Barefoot Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story (3 page)

I knocked smartly on the door and Calvin answered. He had loosened his tie and looked overworked. His flat brown hair needed a trim and he looked pale as the afternoon light faded and the harsh florescent lights were all that was left. He glared at me with dark eyes as I handed him the file.

“Here's the discovery file from Alexa,” I informed him. He snatched it from me and began going over it.

“Lena, this was supposed to be with me an hour ago. Kathryn's on my ass for this. You need to do your job.” He glared at me, wanting to say more but noticing the man standing behind me. He wasn't about to make a scene in front of someone who could be a potential client. “We've talked about this.”

“She just sent me the message to give it to you five minutes ago. I can show it to you if you'd like.” I tried to keep my voice calm and even, though it was difficult. I wanted to snarl and snap that this was Alexa's fault and not mine, but I knew book-holding-man could hear every word and I didn't want to sound petulant in front of him.

Calvin frowned. His eyes focused on me and I could tell he wanted to berate me for being late, but couldn't with our observer present. “No. I'll take it up with Alexa.” He turned the last page of the file and looked up at me, incredulous. “Where's the rest of it?”

For a moment, I panicked and thought I lost a page. But, I had counted twice, so I knew they had to be all there. He had to just be shocked that it was so short, especially since it was for such a big case. “That's all she gave me,” I informed him calmly. Inside, my stomach was a bag of hot snakes.

Calvin's eyes darkened. If book-holding-man hadn't been there, I would have been blamed and yelled at for something that wasn't my fault. I sent the man behind me a silent beam of gratitude for just being there.

“This isn't enough. Do you have any idea how big this case is? I need to get it to Kathryn tomorrow morning before we meet with the client. You'll have to stay late and add to it.” Calvin shut the folder and crossed his arms. He seemed to stare over me, like I wasn't even worthy of his gaze.

“What!?” I squeaked before I could modulate my voice. This wasn't fair! “I have plans tonight. I have a date tonight! It was Alexa's job- make her do it!”

“Sorry, Lena. It's your responsibility now. Get it done.” Calvin met my eyes. He was pissed and wanted to yell, but couldn't. He didn't know who the assistant behind me belonged to and he didn't want his name tarnished in the upper circles of the company. I opened my mouth to protest again, but he just shut the door in my face.

I stared at the wooden grain of the door for a moment, trying to understand how my day could have gone so terribly wrong. It was as if the universe were punishing me for something.

“Sorry about that,” I said, turning around and putting a pleasant expression on my face. His face was unreadable and I refused to look at his eyes. I was too ashamed of how my boss had just treated me. “The elevator upstairs to the library is just around the corner. I can show you out now if you want, though. You don't have to go upstairs.”

“I said I'd carry them,” he replied, smiling gently at me. I looked up and again was lost in those beautiful eyes. When he looked at me, I felt like I was the center of his world. It was a heady feeling. The loss of his gaze was almost painful as he turned to walk in the direction I had just pointed. I hurried to catch up to him, feeling a deep gratitude for him not bailing on me. It was a sad statement that a stranger I had known for five minutes was the kindest person I had talked to all day.

“Thank you,” I said catching up to him. I wanted to tell him just how much the simple gesture meant to me today, but I didn't want to sound crazy. He was just killing time until his ride got here, but his help was the nicest thing he could have done for me today.

“So, you had a date tonight?” he said conversationally as we walked. I was glad he wasn't commenting on how my boss had behaved or how my evening had been ruined.

“That's what you picked up on out of that conversation? My date?” I teased gently, pressing the call button for the elevator. He shrugged, his broad shoulders moving easily as he smiled crookedly. There was an easy sex appeal to him that made it hard to concentrate on anything but how good he made that shirt look.

I knew I looked terrible. My mascara had to be in raccoon territory and my dark blonde hair was falling out of the bun I had put it in after the rain. Plus, I was barefoot and my nylons were running. He was so far out of my league that I felt lucky just to be in the same building as him. A man as good-looking as he was didn't go for Plain Jane girls like me. They just flirted, beefing up their game and getting ready for the hotter girls. Like Alexa.

