I enjoyed the longer workdays, such as this one. It helped me to forget about how empty my life was once I left this place. It helped me forget that my life was devoid of meaning outside of this building. For years, I had thrown myself into work, building my wealth, watching my investments, and putting all of my free time into growing this company beyond our parents’ wildest imaginations.
I enjoyed the days I worked myself to the bone. Because then, all I did when I got home was fall into bed and sleep, instead of staring at the ceiling and contemplating where the hell I went wrong in my life.
For starters, I wasn’t a big rodeo guy like the rest of my family. I was always kind of the black sheep, in that regard. While my family was training horses and spending all day sweating it out in the hot summer sun just to watch a bunch of men race animals or whatever, I curled up beneath the bleachers of those same rodeo stands and read books. Sure, I cheered for my family whenever they were racing, but I had no passion whatsoever to be the one on the horse in the first place.
Hell, I only rode horses for pleasure. And I didn’t own any of my own, to boot.
Focus, Wyatt, like what you told Bella to do. You’re getting off track.
I doubled down on the email responses before quickly flipping over to my own. I continued typing back and answering questions until my fingers were blue at their tips. Then, I started sifting through paperwork. There were mounds of it, and it made me smile as I slid the first folder off the top. But, just as I flipped it open, a knock came at the door.
“What?” I called out, and I heard it ease open.
“What do you mean, what?” Bryce’s voice caused me to look up.
“Hey there. Everything okay?”
He held up two bags of food. “We have lunch plans, remember?”
I blinked. “It’s lunchtime?”
He stepped into my office and closed the door. “Actually, lunchtime was fifteen minutes ago. What the hell are you doing?”
I flipped the folder closed and put down my pen. “Just working. You know, catching up on mine, as well as Ryan’s, stuff.”
Bryce sat in a chair in front of my desk. “Well, take a second to scarf down some food before everyone starts to think you’re a robot.”
I grinned. “Hey, that might be fun. You never know.”
He started divvying up the takeout. “You’re a workaholic; you know that? You and the rest of your brothers, for that matter.”
I blinked. “You think Boone is a workaholic?”
“If by that, you mean Boone is the fun one on your side of the family? Then, yes.”
I chuckled. “I can’t even argue that point.”
He handed me my sweet tea. “Good, because it’s a valid point.”
Then, another knock came at my door, and it perked up my ears. “Come in.”
Bryce unwrapped his sub and took a massive bite of it before Bella’s form appeared in my doorway. When my office's soft lighting illuminated her curves, nothing else existed except her amber-brown eyes holding mine.
“I’m so sorry to interrupt, but one of your investors is downstairs, wanting to see you.”
That caught Bryce’s attention. “Wait, who’s downstairs?”
Bella shrugged. “He said his name is Mr. Miles Blanchard.”
I sighed. “Jesus.”
Bryce set down his sub. “I can take care of him. Let me just—”
I held out my hand as I stood. “Miss Bella?”
“Yes?”
Her angelic voice washed over me like the warm waves of the ocean. “Go tell Mr. Blanchard that I’ll be right down. And offer him some refreshments. You remember where the kitchen is?”
She blinked. “I believe so.”
I nodded. “Offer something to eat or drink and get it for him if he takes you up on it. I’ll be down in a second.”
She shuffled on her feet. “Actually…”
I clenched my jaw. “Yes?”
She sighed. “I kind of told him I’d come back down with you.”
I felt Bryce’s prying eyes on me as I drew in a sobering breath. “Well, for future reference, you do not speak for me. Understood?”
She nodded. “Yes, sir. My apologies.”
I stepped from around my desk. “I’ll be right back, Bryce.”
“Sure you don’t want me to come with?”
I waved him off before I buttoned my suit jacket at my waist. “I got it, no worries. I’ll be back soon. But don’t eat my food, you hear me?”
Bryce snickered. “I hate pickles; you know this.”
“Which is why I piled my sub high with them.”
Bella giggled, and it almost made me smile. I had to bury it, though. I couldn’t let her know how she affected me. Not until I figured out why she did this to me, at least. I mean, I’d come across many attractive women during my lifetime. Money, partial fame, and nice suits did that to a man. But, there was something in the way she looked at me—in the way she spoke to me—that struck a chord with my cold, hardened heart.
And it was something I couldn’t let her figure out, lest she leverage it against me.
“Again, I’m so sorry, Mr. Remington. I didn’t mean to overstep.”
Bella’s voice filled my ear as we stepped onto the elevator together. And after I pushed the button for the main floor, I clasped my hands in front of me.
“Just don’t let it happen again,” I said curtly.
And even though we both fell silent as we traveled down in the elevator, I felt overwhelmed by her perfume. Or body spray. Or whatever the fuck it was that she was wearing. It wrapped around me like a warm blanket and threatened to tug me into her orbit, just like her smile did.
I’m in so much fucking trouble.
Yet, the thought made me grin as the elevator doors opened. Revealing Mr. Blanchard’s stubborn ass standing next to Bella’s desk, perched like a hawk and waiting for us both.
3
Bella
Standing in that elevator with Wyatt was pure and utter torture. The feel of his body heat radiating out toward me made me want to turn in his direction. The cheeky grin he had creeping across his face gave me the urge to kiss him. I had to draw in slow, steady breaths just to keep my mind focused on the fact that I was still clocked in, which reminded me that he was my boss.
Get it together, Bella. Good lord.
Even out of the corner of my eye, though, I still appreciated how handsome Wyatt was. His dark features sat against sun-kissed skin, and his lean body fit well in a suit. The grin spreading across his cheeks thinned out his lips showcased a winning smile that I was sure had broken many hearts throughout the years. His confident shoulders rolled back as the elevator doors opened. I heard him draw in a deep breath, and the rise of his chest pulled my gaze toward his body. And I drew in a thick breath of his oaky, sensuous cologne.
The smell of it made me weak in my knees. Hell, he made me weak in my knees. But, when the doors finished sliding open, I snapped my head forward. I had to put on an assertive façade. I couldn’t let my boss know I was so drawn to him physically. Yet, every time I went to take a step forward, the scent of his cologne forced me to stay rooted inside the elevator.