him in the direction of the elevator bay.
Miles caught a whiff of Channel No. 5 as she passed. A classic. He smiled as he followed her. “You know. I’m starting to think we got off on the wrong foot,” he suggested as she continued to walk away.
She pushed the down button for the elevator. “Oh, I don’t know. I suppose our meeting was pleasant enough,” she replied without making eye contact.
“Then how come I get the distinct impression you don’t like me?”
His direct question threw her, but she smiled in kind, and then treaded lightly. “I never said that I didn’t like you.”
“So you do like me?” He moved closer and she stepped back.
“I didn’t say that, either,” she answered, cautiously.
“Then what are you saying?” He made sure he kept his gaze leveled and his expression serious.
The elevator arrived and she looked relieved at the sound of the bell. However, the emotion faded when he stepped into the elevator behind her.
“Mr. Stafford,” she said in an impressive, diplomatic voice. “I don’t know you, so I’m hardly in any position to tell whether I like you.”
He laughed. “That’s B.S. and you know it.” He punched a button on the panel and the elevator jerked to a stop.
“Excuse me?” Her eyes widened in alarm.
He held up his hands. “I don’t think either of us should get off this elevator until we settle this matter.” He smiled seductively at her. He was at the top of his game and felt he’d win an invitation to her apartment for a cozy dinner and perhaps more by the time they reached the lobby.
“Have you lost your mind?” She turned to the panel on her side of the elevator and pushed for the lobby. The elevator descended again.
Miles pushed another button and once again they stopped. He smiled at her spark of irritation. She was quite beautiful when she was angry. Fleetingly, he wondered if she was a hellcat between the sheets. “So, were you and your girlfriend pulling my leg yesterday or are you two really an item?”
“My relationship with Lu Jin is none of your business,” she snapped.
He moved toward her. “I think you two were pulling my leg.”
“So what if we were?”
“I knew it.” He inched closer.
Her gaze narrowed as her hands went to her purse.
He faltered. “Now wait a minute.” He held up his hands again, suddenly sorry for what seemed moments ago a humorous game.
A small canister slid into the palm of her hand. Relieved it wasn’t a gun, Miles stepped toward her, seeking a different avenue to placate her when her arm extended toward him and, before he could say anything else, she sprayed.
Pain, unlike anything he’d ever felt before, ripped through his head. He fell to the floor with a cry of alarm that turned into a wail. His eyes were on fire. Had she blinded him for life? He rubbed fiercely at his eyes, but the more he rubbed the worse it got.
The elevator descended while he writhed on the floor. He wanted to yell at her—worse, he wanted to wring her neck; but all he could manage to do was wail endlessly.
A bell rang and the elevator doors slid open.
“Have a nice day, Mr. Stafford,” Destiny said above his cries and stepped out of the elevator.
* * *
“Heavens. I just don’t know what’s keeping that son of mine,” Violet said abruptly, interrupting the idle chatter among her bridge group.
“Oh, I didn’t know you were expecting Miles today,” Leona, Violet’s oldest friend, said. “I know it’s been a while since I’ve seen him. How is he liking everything at Mortensen and Foster?”
“Fine, fine. He claims they’re keeping him busy.” Violet smiled despite her growing frustration.
“Mortensen and Foster?” Adele asked. “Is your son a lawyer?”
Violet perked up. She may have to sell Adele on Miles without her having the opportunity to introduce him to her. “Oh, yes. He’s a brilliant attorney. I’m quite proud of him.”
Another shadow fell over Adele’s features, but vanished
Miles caught a whiff of Channel No. 5 as she passed. A classic. He smiled as he followed her. “You know. I’m starting to think we got off on the wrong foot,” he suggested as she continued to walk away.
She pushed the down button for the elevator. “Oh, I don’t know. I suppose our meeting was pleasant enough,” she replied without making eye contact.
“Then how come I get the distinct impression you don’t like me?”
His direct question threw her, but she smiled in kind, and then treaded lightly. “I never said that I didn’t like you.”
“So you do like me?” He moved closer and she stepped back.
“I didn’t say that, either,” she answered, cautiously.
“Then what are you saying?” He made sure he kept his gaze leveled and his expression serious.
The elevator arrived and she looked relieved at the sound of the bell. However, the emotion faded when he stepped into the elevator behind her.
“Mr. Stafford,” she said in an impressive, diplomatic voice. “I don’t know you, so I’m hardly in any position to tell whether I like you.”
He laughed. “That’s B.S. and you know it.” He punched a button on the panel and the elevator jerked to a stop.
“Excuse me?” Her eyes widened in alarm.
He held up his hands. “I don’t think either of us should get off this elevator until we settle this matter.” He smiled seductively at her. He was at the top of his game and felt he’d win an invitation to her apartment for a cozy dinner and perhaps more by the time they reached the lobby.
“Have you lost your mind?” She turned to the panel on her side of the elevator and pushed for the lobby. The elevator descended again.
Miles pushed another button and once again they stopped. He smiled at her spark of irritation. She was quite beautiful when she was angry. Fleetingly, he wondered if she was a hellcat between the sheets. “So, were you and your girlfriend pulling my leg yesterday or are you two really an item?”
“My relationship with Lu Jin is none of your business,” she snapped.
He moved toward her. “I think you two were pulling my leg.”
“So what if we were?”
“I knew it.” He inched closer.
Her gaze narrowed as her hands went to her purse.
He faltered. “Now wait a minute.” He held up his hands again, suddenly sorry for what seemed moments ago a humorous game.
A small canister slid into the palm of her hand. Relieved it wasn’t a gun, Miles stepped toward her, seeking a different avenue to placate her when her arm extended toward him and, before he could say anything else, she sprayed.
Pain, unlike anything he’d ever felt before, ripped through his head. He fell to the floor with a cry of alarm that turned into a wail. His eyes were on fire. Had she blinded him for life? He rubbed fiercely at his eyes, but the more he rubbed the worse it got.
The elevator descended while he writhed on the floor. He wanted to yell at her—worse, he wanted to wring her neck; but all he could manage to do was wail endlessly.
A bell rang and the elevator doors slid open.
“Have a nice day, Mr. Stafford,” Destiny said above his cries and stepped out of the elevator.
* * *
“Heavens. I just don’t know what’s keeping that son of mine,” Violet said abruptly, interrupting the idle chatter among her bridge group.
“Oh, I didn’t know you were expecting Miles today,” Leona, Violet’s oldest friend, said. “I know it’s been a while since I’ve seen him. How is he liking everything at Mortensen and Foster?”
“Fine, fine. He claims they’re keeping him busy.” Violet smiled despite her growing frustration.
“Mortensen and Foster?” Adele asked. “Is your son a lawyer?”
Violet perked up. She may have to sell Adele on Miles without her having the opportunity to introduce him to her. “Oh, yes. He’s a brilliant attorney. I’m quite proud of him.”
Another shadow fell over Adele’s features, but vanished
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