Free Heartless: Episode #2 by J. Sterling

 
    1.
    ELIZABETH 
     
    When I walked into my office the next morning, the fragrance of roses overwhelmed my senses, forcing me to remember that I hadn’t emailed Daniel to thank him. My day had been filled with back-to-back meetings, and I’d kept putting thanking him off until I finally just forgot before I left for home. As much as I wanted to ignore his gesture and whatever it meant, I couldn’t be that rude.
    I quickly turned on my computer screen and pulled up a blank email while wondering what exactly I should say to him.
     
    To: Alexander, Daniel
    From: Lyons, Elizabeth
        Subject: Thank you
     
    I got some amazing flowers yesterday. Any idea who they might be from?
    :)
     
    It was simple and friendly but not overdone. When it came to Daniel, I wasn’t sure at all how to handle him. I felt so out of practice.
 
    ****
     
    By mid-afternoon, I’d already tackled five international conference calls, four in-person meetings, and one presentation for my bosses. I was beat. Stepping out of the elevator, I walked toward my office, but then I stopped dead in my tracks.
    What the hell is he doing here?
    Leaning over Barbara’s desk, smiling and pointing at something in her hair, was fucking Daniel Alexander, all six feet three inches of him. Barbara glanced at her computer screen and said something to Daniel before glancing over her shoulder, her eyes meeting mine.
    I gave her a look that warned her I’d be killing her later, and I started walking again.
    “See, Daniel? Here she is. Right on time, like I told you.”
    Daniel stood there, staring at me, his face pleasant and his eyes filled with lust. Even though I’d banned men, I still recognized want filled eyes when I saw them.
    “What are you doing here?” I tried to act angry, but inside, I was secretly thrilled. I never thought I’d see him again so soon.
    “Nice to see you, too.” He winked and gave me a smile.
    “I’m sure it is. How did you get through security?”
    We had a two-pronged security system on the lot. You had to pass through the initial gates just to park on the property, and then my actual building had its own security as well. Everyone had to be on a list, show ID, check in, wait to be called up, and then be escorted inside to the proper floor and office.
    I glared at Barbara. “You let him in, didn’t you?”
    Traitor. I should fire her.
    Her eyes widened. “He was already on the lot. I only let him upstairs.”
    “So, you were the worst offender then,” I huffed. I turned my back to both of them before walking into my office and shutting the door, leaving Daniel standing outside of it.
    If I were at my house, I would have slammed the door so hard that the whole wall would shake. But I couldn’t behave like a fifteen-year-old girl in the office, so I’d settled for closing it—hard.
    Stalking over to my desk, I plopped down, clearly frazzled by Daniel’s arrival. My door opened, and Daniel’s body appeared, my insides heating at the sight of it. He was something to look at all right, and boy, did I enjoy looking. I silently willed myself to stay strong .
    “I see you got my flowers.”
    “I sent you an email, thanking you, this morning.”
    “I got it when I landed.”
    “Seriously, Daniel, what do you want? Why aren’t you in your sucky part of the state right now?” I fired off anything my mind could think up that didn’t involve kissing or naked body parts.
    “My sucky part? My part of the state is way better than yours,” he shot back.
    “Then, you should go back there. I’m sure it misses you.”
    “You ignored my emails and voice mails. As of last night, you didn’t say shit about the flowers. I told you I wanted to see you.” He stalked over to my desk and pulled out a guest chair before unbuttoning his jacket. As he sat, it fell open, revealing a well-fit button shirt underneath.
    “You didn’t come down here because I’d ignored you. Be serious.” I stole a glance at the roses sitting