Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
Mason's heart raced as he walked toward Vantage headquarters, his feet eating up the sidewalk in his haste to get inside. Vivi had ignored him for the rest of the afternoon yesterday, and he needed to talk with her—now.
He needed to clear the air, explain to her exactly what she’d heard.
He felt a true connection with Vivi, stronger than anything he’d ever felt with his ex.
He regretted saying what he had. It was horrible of him and incredibly immature.
Instead of being upfront with his brother, he’d played it off like it was no big deal.
But it was a huge deal. Vivi was a huge deal.
She’d swept into his life like a pint-sized hurricane, whisking his feet right out from under him. How had she gotten so deeply under his skin when no one else had ever come close? Knox was a good friend, and he felt awful for doing this to him even if it hadn’t been intentional.
Over the past twenty-four hours, he’d thought of nothing but her.
Now that they would be working together, he was faced with a really tough decision.
Did he force himself to walk away, knowing how good things were between them?
Or did he pursue her, try to change her initial impression of him and risk losing a friendship?
Knox would be pissed, there was no question of that.
He didn’t even really know this woman, but…
he couldn’t walk away from her. Not now.
He’d come up with a thousand ways to tell Knox he’d hooked up with Vivi.
Most of them ended up with him either being knocked out or fired, neither of which was a good option.
But he thought Knox deserved to know. Especially because he wanted more of Vivi… a lot more.
He knew it was wrong to want her, but he couldn’t find it in him to care.
He’d tried to talk himself out of it—God knew he had—but he couldn’t leave this thing between them unexplored.
He’d never felt like this before, completely on the edge of reason and rational thought where nothing really mattered but her.
No matter what happened between Knox and him, he had to see this thing with Vivi through.
He wasn’t entirely sure when he’d come to that conclusion; he just had.
It was a thought that had been simmering in the back of his brain since he left her cuddled up in bed Saturday morning, still warm and sated from their lovemaking.
He’d wanted to get her number then; he should have.
Now that he knew exactly who she was, it felt like everything was falling into place.
He stepped inside and scanned the lobby, disappointment coiling in his stomach when he found the room empty.
Almost belatedly, his skin tingled with heat and a sense of intuition, and less than a second later, the woman in question rounded the corner.
He started to step toward her, then froze. “Holy…”
Her gorgeous long hair had been shorn up to her shoulders.
It showed off that defiant little chin of hers, those high cheekbones, and full, perfectly plump lips.
He thought she couldn’t get more beautiful; he was wrong.
Something like challenge entered her eyes as she teased the fluttery ends of her hair with one hand. “Like it?”
Absolutely not. It exposed her elegant neck, that secret little spot no one knew about but him. Now every guy within a hundred miles was going to want her. “What did you do?”
She rolled her eyes as she strolled behind the counter of the reception desk. “What difference does it make to you?”
Because she was his—she just didn’t know it yet. He changed the subject. “Why did you lie to me at the hotel?”
Her mouth dropped open in a combination of shock and indignation. “I never lied!”
“You said you were there for one night,” he retorted as he leaned across the counter, never taking his gaze from hers. “That kind of implies you’re not from around here.”
Something like regret flashed across her features, and her eyes dropped to the desk in front of her as she busied herself with the papers strewn across the top. “Not my fault you misinterpreted my words.”
Inwardly he seethed. She’d omitted the truth, and he was still pissed about that. “You also told me your name was Virginia.”
“It is.”
Would it have made a difference if she told him her name was Vivi?
Probably not. He should have pressed and asked for her last name, but never in his wildest dreams had he ever imagined she’d be the baby sister of one of his closest friends.
He’d heard about her over the years when Knox spoke about her, but the image he remembered was that of a teen, a young girl who bore little resemblance to the woman Vivi was today.
“Anything else you didn’t tell me?”
She threw a dark look his way. “Such as?”
He had to know. “What about my brother?”
Those pretty dark eyes bore into his, filled with curiosity and wariness. “What about him?”
“You’re too smart to play dumb, Virginia.” She glared at him, and he fought the urge to round the desk and crowd her more. “There’s something going on with the two of you?”
She tipped her chin up, effectively looking down her nose at him. “And what if there is? What would it matter to you?”
Every cell in his body flashed hot and cold with pure rage. “Because I’m not about to share a woman with my brother.”
“I’m not yours—or anyone else’s—to share.” He could practically feel the anger vibrating off her tiny body from where he stood. “And you most definitely don’t get to tell me what to do.”
The woman just had a way of getting under his skin and riling him. She just loved to contradict him, do the exact opposite of what he told her. She would push and push until—
Suddenly, something clicked in the back of his brain as he recalled their night together. “Your hair.”
She tossed her head and propped one hand on her hip as she speared him with another exasperated look. “What about it?”
Had she cut her hair because he told her how much he loved it long—because he’d forbidden her to ever cut it? “You cut it because of me, because of what I said.”
She inhaled sharply, her eyes widening slightly. A second later, she blinked, her I don’t care what you think facade firmly back in place. “Wow. Conceited much?” She let out a very unladylike little snort. “I wanted to cut my hair, so I did. That’s all there is to it.”
Yeah, right. He had to fight the smile that tugged at his mouth.
His comment from Friday night, coupled with his asinine remark yesterday, had pushed her buttons.
He had every intention of apologizing for the latter, but he reveled in the knowledge that he’d affected her on such a deep level. “You look beautiful.”
Her mouth dropped open, and she blinked once. Twice. Finally, she gave a jerky little nod, confusion and surprise still swimming in those pretty dark eyes. “Th-thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” And now it was time to eat crow. “Listen, I need to talk to you about what you overheard yesterday. It—”
She lifted one shoulder. “Doesn’t make a difference to me.”
“It does,” he insisted. He needed to make her understand he hadn’t meant it. “It was a stupid thing to say, and I’m sorry.”
She cocked a brow as she peered up at him. “Then why’d you say it?”
He let out a growl of frustration. “Because I’m an idiot. Because my brother was jumping me about dating, and—”
“Sure.” She rolled her eyes. “Blame it on him instead of taking responsibility. Classic.”
“That’s not... Never mind.” He raked one hand through his hair. “I want to apologize. We work together, Virginia. We—”
“We what?” Her dark eyes blazed with molten anger, but she lowered her voice to barely a hiss. “We hooked up? Yeah, we did. It happened, and now it’s over. I have no intention of repeating it, so you can shelve your guilt or”—she waved one hand in his direction—“whatever it is you’re feeling.”
He blinked, blindsided by her vehement response. He knew he’d hurt her, but she seemed absolutely adamant that it never happen again. But what if that wasn’t what he wanted? He opened his mouth to speak, but he didn’t get a chance.
“No one can ever know about that night at the hotel. Ever.”
Harsh, but he got it. Her eyes implored him to agree, and something settled heavily in his gut. He nodded at her statement, but that didn’t mean he agreed—far from it. “I understand where you’re coming from.”
She nodded a little and straightened, sweeping one hand over her hair. “Okay. Good. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” But she didn’t move, and neither did he. For several seconds, they stared at each other, caught in their momentary truce. He knew she felt the same attraction he did, but she refused to acknowledge it. Because of his stupid statement, or was it something else?
Knox’s voice floated down the hall, breaking the moment. “Vivi, where’s that file on Mickelson?”
She threw one last glare his way before snatching up a manila file folder. “Coming.”
“You said that the other night, too.” He kept his voice low so only she could hear it, and her head snapped his way, her cheeks flaring bright pink, dark eyes snapping with fire.
“Screw you.”
He grinned, thoroughly enjoying the rise he’d gotten out of her. “Looking forward to it, princess.”