If I could stop those feelings now, I could recover. Probably. If I kicked her out of my mind and heart. But I couldn’t.
I slipped into my PPE and walked out of the cabin, assuming she’d follow when she was done eating her inadequate breakfast. I climbed into my truck and took out my phone while I waited.
Claire wanted to know what was happening. I shot her a text explaining the eventful night.
Elizabeth appeared next to my truck rather suddenly, and I leaned across and opened the door from the inside. She climbed in and looked at me the same way she did when we had started working together. Soft, pleading eyes that gave me the sense she’d lived a life waiting to see people’s reactions to her.
I gave her what I hoped was a neutral look because there was no way I could show her my true feelings. Not yet. Not now. We had only three days to go before her internship ended, and then we’d know what our futures at Simucon held. Then, and only then, would it make any sense to dive into everything we’ve been feeling.
I needed to sort through this mess before breaking my own heart or risking our careers.
The uneven ground shook a gasp out of Elizabeth as we ventured onto the gravel roads. She smiled almost sheepishly. “Glad I didn’t try and drive my car here.”
“I don’t know why Anders didn’t give you the company car,” I grumbled under my breath.
“Maybe he offered it and I didn’t hear…” She looked out the side window.
Every now and then, her confidence wavered. She doubted herself even though the opposite should happen since her abilities had improved.
I wanted to tell her this, but that would go against the rule I’d set for myself. Bare minimum.
We pulled up to the site, and I climbed out. The other workers surrounded me. They’d somehow managed to find questions to ask me overnight. Elizabeth stood on my left, not as close as she used to but close enough for me to smell the subtle cinnamon scent that magically followed her around. Even here, in the middle of nowhere.
We walked over to the container that would be used as a site office for the next few months, and inside, the rest of the team was already bent over drawings. I laid out the new drawings Elizabeth had brought along, but their gazes stayed fixed on her.
Much as I expected.
“Kevin, Radley, Elise,” I said, and rattled through the rest of their names, “this is Elizabeth. She’s part of our graduate internship.” Ipurposely left out her surname. If she wanted to let them know who she was, she could.
She reached forward and enthusiastically shook everyone’s hands.
“It’s her first time on-site. Please feel free to explain any interesting concepts to her as you go along. Before assigning any tasks, run them by me,” I said, using the voice people obeyed.
They nodded.
After the meeting, we made our way on-site, and I slowed my pace to meet Elizabeth’s. “By the way,” I said, “your nights are yours. Overtime is not required. I’m not opposed to house guests, but please keep them away from my room, as I tend to stay up working.”
“I don’t think I’ll go anywhere tonight. Do you want me to?” Her brows jumped toward each other.
“You’re welcome to be wherever you want, Elizabeth,” I said, struggling to even say her name.
“Oh,” she said, her voice soft. “Thank you, Mr. Carden.”
Mr. Carden.
I wanted to be Lincoln again.
But if she wanted me to be Mr. Carden, I could be. So I launched into the history of the project as we walked across the site, gravel sticking to our shoes and climbing up our pants.
“How come you never wear site boots?” she asked.
I nearly laughed at the irony. I wasn’t entirely sure what I’d do when the new boots arrived. I lifted up the formal shoe I wore. “They’re steel-toed.”
The surprise on her face was obvious and almost irresistible. I turned away before I was sucked in by her presence and the way she lit up. She made me light up.
I seemed to have reached my limit on how much I could interactwith her before I started fawning. So I did what any respectable man in my position would do—I grabbed a shovel.
Thankfully, the rest of the afternoon had been easier. Elizabeth stayed out of my way, which was both a good and bad thing. Good, because I’d technically asked her to, and bad because, well, I didn’t like it when she was away. I kept searching for her, waiting for her, and listening to hear her voice.
