Chapter 10 Whitney #2
“I’ll be back in my office if you need me,” Theo says when we get to my desk. His voice is low, almost defeated, which is a shame given the win he just achieved in the conference room.
I fall into my chair and purse my lips to the side. Theo disappears into his office before I can say anything, again closing the door behind him.
I feel out of sorts, even though I know he’s respecting the boundary I created and trying to give me space. I’ve grown so used to our friendly work relationship that everything feels empty now that it’s gone.
Running my fingers through my hair a few times, I rub my fingernails against my scalp, trying to ease some tension before returning to work.
After a few good deep breaths, I feel ready to tackle the rest of my to-do list over the next few hours.
I bury myself in my tasks, only stopping to refill my water cup or to use the bathroom.
Fifteen minutes before the end of the workday, I’m finalizing a document when I hear the intercom on my phone buzz.
“Whitney?” Theo says my name.
He has barely talked to me all day, and then he waits untilI’m almost finished to summon me? With a frustrated look toward the ceiling, I push my chair back and walk into his office, not bothering to knock at the closed door as I push it open and saunter in. “Yes?”
Theo holds out a piece of paper in response. I narrow my eyes but cross the floor to his desk and accept the paper he’s offering me. I scan over the details and then look at him in confusion.
“What is this?”
“An itinerary. I will need you to block off those dates on the note attached. My mother is hosting a charity gala, and I’ll need to attend.”
“Okay,” I say when I accept it. “Why the itinerary, though?”
Theo hits me with his warm eyes, and my insides melt. “I was hoping you’d be able to come with me. My mother told me to bring a plus one.”
“As your assistant?”
“Of course.”
I’m glad I’m not wearing my workout watch today.
If I were, I think I’d be getting an alert about an irregular heart rate right about now.
“For the whole weekend?” Theo nods slowly as he watches me, gauging my reaction.
I swallow thickly and then glance down at the dates. “I should be able to make these work.”
It’s a Friday through Sunday trip, which would be a quick turnaround for the following week.
I have no idea what kind of charity gala this is or what to expect.
I’ve never been to anything fancier than a wedding at the botanical garden.
Mr. Peterson always attended his work events alone, and I never received an invite.
“Excellent,” Theo says, then picks up his phone before typing a message. I stand there and wait, still confused about the whole thing.
“Theo?”
“Hmm?” he murmurs, still looking at his phone.
My heart feels like it’s in my throat when I say, “I was thinking we could talk…about the thing you emailed about.”
Theo pauses and then slowly sets his phone down on the desk. “Okay.” He takes a deep breath and then presses his lips into a line thoughtfully before saying, “I want to apologize.”
“For what?” I ask, my voice coming out a little breathy.
“For—” He hesitates and narrows his eyes as he thinks about it, darting his gaze to his office door, which I stupidly left open, before landing back on me. I don’t imagine anyone will walk in, but we’re not the only people on this floor. “Everything, I suppose.”
I blink at him. “What if I don’t want you to be sorry?”
Theo tilts his chin up and looks at me curiously. “What does that mean?”
I shrug up one shoulder but then shake my head. “I don’t know.”
“Whitney.” He draws out my name so that it sounds much sexier than it should. “I need you to be honest with me. Tell me exactly what’s going through your head right now.”
I stay silent for another minute, processing what I want to say to him. Finally, I settle on, “I missed talking with you today. I don’t like it when your door is closed.”
Theo dips his chin. “Okay, noted.”
“And I don’t want you to email me on the weekends because then you seem to consume my every waking thought, and I just work myself up overthinking everything until I get to see you on Monday,” I blurt out, though I keep my voice soft so I know only he can hear me.
It’s been weighing on me all day, and I might as well put it out there.
“Because I think I feel the same way you do, even though I don’t know what that is. ”
Theo’s watching me, his expression is apprehensive, but I can tell he is soaking up every word that comes from my mouth.
“I have never been this—” I pause, trying to find the right word. “Conflicted about anyone before. We both obviously know the boundaries we’d be pushing if we pursue anything together, but at the same time, I can’t imagine us not.”
Theo pushes himself out of his chair, rounds his desk, and saunters up to me until I have to crane my neck to see him. His brown eyes seem to trace every feature of my face. Slowly, his hand rises to cup my cheek, and I can’t help but lean into his touch.
He looks deep in thought as he gazes down at me. His thumb strokes my cheek tenderly, and I want to cry at how intimate this moment is. “We should probably stop this while we’re ahead,” he says, his voice low too. “That’s what I was going to say when I emailed you that we should talk.”
