Lauren
“Did you like my gift?” Emma asks, her voice full of mischief. I can hear the wind in the background, probably from her taking a stroll along the beach.
“You’recrazy!” I exclaim, the memory of everyone's reaction still vivid. “I had to deny them an explanation when they saw it! And Silas didn’t take it well when he saw his number, either.”
Emma bursts into laughter. “It wasspot on! Besides, you don’t have to explainanythingto them,Lauren!”
“Easy for you to say. He’s not your boss,” I grumble, refocusing on organizing my closet. With Silas’s ridiculous schedule, I barely have time to keep my life in order. This closet needs a system, or I can’t function.
“Wait a minute,” I say, stopping mid-fold with a pair of pants. “Why did you meet up with Luca?”
“Oh, no …”
“Yes,explainyourself.”
Luca and Emma had dated for a while in high school. I’d found out they broke up only when I went home over the holidays, in my freshman year in college.
“Property Group Miami is looking for a marketing company. We’re competing with another firm for the account.”
That makes sense. I wouldn’t necessarily know; each office operates independently. Even though Silas oversees everything, his brothers are free to manage their territories, as he likes to call them.
Men and their strange need for dominance.
“Do I need to remind you how badly you got hurt from that relationship, Emma?” My maternal tone slips out before I can stop it.
I can’t forget how Luca dimmed all the light my sister had back then. Emma was always artistic, vibrant, and full of joy—until Luca came into her life and slowly consumed her, the way Silas once did with me.
“I know, don’t worry. I have everything under control.”
She’s lying. I can hear it in her voice. But Emma’s a free spirit, and if I push, she’ll just push back harder.
“Besides, Lauren, you work for Silas. You spent Christmas with him.Come on…”
Okay, maybe I’m being a little hypocritical. Just a bit. And that’s not even counting the fact that Silas and I exchanged … other things.
“Yes, but—” I’m cut off by a sound—a call coming in. I glance at my screen. “Speak of the devil. Silas is calling,” I say.
“Oh, soSilasis the devil? In what particular area of his body is he, exactly?” Emma’s laugh is so loud I have to pull the phone away from my ear.
I roll my eyes but can’t help biting my lip, remembering his, well, his baseballbat.
“Goodbye, sis.” I hang up quickly and answer Silas’s call, already bracing for whatever comes next.
“Silas,” I answer while rushing to grab my notebook, just in case I missed something in the last two hours. It’s been three days since I last saw him, and while we're technically on a “break,” Silas is working like a man possessed. We’ve been exchanging rapid-fire emails and short, no-nonsense calls.
“Are you going to the New Year’s Eve party?” His voice is anxious, stressed.
“Uhh ...” The answer is no, even though I helped organize the damn thing with the other departments.
“You can’t miss it,” he says, in that CEO-commanding tone. “You’re the CEO’s assistant. Youhaveto be there.”
There’s a pause. I’m trying to think of an excuse when he softens his tone, more understanding now.
“At least stay until the toast. After that, things get ... heavier. I can take you home when you’re ready to leave.Yourhouse, not mine. I didn’t mean mine.”
I stifle a laugh. Is Silas Walker nervous? For some reason, that makes me smile.
He sighs, sounding frustrated or maybe just annoyed with himself.
