8. Chapter 8 #2
But she also knew she shouldn’t intrude on her brother’s love life. He deserved to have personal time with his girlfriend. Just like Sarah deserved to have her own time away.
She sighed. “Think I’ll stay home today. I won’t see her. Don’t care what she thinks.”
She finished setting out the three plates of breakfast. By the time Carly returned, the flowers had been redistributed, and they were not brought up again.
When Carly and Nigel went off on their date, Sarah settled in for a day of movies and maybe a long, hot bath with that book she couldn’t be bothered to read the day before.
With any luck, her boss wouldn’t text her with a last-minute need for her professional services.
Sarah needed the time to herself – toxic thoughts not included.
The doorbell rang at nine that night. Nigel and Carly weren’t back yet.
“We’re hanging out at a bar with some of her friends.
See you later tonight,” was the text Sarah received two hours before.
Fine with her. She didn’t mind having the place to herself for the whole day.So when the doorbell rang at nine, and she was all alone? Fuck. That.
“I’m not answering you, Ms. Blackbourne.” The doorbell rang again. Sarah didn’t need X-ray vision to know Luca stood on the other side. “You will deal with being stood up on a date I never agreed to.”
Well, maybe it wouldn’t be too bad to check out what it was. Just in case it wasn’t Luca.
Ha! How stupid of her. Of course, it was Luca. Dressed in a fetching black pantsuit with a sapphire blue camisole beneath her jacket. Isn’t she cold? Really. She wore a hint of makeup that only made her eyes more blue. Or maybe that was the camisole killing Sarah.
And that piercing gaze that loved eating at Sarah’s soul? Currently boring a pothole in her sanity, traffic not redirected.
Luca’s gaze only faltered when she glanced up, eyes landing directly on the only bouquet left in the living area. “I knew you got my message,” she muttered.
Sarah tried to shut the door. The damn thing got stuck, giving Luca enough time to put her hand out and hold it.
“You enjoy standing people up, Ms. Clayborn?”
Really? Typical. Sarah could growl right back at her. “It’s not standing you up if I never agreed to see you to begin with.”
“It didn’t have to be a date.”
Sarah had to do a double-take. Did most women dress like that to non dates? Oh, of course they did. She should have known that by now. “Sure, and I’m a humble servant girl.”
“Have I done something to offend you?”
“Well, for one, how the hell do you know where I live?” Something she’d been pondering for most of the day.
“I have my ways of finding things out.” Luca leaned against the doorway. “It also helps to work in the same office as you and have certain permissions.”
“So you were snooping for details.”
“Again, have I done something to offend you?”
“Ms. Blackbourne,” Sarah knew how to have a backbone.
She wasn’t afraid to erect it and stand her ground.
“I would prefer to keep our relationship strictly professional. It can’t be helped that we’re working in the same office.
I’m afraid the woman you met last week is not available at this time.
If you have work-related issues you would like to take up with me, however, then I may be open to a professional conversation. ”
“I’ve got a professional topic of discussion for you, Ms. Clayborn.
” Did Luca think Sarah would drop her panties for a growl like that?
Yes. If I didn’t have control of myself right now?
Yes. Fuck me. “How about this ridiculous amount of sexual tension we’re dealing with?
What are we going to do about that, hm?”
Sarah had expected something like that out of her mouth. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Any inappropriate sexual feelings you have for me are entirely one-sided.”
“Really?” Luca stepped forward into the apartment. Sarah likewise took a single step back. “Please tell me how we have a night like Saturday’s and not deal with tension at work?”
Sarah swallowed. “That’s different. I wasn’t… we weren’t…”
Luca loomed over her. “You weren’t yourself, is that it?”
Don’t look her in the eye. “No. I wasn’t. I was blowing off some steam. That’s all it was. I honestly never thought I would see you again.”
“Well, you have seen me again, and I would like some answers before I decide I no longer have an attraction to you, Ms. Clayborn. That’s all I’m really asking for.”
“Answers?”
“Just tell me the truth about what you were doing at a club like that and seducing someone like me, and I’ll let it all go. Even if I don’t like the answer.”
She considered that for a moment. “Not now. Not here. I’m sorry, but this is not an appropriate situation.”
“Fine. Then tomorrow. Lunch. Assuming Danica lets you have a damn lunch without work being on the table.”
“Whatever.”
“We’ll go somewhere private where nobody will care that you and I are conversing. Your boss doesn’t have to know.”
“She better not. I would be mortified.”
Was that surprise in those stony blues? Sarah was trying not to look at them, lest she lose her will-power around this woman she had a sex dream about as little as twelve hours ago.
“I don’t mean to embarrass you.”
“Well, you have. Suppose it can’t be avoided, huh?”
“Suppose not.”
They stood in silence. Sarah wrapped her robe tighter around her body before turning completely away.
“I suppose I’ve been a bit forward since revealing my knowledge.” Luca cleared her throat. “I’m sorry. It was never my intention to make you uncomfortable.”
“Doesn’t help that I thought you were married until yesterday.”
“Yes, well…the divorce was recent, and we managed to keep the details out of the press. I prefer it that way.”
Wouldn’t most people? “How recent?”
Luca scoffed. “Nine months ago. Well before I met you.”
“I didn’t mean to imply…”
“But you’ve implied enough already.”
Since when did this turn around on Sarah? “Sorry. Sounds like we’ve both had a misunderstanding.”
“To be fair,” Luca straightened out her jacket, “if I were in your shoes, I could see where it might be a bigger misunderstanding.”