Free HH02 - A Reclusive Heart by R.L. Mathewson

paperback, checkbook, tampons, half a roll of Lifesavers and still no cell phone. She
    blew a loose strand of hair out of her face as she looked around the beige rug. Where the heck was her phone?
    "Then I see no reason why you need to call Rick," he said.
    She had to snort at that. "Of course you don't."
    "If you're upset about the amount of work that we have ahead there's nothing that I can do about that. Those are the
    obligations we have and if we want your launch to be a success we have to do it," he explained slowly as if he were talking to
    a child, further irritating her.
    "I have no problem with the work," she admitted as she peered under the bed and sighed. It wasn't there either.
    "Then what's your problem?" he demanded.
    "You," she snapped, not even bothering to look up at him.
    "You need me, Miss. Harris," he explained, sounding pissed. "I'll guide you through this process, get you into the best
    venues and make sure you're a success."
    "Anyone from your company could do that," she pointed out, wondering where her phone had run off to.
    For a moment he didn't say anything and she was glad. It gave her a chance to focus all of her attention on finding her
    phone and figuring out what the heck she was going to say to Rick. She didn't want to get him in trouble despite how much he
    irritated her, but she didn't see any way around it. If she didn't say something he'd walk all over her and that's the last thing she
    needed right now, especially after last night.
    "Finally," she mumbled when she spotted the sleek black phone peeking out from the corner of the light tan couch. She
    reached out to grab it only to gasp when a large tan hand swiped it up. She turned her glare up at him.
    "You need me," he said as he put her phone in his pocket, probably thinking that she wouldn't make a grab for it.
    He was right, darn it!
    "No, I don't," she argued tightly as she came to her feet, holding her hand out expectantly.
    "Really?" he asked with a cocky arch of his brow that she didn't like, not one bit.
    "Really!" she snapped back.
    "Then how do you expect to get through your list without my help?" he asked, and judging by his smug grin she didn't have
    to ask what list he was referring to. "Face it, Miss. Harris. You need me."
    Chapter 8
    This was going to be too easy, he thought as his little recluse looked up at him through wide eyes as her mouth worked
    soundlessly. After her little rebellion last night he should have realized the odd little list he'd come across late last night would
    be the key to getting her under his control, but he'd still been angry that she hadn't jumped when he told her to. That was fine
    because now it seemed that he could offer her what she desperately needed.
    Him.
    The only reason she agreed to come along on this tour was to try new things and apparently she desperately wanted to get
    out there and expand on that little goal, but there was only one problem with that. She was shy, painfully so. That was the
    reason she didn't leave her barstool last night and the reason why she damn near bolted every time someone said hello to her
    today. If the only way to get her to stay and start behaving was to go through each item on her list with her then that's what he
    would do.
    If it meant that she would listen to him then he'd do all the things on her list that had him rolling his eyes last night. Half the
    things on her list he'd done before and actually enjoyed so that wouldn't bother him. Of course the only way to have time to do
    anything on her list was to get their work done. She'd realize that and work her cute little ass off and do what he told her to do.
    Then he'd help her get through her list, but only if she did everything that he wanted first.
    "I-I don't need you to do that list," she mumbled pathetically even as a bright red blush crept up her cheeks, painting her a
    liar.
    "So you'll be able to do all of those things on your list?" he asked before adding, "by yourself?"
    She worried her