Free The Gift, Book 2 (The Billionaire's Love Story) by Lily Zante

apologized to Tobias and gotten in even more trouble.
    “He’s a man of few words and a real hard nut to crack,” Briony confessed. A knock at the door stole Savannah’s attention and she panicked at the idea that Tobias lurked at the other side; ready to piss her off again. “I have to go. Someone’s at the door.”
    “You mean to say Tobias is in today as well?”
    Savannah jumped up and whispered. “I think so.” Though it was not like him to knock. He usually strode right in.
    “Happy New Year, hon. Go home. Even if Tobias is there. I can shoot him an email if—”
    “No!” Savannah hissed. She didn’t want any favors from the man and no special requests from Briony about herself either. “I have to go.” She hung up, her throat suddenly dry and answered the door.
    But she found herself staring at someone she hadn’t met before and the relief that it wasn’t Tobias made her smile wider. The man who now stood looking at her had a softer face and longish hair.
    “You must be Savannah?” he asked, smiling at her.
    “I am. And you are?”
    “Matthias Rust,” he said, holding out his hand. “Mind if I come in?”
    So this was Matthias? She’d heard his name many times. He’d been the one who’d had the file that Tobias had wrongly assumed she had taken.
    She opened the door wider and stepped aside. “I work alongside Tobias,” he told her. Savannah smiled and at the same time wondered what he wanted from her. “Is there anything I can help you with?”
    “Not a thing,” he replied, good-naturedly. It made a refreshing change to have a normal conversation with someone who wasn’t going to jump down on her. “I only came by to see who else was in. Tobias said you were working in here so I came over to introduce myself. So this is where you’ve been hiding?”
    “I’ve hardly been hiding.”
    “I’m only joking,” he replied, his eyes twinkling with merriment.
    Loosen up, Savannah.
    “I’ve been quietly keeping myself busy,” she said, moving back to her desk and leaning against it. “And I’ve finished everything I had to do.”
    “You’ve been here through the holidays?”
    “Every day apart from Christmas Day and the day after.”
    “Tobias let you go home for a few days, did he?” Mischief lit up his eyes.
    “He couldn’t have kept me here,” she replied defensively, “no matter how much he likes to think he’s king of the jungle.” The bitter memory of yesterday infused her words with anger and made Matthias laugh.
    “Someone who doesn’t hide her true feelings about the man,” he chuckled. “How long are you here for?”
    “A month at least.”
    “A belated ‘Welcome’ to you then.”
    “Thank you,” she replied. “It’s great to meet you at long last. I’ve heard your name a lot.”
    “I dread to think why.” He flicked his hair to the side and looked around at the boxes which she’d neatly lined up against the wall. “Is that what you’ve been working on?”
    She nodded. “Scanning and filing. I just do as I’m told.”
    “Working for Tobias, I’m sure you do,” he whispered, conspiratorially. She cheered up even more and already felt as thick as thieves with him.
    “It’s been good to meet you, Savannah,” he said. “It’s deathly quiet isn’t it? I don’t know why I bothered to come in.”
    “Why did you?”
    “To pick up some paperwork. I hope you get to leave early. Don’t stay imprisoned in here too long. It’s New Year’s Eve, don’t forget.”
    “Imprisoned?” She laughed, “I’m planning on making my escape soon.”
    “What have you got planned for this evening?”
    “I’m not exactly sure,” she replied, folding her arms and thinking about it.
    “It’s New Year’s Eve and you’ve got nothing planned?” he asked. And then they both turned to look as the door opened and Tobias walked in.
     

Chapter 12
     
    Savannah’s heart thumped wildly and the carefree mood she’d been in vanished as her stomach tightened.