Chapter 37
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
CHLOE
“ D o you have the file for this morning’s meeting?”
Roman’s large frame fills his office doorway, the intensity of his focus setting my heart fluttering in a way I wish I could control.
Forcing a professional smile, I find the file on my desk and hold it up. “I was about to bring it in.”
He strides toward me and plucks it from my hand. After flicking through it, he nods. “Nice work.” Without another look or a single word more, he turns and retreats toward his office.
A hot knife slices through me. Lola was right. I need to look after my mental health and focus on doing this job to the best of my abilities. And I need to stop tying myself in knots over Roman. Even if the distance between the two of us feels greater now than when I first started working for him.
That’s reality, though, and I don’t need a reminder of why I wanted this position to start with. Dad’s condition has already begun to improve, and Carol’s been amazing. It puts my mind at ease knowing he’s not alone at home all day.
I wouldn’t have that if it wasn’t for this job, so that’s what I’ll focus on. Not the way Roman’s white shirt stretches across his wide shoulders and the firm planes of his chest. A chest I’ve trailed my fingers over, pressed my lips to, tasted.
The memories send a confused butterfly winging its way around my stomach.
In response, I let out a frustrated breath, causing him to stop at his door. He turns and studies me in a way that still has the power to accelerate my pulse. Rather than question me, he checks his watch.
“What time is Wright Construction getting here?”
“They’ll be here at one thirty.”
“Okay.” He regards me for a long moment, his jaw tightening, then he steps into his office and closes the door behind him.
My shoulders sag. But I force down my disappointment and focus on my screen, determined to work through my painfully mixed emotions.
When one thirty rolls around, I follow Roman into the meeting room, where the team from Wright is already gathered, taking the seat beside his at the head of the table.
The gorgeous woman directly across from me—with dark auburn hair, green eyes, and black-rimmed glasses that make her look like a sexy librarian—introduces herself as a member of Wright’s legal team. Smart and beautiful.
When Roman leans close to speak to her, jealousy twists into a barbed knot in my stomach. I do my best to ignore it, even though the breathless little laugh she gives in response only drives the jagged edges of that knot deeper.
I can’t even blame her. Who wouldn’t be breathless in such close proximity to him?
This jealousy is immature and stupid. If only I’d been smart enough—or strong enough—to resist the desire to touch him, to taste him, to know what it’s like to be with him. To stop myself from seeing him, even for a moment, as anything more than my boss.
I’m pulled from my increasingly depressing thoughts when the man in the seat next to me clears his throat. “It’s good to see you again, Chloe.”
More than happy to be distracted, I turn, recognizing him now that I’m paying attention.
“Ethan,” he reminds me.
With a nod, I smile. “I remember.”
“I’m not going to lie, I was hoping to hear from you,” he says. “I kept telling myself you must have lost my card.” The laugh that escapes him is good-natured.
Guilt prickles over me. With sandy brown hair and warm blue eyes, he’s handsome, and when he gave me his card at our last meeting, I was impressed by how genuinely nice he seemed. I might have even taken him up on his offer of a drink, if not for the incident in the elevator afterward. Being trapped there with Roman changed things.
“I still have it,” I say. “Sorry, life just…”
“Got away from you?” He grins, the expression causing a dimple to pop in his cheek.
My heart clenches. “Something like that.”
Our conversation is interrupted when Roman shoves back his chair and stands.
When I turn his way, he’s not looking at me, but his brows are lowered, and an emotion that feels a lot like annoyance rolls off him in waves as he scans the table. “Let’s get this meeting started.”
As usual, every eye is fixed on him as he launches into a discussion about the progress of the office building the King Group and Wright Construction are partnering on.
I cock my head as I assess him. Something is off. His tone is sharper than usual, his usually smooth and efficient movements choppy. It’s subtle, but I’m so attuned to his every move by now, it’s hard for me to ignore.
At one point, he focuses on me, pausing long enough that my pulse jumps, and then he moves on.
Eventually, he opens the floor to discussion, and the moment he sits, the woman next to him eagerly leans in to murmur in his ear again.
Seriously, does she need to be that close to be heard?
His eyes meet mine and glint dangerously. Are my thoughts being broadcast on my face?
I turn away. I don’t want to be this needy, jealous person. When the meeting ends, I quickly stand and gather my things so I can leave before Roman and the gorgeous lawyer lady do. Ethan smiles at me as he follows suit. He trails me out, but before I can give him a farewell wave, he maneuvers me away from the people loitering outside the room.
