Chapter Sixteen
The next morning, I had no idea what to expect from Elijah.
Were we going to act like coworkers? Was he going to treat me differently? How was I going to act toward him? Was he going to bring the piece he’d made for me to the gallery?
As usual, I was overthinking, but it finally hit me as I was walking into the gallery that I needed to take my cues from him. I would be pleasant, but I wouldn’t act like he was anything more than my boss. I would let him take the lead. Elijah tended to take control anyway.
Even after making that decision, nerves shimmered in my belly, and there was a tiny tremor in my fingers when I unlocked the gallery door. Since the day after he’d given me a key, I tended to beat Davide to the gallery. He was never late, but he always strolled up five minutes before opening. Though it was rare that we had clients come in during the first hour or two of opening, I liked to get to work early and settle in. Sometimes, I wouldn’t do anything other than make a latte and check emails. Other days, I would clean the bathroom and make sure that the pieces on display weren’t getting dusty. I liked to have an extra fifteen or twenty minutes to make sure I had my shit together before unlocking the door for the public.
As I walked through the gallery, turning on the lights and my computer, I realized that it was chilly. I was in the back hall to adjust the thermostat when I heard the bells over the door ring.
It was still a quarter to nine, so I knew it wasn’t Davide. I had locked the front door when I came inside, hadn’t I? Moving quietly, I peeked around the corner. And saw a man standing less than a foot away.
“GAH!!!” I screamed, jumping back and clutching my chest.
“Fuck!”
Elijah juggled the two cups in his hand. Somehow he managed to keep them from spilling all over the floor. A minor miracle considering the small box wedged between his body and left elbow.
“Oh, my God. You almost gave me a heart attack,” I gasped, patting my chest.
“Ditto. I might need some mouth-to-mouth to recover.”
A snort escaped me. My hand flew to cover the lower half of my face when another snort followed.
“Mouth-to-mouth?” I asked, the question still muffled by my palm.
His blue eyes danced as he came closer. “Yeah. I’m having some trouble breathing.”
I shook my head but couldn’t suppress my laugh. “You’re ridiculous.”
He stopped just in front of me, close enough that I could smell him. He didn’t wear cologne, but the combination of his deodorant or soap with his skin just did it for me. I loved the way he smelled.
“I brought you a caramel cream latte,” he said, holding one of the cups out to me.
“That’s my favorite.”
He winked at me. “I know.”
Though I rolled my eyes at him, I said, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
I took the cup and sipped it. There was a small coffee shop down the street, and they had the yummiest seasonal lattes. It was the place that Seth always stopped when he brought coffee for us.
I hummed at the sweet, creamy flavors on my tongue. “Hmmm. That’s good.”
I licked my lips when I lowered my cup and Elijah’s eyes locked onto my mouth. I swayed toward him, but he seemed to gather his thoughts. Elijah took a step back and sipped his own coffee.
“You look pretty today,” he said, his eyes moving over me.
My cheeks heated, and I smoothed a hand over my dress. The dusky pink color was flattering, and I loved the fit and flare cut. “Thank you.”
Silence fell between us as we stared at each other.
I gestured to the box still beneath his arm. “What’s that?”
Elijah glanced down as though surprised he held something. “Oh, right. It’s the piece I made for you.”
