So much for camouflage.
I lifted my head and, doing a terrific impression of a meerkat, peeked over the top of the monitor to find Ryker standing by the door to Aaron’s office, fiddling with his cufflinks. The man was too goddamn sexy for his own good. His beauty took my breath away. The dark-blue Tom Ford suit he’d chosen this morning showed off how fit and firm his body was. He’d paired it with a crisp white shirt and light-blue tie. Around his tanned wrist was a Breitling watch with a silver strap. My gaze fell to his long, slim fingers. I’d always had a fascination with Ryker’s hands, especially as I had intimate knowledge about what he could do with them.
“Yes,” I forced out through a tight throat.
He crooked his finger, beckoning me, then pivoted and went into the office. Scrambling to my feet, I glanced around at my coworkers to see if they’d noticed the exchange. Thankfully, as it wasn’t yet nine, most of the desks were empty, and those people that had arrived early didn’t seem to think there was anything odd in being summoned by the boss.
Dread curled in my stomach, and my knees wobbled as I followed him, my heart thumping at a thousand miles an hour, waiting for him to broach the subject of Saturday night.
He closed the door then walked over to the coffee machine set up in the corner—all the senior managers had one—and poured himself a drink. He didn’t offer me one, nor did he look at, or speak to me. Fine. Let him play his power games. I fiddled with the hem of my jacket, but in the end, impatience won out.
“If this is about what I did, I’m sorry, okay.”
He turned his head slowly until our eyes connected. He sipped his coffee, setting it on Aaron’s desk.
“I have a meeting with a prospective future business partner in a new venture ROGUES might undertake. I want you to accompany me.”
“Why?” I asked, stunned. I’d been certain he’d called me in here for a dressing down over what I’d done to his dates years earlier.
He arched an eyebrow. “Because I said so.”
I shook my head. “Ryker, stop playing games. I know this is about Saturday night.”
“It’s about a member of my IT support team coming to a meeting in case I have trouble with my laptop.”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s bullshit, and you know it.”
His forehead creased. “Excuse me?”
“Just get it over with, okay? I can’t stand the anticipation. Tell me you think I’m a complete and utter bitch for something I did years ago when I was young and stupid. Berate me for behaving so recklessly, for being so awful to your dates. But for the love of all that’s holy, don’t pretend this is about IT support. You’re perfectly capable of rebooting your own machine.”
“The meeting is at ten. We leave in five minutes. Fetch your things and meet me in the lobby.”
Bastard… hadn’t he heard a word I said?
He picked up his coffee and strode off, leaving me standing there with my mouth hanging open.
With no option other than to obey, especially as I refused to give him any ammunition to tell Elliot that I was being difficult or insubordinate, I crossed over to my desk, grabbed my purse, and returned to the bank of elevators I’d only stepped out of a few minutes ago. It took ages for one to arrive, which was unsurprising, given the early hour. People were still arriving for work.
I rode down to the lobby, my palms prickling with simmering rage. He had no right to treat me like this. Was a little professionalism on his part too much to ask?
“You’re late,” Ryker bit out before I’d taken one step out of the elevator.
Yes, it seems a touch of professionalism is too much to ask.
“It’s nine o’clock in the morning. The elevators are crammed,” I retorted.
“Yet I managed to get here on time,” he bit back, spinning on his heel.
Several arriving employees dodged out of his way. If they hadn’t, I swore he’d have knocked them over.
I jogged to catch up to him, my blood at boiling point. The second the driver closed the door to the limo, trapping us inside, I turned on him.
“Okay, that’s enough. This stops now, Ryker. Whatever your problem is with me, I do not deserve to be treated like your personal whipping post when we’re at work. If you want to behave like a gigantic asshole outside