I handed the phone back to Gray. “It won’t be a problemanymore.”
I watched as a nondescript man stood up from one of the far tables and headed in the opposite direction. “Thank you for playing. Better luck next time,” I calledout.
I let out a long sigh and sat back to focus on my date once again. “Now that you have no excuse to follow me anymore, what are you going to donow?”
3
Dorian
This woman had morefire than Sibyl ever did. Over the course of my week’s surveillance, I learned a lot about her. But the heat that burned from the inside out to touch others—I hadn’t gotten to witness that until this morning. I had thought it a fluke, but now, face to face with the woman, I realize that no, this was all her. Fire and grace, and an unwillingness to give in. Despite the era into which I was born, I found it highlyerotic.
Some said women who knew their own minds were dangerous. I disagreed. A woman who knew her mind, and her worth, wasintoxicating.
She cleared her throat, and I realized my thoughts had been wandering to the past. “Myapologies.”
Her face flushed a pretty pink. “It’s fine, just stop looking at me likethat.”
“Likewhat?”
“Like I’m more than anemployee.”
I leaned out, about to pull her in again for another lesson, but she stalled my hands, placing her small ones on the outside of my own. They were chilled slightly, but the touch sent a heat through me I hadn’t felt inyears.
“I think we just had thisconversation.”
She leaned in and pulled her hands into her lap. “No, we had a lecture. You told me how you wanted it and didn’t give me the chance to offer anopinion.”
Fair point. “Very well, what is your opinion on the matter, MissVale?”
“Do you actually want to know, or are you going to do that playboy billionaire thing where you declare something to be, and suddenly, the universe aligns against the poor unsuspecting female you set your sightson?”
I chuckled. She was funny. Maybe Sibyl had been funny too, and I never took the time to notice. “I promise your opinion will be considered with appropriateweight.”
“That sounds like something a billionaire playboy wouldsay.”
I didn’t respond to her taunts but waited instead for heranswer.
She raked her eyes over my face and body, and I’d never felt more on display. I sat up straighter, which caused a little tick of a smile to appear at the corner of hermouth.
“I don’t want to date you, Gray. You’re technically my boss, and while you’re very attractive, I can’t put aside my personal workethic.”
My heart hit my feet and shattered like a boulder into a pile of rubble. Of course I wasn’t going to force her to do anything. But part of me had hoped my charm or appeal might at least give me theopportunity.
“Is there anything I can do to change yourmind?”
She shook her head and gave me a sad soft smile, the kind reserved for deathbeds and christenings. Definitely not the reaction I wanted from her. Not the smile I wanted fromher.
I nodded and stood up, unable to remain under her scrutiny once she’d made her opinion so very plain. “Of course. I’ll not bother youagain.”
“And you’ll stop followingme?”
I threw some bills on the table, slipped my arms into my coat, and buttoned it, all without meeting her eyes. The rejection stung. In fact, I don’t think I’d ever felt this particular mix of humiliation and sadness. Once I was put together and glued on the face I showed the world, I gave her my own version of the deathbed smile and a little bow. “Ofcourse.”
I walked away without a word, but when I reached the middle of the square, a hand clasped my shoulder. Izzy grabbed me and held out the book I’d left on the table. I took it and met her eyes, unsure what she could see there, unsure what I could and couldn’t hide when I was aroundher.
She leaned in and whispered, “I’m not going to ask to kiss you, but I will give you this as a partinggift.”
The scent of her surrounded me as well as the tang of chicken salad and soft croissant. The coffee on my own breath. I swallowed, unsure what she was aiming at. When she leaned in to place a soft kiss on my cheek only an inch beside my mouth, I decided if I only got one shot at this, I might as well make the most ofit.
