Plush Book 1: A Billionaire Romance Read Online Free Page A

Bryce held up his glass. “Cheers!”

Chapter Four
    A fitful night of sleep led to a zombie-like entrance to work the next morning. I wasn’t hung over but damn it if sleep deprivation mixed with a pack of anxiety riddled nightmares didn’t feel like the exact same thing. I got to my desk and slumped into my chair with my eyes still halfway closed. My coffee was cold but I slurped it down anyway, needing every last milligram of caffeine to get me through the day. As soon as my computer booted up I had a musical alert to indicate new emails. I set aside my cup and started scanning through the messages.
    Twelve of them were from Mr. Brighton, the time stamps all scattered starting from 5:00 a.m. this morning. I read through them all. None of them had any personal feel—they were all strictly business, which for some reason I couldn’t explain, felt like a relief. After my conversation with Bryce the day before, I had been worried that things had crossed a line into the personal zone with Mr. Brighton, which is a place I knew I did not want to be. He might be the most gorgeous man I’d ever seen, real life or movies, and yet, I already knew he’d be nothing but trouble if I were to ever let myself entertain anything other than a business relationship.
    I jotted down some brief notes, closed the email file, and went off in search of a refill. On the way to the company break room I spotted a man with a giant bouquet of flowers on the opposite side of the room, making his way into the cubicle maze. For some reason it stung a little to think about the unsuspecting woman who was about to receive the beautiful arrangement. I had only really been in one serious relationship and in the year plus that we were together I had never received so much as a single rose. I used to tell myself that it didn’t really matter, the flowers were just going to die and then you had to clean it all up. I would rationalize that really, my ex, Marx had been saving me from the headache of it all.
    “What an asshole,” I whispered to myself. I shook my head to rid myself of any further temptation to wander down memory lane.
    With a fresh cup of coffee I went back to my desk.
    I jumped back when I looked up from my cup to see the gigantic bouquet of flowers I had seen in the arms of the delivery man moments before, now sat straight in the middle of my desk. I swooped into my cubicle, sat my coffee mug down, and ripped the tag off the vase.
    “Thank you.”
    I flipped it over. “Really? That’s it?” I asked out loud to no one in particular, seeing it was blank on the other side.
    My racing heart knew exactly who they were from, but I still wanted confirmation, in writing, that this was all really happening.
    Wait? What was happening ? Technically, nothing. But it sure felt like more than that.
    A group of people walked by and I had the strangest sense that they had already gone by once before. They all started whispering to each other as soon as they passed me. I couldn’t hear what they were saying but I saw their heads all bent together. One shot a glance back in my direction and I hurried to duck back into my cubicle.
    I sat down on the edge of my desk and let out a sigh.
    “What the hell am I going to do with you?” I turned to see Bryce staring at the flowers and then back to me with a stupid grin on his face. “Three days in and you’re already the center of the entire buzz around here.”
    “Yes, I’m quite proud. Such an achievement.” I rolled my eyes.
    He laughed and sat on my chair. “It’ll blow over, trust me.”
    “What are they all saying about me?”
    He paused for a moment, as if considering how best to break the news. “Don’t worry about it. Just keep your chin up.”
    I frowned at him, unsure why he wouldn’t elaborate. I wanted to pry for more information but I was suddenly reminded that while Bryce and I were acquaintances, he was still technically my superior and it probably wouldn’t be the best thing to