Chapter 4

• Standing behind her office door, Teegan held her hand on her chest and willed her heart to slow down and behave. What was that about? He walks into the room and you instantly begin to drool. This wasn’t like her, she didn’t go all hot and flustered around men. Why was she losing control over everything? The first thing she was doing once she got through this day was find her doctor and smack him. Since he’d changed her medication a month ago, it had been one event of “this can’t be happening” after another… which was much worse than the dreams, they at least were while she was sleeping.
• Taking a few deep breaths, she forced her body to settle down and get back to business. The door she was leaning against moved as someone came in. Peaking around it she saw Ann.
• “Hiding this early in the day?”
• Teegan nodded.
• “I brought back your file, with the changes printed out.” She gave her a puzzled look. “You okay? You look a little flushed.”
• Exhaling loudly, Teegan stepped away from the door. “Yeah, I just don’t like surprises.”
• “Surprises?” She held out the folder and leaned against the door.
• Opening the folder, she walked over to her desk. “We’re going to have one of the top dogs underfoot for a while...”
• “In addition to Broomhilda?”
• Smirking, Teegan closed the folder and sat back. “Yeah. Wes didn’t get a chance to tell me all the details before Leland McKay walked in.”
• Ann scooted over and perched on the desk. “Oh, you met him already?” She waved her hands around, “And?”
• “And... I don’t know, I almost swallowed my tongue.”
• “Really? Oh… I must go do a little surveillance and see for myself.” As she started to move, the door opened further, and in walked the topic they were just discussing.
• He stopped and smiled. “I seem to have acquired a new skill of interrupting.”
• Sitting up quickly, Teegan tried to shrug. “It’s not a problem.” She motioned to Ann. “This is our graphics designer, Ann Walters.” He moved with slow grace and ate up the distance from the door to Ann in just a few steps.
• “Leland McKay.”
• Teegan watched Ann’s reaction to him as they shook hands and was more than a little disappointed when Ann didn’t display any signs of whatever happened to her when she met him.
• Ann turned and looked at her. “I’ll get out of the way. Let me know if Wes needs anything else done with those.” She motioned to the folder sitting on Teegan’s lap.
• “Sure thing.” She watched Ann smile at the man and walk out. He walked around to the same side of the desk she sat on and leaned against it.
• “I wanted a few minutes of your time before the meeting.”
• Swallowing the lump in her throat, she tried to look normal. “For?”
• “I’ve heard a lot of bragging from Wes about your work and commitment. You may be the person I’m looking for.”
• He flashed a smile causing her heart to immediately start skipping in her chest again. “To do?” She knew she probably sounded like a simpleton using one and two-word replies, but she honestly couldn’t seem to speak more than a few words right now.
• “We’re thinking of taking on another publication and we need some strong people to lead it.”
• If she could get past those dark eyes, that seemed to be swallowing her, she would have answered him.
• “May I call you Teegan?”
• She nodded. Deciding if he wasn’t hovering over her, maybe her brain functions would return, she started to get up. The folder she’d set in her lap fluttered to the floor, pictures, and papers going everywhere. Teegan wanted to crawl under the desk and just stay there until it was time to go home. He stood up, she looked at him and shook her head. “I’m really not this pathetic most days. It’s just been one of those days.” There, she’d done it, said whole sentences.
• He chuckled. “I understand and I don’t think you’re pathetic.”
• Pushing her chair out of the way, she knelt down and began picking up the papers. She was a little surprised when he squatted down and started to help her.
• “These layouts are very good.”
• She looked over to see which one he was referring to. “Oh, that one was a nightmare, the writer wanted to go on and on. Ann almost had a breakdown trying to fit the graphics in without offending the photographer...” He had stopped and was watching her closely. “Sorry.”
• “Don’t be. I can see why Wes stays out of your way, you’re energized as soon as you speak about your work.”
• She shrugged. “It’s not really my work, I just coordinate and at times mediate.”
• Leland laughed and handed her the proofs. “You still take the lead and make sure it gets done, that’s what I need.” He got up and reached down, holding his hand out to her.
