One Week (HaleStorm) Read Online Free Page B

understand,” she said.
    “I hope so.”
    Shivers raced up and down her spine. Elise shrugged her shoulder and tried to pretend the vent above the conference room table caused her chills. Funny, she remembered Michael as a confident but quiet presence. Easygoing, he had been the guy who managed the office interns probably because he was so great at coming across as everyone’s buddy. He’d taken her out to dinner many times, as a thank-you for working late.
    He did not come across as friendly and easygoing now. “I understand, Mr. Hale.” Very much the opposite . Was this due to his father’s death? This is none of your business, Elise . “It’ll get done.”
    “I hope you’re right.”
    “I’m always right.” She forced a laugh and tried to pull her hand away from his, intent on eating her food and returning to her work. She needed him to stop looking at her with those dark-amber eyes. Somehow they were chipping away at her grudge.
    And of course, she hadn’t always been right. Five years ago she’d been very, very wrong. Maybe she was still wrong, because she swore she’d never face Michael Hale again unless it was to knee him in his manly bits. Here she sat all the same, her chest tight with something that felt disturbingly like sympathy. 
    She smiled and held up her chopsticks. “Thank you again for dinner. I can’t believe you remembered my order.”
    He leaned back in his chair and sucked hot mustard from his thumb. “I remember quite a bit, Elise.”

Chapter 3
    W hen the conference room clock showed the hour hand passed two in the morning and Elise had done the same maddening catlike stretch in her chair for the umpteenth time, Michael decided they’d had enough. He’d had enough. The cells on the spreadsheet in front of him blurred and swam. In a contest between his fingers and eyelids for “most twitchy,” no clear winner could be established.
    “Let’s pick this up in the morning,” he said.
    She groaned and rolled her neck around. “I think I’ll stay,” she murmured. “But you go. I’m sure this transition and losing your father has taken its toll.” She gave a small, tired smile, and for the first time since she’d walked back through the front doors it seemed like she might actually think he was an okay guy. “You look like you could use the rest.”
    “Mm, hmm.” He put his hand on the lid of her laptop and pushed it closed.
    “Hey.” She reached for her computer.
    He stopped her by putting his hands over hers. He noted that she wore no ring, and at that moment the absence of his own affirmed the rightness of handing that envelope of divorce papers to Becca. He’d removed the ring before moving into his own place, and now he was even more comfortable with his decision. “You can’t do your best work for me if you’re hungry and exhausted. I’ve seen too many employees try to run on fumes and fail.”
    Her fingers drummed on the table. “I’ll be fine. I still have a little energy left, and if I get hungry I think I spotted some leftover bagels in the break room.”
    For the first time in weeks, he laughed. “It’s Monday. At least it was when you first got here. Bagel day was Friday. You’d do better to use those things to hammer nails. Or to throw them at my office manager for not having already chucked them in the trash.”
    She sighed and pulled one hand away to rub her eyes. She didn’t seem to notice, and Michael didn’t mention, that their other two hands remained touching on the warm lid of her closed computer. “Okay, here’s the thing: First, better I front-load the work and get done early than the other way around. Better safe than sorry. Anyway....”
    She pulled her hand off the laptop to sweep her wavy red hair from her face, and Michael’s skin turned cold from the loss. “There’s no point in my leaving, as late as it is now. I’ll only have to come back crazy early and my apartment is a good half hour drive from here. My roommate is a