She shoots daggers out of her eyes, but I don’t let her go. It takes everything in my power not to kiss her.
“Who was the man who picked you up at the airport?” I’m still holding her arm and really tempting a serious human resources violation, but I have to know.
“The who?”
“The blond man who picked you up at the airport after you lied about not dating. You may have been a virgin, but you are not single.”
“Oh, you are too much. The man who picked me up from the airport is my cousin, Thadius. Not only is he my cousin, he’s gay, very gay, and dating a mail clerk in his office as of five o’clock this afternoon. So he’s family, gay, and dating someone, someone who has a dick. You should know all about those since you are one.”
I do all in my power to hold back a laugh, but it escapes me anyway.
She doesn’t react because she’s pissed.
“I thought he was your boyfriend.” I back down a little.
“So what? Our story ended in the airport, roll credits, no sequel. I’m the girl in seat 2A that you fucked. We don’t go deeper than that. Now, for the last time, I’m going to ask you to step aside so I can go home and get assigned to another office.” She glares at me.
I know if Juliet Limons walks out that door she’ll never walk back in again and so I can’t let her walk out the door angry. Fate, or some cruel twist of it, has handed her back to me, andI’m not letting her vanish again. Not yet. But I can’t let her know I want her. Not after I made my cold goodbye at the airport and certainly not after I acted like she was just another distraction. If she suspects I’m interested, she’ll bolt. Pride like hers doesn’t forget an insult. If I want her near me, I need a reason, something that looks like business and not obsession.
The project files and rezoning documents need to be proofread and analysed as does the document regarding the historic relevance of the library. She will salivate at this kind of work and it will leave her in my orbit. A small, dangerous smile tugs at my lips. If she’s angry at me, she’ll still be mad, but she’ll still be here. I’ll get to watch her, study her, figure out what to do with her.
“You will come back here tomorrow,” I order, being the cool condescending asshole she thinks I am.
“No, actually I won’t.” She counters me, stubborn little shit.
“You will because I’m re-assigning you. I need the project zoning files rewritten and proofread, and there is an issue with the library being classified as a historical monument. Nothing has been filed with the city. I want you to contact the city and get me a report on the cultural and historical significance of the building. You have a week to make a case for it. I only need one person for this job and I figure you have the expertise, so that person is you.”
I can tell that she is fighting a smile. I straighten my tie and step away from her. “Go home, be back at nine, and report to me.”
“Why?” She’s still so damn defiant.
“Because the zoning document needs edits and I already know you’re going to fight for the library so why not get a jump on that? I didn’t become a multi-billion dollar business man without knowing my enemy and what they are going to sling at me. I need this info kept on the down-low for now. We’ll see what I do with the information.” I give her a wide, evil grin.
“Peeholes,” she says, staring me down.
“Excuse me, what?”
“Page five paragraph three of the zoning document says there will be peeholes in every tenant's door. That’s why we were laughing. The document definitely needs work.” She turns away from me and then walks right the fuck out of my office ... and well, damn.
I chuckle to myself. Peeholes ... every door needs a peehole, what the actual fuck? I pick up the document and read the paragraph she cited and there it is: peeholes.
Well, fuck me.
Chapter Eleven
Juliet
Ugh, he’s infuriating. How did he get me to stay? The library. He’s bribing me with saving the library.
I return home and Gran is humming to herself softly as she knits, and I hang my coat by the door.
“Hey, Gran, I’m home.”
“Oh hey, how was your day, honey?” She looks up from her knitting with a big smile on her face. “I’m making this for you. You need a nice big shawl. It’s gonna be cold for a while. There’s another storm coming in.”
“Oooh, I love it, Gran, and you know purple is my favorite color. I can’t wait to wear it. My day was okay," I say, forcing a smile. “The bigwigs are ... gross.” I leave it at that. I can’t bring myself to mention the library.
It hits too close to home.
