42nd & Lex Read Online Free

fact, I am relaxed and
breathing steadily in and out. Grateful this distraction has allowed me another
breakthrough, I start to glance over and at least acknowledge he’s spoken to me
with a polite smile.  
     “ 30th Floor. Going down .” The
elevator voice signals my destination, interrupting my train of thought. The instinct
to get off as fast as possible overrides my attempt at courtesy. 
    “Thanks again,” he says. I feel a little
shockwave go through my body and my cheeks start to pink. I’ve been standing
next to the man of my dreams for the past thirty floors. Thank God, I didn’t
realize it was him from the beginning or I would be unconscious right now. I am
so flustered and embarrassed that I devoted an entire night to fantasizing
about the very man standing before me that I can’t even bring myself to meet
his eyes and acknowledge his gratitude. He doesn’t know this but I am still
ashamed. I leave him standing unacknowledged in the elevator. 
    I stop off in the ladies’ room to collect
myself. Some cold water and a few deep breaths have me feeling better so I
hurry down the hall to my office with seconds to spare before I’m late. I see Max
peeking around the corner of the copy room and he looks as exasperated as I
feel. 
    “I have the weirdest story to tell you,” I
whisper. “I will explode if I don’t tell someone.”
    “Girl, it will have to wait. I have
something to tell you.” It must be good for him to ignore my having a story to
tell, especially one that will make me explode.
     “Whatever it is I’m sure it will not top
mine, but go ahead.”
    “There is a guy here, a walk-in, he says he
knows you and he needs an appointment right now.”
    My heart skips a beat. I refuse to admit
that I want it to be the man in the elevator. “We don’t do walk-ins.”
    Max looks around and leans in conspiratorially.
“I know. So he walks in and demands to see you but Stacey tells him that he
can’t unless he has an appointment. He persists so she calls me to check with
you, thinking maybe you do know the guy and are expecting him. No offense Abri,
but this is not the kind of guy that you know.”
    Perturbed by that statement, I try to look
around the corner to the lobby to check out this mystery man. There is no way
it can be my mystery man, I left him on the elevator. Though two in one day is
probably a world record. “Exactly what kind of men do you think I know or don’t
know, Max?”
    “He’s not in there,” Max whispers and points
down the hall. “He’s in your office.”
    “Seriously? What the heck are you and Stacey
thinking, letting some stranger back into my office without an appointment? He
could be some disgruntled ex husband out to kill me!”
    Max makes a clucking noise. “Girl, there is
a hot man in your office that says he knows you and stopped at nothing to get
in here and see you and you want to call security? You’re even more hopeless
than I thought.” Is he really saying this?
    “Hot? Well, you didn’t say he was hot .
I mean, that makes all the difference in the world now doesn’t it? He couldn’t
possibly be a murdering psychopath and hot now could he?” Part of me wants
to slap the crap out of him for being such an idiot. The other part of me is
curious.
    “Abri, would I lead you wrong? Stacey checked
first. He’s not related to any file in this office and he doesn’t have a criminal
record either.”
     “What’s his story then? Any obvious
connections between me and this—what did you say his name was?”
    “Didn’t.” Max draws the word out. “It’s
Lucan O’Reilly.” He looks at me anticipating a positive response to the name. 
    “Sorry, Max. I don’t know any Lucan O’Reilly’s.”
What a formal sounding name. I would remember a name that like. Max brakes my
train of thought.
    “Duh, I told you that, but he wants to know you apparently. What are you waiting for? Go in there and see what he
wants. He wouldn’t say