“Kate.” Without thinking, I covered her hand with mine. The feel of her skin against mine sent tiny pinpricks from the tips of my fingers straight up my arm.
I’d never experienced anything like it.
As much as I would have liked to analyze the feeling, I had more pressing matters to attend to. “I have a solution to both our problems.”
She lifted her gaze from where my hand rested on hers. Her brows pulled together. “You do?”
“Yeah.” For whatever reason, my mouth had gone dry. I licked my lips and swallowed a few times. “Marry me.” Her eyes almost bugged out of her skull, and I quickly added, “Just for pretend.”
Gaze boring into mine, she studied me for a few long, long seconds. Then she slowly pulled her hand out from under mine.
“No.”
Chapter six
Kate
Tristan was the biggest freaking asshole. And I was a damn idiot. What the hell was I thinking spilling my guts to him like that? Maybe I could blame my lack of judgment on Eleanor and Bryce.
If I hadn’t seen them standing in the entrance of the café, I wouldn’t have slid into the booth. And Tristan wouldn’t have a window into my private life.
“Ugh.”
Shoving all regrets of my disastrous morning aside, I strode into Livingston and Thornburg determined to focus on nothing but work. Which, thankfully, there was always enough of when I was a legal secretary to the most sought-after attorney at the most prestigious law firm in the country.
It was easy to keep my mind busy by going through my mental to-do list while I waited for the elevator. Tristan was in the process of bringing another big client on board, which meant endless hours of research and sifting through their finances.
I didn’t mind. I loved my job. I’d always been fascinated with law, but I didn’t have it in me to become a lawyer.
Not the cutthroat kind you clearly needed to be to make it in a firm like this.
“Oh my gosh, have you heard?” The words barely registered before someone slipped an arm through mine and leaned in close.
Why the hell was everyone touching me today?
“Tristan and Lewis have to fight for the partnership,” she whisper-shouted next to my ear.
What was her name again?
Wracking my brain, I gave her a tight-lipped smile. Fight was a rather strong word. “So I’ve been told.”
Wanda? Willow? Winnie? Whitney?
The elevator dinged its arrival. “This is me.” I hurried into the car and poked the button for my floor.
Wendy...
Thank goodness I remembered; it would’ve bugged me all damn day.
Like the woman herself bugged me when she got on the elevator as well.
“Do you know why Lewis is in the running too?” She spoke louder now and apparently the question was rhetorical because she went on without waiting for a reply, “Because Tristan can’t keep it in his pants.”
Tossing her blond locks over her shoulder, she let out a laugh. “Not that it’s a bad thing, you know? I mean who wouldn’t mind climbing all over—”
“What are you talking about?”
Wendy smacked her lips shut, staring at me like I’d sprouted a third eye. “Tristan,” she said his name slowly. I didn’t appreciate it. “You know, your hot boss.”
