Henry stared at mylegs until I wished I’d worn something more practical. Like sackcloth. Or agiant tarp. “We’ll see,” he finally sighed. “I still need everything else fromyou though, sweets. Just‘causeyou’re gettingsidetracked with this, doesn’t mean you can slack off with my stuff.”
I swallowed backannoyance at the nickname and accusation. “I won’t,” I promised. “I’m on top ofthis.”
He leaned forward,resting his elbows on his desk and smiled back. But then he kept smiling andstaring, looking at me long enough that I started to feel uncomfortable beneathhis warm gaze. I crossed my legs nervously and he tracked the movement withhungry eyes. “I’ll bet.”
Clearing my throat,I looked down at my notes again and pretended to write something. In reality,it was a tiny drawing of an eyeball. I needed an outlet for this nervousenergy. The Little Tucker was such askeez. Was it somuch to ask that he restrain his dirty-old-man tendencies while at work?
Henry turned backto Ethan while I added an arrogantly arched eyebrow and thick eyelashes thatdidn’t belong on the man in my doodle. The eyeball stared at me from the flatpage of my notebook, judging me, dissecting me… seeing parts of me I wanted toremain hidden.
Ezra.
He’d followed me towork. I thought about his email this morning.Stubborn woman.
A sultry wisp of heatcurled in my core. Most days I felt like a tiara-wearing toddler playing dress upwith my mom’s heels and checkbook. I was in a grown-up life I didn’t know whatto do with. And yet, that email had made me feel like anything but a littlegirl.
I added linesaround the pupil, making it appear bloodshot. Then I sketched some shadows onthe bottom lid, darkening the corner, spreading a bruise beneath. In a fewseconds, I’d transformed something mysterious and beguiling into a grotesqueversion of itself.
I took a deepbreath. That felt better.
By the time Henrywrapped up the meeting, I was in desperate need of another cup of coffee.McDonald’s didn’t have the worst brew in the world, but the overdose of sugarand carbs from that excursion pulsed at my temples with the beginnings of aheadache.
“Stay a sec, honey,”Henry ordered as Ethan gathered his things.
I nibbled my bottomlip and hugged my notebook against my chest so he couldn’t see the Eye ofSauronEzra I’d distorted.
“I’ll start sendingmockups as soon as I finish them, Molly,” Ethan added with his belongings inhand, already halfway out the door. “If you have notes on anything, feel freeto share them. I’d love some feedback.”
My mouth lifted ina genuine smile. “Will do. Thanks, Ethan. I’ll send you what I come up withtoo.”
He tipped his head.“Sounds good.”
Ethan walked out ofthe office, but before he could get out of hearing range, Henry bit out a grossaccusation. “He’s married.”
My throat dried outand all the moisture in my body evaporated. If I could have shriveled into aMolly raisin, I would have gladly welcomed it. “Excuse me?”
“Ethan is married,Molly. I thought you had more class than that.”
My heart jumped inmy chest, trying to climb up my throat and throw itself out of my mouth. I eyedthe window behind Henry, loosely debating the impulse to jump out of it. “Idon’t know what you’re insinuating.”
Henry’s annoyedexpression turned patronizing. He let out a patient sigh and stood up. Hisfingers trailed over the desk as he came to stand in front of me.
His office was thesecond biggest, inferior only to his dad’s. There was plenty of space to spreadout, but I’d moved my chair closer to his desk during the meeting so I couldsee everything on his computer and appear interested. Which turned out to be ahuge mistake.
Now that he’dstopped right in front of me, he leaned back, balancing his butt on the edge ofhis desk and stretching his long legs toward me. They settled on either side ofmy own, brushing against my almost-bare calves.
I pushed back withmy toes, greedily putting space between us. Unfortunately, my chair legs gotcaught in the carpet. His ankle pressed against mine causing my mind to spinwith anxiety. How did I get out of this situation without making it even moreawkward than it already was?
Was it totally outof line to fake a heart attack?
Or what was lesssexy than a heart attack?
How about diarrhea?
If Henry was comingon to me again, diarrhea was sure to shut that shit down.
Literally.
Imagined orotherwise.
