Love, Utley (Love Letters #1)

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.

FIFTY-SIX

MADDOX

My smile drops.

I read her words a second time.

Please give me your phone number.

How the fuck did we let that happen again?

I swallow and lift my gaze to hers.

Her lips are pressed together, and I can see the stress in her features.