My throat feels sick as I nod. “Okay. That’s probably for the best.”
“That’s what I was going to say,” he corrects, emphasizing the past. “But now, I don’t know. I think I’m just as conflicted as you are.”
“What do we do?”
“I don’t know,” he says. “I like working with you. I like you being the first person I get to see in the mornings.”
“Except for Charlotte,” I tease.
He breathes a laugh. “Except for Charlotte. But we both know the policy. No work relationships.”
“So maybe we just…see what happens? Outside of work?” I suggest hesitantly, unsure if this will be enough of a gray area that he’ll be on board with.
He nods twice. “I think that might work. As long as you are okay with that.”
A weight feels like it lifts off my chest, and I exhale like I can finally breathe again. Theo’s still holding my cheek so tenderly that I never want to move from this position. “I like that idea,” I whisper, looking at him through my eyelashes.
Theo’s eyes darken ever so slightly, and he steps closer to me.
“Whitney,” he begins, saying my name in the way that only he can.
“I want to kiss you right now. If you don’t want this tonight, I need you to tell me.
There will be no repercussions. We can end whatever this is right here, right now, or slow it down. You hold the reins.”
I swallow thickly as I stare into his warm eyes. He means it; I know he does. He’s giving me an out, a chance to back out before we both fall in too deep too quickly. Maybe if I were smarter, I’d take his offer, slow this down, and ease into it a little more.
But I don’t. My heart wants to step on the gas and go full throttle.
“The door is open,” I whisper.
Theo raises an eyebrow and a wicked smile appears on his lips. “Yeah?” he asks in challenge. “Tell me what you want me to do, Whitney.”
My lips part with a gasp as if I’m shocked I willingly agree to this, but I give a slight nod of my head. “I want you to kiss me.”
Theo’s eyes dilate, and then he closes the distance between us, not wasting any more time. He captures my lips in a wild, controlling kiss. The kind of kiss that only comes from desire which has been dampened for too long.
My back arches the minute his mouth is on mine, and I make a wanton sound low in my throat. Any other time, I’d be embarrassed at the sound, but currently? My mind is too focused on how Theo feels about me to care.
I wrap my arms around his neck and press myself against him, trying to get closer. He groans low in his throat as I kiss him back with just as much fervor.
This is so wrong. So out of pocket and against the rules. But it’s driving me mad. My body lights up within seconds and all I want is to be closer to him. I want his arms to wrap around me tighter and hold me to him like he never wants to let me go.
Too quickly, he’s putting space between us and breaking our lips apart. “Okay,” he says before pecking my lips again. “Okay. Let’s slow down a bit, baby.”
I can’t help the whimper that escapes me. Theo’s hands cup my face, brushing away the stray hairs lingering on my forehead.
“I don’t want to get too ahead of ourselves,” he whispers. I force myself to nod in agreement. I know he’s making the right decision here, no matter how much I dislike it.
I step away from him and straighten my shirt. Theo clears his throat and watches me appreciatively. My cheeks burn, but this time it is more from desire than embarrassment. If Theo hadn’t stopped me, I don’t know how far I would’ve taken things.
Kissing him was more than I could’ve ever imagined. Like a million shooting stars traveling across the night sky. Magical. Enchanting. Everything.
And now that I know what it’s like to kiss Theo Hurst, I can easily see myself not wanting to ever stop.
We each share a quiet smile and then slide back into our business modes without mentioning the explosive kiss we shared. I go back to my desk and gather my things. When I’m ready to leave, Theo has his stuff and is waiting for me.
Together, we walk down the hallway toward the elevator. I can still feel the electricity sparking between us, though we stand on opposite sides of the cab as it takes us down to the ground level. We don’t push the limits again today.
Theo gives me one last lingering look when we’re in the lobby. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Whitney.”
God, I want to kiss him again. Already, I’m counting down the moments until I can feel his lips against mine. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” I say back.
Theo winks at me, sending my heart into a sporadic rhythm, before walking out the front doors of the building and sliding into the backseat of the black sedan waiting for him. This time I watch him drive off. When he’s gone, I go to the parking garage and get in my car.
That night, when I snuggle up in bed, I can’t help but smile as I remember the weight of Theo’s lips against mine. He’s all I can think about as I fall asleep.
We may be making a big mistake not drawing the line, but right now, I just can’t find it within myself to care.