Taming the Whirlwind Read online

“That would be great. Thank you.” I couldn’t imagine my life getting any better, at least my professional life. Right now, my love life was a little lacking and since this afternoon just plainly messed up.

  “Well, I’ll let you get out of here. See you tomorrow.” I smiled and put the cleaning supplies up and grabbed my purse. I debated whether I should skip the gym today on the elevator ride down, but in the end, I decided to do weights.

  I did weights for thirty minutes before deciding that was enough. I got my bag from the locker room and made the short walk home. I couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss. How could he not say anything? Well, I guess I didn’t say anything either, but he was the one who started it. So, technically, he should say something first. I mean, isn’t that in a rulebook somewhere?

  I unlocked the front door and set my bag on the couch before going in search of Meg. I found her in her room on the computer. As soon as I walked into the room, she gave me the ‘what’s wrong’ stare. “Spill it, what’s going on?” Do I lie to her and make something up about work? We both know I’m a terrible liar so I went with the edited truth.

  “We had lunch together. That man has more mood swings than you with PMS. You should have seen his glare when I told the waitress two checks. On the elevator ride back to work, he kissed me. I mean kissed me. Then nothing; we didn’t speak, like complete and total silence. I guess he regretted everything.” I thought that was a pretty accurate description of what happened. It was enough to make Meg’s mouth drop open.

  “Wow. Why didn’t you call me? I can’t believe you kept all this from me! It has been hours since this happened.” Geez, did she forget I had to work? “You ate lunch with Kade Parker. What I wouldn’t have given to be a fly on that wall. What is he like? Funny? Boring?”

  “He’s very… intense. I asked him why he wanted to have lunch with me, and he said he didn’t know why. Then his attitude took a nosedive when I asked him what he did for a living and then again when I wanted to pay for my own lunch. Oh, and I completely embarrassed myself when I said nothing about him needed to be bigger.”

  “Oh My God! You did not!!” I nodded my head. Meg shook her head in disbelief then she busted out laughing. “That is too freaking hilarious! Only you would say something like that, but I’m sure it’s true. Anyways, onto a more important topic: he likes you! Men naturally are moodier than women in my opinion but, of course, his attitude changed when you tried to pay. I’m sure he was insulted. Forget the lunch I want more on the kiss. I bet he’s an amazing kisser.”

  “You could say that. It was so intense, but that’s him. Before I knew what was happening, my back was against the wall with my legs wrapped around him. Then, he pulls away and doesn’t say another word. The only thing I can think of is that he regretted the whole thing. Regardless, I’ve decided it would be safer for me to stay away from him, and I’m definitely going to stay out of elevators with him.”

  “I don’t know what to say besides I’m jealous. Stop doubting yourself. I know he didn’t regret it. You didn’t see what I saw last night. He’s into you.” Instead of arguing with her, I just changed the subject.

  “I’m starving. I thought you were cooking tonight.”

  She nodded. “Well about that. Yeah, it didn’t happen.”

  I just laughed at her. “Guess quesadillas, it is.”

  Meg and I ate on the couch and watched a little reality TV. It was nice to just relax and not have to worry about anything for at least a little bit. All of a sudden I sat straight up, and Meg looked at me like I was crazy. “What’s wrong with you?”

  “I just remembered he has an appointment with Danny tomorrow. How awkward is that going to be?” Maybe Danny won’t ask me to come over and observe. I wonder if I can make Betty’s appointment run long somehow.

  “That’s great! We have to make you look sexy tomorrow. How about wearing a skirt or dress?”

  I looked at her in disbelief. “Yeah, I’m sure I can help clients with exercises wearing stilettos and a skirt. Get real. I’m not sure how you think you’re going to make a blue polo shirt and jeans sexy.” She was crazy.

  “Why couldn’t you have picked a sexier career? We will just have to concentrate on hair and makeup.” She nodded with determination.

  “I guess I could always become a stripper. Is that sexy enough for you? Besides there’s no point of looking ‘sexy.’ I’m staying away from him, remember?” She raised her eyebrow and shook her head as I continued, “I think I’m going to go to bed. I have a feeling I’m going to need patience for tomorrow morning.” She nodded with a scheming look on her face. I wonder if I could sneak out of here before she got up.

