I gritted my teeth. “Yes.”
“Hmm.” He headed to the door and opened it. I didn’t need to see what he was looking at; I already knew. “So you wouldn’t mind if I asked her out?”
A wave of heat rushed over my skin. Tiny black spots appeared in the corners of my eyes.
“You think she’ll like Nonna’s cooking?” Rafe just kept talking. “Or maybe I could impress her and cook myself. Play a little piano, drink a little wine. Maybe even—”
“No.” I yelled. “You cannot fucking ask my wife out.”
Rafe didn’t even flinch. In fact, the bastard gave me a knowing smirk. I knew what he was about to say before he’d even said the words.
“You have feelings for her.” He frowned. “Is it new or have you—”
“New. I think.” Scraping a palm over my face, I let out a long sigh. “She’s messing with my head, man. And that’s not all.” I paused, wondering if I should tell him the next part. It wasn’t my story to tell, but shit, I needed advice. “She’s got a kid.”
I explained the situation with Millie to Rafe, ending with how enamored I was with the six-year-old, as well.
To his credit, my friend didn’t make any smart-ass comments or jokes. He was quite serious when he spoke. “I know we all have our fair share of shit we carry with us every damn day. We feel damaged and undeserving of anything good. But we’ve witnessed firsthand with Liam how one person can change it all.” Turning his head, he looked in Kate’s direction again. “Don’t fight it, man. Whatever she makes you feel, embrace it.”
With those words, he walked away, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the woman who ruled them.
A different kind of need burned behind my breastbone when I poked my head out the door. I still very much wanted Kate in my bed, but even more than that, I wanted her heart. Wanted her to crave me in the desperate way I craved her.
My gaze locked on to her where she sat behind her desk, frowning at the bagel in her hand. Fuck, she was beautiful.
She must’ve felt my stare. Her eyes lifted to mine, and much to my horror, that frown deepened, and those pretty lips pressed into a thin line.
I’d had enough. Enough of ignoring what I felt and more than enough of those walls she’d erected. I marched to her. Clamping my hand down on her wrist, I pulled her out of her seat and dragged her behind me into the office.
Once inside, I slammed the door shut and caged her against it. “Talk.”
Chapter twenty-seven
Kate
There were worse places to be than pinned against Tristan’s office door with the man himself looming over me like a starved animal.
I just couldn’t think of any.
Not that it was a terrible place to begin with. Or maybe it was, considering the emotional whiplash I’d given myself since this morning. But really, who could blame me? Having him touch me and touch him in return, had been so incredible until he freaking ruined it by reminding me it wasn’t real.
Talk about a bucket of ice over the head.
I’d never sobered so fast in my entire life. And when I did, the horrible realization hit. I had feelings for this man. If he was anyone else, this wouldn’t have been a disaster. Hell, I’d be rejoicing at the fact that someone broke through my emotional wall.
But this was Tristan. He didn’t do feelings.
Andyeah, I could indulge and take the incredible orgasms with no strings attached, but at my core that wasn’t who I was.
What a cruel twist of fate that my body—and heart—had to come alive underhistouch.
“Didn’t I tell you to talk?” Tristan growled, a not-so-gentle tug back to the present and my peculiar predicament.
The one where I had feelings for my commitment-phobe-boss-slash-husband.
Never thought there’d come a day when I’d think it, but Eleanor was right: I certainly did know how to pick them.
“Dammit, Kate.” There was something else in the razor-sharp edge of his tone. Before I could put my finger on it, he spoke again, “Those fucking walls keep growing higher and higher, and I don’t know how to break them down.”