Even though I knew he couldn't possibly be actually interested in me, he still made my body react like I had a chance. Every part of me wanted him to know that I was a woman and very interested in the heat his gaze was giving off. Even if he didn't mean it, his smoldering smile was going to give me some wonderful dreams later.

“It was a date with my sister,” I explained, stepping into the open elevator doors. He followed behind me, and I suddenly wished the elevator was smaller so we would have to stand closer together. “She was going to take me out to celebrate.”

“What are you celebrating?” he asked. I pushed the button for the next floor up and hoped that the power would go out. I could happily spend the evening with this man in an elevator.

“I won a case.” The lie came quick and easy. I didn't even actually think about it. I didn't want to tell him that we were supposed to celebrate the raise I didn't get in the review that had gone completely sour. I didn't want to embarrass myself anymore than I already had. Besides, it wasn't a total lie. I had worked on the case Calvin won yesterday, so technically, I had won the case too.

He smiled proudly at me and I felt all warm and fuzzy inside. “Congratulations!”

I liked the way he said it- like he meant it. It was the first nice thing anyone had said to me all day and it gave me a wonderful, heady joy. For a moment, my bad day wasn't bad at all.

“You have any other dates planned to celebrate it?” he asked as the elevator came to a stop. There was a cautious expectancy on the edges of his voice that my brain wanted to interpret as interest. He wanted to know if I was seeing anyone.

“No. No dates or anyone to take me on one,” I replied, feeling brave with him. “Why? You planning on asking me out on one?”

“Maybe,” he said with a shrug and a wry smile. I couldn't read his face well enough to tell if he was just flirting or serious.

The idea that he would even be interested in taking me on a date made my stomach do happy flip flops. My brain said he was joking because there was no way he was serious. I tried to think of a reply that wouldn't make me look overeager if he was just playing with me and couldn't. The elevator doors opened before I had to respond, and I gratefully hurried out before I said something that gave away how much I would enjoy a date.

I glanced behind me to see him still wearing a self-assured half-smile across his handsome face. I shook my head to clear my thoughts, but he was still dominating all my thinking power. I wanted him to be serious about wanting a date. I wanted it, but I wasn't sure I could handle it if I got one. A girl could fall in love with a man like that and never recover. Besides, who meets their Prince Charming in an elevator on a day when nothing seems to go right?

T
he upper floor of the McDonald, Smith and Ward law firm was made for impressing clients. It had a chic modern vibe that screamed wealth and power. The Chicago office was the flagship for the six other US branches and two international offices, and every inch was made to represent that fact.

Not far from the elevator was the legal library. While many firms were switching to strictly computer-based systems, McDonald, Smith and Ward had decided to use the beauty of the old books to impress clients. Big, sound-proof glass windows separated it from the hallway, but let anyone who walked past see the glorious amount of books inside. The collection was the envy of several small law schools.

I glanced over at my mysterious companion, watching for his reaction. He didn't have one. That told me two things. He had a boss that could afford my firm and that he had been here enough times that the opulence no longer effected him.

Darcie, the librarian, didn't look up from her computer as we entered her domain. “I'll be with you in just a second,” she murmured. I knew her well enough to know she was lost in her own world researching something for an attorney.

“I just need to return some books Alexa checked out under my name,” I told her as Book-man carefully placed the stack on the heavy wooden desk.

Darcie hit what must have been the save button and looked up, smiling as she recognized me. “Hi, Lena. How's your day going?”

“She won her big case,” Book-man supplied when I hesitated. I felt my cheeks go bright red. Darcie was my best friend and would know that I had kind-of lied.

“You did, did you?” she asked innocently, looking at Book-man and then back at me with skeptical cornflower blue eyes. The corners of her mouth were twitching in an obvious attempt to keep from smiling. She was going to give me hell about this later. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks Darcie,” I replied, glad that she was going along with it in front of Book-man. She was a good friend. I pointed to the books. “I need to return these for Alexa.”

