Free Scattered Thoughts (Betrayed by Love Book 1) by HD Kelley

whispered.
    I lifted the wine for another drink, but Alec took the glass out of my hand. “I’d say you’ve had enough wine for a workday lunch. Let’s go. I’ll walk you back to your office.”
    I sighed, unable to mask my irritation at his controlling tendencies any longer. “You go ahead. I need to settle my tab.”
    Alec pulled a fifty from the money clip in his front pocket and tossed it on the bar next to my glass. “Now can we go?”
    I opened my mouth to object but closed it again. There was no point in arguing with him. Besides, he owed me lunch after going over my head to get what he wanted. Alec put his arm around my shoulder when I stood to leave and escorted me through the crowd to the sidewalk.
    “Thank you for lunch, Alec,” I said after we left.
    “You’re quite welcome. I would have preferred if we’d eaten lunch together though.”
    “And I would’ve preferred it if you hadn’t gone over my head to get your way.”
    “Fair enough.”
    Alec and I walked in silence the remaining distance to the lobby door of the Theisen building. He released my arm and turned to face me.
    “I’ll email you the new contract documents as soon as they’re finished,” I said nervously.
    He held open the door. “Until then,” he whispered, dangerously close to my mouth. It was more than enough to make me blush. Damn him. Clearly he could see the effect he had on me and it made me wonder why he was purposely trying to get a rise out of me.
    I walked to the bank of elevators and waited. Normally I’d take the stairs so I didn’t have to wait, but today it sounded like a good idea. I was still irritated that Tim had committed me to this cruise without talking to me about it first, so I wasn’t in a hurry to get back to the office.
    As I waited for the elevator I replayed Alec’s words again and again in my mind. “I work hard to secure the things I want,” he’d said. I couldn’t help but wonder what it was he really wanted. Sex? Control? To annoy the hell out of me?
    Jonathan wasn’t at his desk when I got back to the office, so I was able to slip by without being noticed. Tim had left a copy of his notes on my desk chair, ensuring I’d see them I guessed. I picked up the stack of papers and began scanning for changes.
    Everything seemed reasonable until I reached the page that covered reporting. The new contract called for a weekly in-person status update. I skipped ahead to the budget to see if Tim left any money at all in the contingency account. My mouth dropped open when I saw the changes they’d made there. All travel related expenses were being funded separately by Payne Enterprises with an indeterminate dollar amount.
    “Control freak,” I growled.
    After I’d regained my composure, I turned back to the page that committed me to a weekly trip to Tampa for the next several months and started editing. I did a final run-through to make sure I caught all the changes. When I was satisfied I’d found them all, I hit save then emailed it to Alec and Lily, copying Tim on the email so he’d know it’d been done.
    I shut down my computer and packed up the files that still needed my attention. Since I was leaving town tomorrow I was left with no choice but to take them with me. Stuffing the files in my laptop bag, I turned off the light and made my way to the parking garage and the sanctity of my car.

Chapter Six
     
     
     
    I pulled out of the parking garage and drove slowly toward home. I hadn’t heard from Spencer all day, so I had no idea if he’d be at home tonight or not. With my anxiety building I gripped the steering wheel tight. I didn’t want to stay at the house with him there, not after that dream last night, or after finding him there this morning.
    Just call Anna , my inner voice coaxed. If anyone had heard from Spencer it’d be Anna.
    She answered on the first ring. “Hey, Mom.”
    “Hey, sweetie, how was school?”
    “It was amazing. I had meetings all morning so I got out