Chapter 4 - The Rain On Michigan Avenue
Ren stood in front of the lobby mirror five minutes later, frantically trying to tame her thick blonde hair with a small plastic comb.
Her single pair of dress shoes was damp from her morning commute, and her cheap black blazer suddenly felt paper-thin.
The private elevator doors opened with a quiet chime, and Damian stepped out, looking immaculate in a tailored charcoal suit and overcoat.
He held a large black umbrella in his gloved right hand, his sharp eyes taking in her shivering frame in a single glance.
“You don't have an overcoat,” Damian stated, it being more of a cold fact than a question.
“I left it at home,” Ren lied quickly, not wanting to admit that her winter coat was currently being repaired with safety pins at her apartment.
Damian didn't say a word; he simply unbuttoned his own heavy cashmere coat, unslotted his arms, and draped it around her shoulders.
The heavy fabric immediately enveloped her, carrying the intense heat of his body and the subtle scent of expensive woodsmoke and amber.
“Mr. Cole, I can’t take your coat—” Ren started, trying to push the heavy wool off her shoulders.
“Put your arms through the sleeves, Miss Ashby,” Damian ordered in his flat, command voice that allowed zero debate.
“If you freeze to death on the pavement, I’ll have to find another assistant who understands international maritime law.”
Ren swallowed hard, slipping her arms into the long sleeves, which hung well past her fingertips.
They pushed through the heavy revolving doors into the torrential Chicago rainstorm.
Damian stepped out first, opening the massive black umbrella and holding it squarely over her head, letting the freezing rain hit his own unprotected shoulder.
A black sleek sedan pulled up to the curb, its hazard lights flashing against the wet pavement.
Damian opened the heavy door for her, placing his broad hand gently over the frame to ensure she didn't bump her head stepping inside.
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As she slid onto the warm leather seat, his fingers brushed against the back of her neck for a brief, electric second.
Ren shivered, but this time it had nothing to do with the freezing October cold.
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