Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
Delaney
It takes everything in me not to lift my hand to my chest and make sure my heart hasn’t ripped through its confines and is now on the outside. The pounding is relentless.
I take a seat across from Al—I mean Harrison’s desk—where he’s planted himself. His jaw is tight, and he’s peering down at the sleek, dark wood desktop, where his hands rest. He’s squeezing them together so tightly that his knuckles are white.
My brain decides it’s time to take a trip down memory lane and remember how those hands made me feel. I remember how smooth they were with a few well-placed rough spots that made his touch magical as they glided across my skin that night. How, when they drifted lower, they—
“Delaney, did you hear me?”
Heat rushes to my face as if he can read my thoughts. I blink a few times to center myself and lift my gaze to meet his. God, those eyes. The way they looked at me that night.
Damn it, stop, and focus. Would you?
“Sorry about that. Could you repeat yourself?”
“I asked what you’re doing here.”
His controlled tone has an edge. Huh? I adjust my posture and straighten my shoulders.
“Um, working.”
“I mean here, in Aron Falls. At my brother’s wedding and now, at my company. Are you, uh…” He pauses and runs his hands through his hair. “Are you following me?”
Before I can stop it, a laugh erupts from me. Fortunately, there’s no snorting this time.
“I’m serious. Are you?”
Stunned, I jerk backward. My shoulders and jaw instantly tense.
“Do you really think I’m following you around? My God, I’m not a stalker. I’m here to work.”
“I’ve never seen you in Aron Falls before.”
“I just moved here.” I’m barely able to hold back the anger I’m feeling.
“Why?” His narrowed eyes scream mistrust.
Is he for real right now? Why the interrogation?
He leans forward and uses his forearms to support himself on the desk. There’s a confidence in his eyes that wasn’t there before. I’m guessing it’s because he thinks he has the upper hand here. That irks me.
“Why did I move to Aron Falls?” He nods, and I pause. “There was… I had a change in…”
I pause and consider what to say next. I didn’t get far in my studies of Human Resources, but I went far enough to know his questions are bordering on inappropriate, if not already there. I’m not obligated to tell him those details. I’ve already completed my background check to work here.
“I moved here for personal reasons, and I’m not comfortable sharing them.”
He says nothing, but his eyes search my face.
The silence stretches on for so long that I’m convinced maybe I have a booger peeking out of my nose or a spitball at the corner of my mouth.
That would be just my luck—sitting in front of my hot one-night stand, who is also apparently one of my bosses, and finding out there’s something disgusting on my face.
When I can’t stand it any longer, I move my hand with the intention of discreetly wiping my nose and mouth.
“Did we do a background check on you?”
I drop my hand back to my lap.
“Yes.”
I’m so confused why he’s asking me all these weird questions.
“You passed, or Ellie would never have let you work here.”
It’s a statement, not a question, and I don’t miss the familiarity in his voice when he speaks her name.
I know Ellie from my interview and my onboarding. She’s a gorgeous, auburn-haired woman who is as nice as can be and heads the small Human Resources team here.
My muscles tense, and an emotion I’m pretty sure is jealousy washes over me. I push against it. There’s no place for that here.
Right on the coattails of that, my heart races and my chest tightens.
Ah, panic. Now that I’m well acquainted with.
I’ve felt it often, like when Mom got out of the house or fell.
Like when I stare down at the numbers on a piece of paper that say there isn’t enough money to keep Mom where she is long-term.
I swallow past the lump in my throat and straighten my posture.
“I’d like to get back to work if there is nothing else.”
He nods and sits back in his chair. I want to run from the office, but I force myself to move at a normal pace.
I make it to the door, and right as I’m reaching for the handle, he speaks.
“One more question.”
I close my eyes, take a deep cleansing breath, then turn to face him.
“Yes?”
“Did you know who I was when you walked into the bar that night?”