deserved it. I would even suggest she hire an assistant manager or promote within to give her some help.
While I was mulling over how I would present this new offer to her, my phone rang. I looked down and almost ignored the blocked number. I figured I better answer. “Hello?”
“Is this Mr. Nash Aarons?” a man asked.
“Yes.”
“I’m with the alarm company. We’ve got a fire alarm going off and no one is picking up the phone at the business.”
“Which building?” I asked.
When he gave me the address, I hopped off the stool. “I’ll head over there right now,” I said and ended the call.
I started for the door when Davin laughed. “Damn, you’re in a hurry. Where’s the fire?” he joked.
“The tax firm,” I called back without stopping.
I hopped in my car and started that way. I called the business line first. No one answered, which immediately made me concerned. It wasn’t five. They should be there. I called Saige’s cell and was sent straight to voicemail. For the first time in a really long time, I felt panic. I was genuinely concerned for her. The feeling was foreign to me.
I took the corner on two wheels and parked my car. The first thing I noticed was the lack of fire trucks. That was a good thing. I rushed inside and pushed the elevator button. It was working, which told me there couldn’t possibly be a fire. It had to be a false alarm. But why in the hell wasn’t anyone answering?
When I stepped into the office, the first thing I noticed was no receptionist. It was silent. The phones weren’t ringing, and I didn’t hear the telltale clacking of computer keys or printers running. Something was not right.
I walked through the empty office and got a bad feeling. Had they staged a walkout? I went to Saige’s office and found it empty. Now I was really worried. Expecting to find another note, I headed for my office. I pushed the door open and found Saige sitting with her feet propped up on my desk.
“Took you long enough,” she said with a smile.
“Excuse me?”
“I’ve been waiting.”
“Did you pull the fire alarm?” I asked incredulously.
“I did. You wouldn’t answer my calls and you didn’t show up.”
I stared at her for several seconds. “You could have called my assistant like a normal person.”
“This seemed more effective. Although the fire department did want me to tell you the fire alarm isn’t a toy.”
I clenched my jaw. “The fire department?”
“Oops,” she said with a grin. “They weren’t going to fine us this time. I explained it was an accident.”
I let out a sigh of relief. “Why?”
“What?”
“What did you want that was important enough to pull a fire alarm?”
She held up a finger. “I’m not going to admit to anything.”
“What was so important that you had to break the law?”
“I wanted to talk to you,” she said.
I wasn’t sure if I was pissed or impressed with her effort. “I gathered that,” I said.
She got to her feet and came around the desk. “You didn’t call me back,” she said in a soft voice.
“You made it pretty clear you weren’t interested in talking to me. I’m giving you space. You and Jace.”
She reached out and grabbed my tie, slowly wrapping it around her hand as she pulled me close. She leaned up on her toes and kissed me. This was the part when I was supposed to walk away. We weren’t doing this anymore. It was confusing things too much. I had to focus on the company. I couldn’t keep getting into this with her.
But I didn’t pull away. I didn’t get into it, but I didn’t tell her to stop. She was the one to break the kiss. “I’m sorry for going off on you Friday. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Apology accepted,” I murmured.
“You were only trying to help him.”
I nodded. “I was.”
I was afraid to say too much. I wasn’t a saint. After that kiss, I was ready. The office was empty, which tended to be our MO. I told myself I wasn’t going to do this anymore, but damn if I wasn’t ready to have her once again. I wanted her. I felt like I was addicted to the woman. I couldn’t remember ever feeling this drawn to someone. I rarely had sex with the same person more than a handful of times. I avoided making a connection with anyone. I didn’t want the drama. It was easier to keep things at arm’s