burst into tears.
He set the bag he’d been holding on the table, doing the same with the one I was clutching to my chest. And then he put his arm around me and held me to him.
I was too busy wallowing to protest and leaned into him, burying my face in his chest. And of course he smells great.
His warm embrace made the tears flow faster, and I pressed myself farther into him.
His arm tightened around me, and he murmured nonsensical words while rubbing my back with his ridiculously large hands.
He held me for the entirety of my crying jag. While I always felt better afterward, I wished it hadn’t happened in front of Vance.
The tears finally dried up, and I was left paralyzed, unsure of what to do. I was still pressed to his side. I was still clutching his shirt. I was still smushing my face against his chest.
I knew I had to get up. Things would be uncomfortable. But we’d get past it. And anyway, he’d be back in New York soon. And this moment would be another one in a long list of moments I’d rather forget.
His warm palm caressed my back, up and down, then up again. He didn’t seem even slightly uncomfortable with our position. “Does this mean you don’t eat chocolate?”
A raspy laugh burst out of me. “I love chocolate.”
His body relaxed underneath me, and he leaned back into the couch. I hadn’t realized how tight he’d been holding himself. How straight he’d been sitting.
I leaned away from him but didn’t get far since his hold was still firm. Scraping together the last of my courage, I lifted my head, meeting his eyes. “I’m sorry about freaking out. This had nothing to do with you. And I promise, I’ll be professional from now on.”
His hand on my back stilled, and I almost arched back into it, doing my best impression of a cat asking for more pets. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”
Wiping my face that was now no doubt flushed on top of the red eyes I’d be sporting, I willed my heart to stop beating so fast. “How about I show you the rest of the office?”
Untangling myself took a few attempts, but he eventually released me. I guess he was worried I’d collapse into a heap on the floor and start weeping again. A legit concern since I was still feeling a little raw.
The office tour took all of two minutes. He stuck his head into what would be his room, nodding at the boxes stacked up along one wall. “What’s in those?”
“Mostly Keely’s law magazines and books. She never throws anything out. I’m pretty sure you can access all of them online, but she said they hold sentimental value. And the rest are files.”
He stepped back out, one side of his mouth curling up in amusement. “No problem. There’s still plenty of space.”
That was debatable, but I commended his positive attitude.
The desk was pushed up against the window opposite the door, looking out over an alleyway.
I knew he was used to a much nicer view since I’d seen it in the background of our video calls.
Now, instead of an impressive skyline, he’d have to look at Rosie from next door throwing her boyfriend’s stuff in the dumpster only for him to fish it out again a few hours later.
It was a regular occurrence since they broke up about once a week.
“There are supplies in the closet in the hallway. Help yourself to whatever you need. I texted you the Wi-Fi password. Is there anything else I can do to help you get comfortable?”