She’s pregnant. Not quite ready-to-pop-at-any-moment pregnant, but she’s definitely pretty far into her pregnancy. I quickly avert my eyes from her stomach, forcing my attention back up to her face, and smile back at her. “Hi. Um, I’m the new intern. Ava. I’m not really sure where I’m supposed to be going right now?” I swallow hard around the nervous fear in my throat.
“I’m also late, and it’s my first day.” I huff out a breath, knowing I’ve already said way too much, and yet the woman in front of me does nothing but smile. No worries mar her brow, she doesn’t even seem to care that I was late.
“I’m Fallon Leary, but you can call me Fal. Please, don’t worry. I’ve been right where you are, and I completely understand. Just take a couple calming breaths and get yourself together.”
I do as she says and feel my nerves calming, my body relaxing slightly with each breath I take. She gives me a few moments, then points toward the doors behind her.
“They’re waiting for you inside. Good luck.”
My eyes go wide, and it feels like my heart is in my throat, making it hard to swallow. I knew when I applied for the job I would be working for or with one of the owners of Winston Industries, but I never expected to be working for more than one.
“They… as in more than one?” I whisper under my breath, sweat forming against my brow. Anxiety makes my hands clammy and my stomach twist into knots. This job might be more than I can handle.
“Yes,” she says with a chuckle, “more than one. Three to be exact. One of them is my husband though, so you should have no worries with him, but the others…” She trails off to snicker louder, and I can’t tell if she’s joking or being serious, which only makes me more nervous.
Sucking air in so fast I don’t even feel like I’m actually breathing, I contemplate running from the building right then. I don’t know why I’m so frazzled. Actually, it could have something to do with the fact that I’m late on the first day, that parking was shit, and I can’t get the thoughts of Mr. Serious out of my head.
I exhale, face forward, and straighten my shoulders, readying myself to go inside. Fallon gives me a small smile as I take a step forward and then another… my hand grasping for the door, when suddenly it opens.
Everything seems to happen so fast. One moment I’m standing there all alone trying to gather my wits, and the next I’m colliding with a very firm chest and stumbling backwards, my legs wobbling like a fawn’s when it’s first learning to walk.
The air is shoved from my lungs, and my confidence hits the floor and bounces away from me. I can feel the power that radiates from the person, their entire presence literally and figuratively slamming into me.
“Oh my God,” Fallon whispers under her breath as the chest that smacked into me moves. Firm hands grip my arms and hold me in place, stopping me from falling to the floor. It’s almost like a rom-com, but the moment is anything but romantic as I try my best to stand without wobbling. Air refuses to enter my lungs, and a wave of nausea slams into me at the same time. Dammit, can today get any worse?
I have to force myself to breathe, then wet my suddenly dry lips with my tongue before lifting my eyes up to look at the man who’s holding me in place. As soon as my eyes meet his stormy blues, I regret it.
Shock, fear, excitement, anger…there aren’t enough words to describe how I feel seeing the man from my one-night stand standing in front of me. I feel my eyes go wide with shock, and my entire body feels as if it’s going to combust at any moment. I take him in—his angular jaw, his messy brown hair that looks as if he just got out of bed… with someone who isn’t me. I knew he was devilishly handsome the night we met, but today, in the light and awake, he looks even more delicious. In fact, he looks bigger in the suit, tougher, maybe meaner too.
“You good or do I need to keep holding you?” The annoyance in his voice isn’t missed, and I furrow my brow, trying to determine if this is really