Carter: Did something happen?

I sent him a picture of the papers. Carter didn’t answer right away, and I didn’t have time to wait. I rushed into the meeting, leaving my phone behind, not wanting to be distracted.

I forced myself to focus because the gentlemen had flown in from Italy. They produced some of the rarest essences, and I wanted to strike a deal with them.

The meeting lasted longer than I’d hoped, and by the time we’d finalized the details, I was light-headed. I hadn’t eaten since breakfast, and it was almost four o’clock. I walked the gentlemen to the elevator, and the second the door slid to a close, I turned to Anne.

“Can you get me something to eat? Anything at all.”

“Sure, boss. But you’ve got someone waiting in your office for you.”

“Oh? I didn’t have any other meeting on my calendar.”

“A Carter Sloane dropped by unannounced. Said he had to talk to you. He’s been waiting for an hour. Couldn’t get rid of him.”

“Of course not. Thanks for the heads-up. I’ll talk to him. But please, hurry with that sandwich, or I’ll faint.”

Anne darted to the elevator as I spun on my heels, heading to my office. My empty stomach rolled over. When I reached the doorway to my office, Carter rose to his feet. I tried to read his body language but was too tired and hungry to make much headway.

“Anne said you’ve been waiting for an hour.”

He held up his phone. “You didn’t answer my text or call.”

“I was in a meeting.”

“I know, Anne told me. Called the office when you weren’t answering.”

I stepped inside, closing the door again.

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

Val

“Let’s get out of here,” Carter said. “I heard what you said to Anne about the sandwich. I’ll feed you, and you relax and don’t think about any of this.”

I placed my hands on my hips. “You can’t just barge in here and take charge.”

His eyes flashed. The corners of his mouth twitched.

“Yes, I can, especially if you need it.”

Well, how could I argue with that? I was dying for time out.

“It’s early.”

“It’s four o’clock, and you told Anne that you don’t have any other meetings today.”

“Doesn’t mean I don’t have anything else to do.”

“You own this business. You can’t give yourself a few hours off?”

“How about you? Don’t you have to clock every hour?”

“I cleared off my schedule.”

The fight went right out of me because I distinctly remembered he’d had meetings into the evening today. It was the reason we were supposed to go out tomorrow.