“Home,” I hissed.
He harrumphed, and I heard the squeak of a chair. He’d leaned back. “Will you look at the email I just sent you?”
“Maybe. If I’m feeling generous, which at this particular moment, I’m not.” My feet finally got the message, and I started moving down the sidewalk toward the subway station.
“And how are you feeling, Deena? Frustrated? Annoyed?Unsatisfied?”
All of the above. A gust of wind blew against me, and I wished I’d taken the time to put my jacket on. “You are the most unprofessional man I’ve ever met,” I said, hurrying as the subway entrance came into view. “I have to go.”
“Call me when you get home.”
“What? No.” Why would I do that? Why would hewantme to do that? Head spinning, I frowned at my phone and ended the call. I’d reached the station—and my phone rang again.
“Did you just hang up on me?” Frost asked when I answered, his voice a low, dangerous rumble.
I sucked in a breath. Thatvoice. I was wet down below, my heart thumping so hard I felt lightheaded. And I realized another man would never have satisfied this feeling. This was a problem only Callum Frost could solve. And that was very, very bad.
I stood on the top step with one hand gripping the handrail leading underground. “No, I didn’t hang up on you. Our conversation was over, so I ended the call. I’ll take a look at your email tonight and let you know if I can help you. Key word:if.”
“Call me when you get home,” he repeated.
I resisted, the tension in my chest so tight it felt like my ribs would collapse. I didn’t want to do what he told me. I didn’t understand what was going on between us, but I knew I needed to keep my distance.
And at the same time, Iached. All over, everywhere, all at once.
But still, when I huffed and said, “Fine,” Callum hummed in satisfaction, and some of the frantic, desperate energy in me eased. My fingertips tingled as I hung up the phone, not wanting to admit the truth:
It felt good to do what he told me to do. It felt so fucking good to give in.
Thankfully, by the time I unlocked my apartment door and pushed my way inside, I’d come to my senses. I left my phone in my purse and opened my laptop. The next time I contacted Callum Frost was through an utterly professional email whichmade no mention of dates with other men or phone calls or the fact that I liked it when he tried to order me around.
But that was a weak, avoidant defense that would crumble as soon as he picked up the phone to bark at me. I’d given up promising myself I’d ignore him.
He was the only thing in my life that gave me any sort of spark. Everything else was drudgery and duty and debt.
Seconds trickled by with no response, and I paced my apartment, feeling silly and stupid. He hadn’t been jealous. Why would he care that I was on a date with another man? I’d made a fool of myself. I was the only one who felt anything in this weird dynamic of ours. He was toying with me, because that was what men like him did. Soon, I’d be going back home to North Carolina and fighting against the weight of my family’s expectations, and I’d feel like a failure then too. Tension tightened around me like steel bands winched against my ribs. I couldn’t take it anymore. I hated feeling so stupid.
Then my phone rang.
SEVEN
CALLUM
She didn’t call me,but she did email through proposed travel details and another extortionate invoice. I read the email, scowled, and picked up the phone.
Her voice was slightly breathless, but still full of snark. “Let me guess. You want to make some changes?”
“You didn’t call me when you got home, Deena,” I chided.
“No,” she agreed. “I decided that our relationship has grown murky, and I should put up some professional boundaries.”
“I see.” I stood up and walked to the windows lining the wall of my office to shake off some of the twisting need growing in my stomach. I wanted to throw her over my knee and punish her for her impertinence. “Your date didn’t walk you to your door?”
“See, that right there?” Deena said. “That’s inappropriate. We’re business associates, Mr. Frost.”
“What if I like it when you fight with me?”
“I would encourage you to explore that in therapy.”
