Page 5

"Alfie Tell." His eyes glinted with a smart satisfaction.
It took a second for his name to sink in and when it did, my heart sank.
Tell.As in Tell Hotels. As in Tell Company LTD. As in the owner of the ground I was standing on.
Had I just driven into, walked into, and then smart-mouthed the boss of all bosses?
Yes. Yes I had.
Three
Ishould have seen it coming and maybe if I hadn’t been so distracted with not screwing up this meeting, I would have put two and two together. But I hadn’t and now Mr Tell wore the expression of a man who knew he had won, and it annoyed the hell out of me.
I tried to pull my hand out of his but he tightened his grip, as if it was some sort of game to see how uncomfortable he could make me. He watched me closely, seeming to enjoy how deeply he was affecting me. His smug gaze wavered when I yanked my hand out of his. The moment hung between us for a beat, then two, as we eyed one another.
The tension between us broke when a third man rounded the corner. I breathed a sigh of relief and didn't miss the amused look in Mr Tell's eye. He'd gotten to me and he knew it.
"Mr Fitzpatrick?" I asked, praying I was right this time. The man nodded but before he could speak I thrust my hand out. "I'm Lola O'Connell." Riley took my hand, looking a little confused. Of course, he didn't know who I was. "I'm filling in for Mark Tafferty."
"Mark isn't coming?" he asked, his Irish accent thick and delicate at the same time. It reminded me of Natalie's accent and I wondered if he was from Dublin too.
"Unfortunately, no. My employer, Rosie May, called you this morning…" I trailed off at his blank expression. Oh god, had she forgotten to call him? All three men looked confused. Well, Riley looked confused. Elliot just looked disinterested and Mr Tell looked like he was thinking about something that I didn't want to think about.
Riley pulled out his phone, pressed a few keys, and then held it to his ear. I waited.
"Voicemail," he told Mr Tell. I waited as he listened to the message Rosie had left for him.
I smoothed out my dress as I waited and winced as the material rubbed over the scrapes on my palms. My hands still stung from the fall.
"Are you hurt?" Mr Tell leaned in, his presence imposing, but he didn't touch me. I would have been touched at his concern if he had actually seemed concerned. Instead he seemed annoyed that I had impacted his day.
"I'm perfectly fine, Mr Tell.” I'll admit that his cool beauty and sharp attitude had flustered me before, but Riley's interruption had given me the chance to catch my breath. I didn't need to be intimidated by him, or anyone else, and there was no way I was going to let my racing heart and my sweaty palms screw up this meeting. No way in hell.
He watched me closely, clearly waiting for a reaction. I imagined he was a man that was used to getting one but I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction.
Just ignore, Lola. Ignore. You're here to do a job, just focus on that and then get the hell out of here.
Riley ended the voicemail and Mr Tell took a small step away from me, though at well over six feet, his presence was still definitely felt.
"Well that's a shame, I was hoping to meet the man." Riley looked at me expectantly. What did he want me to do about it? Teleport Mark here from his mother's bedside?
"Well, I'm sure he was hoping his mother wouldn't have a stroke yesterday but hey," I shrugged, "what can you do?" I gestured with my file. "Shall we?" Three sets of eyes fixed on me. I swallowed a gulp of panic at the belated realization that my trademark feistiness might not be welcome here.
There was a pause, and then to my immense relief, Riley laughed. He was much more comforting to look at than Mr Tell. Jeans and a light blue shirt sat well over muscles honed from years working outside. His dark hair had a slight curl to it and he was one of those rare breeds who suited thick glasses. His brown eyes had a warm look to them.
His phone rang in his hand and he sighed when he saw the caller ID. He shared an exasperated look with Mr Tell that seemed out of place for a business relationship. I wondered if they knew each other outside of work.
"I'll meet you inside," Riley mumbled and wandered off, abandoning me once more with Mr Tell.
Without a word, he gestured back the way I'd come and, matching his silence, I began to walk with him. Elliot followed a few paces behind and it surprised me that such a large man could make so little noise on the gravel-covered ground.
I jumped as I felt a hand on my lower back guiding me, like a child. His hand was a burning pressure on me, heating right through my dress. All the while we walked, I could feel Mr Tell looking down at me from the corner of his eye, gauging my reaction. When I gave him none, his thumb dug slightly into my spine, applying a pressure that I couldn't ignore. It felt like asubtle claim on my body. Or a challenge. I quickened my pace in an attempt to outrun his hand. I peeked up at him and saw a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. My temper flared and I came to an abrupt stop.
"You know, I've been walking without a hand guiding me for quite some time, Mr Tell." I waited for a smart response but got none.
He cocked his head slightly, looking at me as if I was a mathematical equation he couldn’t work out. His hand fell away from me as I met his gaze head on. Alfie Tell looked like trouble waiting for a place to happen.
I set off at a brisk pace, trying to ignore the harsh pounding in my chest.