But easy is dangerous.
Easy ends.
“You have no idea what you’re promising.” The brittle laugh that slips out sounds nothing like me. “How many relationships have you been involved in? Real ones.”
A stubborn light enters his eyes. “Why does that matter?”
“How many?”
He goes still, jaw working like he’s grinding down on a truth he doesn’t want to admit. “None.”
The response hangs between us for a second before something in me wilts.
“Exactly.” My hands fly up, palms open in exasperation. “You don’t even know what this takes. Or what it means.”
He leans in, the space between us shrinking until I can feel the heat of his breath feather across my skin. “All I can say is that none of them were you.”
Something sharp lodges in the middle of my throat. It’s so sudden, it’s almost painful. Because God help me, I want to believe him.
I want to believe in him.
The silence continues to stretch, taut as a wire, until the sudden buzz of my phone on the desk breaks it. The vibration rattles through the metal and then through me. I don’t have to peek at the screen to know what’s waiting.
Consequences.
The ones that end careers.
36
Oliver
Rina’s face drains of all color as she stares at her cell, fingers clenching around the slim device as if it’s the only thing keeping her upright. “It’s from Hugh. He wants to see me in his office.”
Even though she’s trying to hold herself together, her voice is small and tight, each syllable strung with tension. Barely restrained panic flickers in her eyes as her throat works around a hard swallow.
I reach out and gently slip the phone from her hands, setting it on the desk with deliberate care. “I’m coming with you.”
Her head snaps up, eyes flashing as she shoots me a hard look. “No. I can handle it myself.”
“The hell you will,” I growl, already pushing to my feet. “You’re not walking into that room without me at your side. We’re a team now, babe. You and me.”
Her lips part as if to argue, but I don’t give her the chance.
Instead, I reach for her hand, threading my fingers through hers. The contact is grounding. She resists just enough to make something pull tight in me before finally letting me guide her toward the door. Her hand trembles against my palm. It’s a quiet echo of everything she’s trying to hide, and only hardens my resolve to protect her at all costs.
We walk down the corridor in silence. She chews her bottom lip, worrying it until the delicate skin turns pale. I can almost see her thoughts spinning out of control, moving faster than she can catch them. Every part of me wants to stop, tip her chin up, and make her see she belongs with me.
That she’s safe.
But words won’t convince her.
Time will.
Actions will.
And when she’s ready to believe me, she’ll finally understand I meant everything I said.
As soon as we step into Hugh’s office, the atmosphere shifts. The space smells of rich leather and wood polish. Floor-to-ceiling windows let in muted light that glints off the bookcases. Evelyn is already here, poised with perfect composure on one of the worn leather chairs, her legs crossed elegantly to the side. Hugh sits behind his antique desk, tension drawn around his mouth as a storm brews in the furrow of his brow.
