“You can stay if you want,” I offer.
He doesn’t pause. “I should get back to mine. Need some sleep before work tomorrow. I have the meeting with Sir Whitmore first thing.”
“Sure.” I shrug, pretending my heart didn’t just sink a little at his casual dismissal. And why should it? This is just sex, right?
“Do I get a lie-in tomorrow morning?” I joke, stretching lazily. “Surely what we did earns me a few extra hours of beauty sleep.”
He lifts a brow, his face a mask of detachment. It’s like watching him slip back into his CEO persona right before my eyes. “That’s not part of the arrangement. We have a full schedule tomorrow.”
I roll my eyes, annoyed. It’s not like I’d actually be late, but would it kill him to play along?
“Hey, I was thinking I should go to that meeting. With Sir Whitmore? If you want me to help with his concerns.”
“Not this one. HR’s presence can’t be justified at this stage. We need to keep it streamlined.”
I bite back my annoyance. I think I should be there, but fine, it’s his call as the boss. The only way this . . . whatever it is . . . can work is if we’re both professional. I’m not going to feel rejected. I’m not.
I get up, wrapping my robe around me as I walk him to the door.
“How about we do this next Thursday?” Liam asks at the door, all business-like. As if we’re scheduling a bloody quarterly review.
“Sure, I’ll pencil it in the HR calendar. ‘Thursday evening: Get shagged by the boss.’ Should I set it as a recurring event?”
He lifts a brow, his lips twitching slightly. “You always this sarcastic after sex?”
“Only when it’s this awkward,” I retort. “What, am I supposed to act like this is totally normal?”
He sighs, running a hand through his hair. “It doesn’t have to be awkward, Gemma. It’s just sex.”
“Right. Just sex. With my boss. Shall I expect a nice bouquet of flowers from Rosie? Should I just pick them up myself and charge the company credit card?”
He sighs again, like he doesn’t find me funny. I don’t know if I’m joking.
He reaches out, tilting my chin up with his finger. For a moment, I think he might kiss me, but he doesn’t. “I’ll see you at work,” he says softly.
“Yeah, see you,” I mumble, watching him walk away.
As I close the door, I lean against it, letting out a long breath. I feel like I’ve been hit with an electric shock after sleepwalking through life, emails, and work, consumed by the daily grind. That’s what being with Liam makes me feel like. Alive.
I can’t slip back into being my old self, someone who’s mopey and afraid of getting hurt. Liam can compartmentalize and look how far it’s gotten him. He’s a bloody billionaire. If he can do it, so can I.
I just need to build a fortress around my heart when I’m at the office. Just because we’ve had a few mind-blowing orgasms together doesn’t mean I have to turn into a puddle of goo.
This is good for me. I’ll fuck him out of my system, help him win the bid, then leave. And I’ll never have to see him again.
CHAPTER 31
Gemma
Thankfully, there’s no queueat Jimmy’s Comfort Cup cart, which is a godsend considering how desperately I need my caffeine fix this morning.
“Gemma.” Jimmy beams at me, all chipper and annoyingly awake. “You look tired, love. Rough night?”
Is it that obvious I’m shagged out?
Part of me thinks last night was a fever dream. I have had vivid fantasies about Liam before. But the delicious ache between my thighs and the stubble rash all over my body suggest that it was very real.
I rub my chin, wincing slightly. I had to cake on the makeup this morning, and my skin is still red. I look like I’ve been snogging a hedgehog.
