From the hallway, her voice drifts back, light and knowing.
“See you tomorrow, Colin.”
I know exactly what she’s doing.
She has a killer body, and she knows it. I’m only human, when I see an attractive woman, the thought crosses my mind. It always does.
I’ve played this game before, too many times to count.
I know where the line is. And I won’t let it go any further than this.
I won’t cross it.
I’m not one of them.
I’m not a cheater.
Chapter 04
an odd feeling
Cecily
The late light spills through the glass panes of the sunroom, catching on the edges of my notes scattered across the table.
I’m bent over my editor’s remarks when the sound of Colin’s key turning in the lock breaks the hush. His footsteps follow, steady and unhurried, until they stop behind me, close enough that I feel his presence before he says a word.
Without speaking, his arms slide around me. His breath brushes my ear a heartbeat before his lips find the curve of my neck.
“Hi, love," he murmurs, the sigh that follows almost unraveling.
“Long day?” I ask, leaning back against him, offering my cheek for a kiss.
“The longest one.”
He presses his lips to mine. His hand cupping my face like he needs the contact more than conversation.
Then he drifts away, crossing to the small couch and sinking into his usual spot, his shoulders giving in to the cushions as the quiet settles around him.
“Another chronicle?” he asks, voice softer now, though his gaze lingers not on the pages. But on me.
I narrow my eyes at him. “You know I write articles, not chronicles.”
He smirks, asking what this one is about. It’s the same question he asked when I got the assignment, and again a few days ago, when I told him about my last meeting with one of my sources.
Instead of repeating myself, I say, “Why don’t you go take a shower while I finish here? I’ll be up in a bit.”
He sighs, rises, and presses a kiss to my forehead. “Don’t be long. I’ll wait for you in bed.”
I smile back, but an odd feeling flickers in my chest, slipping past before I can name it.
Maya
The phone on my desk rings, and when I see Colin’s office extension, my hand moves before I can think.
“Colin,” I answer, a little breathless.
“Maya. Good morning.” His tone is clipped, professional, but beneath it, there’s that faint trace of amusement I’ve come to recognize. “I checked, and there are no urgent tasks for you today. I thought I could make good use of your services.”
