Shiver. by Kate (best romance novels of all time TXT) 📕

vacant.” His words surprised me, and I let them sink to the bottom of my heart with all of my other problems.

“Could you come here and let us in then, I’m sure I could let you see that every month was paid on time and verification that I live here.” My mind raced and became frustrated, but I didn’t let him know, I didn’t let Janette know either.

“I don’t have any more meetings today, so I’ll start heading over now,” he told, something in his voice was playful and it caught me. He hanged up before I could reply so I simply hand over the phone back to Janette the bang my head lightly on the elevator. Janette sensed that we had to go back down so she pressed the bottom then we headed down.

“Our clubbing plans are ruined aren’t they,” she pouted, but her eyes shined at the chance to see the male god again. I rolled my eyes and hoped for the day to be over.

“Everything is ruined,” I responded to her even though she didn’t ask anything. She shook her head then pulled me out of the elevator when the doors opened. We waited a rough 5 minutes for Mr. West to get here. My eyebrows rose, but I said nothing and then lead them back into the elevator. Janette on the other hand was all over him asking him about his day and telling him about hers.

“Oh yeah, Ivy you looked like you wanted to get out of work fast why,” she asked at the wrong time. I gave her the evil eye, but then shook my head when she smirked.

“I got fired for being, quote on quote, ‘ugly, stupid,and plain,’” I told with a slight laugh at how I did the little quote things with my index and middle fingers.

“Your boss I never liked him. Wait does that mean he is hiring a supermodel or something,” she asked not letting the subject go. I sighed knowing how stubborn she could be so I didn’t argue against telling her.

“A clients daughter, and from meeting her once, I know for a fact that she dropped out of high school her senior year, ‘it’s to troublesome,’ she says,” I replied trying to forget the fact that Mr. West is here, but I couldn’t when he laughed the musical laugh again.

“Well good thing you have your own company, it means you don’t have to go to any interviews or find a new job. I don’t even know why you got this one,” she inquired trying to show me off to Mr. West. I blushed when I noticed he was staring at me with an impressed raised eyebrow.

“Okay Janette, enough.” Before she could stubbornly reply we reached the penthouse where I typed in the code and it opened. Without stepping out I turned on my heel and starred at Mr. West.

“You are so weird,” I implied knowing he set this up, no evidence, but I knew from my gut. The edges of his lips bowed up into a small smile.

“Shall we go in,” he said instead of denying it, he knew what I meant by calling him weird. I stepped into my apartment and didn’t bother to push Mr. West back into the elevator before it closed. Janette would love his company.

“I’m going to sketch, then shower, then sleep, don’t interrupt my process Mr. West, I do this every night when I get home,” I advised once all three of us were in the living room that was connected with the elevator.

“Please take her seriously, or I’ll be up for nights listening to her complaining about how your one word made her lose the idea that would’ve sold to tons of brides. By the way, she designs bridal gowns if you hadn’t figured it out from my last sentence,” Janette commented making me roll my eyes then walk to my room. Mr. West and Janette stayed in the living room talking about work things, which I was glad I was out of, I didn’t want to go back to business mode at all today. After shutting my door I locked it, for some reason I didn’t trust Mr. West, he seemed dangerous and mysterious, also troubled like me. I changed into a comfortable silk nightgown that flowed to the floor, I didn't like those short slutty things girls usually sleep in. Picking up my pencil, shading colors, and my sketch book I go back out to the living room trying to ignore Mr. West’s staring, and then I continued out to the balcony. Even though there was wind it didn’t set my pages flying so I enjoyed it here. Without looking for inspiration I had already found an idea for my latest dress. A Grecian dress with a band around the waist that was braided together, it had drapes of silk from the back and was a one shoulder piece with a small braid band setting it on the shoulder. I felt something on my shoulder and looked up to find a hand, one that could only belong to a rich man, you could tell by the expensive ring on the thumb. I turned around completely in my chair and looked at Mr. West.

