His jaw flexed, a tiny tic that told me the words hit something he didn’t like.“Morgan, about that night,” he said quietly, the rough edge of sincerity in his voice catching me off guard.“I shouldn’t have left the way I did.”
The apology landed like a weight in the center of my chest, making my heart squeeze tight.He looked and sounded like he regretted his actions, but my own self-preservation had me shrugging indifferently.“It’s fine.Really.”
His brows pulled together.“Leaving you without at least saying goodbye wasn’tfine,” he said firmly.“I want you to know that the attraction and connection between us was real, and I’m sorry for the way I left things between us.The issue was me, not you, and you deserved better than waking up alone…and me being gone.”
I suspected there was more to his reason for bolting in the middle of the night, and it was possibly tied into the story he’d told me about his ex-fiancée leaving him just weeks before their wedding.I could only assume he had his guard up when it came to women, which was something I could relate to after my situation with James.Still, I wasn’t about to make the mistake of softening toward him on a personal level again, knowing he had commitment issues.
I just wish my damn body would get that memo.
“Liam, we’re adults and it was a one night thing,” I said, keeping my tone nonchalant, like our time together had been nothing more than a forgettable blip on my radar, even though I still felt that strong attraction to him even now.“No expectations, no follow-up from you required.You don’t owe me anything because it certainly didn’t mean anything more than just sex to me,” I lied.
Frustration flickered across his face at my dismissive attitude.“I still should have handled the situation better.”
“Okay,” I said, because what else was there to say?“Apology accepted.”
His frown deepened as he walked a bit closer.“I’m serious, Morgan.”
I took equal steps back, needing to maintain that distance between us.“And I heard you.We’re good.Really.It’s not worth thinking about.”
He stopped and studied me in a way that made my skin heat.“Is that really what you believe?”he asked after a few silent beats, his voice dropping lower.“That it didn’t mean anything other than just sex?”
My heart stammered, but I forced myself to hold his gaze.“What else would I think?”
His jaw worked, and for a second I thought he might argue, or give me something to indicate that maybe he’d felt more that night, too.Which was stupid, wishful thinking on my part, especially when he finally replied.
“I just want us to be okay,” he said, running a hand through his thick hair.“Working together, I mean.I don’t want things to be…tense or awkward between us.”
And there it was.The real reason for this conversation and his apology.It was all business.Professional courtesy.Damage control.
Something cold settled in my chest, but I didn’t let it show.“Right,” I said, nodding as if that made perfect sense.“Of course.If that’s what you’re worried about, you can relax.There’s no reason why we can’t keep things professional in the office.”
He looked at me again, searching my face like he was trying to find something more.Whatever he was looking for, I wasn’t going to give it to him and kept my expression schooled.
“Good,” he said quietly, though his frown didn’t fade.“That’s…good.”
The silence stretched between us, and I broke it first.“I should get to work.”
“Wait,” he said, just as I started toward my office.
I stopped, and for a moment my pulse leapt as I waited for him to speak.
“So…I’m ordering lunch for the whole office today,” he said, jarring me with the segue into professional small talk.“It’s something I always do for a new company that I’m working with.What would you like?”
Of all the things I thought he might say, lunch hadn’t even been on the list.I blinked at him, regrouped, and latched onto the safest answer possible.“If you want to appeal to everyone, you should probably go with pizza.”
Liam tilted his head to the side as he leaned against the front of his desk and folded his arms across his chest.“I asked whatyouwould like,” he said, smiling in that charming way of his.“What’syourfavorite food?”
I swallowed hard, trying my hardest not to let my attraction to him get the better of me.“Sushi.I’m nuts about the stuff.There’s a place about two blocks away where I go for lunch all the time.But for the office employees, you should stick with pizza.”
He gave a nod.“Okay, pizza it is.”
His eyes met mine, and the air between us tightened.I felt the awareness instantly, low in my stomach, warm and unwelcome.His gaze dipped to my mouth for the briefest second, just long enough to make me remember his hot, deep kisses, before flicking back up to my eyes.
My pulse stumbled and I straightened, needing to do something that made me feel like I was back in control again.“Well, I’m sure you have things to do before everyone gets into the office.Have a good day, Mr.Powers.”
“You too, Ms.Starling,” he drawled, his low, deep voice doing annoyingly intimate things to my body.
I turned quickly, refusing to glance back as I made my way to my own office right next to his.I shut the door behind me, leaned against it, and had to press a hand to my chest to steady both my heart rate and my breathing.
