Scattered Thoughts (Betrayed by Love Book 1) (2 page)

Graduation
was
less
than
two
months
away
now.
All
I
had
to
do
was hold on for a few more weeks and Spencer would be out of my life. I’d never have to think about those awful pictures again. I would finally be
free.

I’d been so lost in thought I hadn’t realized my phone was ringing until it vibrated, notifying me of a new voicemail. I looked at the caller ID. Shit, Tim Howard, VP of Reputation and Issues Management
at
Dimarco,
also
known
as
my
boss.
The
one
who
isn’t thrilled about the idea of you working from home
, my inner voice snapped.

I took a few deep breaths to clear my head then dialed Tim’s number. “You
are
Izzy James,” I said out loud as I dialed
the number, my own private pep-talk to myself. “You’re confident and in control,” I added trying to convince myself of that now. Four months ago there wouldn’t have been even the slightest doubt, but opening that package changed
things.

Tim answered on the first ring. “Izzy, where were you? Did you get my voicemail?” he fired in rapid succession.

“I haven’t listened to your voicemail yet,” I said in a low tone, doing my best not to sound annoyed that it wasn’t even eight o’clock yet and Tim was already breathing down my neck. I took another deep breath. “What’s up?”

“I really like your approach to Ultimate Cruise’s issue. I think the client will too.”

“Thanks,” I said cautiously, knowing full well that couldn’t possibly
be
the
only
reason
he’d
called.
I
closed
my
eyes
and
braced for the bad
news.

“I’m afraid something came up and I can’t make the trip to Tampa
with
you
today.”

Tampa?
Double
shit!
The
Ultimate
meeting…
I’d forgotten all about it.

“What time’s your flight?” Tim asked jolting me back to the
conversation.

I opened my mouth to answer but then closed it again as I desperately searched my memory for the details of the itinerary Jonathan emailed me. “Noon,” I finally answered, relieved I managed to remember. My voice was shaky and sounded almost panicked now; not at all the confident Izzy James Dimarco hired to do this job.

“Call me after the meeting and let me know how it went.”

I blew out the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding, relieved now that Tim hadn’t noticed the shakiness in my voice. “Sure thing,” I managed before he disconnected the call.

“Get it together, Izzy!” I admonished, disappointed I’d
forgotten about the meeting.

Immediately, I tossed my phone to the side. There was no time to spare. It was almost eight and I needed to be in Pensacola for a twelve o’clock flight. It’d take at least an hour to drive to the airport with the spring break traffic
and
I still had to finish the timeline. I opened the Ultimate folder in the client directory on my hard drive and got right to
work.

When I was satisfied with the work I’d done I packed up my laptop and hard copy notes then ran upstairs to change. With no time to obsess over wardrobe I went with a basic black pencil skirt, a pink multicolored sleeveless scoop neck blouse, and my favorite pink blazer. The outfit didn’t exactly scream business professional but it was one I loved and I’d need all the comfort I could get now that Tim had left me hanging.

As I stripped out of my clothes I caught a glimpse of myself in the bathroom mirror. I’d lost weight these past few months, not surprising given the stress of the divorce and the nightmares, but still. My face was thin, too thin really, and pale. Definitely not the first impression I’d hoped for with this high profile new client but there was nothing I could do about that now. I took a deep breath and dressed as fast as I could.

I’d hoped to leave by ten so I could swing by the office to pick up the mockups I needed for the meeting but it was almost eleven by the time I pulled out of the driveway. Now I’d have to go with Plan B.

I hit the Bluetooth button on my steering wheel and dialed my office.

Jonathan answered on the second ring. “Izzy James’ office.”

“Hey, I’m running late,” I said getting straight to the point. “Print copies of the timeline I just emailed you for the Ultimate project, then pack up the marketing pieces that arrived yesterday and meet me at the airport.”

“Sure thing, Izzy. Oh, before I forget, Mr. Payne will be joining the meeting today—”

“Alec Payne, as in the CEO of Payne Enterprises?” I asked, unable to mask the confusion in my voice.

“That’s the one…” I could hear Jonathan saying something else but his words weren’t registering. I was still trying to digest what he’d
just
said.

Alec
Payne
is
coming
to
the
meeting.
Surely
the
CEO of Ultimate’s parent company had more important issues to handle than deflecting negative press about onboard illnesses and mechanical failures. It wasn’t like
Ultimate’s
ships had experienced any actual problems yet.

“Earth to Izzy,” Jonathan
laughed.

“I’m sorry… what were you saying?”

“Do you need me to print another copy of your action plan?”

“Actually, I’m good. I printed a couple spares already but I will need you to email me a copy of Mr. Payne’s bio from the master file.”

“Sure thing. Anything else?”

“After you confirm my return flight and schedule a car to pick me up at TIA, that’ll be all.”

“Already done. I’ll see you at the airport.”

“Thanks,” I said with a loud exhale as I disconnected the call. I was nervous enough about the meeting without the added pressure of Alec Payne.