Instantly, I sense what’s coming. I’m not sure how to feel about it and I’m all mixed up inside, my emotions going haywire.
He shoves his hands in his pockets and dips his head, looking at me through long eyelashes. He really is good-looking in a charmingly boyish way.
“So, if you kept my card, can I hope that means you didn’t totally disregard my invitation?”
My stomach flips, and I hug my tablet to my chest. “I didn’t.”
Behind him, Roman appears in the hallway. Lawyer lady is still talking to him, so when he glances over, I quickly force myself to focus on Ethan again.
There’s no future between Roman and me. And the longer I dwell on it and wish there could be, the longer I pretend I could rewrite what we’ve shared, the worse it’ll be.
Ethan seems nice, and so what if he doesn’t give me butterflies the way Roman does? He might, once I get to know him. Now that Dad’s feeling better and Carol is around, perhaps I can actually expand my social life a bit.
I smile at the man watching me with hope in his eyes. “I’ve been caught up in work, but I should have more free time now.”
He scrubs his hand through his hair. “In that case, would you like to go out to dinner with me Wednesday night?”
It’s been a long time since I’ve been on an actual date. Carol has already mentioned she’s happy to stay later with Dad if I ever want to go out. She’s divorced, and now that her daughters are grown and out of the house, she swears she has too much time on her hands. So I have no excuse not to. And there’s nothing holding me back except a pointless crush on my boss.
Except it’s much more than a crush .
I shove that thought down. The label I assign it makes no difference.
With a deep breath in, I will myself not to look at Roman. “That would be lovely.”
Grinning, he whips his phone out of his pocket and hands it to me. “Great. Give me your number and I’ll call and organize it.”
Awareness shivers over my skin as I plug my number into the device. A hot, prickly sensation that makes it feel as though what I’m doing is wrong.
It’s not. This is exactly what I should be doing—not letting what happened between Roman and me change anything.
Ethan takes his phone back and gives me a parting grin before heading for the elevator.
Avoiding Roman’s stare, I turn away and walk briskly back toward my desk outside his office. The whole way there, I sense him behind me. His presence a heat against my back, a pressure that makes the hairs rise on my nape. It feels ominous in the best possible way. Like he might grab me at any moment, push me against a wall, kiss me, touch me.
But as I reach my desk, he stalks past me into his office and slams the door behind him.
Heart stuttering, I blink. I’ve never seen him lose his cool at work like that. The meeting went well, so I can’t imagine that’s what’s put him in this mood. Maybe something happened beforehand. That would explain his odd agitation during it.
After a moment of hesitation, I walk to his door and knock.
“Yes?” He barks.
When I enter, he’s standing with his back to the window, hands on his hips, and staring straight at me. “What’s the problem, Miss Callahan?”
I almost flinch. Are we back to that now? Even with the distance between us over the last week, I didn’t expect we’d revert to last names. I study the tight set of his jaw. Is it possible he has a problem with me talking to Ethan?
“You seem angry. I thought I should check to see if there was an issue that came up during the meeting that you need me to deal with.”
“The meeting was fine,” he bites out.
His tone has me pulling my shoulders back and tilting my chin up to meet his guarded gray gaze head-on. “Then is there something else I can help you with?”
Jaw working and nostrils flaring, his eyes trap mine with a force I can’t ignore. Then, with a harsh exhale, he scrubs both hands through his hair. “No, Chloe. You can’t help me with anything.”
He turns his back, the muscles of his shoulders taut.
The desire to help him is fierce, but it’s obvious he doesn’t want anything I have to offer.
I let out a breath. “Okay, then. I’ll let you get back to… uh, work.” Considering he’s staring out the window, I don’t know what work he’s actually doing. But I’m sure it won’t take him long to get over whatever’s bothering him. “Let me know if there’s anything you need.”
I turn to slip out, but his low voice stops me before I can turn the door handle. “Thank you, Chloe.”
I look over my shoulder, surprised by the almost hollow tone of his words. He’s facing me again, watching me with an intensity that leaves me breathless.
“For what?”
His chuckle is dry. “For being you. For caring, even when you shouldn’t.”
An ache throbs beneath my ribs. I have no idea what he’s trying to say, but I dip my chin in acknowledgment. “You’re welcome, Roman.”
Then I leave, closing his door softly behind me.