Bound Beneath His Pain: A Dirty Little Secrets Novel Read Online Free PDF Page A

my back, feeling like a sardine stuffed in a can. “I’m not surprised. She’s punctual.”
    He smiles genuinely. “How long have you worked together?”
    “Five years.” I restrain my gasp as the elevator shoots up and glance behind me, noticing the people in the foyer are now just a blur. Heights are right up there with my least favorite things in life, so I look straight ahead, staring at the back of the head of the guy in front of me.
    We pass floor by floor, stopping at each as people enter or leave the elevator. Everyone is dressed in the latest fashions, looking very professional. My mouth goes dry as realization hits me hard. This place and the people seem a lot like the life I experienced with my half-brother. Pushing my distaste aside, I remind myself that I worked hard for this promotion, making me feel a little better about my decision and the surroundings. Besides, Liv deserves a promotion too, and that makes this all worth it.
    I follow Anderson out of the elevator, onto the sixtieth floor. The fact that there are sixty-one floors noted on the elevator panel tells me that Micah and his group of yes-men are likely located on the top floor. The thought of him flutters through my mind, as does the heat in my veins. I can’t shake the haunting darkness I saw in his eyes; the darkness that makes me curious about him; the darkness that ignites my body; the darkness that screams of immense power and sensuality.
    God, I’m in so much trouble with that guy.
    We’re only separated by one floor, and I can’t deny the anticipation coursing through me at the thought of seeing him again, no matter that my mind is also chec
    king off all the reasons I shouldn’t want him.
    The elevator doors shut behind me, breaking me out of my thoughts, and I take one step into the office, my mind instantly going fuzzy. Three receptionists are sitting behind an all-glass desk. To the left, I find the waiting area full of clients, seated in white leather chairs. To the right is a long hallway lined with offices. “Wow,” I breathe.
    Anderson nods. “That’s most people’s reaction when they first visit Holt. The building is impressive.”
    Impressive
is an understatement. The modern offices, at least three times the size of the ones at Richardson, are furnished with dark glass desks, a Mac computer on each, and white leather swivel chairs. We pass by the receptionists, who are busy on the telephones, and I’m feeling a little out of my element by the time Anderson stops and I find Liv, sitting on a white leather couch against the wall in our office.
    She gives a small yelp when she sees me. “Dude! We have died and gone to real estate heaven.”
    I try to respond, but my voice is stuck, reveling in my new workplace. From ceiling to floor, windows cover the back wall, showing the skyscrapers in San Francisco’s Financial District. With the sunny day and fluffy clouds, the view belongs on a freakin’ postcard.
    “Wow,” I breathe again, which appears to be all I can say.
    Anderson approaches Liv’s desk, positioned close to the door. “Micah thought you would like Liv in the office with you, since you two work closely together, so we set you up in one of the larger offices.” He taps the desk with two fingers, pausing to examine me. “Is that all right?”
    A flush of adrenaline tingles through me. Micah made special requests for
me
? Well, in this case, he’s not wrong. I do like Liv close by. “I couldn’t ask for more,” I tell Anderson. “Truly. This office is perfect.”
    “Oh, it’s so much more than that,” Liv purrs, rising from the couch and taking her seat behind her desk, running her hands over the dark glass. “This office is sexy.”
    I chuckle at my very happy assistant, then glance at Anderson, who’s laughing at her, too. He eventually turns to me. “This morning we thought you could get acquainted with our system. We’ve already set up a meeting at two o’clock this afternoon for you and