“Can I help you, Mr. West,” I asked while swiveling in the chair while I hugged my knees like a kindergartener. Something about my manner made him relax, like how I didn’t want to be in business mode, neither did he.

“You look cold,” he stated as if it was a fact then draped his coat over my shoulders. He didn’t say anything else then left. I wasn’t in the mode to chase people, because I didn’t want to trip on the way, so I went back to shading in my dress with thoughts of his relaxed eyes never leaving the back of my lids.

I went back inside after getting three good sketches of modern and classic bridal gowns. On the couch inside was Mr. West sitting back with his eyes closed. I tapped on his shoulder then jumped back as his eyes blinked open and starred at me. My hand was extended out from me with his coat in front of him, I waited for him to take it, but he never did. I ran my hand through my light blonde hair and hug the coat to me, because it was cold.

“Is your hair natural Ivy,” Mr. West asked me throwing me off guard when he said my name.

“Please call me Ms. Blair, and yes I was born with this hair color,” I replied then left the coat on the seat next to him then whispered thank you in his ear before leaving him to go to my room. Before I closed my door I peeked out and watched him leave with a mysterious smile on his face. He’s up to no good, I thought to myself as I put my sketch pad and pencils away then whisked away to the bathroom. I took a hot shower to cure all my worries of this day, because I knew that new ones would come tomorrow. After my shower I cuddled and curled up in my bed wishing I would wake up with a hangover rather than with thoughts of Mr. West in my mind.
chapter two

However the next morning my wish hadn’t come true and the Valentino suit, mysterious smile, relaxed eyes, and the warmth of his coat was all my mind was warped around. I reminded myself that I couldn’t think about him yet, I didn’t even know his first name. I shook my head and popped out of bed and walked out to the living room where I found a drunken Janette passed out on the couch. Well thankfully she didn’t make me go with her, I thought as I poked her sleeping body. When she didn’t respond I knew I would make something fun of this.

“Oh my god, Mr. West, why don’t you have a shirt on,” I yelled exaggerating every word, then laughed uncontrollably as she fell off the couch panicking to get a good glimpse of the Mr. West that wasn’t there.

“Not nice Ivy, not nice at all. Besides you’re the one totally smitten. I never saw you let someone look at your sketches that long before they are finished, besides me of course,” she retorted to my joke. I stuck my tongue out at her then walked over to the kitchen where I retrieved an apple and then started making coffee. I left my apple on the bar counter while I went back into my room to change. Walking into my closet I find my Blouson dress with split long sleeves. It’s my favorite dress to wear to my company because it’s light and airy and a light blue that matches my eyes. I picked out light blue studded wedges to go with the dress. I quickly changed into that outfit then did my make-up very lightly to match, and I did it all before the coffee was done. The machine just beeped as I stepped into the kitchen. I made myself a coffee to go, then made Janette an iced coffee and then remedied up something to eat for her hangover. I left it on the counter where I picked up my apple and was ready to go, of course after retrieving my purse and sketch books, several of them actually. As I stepped out of the elevator I waved at the doorman with an apple in my hand. As walked over to Janette’s car I tripped over my own feet almost falling to the ground. Wait I should’ve hit the ground, then the arm that was snaked around my waist moved a little causing me to understand. Someone saved me. I turned on my heel to meet with a freshly shaved chin, because of my height difference with whoever this was. Looking up I saw the same lips play into yet another mysterious smile, and without looking at the whole face I registered this person as Mr. West.

“Is Mr. West always rescuing people so early in the morning,” I asked looking away so I could hide my blush, but his arm was still keeping me tight to him. When he let go of me I backed away one step and kept looking away, my hairstyle didn’t help me much because all of my hair was in a ponytail keeping my light blonde hair away from my face. His mysterious smile turning into a regular smile you give to someone you like as a friend. Some of my sketch books were slipping from my hands so I stumbled again trying to keep them up while not letting my purse fall off my shoulder, also keeping the coffee in my other hand from spilling.

“Um, Mr. West