Chapter 14
EVERETT
It takes me a few seconds to realize that the Ginny standing in the hotel room doorway is real and not a figment of my imagination.
I’ve been thinking about her, wishing for her, nearly nonstop it seems, so for a moment it was easy to believe I’d hallucinated her.
But no. She’s real.
And here.
Dammit.
She looks amazing. She’s in a midnight blue sweater dress that wraps around her body, falling to mid-thigh, dark tights, and knee-high black boots. Her hair is smooth with just a slight wave, and her makeup is heavier than usual, dark liner making her green eyes look even deeper emerald.
Though, to be fair, I’d think that no matter what she was wearing or where we were.
It’s Valentine’s Day.
And we’re alone.
Well, as alone as we can be in a city of eight and a half million people.
Eight and a half million strangers, though. That makes this different than the times we’ve spent together in Sapphire Falls, where, literally, everyone knows her and a good number know me.
But why is she here?
And how the hell am I going to resist her now?
“What the hell are you doing here?” I blurt without thinking.
I sound put out, but yeah, I feel a little put out.
I’m not prepared for this, so instinct overrides manners.
If I’d known I’d see her framed in this doorway, dressed in a curve-hugging dress, the New York skyline in the huge window behind her, I could have prepared.
Could have steeled myself against the instinct to press her against the nearest wall and kiss the hell out of her.
But I wasn’t ready for this, and as her familiar scent floats to my nose and wraps around me, I’m fighting for my life here.
She lifts a brow at my tone. “Because Graham should be with Margot at the hospital.”
I frown. “Hospital? What are you talking about?”
She frowns, too. “Graham didn’t tell you about Margot’s emergency surgery?”
The words emergency surgery slam into me like she punched me in the chest.
“What?” I shove my hand into my pocket for my phone. I pull it out and scowl at the screen. I have two missed calls and four texts. Son of a bitch. I lift my gaze to Ginny’s. “I’m sure he did. I didn’t get the messages.”
“You didn’t even check? Knowing he was flying in to meet you, how do you not stay in contact?”
“We…usually do.” I clear my throat. “I was in another meeting.”
I can’t tell her that it was about my own consulting business I’m building. Not yet. She’ll try to talk me out of it. She’ll tell me that Graham and IES need me, and that she and I can keep things business-only between us so I can stay on as CFO.
But I know better.
I can’t keep being anything less than Harriet Ginger Riley’s husband, and that can only happen if I can fucking date her.
I don’t need to be CFO of IES. I need to be with her.
“Tell me what happened,” I say before she asks me about my hours in New York before Graham was scheduled to arrive. Before she was scheduled to arrive, I guess.
“Margot started not feeling well last night but insisted she was fine. It became impossible to ignore that she needed to be in the hospital early this morning. She needed an emergency appendectomy. I, of course, was able to step in, so he’s with her, and I’m here.
” She sighs. “He didn’t mention that you’d be here. ”
I frown. “He must have been really rattled.”
She nods. “He was. But I suppose he didn’t think it was a big deal either. You and I are colleagues. Either he figured I’d assume you’d be here, or it just wasn’t a problem once we were both here.”
I blow out a breath. “Right.”
“And I mean, it’s not a problem,” she says. She pauses. “Right?”
I meet her gaze. “I wouldn’t say it’s not a problem.”
She bites her bottom lip, and I almost groan out loud.
“You don’t want me at the meeting?” she asks, looking concerned and maybe slightly hurt.
“That’s not what I mean.” I shake my head. “You’ll be better with this than Graham would be,” I tell her honestly.
Connor and Gage Albright are just starting to learn about IES and what we want to do. They’re not scientists and have never invested in agriculture before. Ginny can explain what we do better than Graham at this stage. This is exactly what we brought her on board for.
All that kept me from suggesting Ginny attend this meeting in the first place was that I needed to be here too, and her coming to the meeting would have meant it would be me and Ginny in New York City on Valentine’s Day. Together. Alone.
Exactly as we are now.
Avoiding this scenario had been my hope.
“So what’s the problem?” she asks.
How can she not understand this? She really thinks I can just shut off my feelings because we decided that was best?
I frown. “Well, it’s a problem that just looking at you right now has me semi-hard and struggling with everything in me not to toss you over my shoulder, carry you into the bedroom, hike up your dress, and bury my face in your pussy.”
