Her mouth popped open, those sinful lips red and swollen.
I swiped my thumb over the bottom one. “Tell me again we’rejustpretending.”
I didn’t wait for her to respond, didn’t linger to see those walls shoot sky-high. I simply left and hoped like hell to make sense of the new, scary-as-shit emotions dancing down my spine.
Two hours later, exiting the elevator at Livingston and Thornburg, I still had no clue. I only knew I was fighting a losing battle. My head warned me that beyond thisarrangement, I had to stay away from Kate.
She and Millie were far better off without me.
There was just one tiny problem with that… I was drawn to Kate—to them both—on some fucked-up level I didn’t understand. Like I couldn’t make sense of the sudden insatiable need I seemed to have developed for the woman who’d been right under my nose for so many years.
I was probably struggling with that the most.
She’d always been there, and not once had I felt a stirring of any kind. Or maybe if I’d paid attention long enough, I would’ve noticed something?
A soft curse sputtered over my lips. There was no use in dwelling on things I’d never know the answer to. The only thing I could do was to try and navigate these feelings—and frustrations—as best I could, while simultaneously not doing anything to hurt the two new important people in my life.
Speaking of, I caught sight of Kate sitting behind her desk. And she wasn’t alone. Rafe sat perched on the edge, chatting with her, withmy wife, like it was the most normal thing in the world.
“What the fuck is going on here?” I growled the instant I reached them.
Either they didn’t hear me, or they were ignoring me. Indignation boiled my blood.
My palm connected with the smooth wooden surface a second before I grabbed my friend by the collar and yanked him off her desk.
“Che Cavolo.”
“What the hell?”
They spoke at the same time.
Ignoring his angry Italian curses, I turned my attention to her. “What’s going on here?” I repeated.
“Nothing.”
It sure as shit hadn’t looked like nothing. I’d said as much, but before she could even think about giving me an explanation, he smacked my shoulder.
“Hey,stupido, what’s the matter with you? The lovely Kate and I were—”
Red clouded my vision. Spinning around, I shoved him in the chest. “She isn’t your fuckinglovelyanything.”
The words were out before I could stop them.
“Seriously?” she hissed.
My gaze shot to her. “Before this fucking day is over, you and I are going to talk.”
With that, I stomped into my office...only to walk straight into Liam.
“Of course you’re here too.”
Sidestepping him, I shoved my jacket over my shoulders, tossed it on the nearest flat surface, and headed for my desk.
“Is this an intervention or some shit?” I growled at my friends.
They’d both slipped into the seats in front of me. And, comically enough, wore the same baffled expressions.
“You all right?” Liam was the first to break the silence. “You’ve been a little off lately.”
