Running From Forever (7 page)

After washing my face and brushing my teeth, we
both said our goodnights and curled up in our beds. It was an
eventful night, borderline perfect. Between making new friends,
spending time with Miles, to having my sister safe with me, I was
content.

Alive.

Exactly where I wanted to be.

A sunken feeling filled my chest when I
entered the elevator the next morning and didn’t find Miles inside.
It could’ve been a coincidence that we bumped into each other the
previous mornings, but it still felt lonely…different. I hated the
way I was feeling. I didn’t want to miss anyone or crush on anyone
or feel vulnerable to anyone, but it was something I couldn’t
avoid. Miles Blackwell was addictive and way too desirable to just
brush aside. There were too many reasons why I shouldn’t pursue him
or allow anything to develop between us, but they were all ignored.
I was in too deep already. Captivated.

When I reached my floor, I was greeted by a very
overly-enthusiastic Sami. From what I had gathered since starting
here, Sami’s a genuinely friendly, happy person, but her facial
expression alone was more elaborate than normal today, an immediate
warning that something was up.

I gave her a worried glance, cluing her in that
I was aware of the difference in expression. She giggled, coming
out from behind her desk. “Wait until you see what’s on your desk!”
she practically shrieked, rushing beside me down the hall, eager
for me to see.

It didn’t take long to see what she was so
excited about. The huge bouquet of flowers could easily be seen
from afar. Shock consumed my body as I took the last few steps
towards it, and it was still running through my veins when I picked
up the note that was sticking out.

Had a great time with you last night. Excuse
my absence this morning, I had an early meeting. Lunch? Miles

“Who are they from?” she asked, practically
bouncing up and down in excitement.

I looked up at her, a warm smile covering my
face. “Miles.”

“Miles Blackwell?! Um, how did that happen?” she
asked me, very intrigued.

I snorted, remembering Leah’s reference. It
was
so cliché. “We met in the elevator, then kept bumping
into each other. It wasn’t until last night that we actually sat
down and talked.”

“You
do
realize who he is, right?”

“Yes,” I said dryly. I knew I was entering dark
waters and knew the repercussions it may cause, but I couldn’t
stop. Instead of running from the deep stuff like I normally did, I
was rushing towards it with no fucking control or a way of slowing
down. I was cursed by the businessman god.

“Okay. Just making sure, because I’m not sure
how Connie will react to this. We’ve never seen an executive mingle
with us commoners,” she pointed out. “We all just about crapped our
pants when we saw him mosey into the bar last night.”

“You and me both,” I joked back, trying to
eliminate the gutted feeling in my chest just thinking about what
could happen if things went wrong…piss off my boss, lose my job… I
didn’t want to talk about it with Sami, but it was definitely
something I’d need to talk about with Miles. But, in all honesty,
would talking about it change anything? I wasn’t quite sure.

At just before twelve, I received a call over
my desk phone. It startled me, since I hadn’t used or heard it ring
once since starting there; Connie only contacted me via my
BlackBerry. When I glanced at the screen on the base it read,
“INTERNAL CALL: BLACKWELL, MILES.” Feeling a rush of excitement
fill my insides but not wanting to let it be seen or heard, I
answered with a simple “hello.”

“Didn’t Connie tell you that you’re supposed to
answer your office phone by name?” he started out in a serious
tone.

Instantly, my stomach dropped and every ounce of
excitement turned to worry—was he mad? I couldn’t tell. Being part
owner of the network, he was technically my boss, too, so he was
well within his rights to scold me for not answering the phone
properly.

“I…uh, no. She didn’t,” I answered nervously. I
was caught off guard; tongue-tied for sure.

His deep laugh allowed me to exhale in relief,
calming my nerves. “I’m kidding. Well no, I take that back. It’s
encouraged that you answer the phone with your name because it
sounds more professional, but I wasn’t reprimanding you. You,
beautiful, can answer my call however you’d like.”

I snickered at his statement as happiness soared
within. He certainly had a way with words. Even the simplest
sentence or compliment was invigorating when he spoke. He could
tell me that I sucked at life, but as long as it was spoken in his
smooth, cantered voice, my heart would still beat faster.

“Duly noted,” I answered flirtatiously, wetting
my lips and resting back in my chair.

“Did you receive your flowers?”

“I did. They’re beautiful. You didn’t need to
justify your absence.”

“You didn’t miss me this morning?” Miles
questioned with what was sure to be a huge grin plastered on his
face. Though I couldn’t see it, I knew it was there. The slyness in
his tone gave it away.

I smiled and almost giggled, but stopped myself
just in time. “It was different.” Though I’m sure it was apparent
to some degree, I couldn’t show my vulnerability towards him just
yet. As intoxicating as he was, I knew I was playing with fire and
had to keep some kind of guard up for protection. I’ve been burnt
before. I wouldn’t allow it to happen again no matter the amount of
intemperance he carried.