She sucks in a quick breath.
“And I can’t imagine that there is anything that will happen tonight, meeting or not, that will make that urge go away.
I think of you all the time. I want to be with you.
I’m sure any time we spend together, even professionally, will only serve to make those feelings stronger.
It’s been hard to stay away from you. This will make it even more difficult. ”
A myriad of emotions pass over her face. She looks pained at first. As if hearing all of that is hard for her. Then she seems moved. As if she feels all of that as well. But finally, she frowns.
“Wait, are you saying that you didn’t ask me to attend this meeting, even believing that I would be the best one to come with you, because of your feelings for me?”
I nod. “I’m in love with you, Ginny. And I’m not getting over that.”
Her frown deepens. “So our relationship, what’s happened between us, is affecting my job. It’s keeping me from amazing trips to amazing cities and keeping me from doing what I want to do, what I’m excited to do, what I’m great at doing.” She crosses her arms. “Just like I knew it would.”
Her frustration is palpable.
And I can’t deny what she just said. Fuck.
I finally say the only thing I can. “I’m sorry.”
She turns on her heel and crosses to the armchair where she has a blazer, long wool coat, and leather bag waiting. She shrugs into the blazer, pulls on the coat, belts it at her waist, then pulls the strap of the bag onto her shoulder.
She turns to face me. “This better not happen again, Everett. You’re a grown man. Get your emotions in check. IES can’t suffer because you’ve got a crush.”
I open my mouth to protest the use of the weak word ‘crush’ to describe how I feel about her, but she walks past me, stepping into the hallway.
“And I won’t suffer because of it.”
I let the door shut behind us and find her stopped, facing me in the hallway.
“Promise me, Everett. Tell me right now that this is the last time you let your feelings for me have anything to do with IES.”
I can’t tell her that. I’m going to step down from my position with IES because of my feelings for her.
“I promise you that you will not be left out of meetings or plans or anything else because of my feelings for you,” I say, honestly.
“You’re right,” I continue. “It was the wrong call not to have you come to New York in the first place, and it’s fully about the fact that I’ve never been in love before and that I’m not used to not getting the things that I want.
That shouldn’t negatively affect the company or you. I won’t let that happen again.”
My stepping down will definitely not negatively impact the company or her. I’ll make sure of that. IES will be completely stable before I resign, and Ginny will be secure in the company for as long as she wants to be a part of it.
She studies my face and I let her. I’m telling her the truth. I’ll just have to deal with my feelings and the temptation of her going forward. I won’t keep her out of the things she should be a part of. It might be difficult, but hopefully it’s only a few more months.
She’s finally satisfied with whatever she sees in my eyes. She gives me a single nod. “Okay.” She turns and starts for the elevators. “Let’s go.”
I feel a lightness in my step as I follow her.
Yes, it’s going to be difficult to resist her, but I’m excited about the meeting.
The Albright brothers are interested in investing, but they haven’t written any checks yet.
Now that Ginny is here with her knowledge, passion, and charm, I’m even more optimistic about leaving New York with a firm commitment from Albright Investments.
The town car is still waiting at the curb, and the driver gets out when he sees us step out of the hotel. He opens the back door for Ginny, introduces himself, and smiles at her warm "Thank you for driving us."
“Thanks, Paul,” I say, sliding into the backseat next to her.
Her perfume lingers in the air, and I take a deep breath, sighing happily.
“You have to stop that.”
I open my eyes and look over at her.
She’s watching me with a strange expression.
“Stop what?”
“You’re smelling my perfume.”
“I can’t help it. And I love it.”
“You can’t take deep breaths, close your eyes, and sigh happily like that.
For one, other people will notice and think it’s weird.
For another, that is not ignoring your feelings for me.
And you’re making me aware of them, which is…
” She trails off, shifting in her seat as if she can’t quite get comfortable.
Which is ridiculous. This car is amazingly comfortable, and the buttery leather seats are soft and heated.
“Which is what?” I ask, turning to face her.
“Distracting,” she says.
“My feelings for you are distracting?” I repeat.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
She rolls her eyes. “You know why.”
“I’m not sure I do. Tell me. Let’s be sure we’re on the same page.” I don’t know what I want her to say.