• • • • •

When the flight attendant announced it was safe to use electronic devices I powered my phone back on and got busy reading the bio Jonathan sent. I already knew Alec Payne was beyond wealthy and owned more companies than I had clients, but I was hoping the report would help me uncover who he really was, what made him tick. None of my previous research had uncovered much about him personally, other than he had a reputation of being a royal pain in the ass. There was plenty of information on his wealth, what properties he owned, how the stock prices had risen in every single company he’d ever bought. But who was he really? That’s what I needed to know before the
meeting.

Unfortunately, Dimarco’s bio didn’t tell me much more than I’d already known. The only new piece of information I uncovered was that he wasn’t married, which surprised me given the fact he’s forty five and has more money than many small countries. “Something must be wrong with him,” I thought, even though nothing in the reports I’d read so far suggested
it.

When I finished reading his bio for the second time, just to make sure I hadn’t missed anything, I powered off my phone and tucked it safely inside my bag. I ran through my meeting notes one last time then allowed myself to relax for the first time in days. I closed my eyes and blocked out the chaos around me.

Spencer
is
yelling
but
I
can’t
hear
what
he
is
saying.
His
voice is
muffled.
Who
is
he
yelling
at?
Is
it
me?
He
moves
closer,
his
eyes cold
and
dark.
My
head
is
spinning.

I jerked forward in my seat, my eyes wide open, my heart racing. Around me passengers were gathering their bags. We’d landed. I must’ve dozed off and was having another bad dream. I took a deep breath to steady my nerves then began gathering up my things, waiting to exit the
plane.

1

I followed the line of passengers off the tram and into the main airport terminal. After a quick scan of the area I spotted a tall, muscular man dressed professionally in a black suit with a white shirt and thin black tie. He was holding a sign that read “Ms. James”, and I knew he must be the driver Jonathan hired. I walked toward him, flashing a welcoming smile as I approached.

“Hi, I’m Izzy James,” I said, extending my hand for a handshake.

“Hello,
Ms.
James,”
he
said,
taking
my
hand
in
his.
“I’m
Preston. Mr.
Payne’s
driver.”

“Mr.
Payne’s
driver?”
The
words
were
out
of
my
mouth
before
I could stop them. I was expecting a car service to pick me up
not
Alec Payne’s driver. Preston’s lips curled as he tried to hide the smile that threatened. “Sorry, it’s just I was expecting a car service.”

“Mr.
Payne
wouldn’t
hear
of
it,
ma’am.”

The
muscles
in
my
jaw began to clench. I hadn’t even met the man and he was already getting
on
my
nerves.
Did
he
really
think
I
wasn’t
capable
of
getting myself from the airport to his
office? “Thanks,” I said, finally recovering my professionalism.

Preston nodded and reached for my bags, which I gladly handed over as my shoulder was aching under their weight.

Following Preston, he led me down the escalator, through the crowded baggage claim area, and outside to the waiting jet black BMW X6. He opened the rear passenger side door and motioned for me to get in. “Ms. James,” he said simply.

“Thank you,” I replied as I climbed into the car. When I looked up at Preston I couldn’t help but notice how handsome he was; his freshly shaven head, his dark brown eyes, his caramel skin. He flashed a small smile and I quickly looked away, embarrassed I’d been caught staring. Preston closed the door without saying a word, but he didn’t have too. I was already embarrassed by my reaction to him picking me up today and now I’d been caught gawking at him. This was
not
how
I’d
envisioned
my
trip
to
Tampa
starting.

It was a short ride to Ultimate’s office at 100 North Tampa. Preston pulled into the garage and parked in a space labeled
Ultimate Cruises
. He collected my bags and led me to the elevator. After pressing a code into the keypad, the doors promptly closed and the elevator started to move. The sudden jolt knocked me off balance. Preston grabbed my elbow, stopping me from falling backward into the elevator wall.

“Thanks,”
I
muttered,
embarrassed
now
by
my
clumsiness
too. A small smile crossed his face for the second time but again he didn’t
say
a
word.

As we ascended toward the 42
nd
floor, I began to think about Alec Payne. I was still bothered by my lack of knowledge surrounding his reason for being at the meeting today. I’d spent hours discussing their issue and the desired outcome with Lily Roberts, Ultimate’s CEO, plus several other department heads at Ultimate during the identification phase of this process. Any change at this point would jeopardize the timeline and could derail the entire
project.

By
the
time
the
elevator
stopped,
my
nerves
were
on
edge.
This was
it.
I
was
out
of
time.
Taking
a
deep
breath
to
steady
my
nerves I let Preston lead me out of the elevator and into the modestly decorated
lobby
of
Ultimate
Cruises.

The
room
was
empty
with
the exception of a rather small seating area in the far corner, a long reception desk in the center, and a few potted plants scattered about. The space wasn’t exactly what I’d expected given the address. 100 North Tampa had long been considered the premier address among Tampa businesses, so I was expecting something a little more grand.

A professionally dressed young woman with short, jet black hair stood to greet us. “Preston, Ms. James,” she said coolly as we approached the desk. She scowled at me, her icy stare making me shiver. “I’ll show you to the conference room,” she said with the same cool tone. Without waiting for me to respond, she rounded the
desk
and
began
walking
down
the
long
hallway.

