Page 16 of Saving Stella
Stella froze mid-sniff.
Oh Lord.
She was standing in the middle of the sidewalk, molesting a stranger. Her head darted up as she stared into a handsome face currently drawn into a severe expression. A pair of gorgeous bright green eyes glared down at her.
Large hands gripped her upper arms as he pried her away from him. “What the hell did you think you were doing?”
She snapped out of her daze. “That child could have been hit by a car or bus!”
“And so could you!”
Placing her hands on her hips, she looked up—and she had to look way up because he was huge—and glowered at him. “I wasn’t just going to stand by and do nothing. Besides, I’m fine, aren’t I?”
“Because of me,” he pointed out, then muttered something inaudible under his breath.
“What was that?” She didn’t care how hot he was, not when he was acting so ill-mannered. Were all New Yorkers truly so rude?
“Nothing.” He waved a hand at her dismissively.
“Why, I?—”
“Miss, thank you!”
A figure darted around the behemoth, then caught Stella in a hug. “Thank you for saving my Ashley.”
“Er, you’re welcome.” She disentangled herself from the woman’s embrace. “I’m just glad she’s okay.” She was about to turn back to her giant savior, but when she glanced behind the woman, he was no longer there.
Where did he go?
There was no sign of him anywhere, like he’d just disappeared into thin air.
In fact, now that she thought about it, she didn’t even see him approach her to pick her up off the ground or recall how she’d wound up on the sidewalk and in his arms.
“Miss? Are you okay?” the woman asked.
“Yeah, I’m—late!” She was supposed to meet Devon at two thirty and it was already two thirty-five. “Sorry, I uh, gotta go!” Clutching her purse to herself, she waved at the woman. “I’m glad your kid is okay,” she shouted as she dashed across the street.
Her legs were still shaking by the time she made it into what she hoped was the correct office building. The number outside was the right one, but it seemed like any generic office lobby—expansive, modern, and impersonal. Thankfully, she spotted Mr. Owens standing by the reception desk.
“Ms. Lennon, lovely to see you again,” he greeted as he walked toward her.
“I’m sorry I’m late. I was … delayed,” she said. “I didn’t expect you to meet me down here.”
“My client is no ordinary person,” he reminded her. “He’s already here, by the way. Waiting upstairs in one of our VIP suites.” He led her to the elevators. “He needed a bit of extra time, with all the extra security measures, I’m sure you understand.”
Despite having already met him, her nerves were still frazzled. This time, she would be meeting him by herself without her parents at her side. Also, that was a short meeting and they didn’t talk about anything personal. Texting was very different from spending time together face to face. What if it turned out he was a different person once she got to know him better?
Soon, they exited and made their way through the swanky offices of Owens, Greenberg, and Abrams, which was strangely empty and quiet.
“Here we are,” the lawyer announced as they stood outside a set of austere-looking metal double doors. He grabbed a handle and opened it. “He’s inside, waiting.”
As she entered, Stella saw two people standing by the window, who turned around at the same time. She instantly recognized Charley from the photos, with her long brown hair pulled back into a ponytail and dressed simply in a white T-shirt and jeans. She smiled at Stella, and her anxiety eased—then she turned to Devon.
“Hello, Stella,” he greeted.
“Hi, Devon.” Lifting her gaze, she looked up into his sky-blue eyes. They stood there, staring at each other for the next few seconds until she spoke the first words that sprang into her mind. “It’s okay if we hug, right?”
His smile grew even wider. “Of course.”