He chuckled again, making me smile. “You’re a
tough nut to crack, Ms. Reynolds.”

“Kayla,” I replied.

“Yes, of course. My apologies,” he said with
charmed empathy. “Would you like to join me for lunch,
Kayla
?” he continued with extra emphasis on my name, making
me smirk and shake my head. He was being a smartass, but it was
entertaining, and I liked it.

***

Even though we were
heavily noticed in the bar last night, keeping our relationship
somewhat private to ETV was something I wanted to maintain. I
wasn’t sure what the rules for dating within the company were nor
did I want to have any issues between Connie and I. Connie was
enough to handle as it was, throwing my dating her brother and
business partner in there would be like throwing a steak to a
lion—I’d be done in seconds.

So when Miles said he’d meet me at my desk at
twelve, I insisted I’d meet him outside the entrance a few minutes
after. He paused before answering, debating his reply. I was sure
he wasn’t used to being told otherwise or challenged by women. As
much as Miles Blackwell made my skin crawl with delight, I still
had a backbone and would never let a man take my voice. I had no
problem speaking my piece.

He was already waiting outside when I exited the
building, giving me a short second to gawk before he turned,
noticing me. Miles stood broadly; a man of wealth and authority,
wearing another perfectly tailored suit—this one navy with
pinstripes. I wondered how many he owned. He wore one every day and
I imagined his closet looked exquisitely neat with all of his
expensive clothes impeccably hung in properly lined rows.

“Don’t you look stunning today,” Miles greeted
me, leaning in to kiss my cheek as his hand held the back of my
head delicately, allowing his fingers to slide through my hair when
he stepped back afterwards. He really did like my hair down.

My cheeks warmed, blushing at his compliment.
New Kayla wasn’t the flattering type; compliments were something I
took easily in the past, but it was always different with Miles. I
had a feeling most things would be. His words, his gestures, just
the person he was did things to my body I was unsure could happen.
Heart palpations, sweaty palms, nervous jitters, adulation…all
those things I wasn’t used to. No one had
ever
made me feel
that way. His compliments felt like they were coming from the queen
and I tried my hardest not to stutter when I replied to them.

Eyes glossed with admiration, I sweetly smiled
as I answered, “Thank you.”

Winking in response, Miles ushered me towards
the black Suburban waiting by the curb with his hand on my lower
back. Even though it was a nice day and I’d have preferred to walk,
the SUV seemed more private, so I didn’t offer any resistance. The
car smelled of leather and was as large as a small bus inside, with
two full rows of seats in the back. I entered first, holding down
my skirt to prevent showing the world, and Miles, my panties. He
snickered as I did it, doing all that he could not to look, causing
me smile. He was definitely different than I was used to. Not the
typical college pig.

I seated myself comfortably in the seat near the
farthest window; Miles took the one on the other side. As I
fastened my seatbelt, Miles leaned forward to speak to the
driver.

“Basil Leaf, Hank,” he ordered in an
authoritative tone.

“Yes, sir,” Hank answered, pulling out into the
New York City traffic.

“Basil Leaf?” I asked once he sat back. “I’ve
never heard of it.”

“It’s a few blocks down. Great sandwiches and
soup.”

I just gave a pleased grin in response. Unlike
last night, there was awkward silence for the first few minutes. I
didn’t know what to say, mostly because I didn’t know what we were.
Were we dating? I was really jumping the gun thinking this was any
sort of date, though it wasn’t really a business meeting; or was
it? Nothing had been established—hell, we’d only known each other a
few days!
Slow down before you make yourself crazy,
Kayla!

“Connie tells me you’re interested in anchoring.
Is that right?”

I looked at him, confounded.
He’d talked to
Connie about me? FUCK!
“When did you talk to her?” I couldn’t
help it, the words slipped right off my tongue. I hadn’t seen
Connie at all yet today because she had back-to-back meetings and a
luncheon with a client. I wouldn’t have known if she was pissed or
not. Though, knowing Connie the little amount I do, if she was
pissed about something, I’m sure I would’ve heard. She, worse than
me, had no issue speaking her mind.

“We’re partners,” he reminded me with his
trademark grin. “We speak frequently about our employees.”

I wanted Miles to elaborate. I wanted to know
how in depth they spoke, but I didn’t want to seem needy,
obsessive, Ms. Twenty-One Questions.

I covered up my previous word vomit and need to
know more with a more appropriate, professional reaction. “That’s
right. It sometimes slips my mind.” Of course that wasn’t true.
Their relationship was at the forefront of my mind, but I couldn’t
go digging for dirt just yet. I needed to calm my anxious nerves—he
would think I was a lunatic if I didn’t, though I’m not so sure I’m
not a lunatic—I
am
interested in the CEO of my company. I’m
pretty sure I was flirting with insanity.
Christ, Kayla.
Focus!
“But yes, it’s true. That’s my goal—anchoring is what I
went to school for.”