Raine (Gods of the Fifth Floor #2) - M.V. Ellis Page 0,43
the air of confidence about them as they moved around as though they owned the place, because they did.
Even still, I got the sense that wherever they went they’d be the same way. I suspected it came from money, and success, and power. From what I’d read, and what Angie had told me, they were at the top of their game, basically kings of the world, and they knew it, and owned it. The swag with them was off the charts, and had earned them the moniker throughout the agency, and the industry at large, the Gods of the Fifth Floor.
I wondered if every time I saw them, they were going to take my breath away like that, but then I got my thoughts in check, and reminded myself that I was never going to see any of them again.
* * *
Ten minutes later, and I’d psyched myself up enough to go in to Raine’s office and have “the talk”, but as I rose from my seat. I nearly got the shock of my life.
“Neville. I need to talk to you a moment.” Why he couldn’t just pick up the phone and call me in, or yell from his doorway like a normal person, I didn’t know. He’d crept up on me like some kind of panther, which was unexpected. For someone who seemed to bring chaos wherever he went, he was surprisingly light and quiet on his feet.
“So, don’t just stand there. My office. Now.”
I moved slowly, feeling like I was walking to the gallows, or something equally deadly. I paused when I reached the threshold of his office.
“Come in and close the door.” I stepped inside, but left the door open. “Close. The. Fucking. Door.”
I closed it, all the while wondering why the hell I would do anything he said. I could see he was pissed off, but he was already my ex-boss, so I could just walk out the door and not look back. I was a free agent.
“Carol from the agency called me.” It’s Carla. I kept my thoughts to myself. “So apparently you’re no longer able to fulfill your commitment here, effective immediately.” He paused, glaring at me. I hadn’t realized he was expecting a response. I nodded.
“What’s the matter, cat got your tongue?”
“Yes, I’m leaving.”
“Well you’re no longer employed by the agency, that part is true. Sit down. I’m not conducting this conversation with you standing up.” I eyed the chair in front of his desk, but didn’t actually make a move to sit on it, as enticing as the soft leather was. It was a popular designer model and I just knew it wasn’t the usual replica. The thing was worth more than my car. By a long way.
“Don’t make me tell you again. You’re getting on my last nerve, and after the morning I’ve had so far, trust me, you don’t want to piss me off more than I already am. Sit.”
Just walk out the door. It’s right there. Just turn on your heel and walk away. Sure, I’d never work in the industry again, not as a temp, anyway, but as pissed as Carla was with the way I’d quit, she was probably going to ensure that was the case, no matter what, so I had nothing to lose by leaving right there and then.
I approached the chair and sat.
If Raine was a cartoon character, he would have had fire blazing from his nostrils, and lasers from his eyes. Clearly what he’d said about his mood had been an accurate description of the situation. He was so pissed. But so hot. Like off the charts, sexy. Even more so with his jaw clenched so tightly, I was surprised that his teeth didn’t splinter into a thousand pieces. A huge vein throbbed at his temple, revealed by the ponytail holding his wavy blond hair at the nape of his neck.
His neck. Jesus. It was... masculine and veined, and led down to one of the best chests I’d ever seen, either in photos or in real life. His expensive surfer dude vibe wasn’t a look I’d normally go for, but on him, it ticked all my boxes, and some I didn’t even know existed until that point.
I looked down at my hands in order to avoid further distraction. Not that I needed to see him to think about how hot he was. I had the image of every detail of his perfect body just about burned into my retinas.