Begin Again novel Chapter 49

After her morning session with Gibby the next day, Eden returned to her office to find more flowers waiting for her on her desk, and a bunch of curious assistants crowded around her broom closet.

"Aren't you quite the smash hit? You haven't been here a full day, but look at the bouquets you've amassed!" Matthew's assistant, Lucy, drawled as she picked up the card from the newest bouquet—peach Calla Lilies this time—and read it aloud. "'Looking forward to coffee with you. I.J.'"

Eden sensed the other woman doesn't like her much, and she had no idea why considering they've only just met.

When Matthew made the introductions yesterday afternoon, Lucy had brushed her off with a condescending nod and an insincere smile.

Eden had thought she was being paranoid and had chalked down the cold reception to her being overly-sensitive from her run-ins with Liam earlier.

But now, she wasn't so sure if her still-delicate emotional state had anything to do with the sly glint she saw in the other woman's brown eyes.

"Perks of being the new girl I guess," Eden shrugged, "I'm sure it will die down soon. By next week all the fascination would have waned."

Lucy's scarlet lips stretched wider, but the deadpan expression on her face chilled Eden to her core, there was nothing friendly or reassuring about the smile at all. "Well, enjoy it while it lasts."

"Who's I.J.? Does he also work here?" Clara asked, interrupting what was quickly escalating into a minefield of resentment, one Eden didn't think she's properly equipped to navigate.

"No, he doesn't," Eden snatched the card from Lucy and almost had heart failure when her gaze collided with Liam's at the door.

"If you are done wasting company time, I suggest you all return to your desks and do your goddamn jobs!" He said icily. "I can't be the only one keeping the lights on!"

He didn't need to tell them twice, her office was empty before Eden could even blink and she was left alone with him.

"Mr Anderson, how can I help you, Sir?" She asked, holding his gaze, refusing to be intimidated by him.

She hadn't seen him the whole morning because she'd played as far away from him as possible and avoided every place where she was likely to run into him.

But now, the devil himself had sought her out.

Dressed in what Eden was starting to believe is his work uniform—an impeccably tailored three-piece suit—he looked every bit the sexy, tempting Lucifer of a CEO that he is.

Today's suit was light grey, no tie though, and he'd left the top two buttons of his white shirt open, no doubt to thirst trap every woman in the building with a sneak peek of his well-defined chest.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" He scowled at her.

But before Eden could even laugh at the ridiculousness of his question, he slammed the door behind him and crossed the room.

Grunting under his breath, he placed a small silver case on her desk, "here, keep this with you."

Eden took a quick look inside at the EpiPens and raised a questioning eyebrow. "I'm supposed to do what with these?"

"In case you fuck up again, you'll need them to save my life," he said coldly, scowling at the flowers on her desk.

"I think you missed Clara's office, it's that way," she pushed the case back at him, seething at his arrogance. "She'll need them since she's your assistant. And if this is meant to be an apology—"