  As I took my shower, I still couldn’t get that damn kiss out of my head. How could he say nothing? That was an amazing kiss and then it hit me. Maybe it wasn’t amazing for him. Maybe it was a letdown. I insulted him at lunch and kissing me was horrible. If it was so bad, then why was he turned on? There was no denying it, I felt that. My head hurt from all this analyzing. I crawled into bed, hoping I could get some actual sleep.

  Chapter Six

  Friday, August 30

  The next morning I awoke with a headache. It seriously felt like someone was taking an axe to my head. Just as I sat up, Meg bounced through my door. Crap, I forgot about her. Lucky for me, she brought me some coffee. I knew there was no chance I could talk her out of my mini makeover so I went to the bathroom to grab some aspirin before the torture began.

  I walked back into my room and she had just about every pair of jeans I owned laying on my bed. She held up a pair. “These will do. Now, let’s get started on the hair and makeup.” She clapped her hands and dragged me back into the bathroom.

  After an hour of torture—I mean wonderful makeover—she finally let me out of the bathroom. “There! He won’t be able to ignore you now.”

  “Thanks, Meg.” I did really like what she did even if it was pointless. She’d curled my hair so it looked like waves down my back, and my makeup was understated but did give me some color. I had to admit, she knew her hair and makeup. I grabbed my bag and ran out of the house before she decided something else needed to be fixed.

  I arrived at work earlier than normal so I walked around the gym, getting everything set up for the day. Danny walked out of his office and stopped. He stared and it made me blush. “Wow, Liz, you look different. I mean, you look nice today. Not that you don’t look nice every day, but okay, I’m just going to shut up now.” Do I really look that bad normally? Maybe I should try to, at least, wear a little makeup once in awhile.

  “Thanks. I think my roommate was bored this morning and decided to make me her project.”

  He chuckled before he said, “I forgot to ask you if you wanted to go out for drinks after work today with me. I mean, with the staff. Usually, we all go to a bar across the street for a round or two.”

  Okay, the way he was looking at me and that little slip up about with him was embarrassing as all get out. “Yeah, sure, I don’t think I have plans until later. Thanks for the invite.” I didn’t have any plans at all, but I just wanted an out if it got too weird at the bar. By then, the rest of the staff had arrived, thankfully.

  Like usual, the morning flew by. I didn’t have any new clients today, so it was pretty routine. The last client of the morning was a guy named Eddie that I had met on Wednesday. He was a client of the physical therapist before me. He had hurt his shoulder in a basketball game. He was a nice, charismatic guy, who had me rolling with the stories of him and his buddies. I wasn’t sure they were all true, but it helped pass the time. “Eddie, rotate your shoulder to the left a little. Okay, that looks great.”

  We were wrapping up the appointment when he shocked me by asking, “Liz, would you like to go for drinks with me tomorrow? Or dinner and drinks, whichever you prefer.” Eddie had brown hair, vibrant green eyes, and was a handsome guy. I wouldn’t have minded going for drinks, but I didn’t think it was a good idea to date a client.

  I used the l
ame line, “Eddie I’m flattered, but I don’t date guys who I work with or who are clients.”

  He smiled, “I figured that’s what you were going to say, but you can’t blame a guy for trying. I won’t be your client forever so I’ll keep asking until you say yes.”

  I just smiled at him; what am I supposed to say to that? We finished up the appointment without problem. I made a mental note to ask Meg if I looked that bad on a day-to-day basis because this was just getting weird. I clocked out for lunch and decided to go for a walk instead of eating.

  I was contemplating what a little makeup and hair could do to help your love life as I walked out of the elevator and started heading towards the lobby when I noticed it. That damn electric current. I looked around for him but didn’t see him. I shook my head. I was going crazy. Now I was imaging the feeling. As I walked closer to the door, there he was. He was walking in the door with two other gentlemen dressed in suits. He must have been having a lunch meeting. I put my head down and tried to avoid eye contact with him.