Book-man looked back and forth between the two of us for a moment, evaluating if he wanted to stay in the conversation, and then stepped back from the desk and pretended to look at the books lining the walls. I knew he could still hear every word, but I appreciated the gesture of giving us space. Darcie winked at me as she picked up the first book and scanned it into the computer.

“It says they're checked out to you, not Alexa.” Darcie frowned at the computer and double-checked the title of the book. Her voice grew cold. “This book isn't supposed to leave the library. I've been searching for it for two days.”

“That's how you know it wasn't me. She must have checked them out under my ID number after hours.” There were three things that Darcie Erickson loved: her husband, good food, and her books. I knew she and her husband were trying to add another little someone to that list, but it hadn't happened yet. Their lack of success seemed to only fuel her mothering tendencies toward her beloved books.

Darcie's mouth tightened into a thin line as she checked the rest of the books back in. The two of us had become friends the moment I had walked into the firm. She knew more about law and research than anyone I had ever met. I would often bring my work upstairs and sit at one of the research desks, feeling as if I could win any legal case given to me if I spent enough time with those books and Darcie.

“Alexa thinks she entitled to the damn world,” Darcie mumbled as she checked in another book. I was glad she knew I would have never taken those books because she had murder in her eyes. She got along with Alexa about as well as I did. “I guess I should just be happy she even bothered to check them out at all this time. I'm going to change your account number so she can't do it again.”

“Thanks, Darcie. I appreciate it,” I said, feeling a little better. I wished Alexa would get in trouble for this, but even if Darcie reported it, it would end up being my word against Alexa's. Since Alexa was an attorney and I wasn't, she would win every time.

“Thank you for bringing them back,” Darcie replied, putting the last book on her re-shelf pile. She patted the top one like a good child before leaning back in her chair to take a better look at Book-man. He was still looking politely at a shelf of books, but we had an excellent view of his very muscular backside. She mouthed the word, “Nice!” before speaking aloud. “All done. You have a great evening, Lena. And congratulations on your big case.”

I stuck my tongue out at her before Book-man turned around. She gave me a wide, cheeky grin in return. I knew in about thirty minutes she'd be texting me to see if she could get the scoop on why a cute guy was carrying my books to the library.

“Bye, Darcie,” I said, glaring at her as I moved away from the desk.

“It was nice to meet you,” Book-man added, holding the door open for me to walk out.

“You too!” came Darcie's reply just before the door shut behind us. The hallway was mostly empty, as anyone who was staying late was holed up in their offices.

“Thank you again. You really didn't have to carry the books,” I told him once the door was officially shut. I could see Darcie inside, pretending to look at her computer but really just watching the two of us and grinning at me like a Cheshire cat.

“It was my pleasure,” he replied warmly. “My name's Aiden, by the way.” He extended his hand out to me for a handshake, which I took with a smile.

“I'm Lena.” His grasp was firm and strong, and I didn't want to let go. Just touching his skin made the butterflies in my stomach start mamboing. I hoped I wasn't blushing too badly. If I kept this up, I knew I was just going to embarrass myself. I forced myself to let go of his hand and turn to start walking.

“So, what
are
you doing for dinner?” he asked, matching his steps to my slow ones.

“What do you mean?” I asked, a little confused. My mind was still on how Alexa could have gotten my ID number to check out the books, not on what I was going to eat in a few hours.

“Since your dinner plans were canceled, what are you doing for dinner?” He smiled at me, his eyes following me like I was made of light. I loved the way he looked at me.

“I actually don't know yet.” I tucked the loose strand of hair behind my ear again. “Probably just eat the granola bar in my desk or something.”

“A granola bar?” Aiden made a displeased face, as though I had said I was eating a cardboard box. “Not even pizza?”

“There's only so much pizza a girl can eat. I don't think I've had an actual meal that wasn't pizza or some sort of take out in well over a week. A granola bar actually sounds better than pizza right now,” I explained. I could see the main lobby for the firm and tried to slow my steps even further without being too obvious. Talking with Aiden had been the best part of my day.