It feels oddly like adate.
Do I want it to be a date?
Yes.
I mean, that’s what I’m supposed to be doing, right? Enticing the big, bad CEO into my web of lies so I can crush his heart like he crushed my boyfriend’s dreams?
My boyfriend.
The thought is sobering, and the weight of the phone in my pocket feels like a rock. I haven't texted him or spoken with him since this morning. I’m not sure I want to, either.
I keep thinking about last night—not just about what happened, but…
He said heowned me.
He’s never said that before. Sure, he’s gotten a little rough or handsy sometimes, and we don’talwaysget along, but…
He’s never said anything like that. But it wasn’t just the words, it was the way he said them. Like I was somethingto be commanded and used.
Like Ibelongedto him, and hisreminderwas not just some possessive kink. It was a warning.
And I can’t stop thinking about that.
He’d asked if I was okay, but… I’m not.
I’ve never felt afraid of a man before, but I can’t deny that I feel a spark of fear that Robbie may not be the man I thought he was, either.
And I don’t know how to feel about that.
“Chicken Parm. Sans the cheese, of course.”
“Of course,” I note. The waitress takes our order, and when she leaves it is quiet, but not awkward. Not like before.
“You really didn’t have to buy me dinner, you know," I say.
“I know.” He shrugs. “But perhaps Iwantedto.”
“Because you felt like shit about earlier?”
He sips his beer.
“Yes.” His answer is off. Almost unsure.
“I can’t remember the last meal I had outside the office," he says carefully. His fingers play with the edges of his placemat absentmindedly.
“Don’t get out much, I take it?”
He shakes his head. “If I am to be alone, I would rather be alone where I am comfortable.”
It’s the way he says the words. There’s a tinge of loneliness. Of ache. Longing.
“No one wants to be alone," I say softly.
“But yet we are,” he breathes, turning to look out the window. “Even in crowded rooms, we are alone.”
I take the moment to look at him. Really look at him. At his perfectly pressed suit, his elegantly styled hair and trim beard. His dark features.
“Do you feel alone now?” I ask. “With… me?”
