After tapping on the door a few times, it opened. He couldn’t stop his gaze from skimming over her. She was wearing a royal blue business pantsuit and a crisp white blouse. The heels on her shoes were lower, which made her appear shorter than usual. She looked refreshed, as if she hadn’t worked at all today, though he knew she had.
He had gone to the office straight from the airport to pick up a file. One of the junior executives had still been there and had mentioned that Kelly had remained sequestered in her office all day, not taking time off for lunch or even a break.
“Kelly,” he greeted.
“Colton. Welcome back.”
“Thanks. Are you ready?”
“Yes.” She stepped out into the hallway with him, and they walked side by side toward the elevator.
“You look nice,” he said, glancing over at her. Of course, in his opinion, she looked far better than nice. Kelly Perkins was an extremely attractive woman, one who was striking in every way. He tried not to think about the outfit she’d been wearing the last time he’d visited her hotel room. The image had remained implanted in his mind for two years. It was still there.
“You look nice as well, Colton.”
“Thanks. I’ve made reservations at Rollins. They are known for their seafood and steaks.” They came to a stop when they reached the elevator, and he pressed the button.
“I’m hungry enough to eat both.” She grinned.
“Serves you right for missing lunch.”
She lifted a brow. “Is there a snitch in the office that I should know about?”
He shrugged. “Just a concerned individual. And it wasn’t Alvie, by the way.”
“I’m good at the process of elimination. It won’t take long to figure out the culprit,” she said.
He glanced at her to see if she was actually annoyed, but her expression was unreadable. “Like I said, the person was just a concerned individual. I guess they figured I hadn’t given you my rules.”
“And what rules are those?” she asked.
“I believe all employees should take advantage of all Masters Unlimited benefits. One of them is that they should enjoy an hour’s lunch and both breaks. Another is that employees are to leave work at a reasonable time each day. Although I understand there will be times someone might need to work past office hours, I don’t want anyone to make a habit out of it. Lake and I believe well-rested employees make the best employees.”
“I have similar rules for my employees, and relax, Colton, I was just teasing. It takes a lot to get me upset.”
Her words made him remember how upset she had been with him two years ago. The elevator door opened, and she stepped in. He followed. When the door closed, the intimacy of their confinement had desire twisting his guts. She was wearing the same perfume she’d had that night in Atlanta. The same one she’d worn two days ago in his office. Her scent was getting to him, and he was fighting like hell not to let it.
Clearing his throat, he said, “I told Sherelle Telfair that her help wouldn’t be needed on this project because you had your own team.”
“Thank you.”
Their gazes met with a force he knew they both felt. He figured that was why they immediately broke eye contact to study the panel walls. As far as he was concerned, the elevator couldn’t reach the lobby floor fast enough.
**
“Hello, Colton,” a feminine voice said as they stepped off the elevator.
Kelly stopped beside Colton, who was smiling at a woman who appeared to be in her late thirties and was tugging a piece of luggage behind her. “Sherelle, good seeing you,” he said, extending his hand to her in a greeting.
He then introduced them. “Sherelle Telfair, this is Kelly Perkins. Kelly’s consulting firm is the one selected to help us decide where our next office will be located; and Kelly, Sherelle is one of our junior executives at the Orlando office.”
Sherelle smiled and extended her hand to Kelly. “Hello, Kelly. It’s nice to meet you. Congratulations.”
Kelly accepted Sherelle’s hand. “Thanks, Sherelle.”
Colton then spoke up. “Kelly and I need to be on our way. We have dinner reservations.”
“Yes, of course,” Sherelle said, smiling at them. “It was nice meeting you, Kelly.”
