Velvet Shadows

eclined in her office chair legs crossed, phone in one hand, coffee in

ilent on the hardwood, eyes scann

ing on h

umbs by he

kissed sticky note

ven noticed

ared her t

startled. "Oh. Didn't thin

voice even. "Every da

ed. The kind of smile designed

ne didn't off

ut together. "Was just taking a quick call. Nic

st him and picking up the coffee cup with two fin

think it'd be a big deal. Chil

trash, invaded a private office, and now you're telling

ng into something more defensive. "I did

e it

Of course you didn't.

at suppose

into a space that doesn't belong to him, makes a mess, and assumes it'll be cleaned u

rsh judgment for a guy needing

And honestly..." She let her eyes drift over him f

ltered. "I'm

back to her desk. "But unfortunate. Someone, s

are him a gla

he door, jaw tig

Arrogant. Confident. A littl

s? This

a long while, Jace Danie

**********

behind him, but Heaven

uined corner creased, ink smudged from the moisture of his c

red tray and began pullin

inutes

n t

her keyboard when a shado

n loo

nds in his pockets,

e him n

id slowly, "what gives you the

n her chair, arching

d quickly. "I just... You came a

pace. That's not a fel

ng of

to hearing no. Or be

s studying a rare artifact.

plainly, "and I plan

nough for the air to

hen you're pissed o

"And you're predictable

time, but it didn't reach h

r head. "You

t used to being dismissed, much less by

a breath she hadn't realized she was holdin

er, about to resume her work

orner of her desk. Cr

t left th

, she op

Not hers. Not formatted in any

f the first page m

s Internal Revi

es nar

her department. And no one had mentioned anything confid

k to the door Jace h

tayed