The wordsemergency surgeryslam into me like she punched me in the chest.
“What?” I shove my hand into my pocket for my phone. I pull it out and scowl at the screen. I have two missed calls and four texts.Son of a bitch. I lift my gaze to Ginny’s. “I’m sure he did. I didn’t get the messages.”
“You didn’t even check? Knowing he was flying in to meet you, how do you not stay in contact?”
“We…usually do.” I clear my throat. “I was in another meeting.”
I can’t tell her that it was about my own consulting business I’m building. Not yet. She’ll try to talk me out of it. She’ll tellme that Graham and IES need me, and that she and I can keep things business-only between us so I can stay on as CFO.
But I know better.
I can’t keep being anything less than Harriet Ginger Riley’s husband, and that can only happen if I can fuckingdate her.
I don’t need to be CFO of IES. I need to be with her.
“Tell me what happened,” I say before she asks me about my hours in New York before Graham was scheduled to arrive. Beforeshewas scheduled to arrive, I guess.
“Margot started not feeling well last night but insisted she was fine. It became impossible to ignore that she needed to be in the hospital early this morning. She needed an emergency appendectomy. I, of course, was able to step in, so he’s with her, and I’m here.” She sighs. “He didn’t mention that you’d be here.”
I frown. “He must have been really rattled.”
She nods. “He was. But I suppose he didn’t think it was a big deal either. You and I are colleagues. Either he figured I’d assume you’d be here, or it just wasn’t a problem once we were both here.”
I blow out a breath. “Right.”
“And I mean, it’s not aproblem,” she says. She pauses. “Right?”
I meet her gaze. “I wouldn’t say it’snota problem.”
She bites her bottom lip, and I almost groan out loud.
“You don’t want me at the meeting?” she asks, looking concerned and maybe slightly hurt.
“That’s not what I mean.” I shake my head. “You’ll be better with this than Graham would be,” I tell her honestly.
Connor and Gage Albright are just starting to learn about IES and what we want to do. They’re not scientists and have never invested in agriculture before. Ginny can explain what we do better than Graham at this stage. This is exactly what we brought her on board for.
All that kept me from suggesting Ginny attend this meeting in the first place was that I needed to be here too, and her coming to the meeting would have meant it would be me and Ginny in New York City on Valentine’s Day. Together. Alone.
Exactly as we are now.
Avoiding this scenario had been my hope.
“So what’s the problem?” she asks.
How can she not understand this? She really thinks I can just shut off my feelings because we decided that was best?
I frown. “Well, it’s a problem that justlookingat you right now has me semi-hard and struggling with everything in me not to toss you over my shoulder, carry you into the bedroom, hike up your dress, and bury my face in your pussy.”
She sucks in a quick breath.
“And I can’t imagine that there is anything that will happen tonight, meeting or not, that will make that urge go away. I think of you all the time. I want to bewithyou. I’m sure any time we spend together, even professionally, will only serve to make those feelings stronger. It’s been hard to stay away from you. This will make it even more difficult.”
A myriad of emotions pass over her face. She looks pained at first. As if hearing all of that is hard for her. Then she seems moved. As if she feels all of that as well. But finally, she frowns.
“Wait, are you saying that youdidn’task me to attend this meeting, even believing that I would be the best one to come with you, because of your feelings for me?”
I nod. “I’m in love with you, Ginny. And I’m not getting over that.”