“Thank you,” I replied as I rushed after her.

The grandness of the conference room certainly made up for the subtleness of the lobby. The view of the city below and the ocean beyond extended farther than the naked eye could see. Mesmerized by the beauty, I walked toward the floor-to-ceiling glass wall, momentarily forgetting all about Miss Jet Black and my fear of heights. I was reminded of both when my knees started to buckle.

“And there’s a bathroom over there,” I heard her say right before the door closed.

“Wait, where?” I asked when I’d recovered my equilibrium, but it was too late. She’d already gone.

It didn’t take long to set up the few presentation materials I brought. All I had left to do was connect my laptop to their overhead
projector
and
I’d
be
ready
for
the
meeting.
I
attached
the cable to my laptop first and was just about to connect the other end
to the
projector
when
the
conference
room
door
swung
open.

“Ms. James,” the young man at the door called out. I stopped what I was doing and looked over. “My name is Raul,” he explained. “Mr. Payne has asked me to set the projector up for you.”

“Thanks, Raul, but I can manage.” I’d done this many times before and had the utmost confidence I could handle the job now.

“Mr. Payne insisted I take care of it, ma’am,” he said as he gently took the cables out of my hand.

Control
freak!
My
inner
voice
snapped.
I
wanted
to
slap
her
down but she was right, the meeting, his driver, Raul. The fact that Alec wasn’t married suddenly made sense. He’s a control freak. Who could possible put up with that long
term?

“She’s all yours,” I said, stepping out of Raul’s way. I’d dealt with the control freak type many times and one thing I’d learned was you have to pick your battles wisely if you’ve any hope of keeping up. I wasn’t about to waste energy on something as trivial as this. If Alec was going to get all controlling over something as simple as setting up a projector I could be in for a long afternoon.

Raul finished in record time and left me alone once again. I glanced at the clock on the wall. Luckily, there were a few minutes before the meeting was supposed to start because I really needed to pee.
I
walked
to
the
other
end
of
the
room
where
Miss
Jet
Black
had pointed earlier and tried the first door I came to, praying it was a bathroom. It was locked. I tried another door but it was locked too.  I moved to the opposite corner of the room and tried the only remaining door. I was relieved when it opened and moved quickly inside to take care of a pressing
need.

My reflection in the mirror startled me as I washed my hands.
“No
wonder
Miss
Jet
Black
was
scowling,”
I
said
out
loud.
Mascara was smeared all over my eyes, and my hair was a frizzy mess thanks to the Tampa humidity.

With a wet paper towel I wiped the mascara off gently, doing my best not to make it any worse. I dug a brush out of my bag and gathered my hair into a bunch before securing it with the clip I’d packed just in case I needed it. I freshened up my makeup then took one final look in the mirror before I headed back into the conference
room.

When I opened the bathroom door, I was immediately frozen in place by the sight of what could arguably be the most beautiful man I’d ever seen. He was standing at the other end of the conference   room, all tall and slender with a muscular build, his
chocolate brown hair tousled in a way that seemed just perfect. Maybe it was just my libido talking but
damn
was he hot.

The mystery man wore dark gray slacks and a crisp white dress shirt that he had open
to
the
second
button.
His
sleeves
were
rolled
halfway
up
to
his elbow and completed his semi-casual look just perfectly. He stood with one hand in his pocket and tugged on his bottom lip with the other. I licked my own lips as I imagined what it would be like to have his sexy lips on me.

He looked up and for the second time today I was caught staring. I blushed and looked away, too distracted to even
move. I
took
a
deep
breath
to
steady
my
nerves
and
when
I
looked
up again
he
was
standing
in
front
of
me.
His
bright
green
eyes
staring back
at
me.
I
bit
my
lip
and
let
out
an
unintentional
gasp.

He
broke
out
in
a
full
mouth
smile.
“Ms.
James?”
he
asked
holding out
his
hand.
I
accepted
it
with
a
firm
grip.
“I’m
Alec
Payne.”

My heart skipped a beat. I had to look away to hide the guilty look on my face. Alec Payne. This beautiful man I was just fantasizing about was
Alec Payne
, as in my new client? I squeezed his hand tighter. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir,” I said when I finally recovered my voice.

Alec pulled his hand back, shaking it in the process as if protesting the strength of my grip. “The pleasure is all mine,
Ms. James,” he said with a grin on his face, a crooked, wicked sort
of grin
that
made
me
squirm.

I looked away again to hide my now flaming red cheeks.
Does he have this effect on all women?

Only the sex crazed ones
, my inner voice chimed in. I shook her off. This was no time for her sarcasm.

“Please, call me Izzy,” I finally managed to say.

“Isabella.”

I had to bite my cheek to keep from rolling my eyes. My inner voice was right. Alec Payne
is
a control freak.

“Mr. Payne, Ms. James,” Lily Roberts said as she bounced through the door, quickly closing the distance between us. I opened my mouth to speak but she pulled me into a hug before I could say anything. “It’s so good to finally meet you in person.”

“It’s nice to meet you too,” I said when she released me.