  I was almost past him when he stopped me. “Liz, hold on a minute.” I looked up and like usual, I was lost in his eyes. I just nodded. He said something to the guys he was with and they started towards the elevators. He walked back to me and pulled me to the side as we walked away from the door. Oh, the feel of the contact was heavenly. “You look lovely today. Are you heading out to lunch?”

  “Yes and no. I’m on my lunch break but I’m not hungry so I’m just going to go for a walk.” Why do I feel like I have to explain myself to him?

  “You should eat lunch. It’s not healthy to go without eating.” He gave me a disapproving look that reminded me of a dad. “I wish I could join you but, unfortunately, I have a meeting. Have a good lunch, and I’ll see you later for my appointment.” With that, he turned and walked away.

  I turned and put in my headphones as I walked out the door. Again, I was left trying to figure out our interaction. I couldn’t keep up with that man. He still didn’t mention the kiss we had yesterday but he was acting like he was worried about me. Did he live to drive me crazy?

  Then there was his appointment this afternoon. I found myself hoping that Betty had a ton of questions so my appointment would last way into his. I figured once Danny started with him, he wouldn’t stop mid-appointment or at least I hoped he wouldn’t. I would much rather admire him from afar. There was no harm in that. I couldn’t get hurt that way. Of course, I would have to be careful so I didn’t look like a shady creeper.

  I walked for a few blocks, admiring the New York atmosphere. I just loved how it was a business district with little boutiques mixed in. I walked out of a cute little candy store when I felt the charge again. I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, causing a man to run into me. I turned red, of course, and apologized. He mumbled something to me and walked around me. As I started to look around, I noticed an impressive black Mercedes SUV that hadn’t been parked there before. I couldn’t see in because of the tint, but I wondered if it was him. I shook my head and turned back towards work, wondering if I was starting to become obsessed or just plain losing my mind. Just as I turned, the back door of the Mercedes opened and out came Mr. Parker. How in the world did he know where I was? I stood there staring at him like a flaming idiot. Again.

  “Hello, Ms. Day.” I don’t remember telling him my last name but really, I shouldn’t have been surprised. “My business lunch finished early so I figured I’d join you. We could take my car back or I’ll walk back with you.” He didn’t give me a real choice there, did he? Either way I was going to be with him, which let’s be honest, I didn’t mind one bit.

  “I’m using this walk to skip the gym tonight so I’ll walk, but thank you for the offer.”

  “Well, okay then, we’re walking.” This is probably going to be the longest walk of my life. I just hope I don’t say something stupid or trip or with my luck, both. He shut the door and turned back to me. “I’ve worked in this area for years and I’ve never been to any of these shops.”

  “That’s a shame. Maybe you just need to go walking and explore sometime.”

  “You’re right, I should. Maybe we’ll have to go exploring sometime together.”

  “How did you know where to find me?” I blurted out. Did I care? He was here and apparently for me, which had butterflies taking off.

  He didn’t look at me when he simply replied, “I tracked your cell phone,” like it was no big deal.

  “How did you know my number?”

  Once again he said it like it was an everyday occurrence, “It’s on your rental agreement.” I know he owns the building but still shouldn’t this violate some law?

  “Let me get this straight: you got my number off my rental agreement and tracked me with it? Why? How?” Why didn’t that bother me? In a twisted way, it was sweet.

  “Yes, that’s correct. Why? Well, my lunch ended early so I thought I might join you. How? Anyone can do it, but I have some incredibly talented employees who did it for me.”

  “Oh”.

  “I hope you don’t mind.” Did I? No, I didn’t mind at all but I wasn’t going to let him know that.

  “Even if I did, guess it wouldn’t make a difference since you already did it.”

  I finally broke the ice with a question I had been dying to know. “Are you just going to ignore the kiss in the elevator?”

