55. Hannah

FIFTY-FIVE

I'm shoving open my office door, ready to toss my armful of things onto my desk, when I freeze.

Because sitting on said desk is a mug of coffee.

The same mug I used yesterday, filled nearly to the brim with the perfect shade of coffee.

Warmth fills my chest.

Maddox.

Seeing him yesterday morning in the break room wasn't enough.

I need more of him.

The damn man is such a pleasure to be around that I miss him anytime he's not in the same room as me. Which is almost always.

Wanting the moment to myself, I step the rest of the way into my office and use my foot to push the door shut.

After I set my things down, I pick up the coffee.

It's still steaming but not so hot I can't try it. And the first sip confirms what I already assumed. It's perfect.

I want to return the favor. Or at least tell Maddox thank you. But there's no way for me to do that.

Sure, I could walk to his office. But I have no legitimate reason to be there. And walking through the whole office carrying a coffee for Maddox would be like slapping a neon sign on my back saying I'm flirting with the boss. And I certainly couldn't say I'm bringing him a coffee because he made me a coffee.

I have no idea how Maddox got this to my office without anyone seeing, but I'm sure he did.

I could always email Maddox to say thanks. But I've taken those stupid mandatory training courses, so I know all company emails are saved somewhere, and I don't need anyone intercepting nonwork emails between me and the owner of the company.

Maddox might have an office phone number I could find. But what if someone other than him answers? And if someone else answers, they can probably see who's calling, so I couldn't just hang up.

I spent hours wrapped up in Maddox's arms while we lay in my bed, yet I don't have his number.

A tendril of unease unfurls in my mind, suddenly morphing into panic.

I don't have his number.

I put the coffee down and pick up the first folder I can find.

Maddox and I work together.

He knows where I live.

He has my phone number off my résumé.

We won't lose touch again.

But…

I spin around and stride back out of my office.

People are starting to settle in, and about half the cubicles are full, but no one pays attention to me.

I keep my expression relaxed as I walk past the conference room, where it all started, and to the back, where all the executive offices are.

I've never been all the way back here, and as that fact sinks in, I start to slow.

Almost all the office's back here have their doors open and their lights on.

I slow even more.

Which way would Maddox be?

Then I hear him. That deep voice I recognize from my dreams.

Turning toward the sound, I cross to the far corner.

As I get closer, I see his name written on the plaque attached to his door.

Corner office. Duh.

I can't tell if he's talking to a person or if he's on his phone, but there's really no other way to do this, so I step into his open doorway.

The office is large. A couch with a coffee table sits on the near side of the room, a desk and two visitor's chairs at the opposite end, and the two outer walls are nothing but glass.

Maddox is standing behind his desk, looking handsome as always.

The movement of my appearance catches Maddox's attention, and he drifts his gaze past the other man standing in front of his desk to meet mine.

This is a bad idea.

I shouldn't have —

"Ah, Hannah." Maddox holds his hand out toward me, like he's been waiting for me to arrive.

"Morning." I say it to both of them, recognizing the other man as the director of sales. "I have those files you wanted to go over." I lift the folder, as if email hasn't been invented yet and I had to hand deliver the documents.

"Come in," Maddox tells me, then turns to the other man. "If you get any pushback, let me know."

The man nods. "Will do." Then he smiles and steps around me, out the door.

I want to shut the door to make our conversation private, but Maddox was just in here talking to someone with the door open, so I leave it as it is.

He gives me a crooked smile. "Would you like to sit? I can't remember how much time you said this would take."

With my back to the open door, I roll my eyes at him.

He starts to chuckle but catches it by clearing his throat.

Stopping in front of his desk, I pick up the fancy pen sitting next to his laptop. "I just need to point out a few things. Shouldn't take long."

I open the folder I brought.

It's empty.

Maddox grins. "By all means."

I pull the cap off the pen, then write on the inside of the blank folder.

Please give me your phone number.