Without a Hitch(53)

“She’s got you twisted up good. I like that. There’s hope for your cold, hibernating heart yet,” she teases. Wrapping her arm through mine, she rests her head on my bicep. “We’ll find her. I’ve got connections now, you know?”

She keeps talking, but I’m lost in feelings I have no bloody idea what to do with. I run on facts.

And the fact is that Abby keeps slipping away because she thinks I’m not capable of love. We want different things. Her sad voice has tattooed itself on my heart.

We do want different things, but fundamentally, they’re really quite similar. All I have to do is make her see it my way.

“I DON’T WANT to interview another assistant, Angie.”

“Good. You’re not interviewing Penny because I’m going to hire her. I would just like you to meet so you know who she is. Since you’ll be traveling for the next three weeks, I’d like her to fly with you to California.”

“No. And what do you mean, you’re going to hire her? Like a temp?”

“I said what I meant, Lochlan. I’m going to hire her as my permanent replacement. She’s perfect.

She’s a single mom of three teenage boys. She’s professional, and she can handle your crank. Her ex-husband is a bit of a—well, I’ll let her tell you her story, but she isn’t interested in you in any way other than a paycheck. She’s perfect.”

“No,” I repeat stubbornly. “I never gave you the authority to hire anyone. She’ll have to go.”

“She’ll be on that plane with you. She might even be able to help you with the Ross deal. You know he’s family-oriented. He’ll never sell to you unless you can align with his ideals.” He’ll never sell to me unless I find Abby and make her come with me.

“Angie,” I growl, but the soft click tells me she already hung up. I’m standing in the center of my newly renovated Beacon Hill hotel, staring at my phone while I rage-type Angie’s number when a soft, pliant body crashes into me.

The file tucked under my arm drops to the floor, along with my phone and a purse that spills out a second phone. The clumsy culprit nearly falls on her face, but I reach out at the last second and haul her to her feet, only to come face-to-face with the one that I want.

“Pepper?” I ask skeptically. What the hell are the chances?

“I… Blaine. Dammit. Are you following me?”

A lopsided grin catches the corner of my lip, and my gaze falls to her feet to see if she’ll stomp in place.

“Lochlan?” Angie’s voice calls from the floor. In the crash landing, the speakerphone turned on. I hear Angie huff, and what I think sounds like her hanging up the receiver of her office phone again.

Silence falls around Abby and me as we stare at each other.

Then her gaze goes hard. If I thought I’d seen her pissed off before, it’s nothing compared to this expression.

“Lochlan?” she spits through clenched teeth.

I grin, and strangely my cock twitches. Her anger turns me on with the power of the sun. I offer my hand and watch her body shake with rage. “Lochlan Blaine at your service, Abby. I think the fact that you’re here, in my hotel, is the universe’s way of telling us we aren’t done.”

She shoves her little pointer finger into my chest, and I clasp my hand around hers. “We are done because we never started, and now that I know who you are, we never will.”

“What does that mean? It’s not like I’m a murderer or anything.”

“You’re Lochlan Blaine.” Every syllable in my name causes her eye to twitch, and her anger is reaching nuclear levels. It intrigues me.

“Yes, I am. I have no record. I can be an asshole, but only when it’s deserved. Most people would consider me a catch, so please enlighten me. Why do you appear to have it out for me even more now that you know who I am?”

She pulls her hand out of my grasp and glares at me. “Why are you following me? We had a night.

Two nights, I mean. Ugh! That’s all.” Her hands ball into fists at her sides. “You scratched an itch. I’m searching for forever, you want tonight. I can’t keep giving you nights, Lochlan.” She says my name like it’s battery acid that burns her throat. “Just…it was nice to meet you. Unfortunately, I have a feeling we’ll be seeing each other again, but only as acquaintances.”

She bends down to pick up her things, then she storms off while I’m left wondering if she’s crazy.

And if she is crazy, why do I want to join the asylum so badly?

I kneel on the floor to scoop up my papers and phone. As I stand, I notice something is off. I tap the phone screen, and I’m delighted to see a photo of Pepper with three girls on a beach. They’re each smiling, but it’s Pepper that has me entranced.

“Loch, what was that about? I didn’t realize you knew Tilly.”

My head snaps up at the sound of my friend Colton’s voice. “Tilly?” I ask, thoroughly confused.

My mind is still spinning from my face off with Abby.

“Yeah, my assistant who just stormed out of here like she wanted to smack you?”

“Huh,” is what I say, but my smile grows wide, and my brain is running in circles. So, my Abby is actually Tilly, Colton’s assistant. I’ve heard him talk of her often enough, and when I search the recesses of my brain, her name clicks. Tilly Camden. Why the fake name?