  “Ignore it? No, how could I? It was amazing but it shouldn’t have happened.” That hurt a lot. I barely knew this guy and it was one kiss. I needed to pull myself together. I didn’t want to look pathetic in front of him. I could cry when I got home. Cry when I get home? Seriously? It was one freaking kiss. “Okay, I was just curious.” Ha! That didn’t sound pathetic, or at least I hope it didn’t. His whole demeanor changed to one of seriousness.

  “It’s not like that. It’s hard to describe, Elizabeth. I’m always in control. At that moment, I lost control because I wanted you. As amazing as it was, I can’t do that again.” He paused and looked at me. There was something in his eyes that told me he was keeping something from me. “I shouldn’t even be here now, but I wanted to speak to you one more time to make you understand.”

  What do I say to that? Thanks for the kiss? I just smiled and nodded. “So, how has your day been?” I tried the distraction tactic not so much to distract him, but hopefully to distract me from the pain I had started to feel. The man who was caught kissing all over New York never wanted to kiss me again. Yep, that didn’t suck at all.

  He gave me an odd look but he didn’t push the topic any further. “It has been pretty uneventful so far. Selling and buying real estate can get pretty boring. I’m working on one big project that has taken up most of my time. How about you? How do you like the new job?”

  “My morning was pretty routine, nothing too exciting.” I decided to get back at him a little for the heartache he gave me, childish as it may sound. “One of my clients asked me out for drinks tomorrow. That was the only real excitement to my morning.”

  His eyes changed to a much darker blue and his whole body became rigid. The serious man who was beside me suddenly was radiating what felt like fury. His mouth set into a straight line when he replied, “Oh? If I may offer a little friendly advice, it may not be the best idea to date someone you work with.”

  Who the hell was he to tell me what to do with my life? Just because he didn’t want to date me didn’t mean I was going stay at home. I mean, it was great advice and I thought the same but that wasn’t the point. “Thanks for the friendly advice. I have the same rule so it’s a good thing you and I won’t be kissing again. He won’t always be my client, though.” I risked a peek at his face, just in time to see it change fractionally before he put back on his ‘business’ face. Good, that one had got to him.

  “Yes. I suppose that’s another reason that it can’t happen again.” With that, we were quiet for the next half mile to work.

  He opened the door for me and put his hand on the small of my back again. I wi
sh he wouldn’t do that or maybe I do. Who the hell knows? I can barely tell up from down when I’m around this man. When we reached the elevators, he dropped his hand as we waited in silence. When the elevator door opened, he ushered me in ahead of him. I was beyond relieved that we weren’t the only ones in the elevator. I reminded myself of the vow I made to make sure we were never alone again. I was going to get over this man if it was the last thing I did. It shouldn’t be too hard, right? I’ve only known him less than a week.

  The doors opened on my floor and I started to walk out when he touched my elbow and whispered in my ear, “I’ll see you in a few hours.” He was so close that it made me tingle.

  I turned to look at him and simply replied, “Oh yeah, you have an appointment with Danny this afternoon. I completely forgot. I am booked solid this afternoon so I doubt I’ll see you. I hope your appointment goes well. If you’ll excuse me,” and with that I walked out. At least, I hoped I wouldn’t see him. Once I was away from him, I took a deep breath. If I had any chance of getting over him, I was going to have to find a way to deal with the charge between us. It made every nerve in my body stand at attention.

  I walked back into work and forced myself to focus the rest of the afternoon. I worked a little longer with every client than I had to just to make my schedule tighter for when he came in.

  I felt him before I saw him. I did my best not to look in his direction but it was useless. I at least tried to make it as nonchalant as possible but that was an utter failure too. He locked eyes with me, and it took everything I had to turn my head away. Betty brought me back to the present, “Nice to look at, isn’t he? Do you guys have something going on?”

  “What? No, why would we? I barely know him. What makes you say that?” My questions rushed out.

  She gave me a knowing smile. “A feeling.” I just shook my head.

  Why did everyone keep thinking there was something between us? He had already made it clear that it wouldn’t happen. I loved my life right then and I wasn’t about to let a guy ruin that. “Betty, there’s nothing going on.” She didn’t seem convinced but she didn’t say anything else about it. “Well, Mrs. Handover, I think we’re done for today.”