24 1/2 Kisses (A Bashir Family Romance) Read Online Free PDF Page B

confident than when I knew him years ago. There wasn’t a woman who could stand near him without feeling a little weak in knees, and mine were nearing the consistency and strength of jelly.
    I cleared my throat. “If this is in any way awkward for you, we can cancel the entire interview at any time.”
    Please cancel.
    Don’t cancel.
    What?
    “From what you said to your boss it sounds like you’re the one who wants to back out.” He was stating a fact, no emotion in his voice.
    I shrugged. “I wasn’t exactly chomping at the bit to write this story. For obvious reasons.”
    Don’t you remember what happened between us?
    I could feel my forced smile cracking…I couldn’t keep this up much longer.
    He shifted his weight, towering over me, his hands on his hips, a stance of authority, of control. He wasn’t used to anyone telling him what to do.
    “So you’re in New York now.”
    “Astute as always,” I quipped.
    “Well, you’re dressing the part.” His eyes moved down my tight, black dress.
    What does that mean?
    “I would ask you to explain your comment, but I’m restricted to the number of questions I’m allowed to ask.”
    “Twenty-four and a half to be precise.” He added quickly, looking for a reaction.
    I glanced away from him, my face burning. I knew he was relishing my discomfort.
    “Is this what you really want, Dev?”
    I pulled out my notepad and pen then looked in his eyes, almost pleading.
    “This is what I want,” he stated, some other meaning lingering around the edges of his words. “And I usually get what I want.”
    He studied me for a moment, any emotion he may have felt at that moment carefully guarded behind dark eyes. Then he abruptly glanced at his shiny gold watch. “But it turns out I don’t have time for any questions tonight.”
    “What?”
    Ignoring me, he quickly turned away and walked down the long hall.
    I was dismissed.
    Without even a cursory glance back to me, his parting words were professional, indifferent, as if we just agreed to the terms of a loan.
    “My assistant will be in contact, Scarlett.”
     
    I sat in Bill’s office the next morning, gutted.
    Linda handed me a cup of coffee on her way in before taking a seat next to me. She couldn’t hide her curiosity to know how things went with the mysterious Dev Bashir the night before. If she only knew.
    “You get anything from Wonderboy?” she asked.
    I took a sip, Bill and Linda’s eyes on me.
    “He postponed the interview. Someone’s supposed to call me.”
    Bill leaned against his desk, his face all business.
    “Just see where it goes, Scarlett. If you get anything publishable, it will be a sort of coup for us.”
    “He’s just playing with me,” I stated firmly.
    “Nah. He’s just busy.”
    Then my cell rang. With a quick apology, I answered it.
    “This is Scarlett.”
    “Hi, this is Ashley, Mr. Bashir’s scheduler. He would like you to meet him tomorrow morning at the gym on the 15 th floor of Franklin Tower.”
    “The gym ?”
    Linda and Bill’s eyebrows raised in surprise simultaneously.
    I quickly got the details and hung up. I was to meet him during his regular morning training session— at 5:30 a.m.
    Bill gave me consolatory smile as I left the office and trudged back to my cubicle wondering how I was going to get up so early.
    Dev knew I wasn’t a morning person.
    Damn him.

Chapter 5
     
    I walked onto the 15 th floor of Franklin Tower clutching a cup of coffee like it was a life-preserver. I didn’t even bother asking Eric to go with me; it was so early and so… ridiculous . Besides, I had gone through the hardest part: seeing Dev for the first time.
    And I didn’t die.
    I just wanted to.
    I decided to rejoice in the fact I was still alive and I was going finish living when this was all over.
    Please let it be over today.
    I stepped into the private gym, a smattering of early bird exercisers on treadmills and lifting weights barely glanced at me in my burgundy pencil skirt