Page 15 of Devil in the Details

Olive

A week later

I stood at the ass crack of dawn in the artisan coffee shop right by the office building. The line was long, but then again, I didn’t think the business district ever slept. They were too worried about earning more money or being the first one to have the next million-dollar idea.

“Can I help who’s next?”

I stepped up to the counter and placed my order.

“A double shot espresso.” After I paid for my drink and stepped to the side with the others waiting for their orders, my mind once again wandered to thoughts of Pope.

And because I thought of him, I found myself reaching into my purse for my phone, pulling it out, and bringing up Dexter and Calvin’s website.

I went to the executives’ page, found Pope, and for the third time read his bio.

Pope Shelby, CFO

As the CFO of Dexter and Calvin, Shelby is responsible for running all financial planning and actions of the company.

Shelby has a proven executive management track record over the course of his career with experience driving sales growth, analyzing financial strengths and weaknesses, and proposing corrective actions.

Shelby serves on the board of directors of Barker, Inc. and the Forum for Young Entrepreneurs and Executives. He earned an MS degree at the Barlow University, Holland School of Business.

Impressive. Smart. Ambitious. And goddam gorgeous.

Yeah, I was in over my head.

I shoved my phone in my purse and stared at the baristas as they shouted out code coffee lingo, as they made fancy-ass cups of joe, and I stood there thinking about Pope and all the highly inappropriate things I wanted to do with him.

“And so we meet again.”

The deep voice behind me had a startled gasp leaving my lips, and I turned around. The object of my thoughts and desire stood no more than a foot from me.

Oh. God. How long had he been standing there? Did he see me creeping on his bio page?

Pope looked good, like it wasn’t the ass crack of dawn. Me, on the other hand? I no doubt had bags under my eyes, and my hair was a little mussed from the wind. I hadn’t put my lipstick on or fixed my hair, which is what I did at my desk before my day officially started.

And now he got to see me in all my hot mess glory.

“I mean, I see you five days a week at the office.” My throat felt tight, and I was nervous. So nervous that I twisted my hands around the strap of my purse as if it were a lifeline.

And damn him, he just smiled, this sexy little tilt of his lips that had everything in me coming alive like I’d just gotten caffeine directly injected into my veins.

“Double shot espresso for Olive.”

I heard the barista call the drink out, even heard my name and had it register in my head, but I couldn’t stop staring at Pope or being affected by that smirk he gave me.

“Double shot espresso up for Olive,” the barista said louder this time.

Pope’s smile grew. “That’s you, right?” He lifted one dark eyebrow.

I blinked a few times and looked over my shoulder, seeing my double shot sitting on the counter. I looked back at Pope and saw he was still wearing that damn smile. “I guess I’ll see you at the office,” I said like it was a closing statement.

He didn’t move for a moment, but he kept that smirk in place. “Can I get my coffee first or should I just meet you back at the office now and deal with caffeine withdrawal?” That smirk grew.

I closed my eyes briefly, feeling like an asshole. When I opened them again, I swore he was almost outright laughing. “If you’re like me and need coffee as badly as I do in the mornings, I’d never stand in the way of that.”

It was my turn to smile, and while I did like this friendly banter, I was also reminding myself I should probably keep my head in the game and not let my heart make the rules.

Because when you followed your heart, things tended to get messy, didn’t they?

Since I started working for Dexter and Calvin, I’d come in half an hour early every day. It was easier for me to be here early so I could get everything situated… mainly myself, seeing as whenever Pope was around, I felt like the world was tilting on its axis.

But seeing Pope before work? Well, now that just screwed up my whole composure and thinking.

I heard the sound of people greeting Pope, as they did every morning, and right away, as if like clockwork, my heart started racing.

This was my first full day alone, without Mrs. Hartley and her judging and side-eyeing me for every little mistake I made or if I wasn’t doing stuff how she liked it.

And to say I was nervous was an understatement.

I was terrified.

Afraid of how I felt. Scared of my growing feelings.

But I breathed out and gave myself a mental pep talk.

I gathered all of his appointments in time order, knew when his meetings were by heart, and told myself I’d crush this day.

His focus was on me as soon as he became visible, and I smiled, stood, and grabbed the files for the meetings.

“Good morning, Mr. Shelby,” I said, hearing the tremor in my voice.

“Miss Morris.”

God, I loved the way he said my name, with this little lilt in his voice that had all my girly bits tingling with awareness.

I already smelled his cologne, a scent that had me instantly clenching my thighs. My damn body warmed and tingled.

He stopped at my desk, his focus on me, expectant but patient. He held his briefcase, one that was no doubt expensive as hell.

I swallowed and handed the files to him. “The Charleston reports for the meeting, sir.” The way I said sir had this little shock of electricity moving through me.

He slipped his phone into the inner pocket of his jacket and looked at me with those dark eyes that had my toes curling.

With his gaze locked on me, I felt a chill move over me, like I was bared to him.

A part of me hated myself for wanting him as much as I did.

Before I could give him the rundown of his day, he took the folder, looked down at it, and lifted his head so he was watching me again.

“Thank you.”

I swore the way he said those two words meant a lot more than gratitude.

I thought about the coffee run-in this morning, how he’d looked at me, how I’d felt inexplicably drawn to him. Why had I ever thought I could keep a distance between us?

“Have a good morning, Miss Morris,” he said and turned to head into his office, but not before looking at me before he closed his door.

I sat down and exhaled roughly.

The phone rang, drawing me out of my thoughts.

“Dexter and Calvin, Mr. Shelby’s office, how may I help you?

” I put on my “business frame of mind” and turned toward the computer to pull up Pope’s schedule.

“Mr. Shelby just came in, but I’ll certainly pass the message along.

” I looked over at the window to his office, saw him sitting behind his desk, the phone to his ear, but his focus was on me.

I faced my computer probably a little too quickly, a little too obviously.

But the entire time, I knew he watched me.