• As soon as their skin touched the shock went through her hand and up her arm, she tried to pull her hand away but he only held it tighter. On her feet again, she barely came up to his chin. Teegan waited for him to release her hand, but he didn’t. He stood there looking down at her with those dark eyes moving slowly over her face. Her pulse quickened as she tried to pretend none of this was out of the ordinary.
• “We should probably get going. It wouldn’t look good if we were the last ones to the meeting.” He smiled, drawing her eyes to his mouth, and the thought of stretching up and kissing it crashed through her mind before she could stop it. He ran his thumb across her hand, caressing, sending shivers along her skin.
• “Yes, we should.” He lowered their hands and then released hers and she felt like she could breathe again.
• “I’ll see you there shortly.”
• ~
• The six were in a circle, three were looking up at the sky.
• “Teegan, join us. Accept what you are meant to be.”
• Jerking forward in the seat, her heart was racing as she looked around the board room. All eyes in the room turned to her. Teegan felt her face flush. “Please excuse me for a moment.” As quickly as she could manage she got up and hurried out of the room.
• Almost running to the water cooler, she grabbed a cup and filled it. Then jogged, trying not to shake and spill it all before she reached her office. By the time she did get there, her hands were vibrating. This can’t happen at work. It can’t… Grabbing her purse, she dug out the pill bottle and looked at the label. Three times a day or when needed. Needed was an understatement, she had just faded away in the middle of the meeting and had no idea how long she was gone. Had she closed her eyes or was this going to start happening when she was wide awake? She attempted to get the lid off the bottle.
• “Not feeling well?”
• Spinning towards the voice, the bottle flying from her hand, she faced Leland McKay for the third time that day. “Uh, no.” Before she could move to pick up the bottle, he bent down and picked it up.
• There was a long silence as he read the label. “What are these for?”
• Not sure whether to lie or paint it pretty, she stuck with the truth. “I have dreams, the doctor thinks it might be a nerve issue.”
• He rolled the bottle over in his hand. “You don’t strike me as someone with bad nerves.”
• “Not bad, just… wired differently.”
• Leland moved over towards her but didn’t seem to be ready to hand her the bottle yet. “And you just suddenly remembered you needed to take this?”
• Chewing her lip, she tried to decide if she should tell him the truth or not. “I-I forgot with the unexpected meeting and everything...”
• “I see.” He set the bottle on the desk. “Have the doctors looked into your work habits?”
• Looking from the bottle to him, she gave him a confused look. “My work habits?” What did that have to do with her dreams? I definitely don’t dream about work.
• Leland nodded slowly. “Yes. Meaning you work all the time.” He smirked. “It’s not hard to see that, even from someone that doesn’t know you.”
• “I don’t work all the time...”
• One dark eyebrow lifted. “Don’t you?”
• Shaking her head, she picked up the bottle on the desk. “No.” Who was he to start questioning me? Isn’t he looking for someone dedicated?
• Crossing his arms, he stood there looking at her. “When was the last time you took some time off?”
• “I took last weekend off.” Why am I answering him? Oh, right, he is a board member and quite capable of taking my job and responsibilities off my hands.
• “What did you do?”
• “I ...” She had almost said she’d worked on some layout issues. “There were deadlines...”
• He chuckled, sounding very amused. “There are always deadlines in the publishing industry.”
• Does he have to do this right now? “Obviously.”
• “What are you doing for dinner?”
• Dinner? It’s barely past breakfast. “I appreciate your concern, Mister...”
• “Leland.”
• Teegan cleared her throat. “Leland, but I really do have too much to do today to...”
• “It will be a working dinner. I’d like to run a few of the projected plans by you and get your input. I don’t want to spend months here trying to set things in motion. I need input to make a decision, the sooner the better.”
• He wants my input on the new publication. Well, I’d have to be stupid six ways to say no to that. “Fine. I usually just eat here in my office, you’re welcome to join me.”
• “We’ll do it in the boardroom, there’s more space. Five o’clock.” He continued to stand there and look at her for several long seconds before he turned towards the door. “Don’t forget to take your medication.”
• When the door closed behind him, she just stood there, mouth hanging open looking at it. Picking up the pill bottle, she opened it on the first try. Of course, she was much calmer now. About the incident at least, Leland McKay was another matter entirely. The man, regardless of how sinfully appealing he was, kept her off balance, to put it mildly.