Free The One Nighter by Shauna Hart Page B
Authors: Shauna Hart
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“Callie, I’m going out for a little while. If anyone calls, just take a message,” he instructed.
One way or another, he was going to get to the bottom of things today.
He just hoped it wasn’t as bad as he thought.
* * * *
By the end of the day, Melanie was exhausted. She hadn’t seen Connor since lunchtime. Turning off her mon i tor, she pulled her purse out of the drawer. Before she could stand up, Jill appeared.
“Hey, want to go to Teddy’s for happy hour?”
Melanie wrinkled her nose. “Can I get a rain check?” she countered.
Jill nodded. “Sure. Why, do you have big plans t o night?” she asked with a covert wink.
Melanie smiled as she shook her head. “No, it’s just that some weird things have been happening lately,” she replied.
Jill’s eyebrows drew together. “What kind of weird things?”
Melanie shrugged as she stood up. “It’s not a big deal,” she answered dismissively.
“It sure sounds like a big deal.”
“It’s nothing I can’t handle.”
Jill tilted her head to the side. “You sure?”
She nodded. “I’m sure.”
Jill’s eyebrows rose as she let out a sigh. “Okay then, maybe next week?”
Melanie grinned. “Next week sounds great.”
“Well, have a good night, then,” she called out over her shoulder as she walked toward the exit.
“You, too.”
Walking up to the reception area, she waited as Callie turned off her computer.
“Callie, have you seen Mr. Mason?” she inquired.
Callie swiveled in her chair to face her. “He left earlier. Didn’t say where he was going. Just told me to hold his calls,” she explained. She offered Melanie a wry grin. “Ma y be he has a secret girlfriend?”
Melanie tried to smile at the other woman’s joke, but she didn’t have it in her. Too much had happened lately. The thought of Connor having a hidden girlfriend made her stomach sour. She couldn’t help but think of Miranda.
Were things really over between them?
Or was that just what he wanted her to believe?
“Thanks,” she said as she walked back to her desk.
The thought of Connor lying to her, using her, made her feel sick. She wanted to believe that what she felt with him was real.
But was it?
Or was it just what she wanted to believe?
A quick glance at the clock told her that it was way past five o’ clock. He’d told her not to go home without him. But if he was so worried, why didn’t he tell her where he was going?
Well, she wasn’t going to sit around and wait for him like some pathetic puppy dog.
If Connor Mason wanted to know where she was, he was just going to have to find her.
Chapter 14
Connor drummed his fingertips on the steering wheel. He had been waiting outside for over an hour, and that didn’t count the hour he had driven by six times.
Where the hell was she?
A quick glance at the clock informed him that it was almost six o’clock. He had tried to call the office several times, but the phones had already been switched to the answering service. Calling her cell phone hadn’t turned out any better.
By now, he had figured out that she was avoiding him.
He reached over to turn the key in the ignition. O b viously, Miranda wasn’t coming home any time soon. And he was way too worried about Melanie to wait any longer.
Heading for the office, he tried her cell phone again. It immediately went to voicemail.
Damn the woman!
Couldn’t she at least pick up the phone to let him know that she was okay?
He hoped she hadn’t been stupid enough to leave wit h out him. On the third call to her cell phone, he had admi t ted to himself that he should have told her where he was going.
Okay, so he had acted like an inconsiderate ass.
He could admit that.
But surely she wouldn’t risk her own safety to prove a point.
Would she?
His foot pressed down on the accelerator as a sick fee l ing crept into the pit of his stomach. He punched in the number again.
Giving up was not an
“Callie, I’m going out for a little while. If anyone calls, just take a message,” he instructed.
One way or another, he was going to get to the bottom of things today.
He just hoped it wasn’t as bad as he thought.
* * * *
By the end of the day, Melanie was exhausted. She hadn’t seen Connor since lunchtime. Turning off her mon i tor, she pulled her purse out of the drawer. Before she could stand up, Jill appeared.
“Hey, want to go to Teddy’s for happy hour?”
Melanie wrinkled her nose. “Can I get a rain check?” she countered.
Jill nodded. “Sure. Why, do you have big plans t o night?” she asked with a covert wink.
Melanie smiled as she shook her head. “No, it’s just that some weird things have been happening lately,” she replied.
Jill’s eyebrows drew together. “What kind of weird things?”
Melanie shrugged as she stood up. “It’s not a big deal,” she answered dismissively.
“It sure sounds like a big deal.”
“It’s nothing I can’t handle.”
Jill tilted her head to the side. “You sure?”
She nodded. “I’m sure.”
Jill’s eyebrows rose as she let out a sigh. “Okay then, maybe next week?”
Melanie grinned. “Next week sounds great.”
“Well, have a good night, then,” she called out over her shoulder as she walked toward the exit.
“You, too.”
Walking up to the reception area, she waited as Callie turned off her computer.
“Callie, have you seen Mr. Mason?” she inquired.
Callie swiveled in her chair to face her. “He left earlier. Didn’t say where he was going. Just told me to hold his calls,” she explained. She offered Melanie a wry grin. “Ma y be he has a secret girlfriend?”
Melanie tried to smile at the other woman’s joke, but she didn’t have it in her. Too much had happened lately. The thought of Connor having a hidden girlfriend made her stomach sour. She couldn’t help but think of Miranda.
Were things really over between them?
Or was that just what he wanted her to believe?
“Thanks,” she said as she walked back to her desk.
The thought of Connor lying to her, using her, made her feel sick. She wanted to believe that what she felt with him was real.
But was it?
Or was it just what she wanted to believe?
A quick glance at the clock told her that it was way past five o’ clock. He’d told her not to go home without him. But if he was so worried, why didn’t he tell her where he was going?
Well, she wasn’t going to sit around and wait for him like some pathetic puppy dog.
If Connor Mason wanted to know where she was, he was just going to have to find her.
Chapter 14
Connor drummed his fingertips on the steering wheel. He had been waiting outside for over an hour, and that didn’t count the hour he had driven by six times.
Where the hell was she?
A quick glance at the clock informed him that it was almost six o’clock. He had tried to call the office several times, but the phones had already been switched to the answering service. Calling her cell phone hadn’t turned out any better.
By now, he had figured out that she was avoiding him.
He reached over to turn the key in the ignition. O b viously, Miranda wasn’t coming home any time soon. And he was way too worried about Melanie to wait any longer.
Heading for the office, he tried her cell phone again. It immediately went to voicemail.
Damn the woman!
Couldn’t she at least pick up the phone to let him know that she was okay?
He hoped she hadn’t been stupid enough to leave wit h out him. On the third call to her cell phone, he had admi t ted to himself that he should have told her where he was going.
Okay, so he had acted like an inconsiderate ass.
He could admit that.
But surely she wouldn’t risk her own safety to prove a point.
Would she?
His foot pressed down on the accelerator as a sick fee l ing crept into the pit of his stomach. He punched in the number again.
Giving up was not an