She stops abruptly, her eyes darting up and down the hallway. The joyous spark fades, and with a swift glance around, she hurriedly tucks the bag into her backpack and leaves.
“For fuck’s sake, Amelia,” I growl under my breath, my fingers flying over the keyboard to manipulate the security feed, ensuring no one else will be the wiser about her little escapade.
Misha watches the screen, still chuckling. “Little kleptomaniac,” he teases, shaking his head. “Makes you wonder if it’s only fish or if she’s got a whole collection of stolen goods at home.”
“I doubt she’s the type to steal anything serious,” I counter, my words tinged with uncertainty. “Though, apparently, fish are fair game.”
She’s like a magnet for trouble.
Oliver leans back, his laughter subsiding into a thoughtful frown. “Maybe there’s a bigger picture we’re not seeing.”
“Probably,” Misha agrees with a shrug, his eyes still fixed on the screen. “It’s fun as hell, though.”
“Yeah, but whythesefish?” Oliver muses aloud. “I bet she earns enough. She could buy her own if she wanted. There’s no need to steal them.”
“Maybe it’s the kick she gets out of it?” Misha offers.
I shake my head, my gaze still fixed on the now-empty hallway on the screen. “There’s something she’s not telling us. And I’m going to find out what it is,” I declare, rising from my chair.
I quickly gather my things and then head out of our office without another word to the guys.
Reaching our building, I take the elevator up to our apartment on the eighteenth floor. Inside our home office, I position myself in front of the array of monitors. Amelia is already home and settling the fish into her aquarium. The tenderness she shows them only deepens the mystery.
What’s going on in that pretty head of yours, Amelia?
With a sigh, I turn away from the monitors and head to my room and my en suite to splash water on my face. Looking in the mirror, I see a man caught between annoyance and fascination.
A fascination I shouldn’t feel.
On a whim, I change into a clean shirt and dab on a bit of cologne—things you would do before a date.
Which this definitely isn’t,I remind myself firmly as I check my appearance one last time. Yet the nervous flutter in my stomach mocks my denial.
Before I can exit our apartment, the door swings open, and Misha and Oliver stroll in. They look surprised to see me getting ready to leave already.
“Where are you off to in such a hurry?” Misha asks, raising an eyebrow.
I straighten, clenching my jaw for a moment before responding. “Heading down to Amelia’s. Someone told her I would be cooking dinner with her tonight.”
Misha’s eyes light up with mischief, and a wide grin spreads across his face. “Oh, shut up. You’re happy you can take over the hands-on part of the beta testing.” He chuckles, clearly amused by his own inference. “Otherwise, you would just be hovering over the monitors to make sure she doesn’t hurt herself.”
I scowl at Misha’s teasing, but it’s half-hearted.
Because he’s right.
Oliver steps forward, nodding in agreement. “It’s a good thing. Maybe she won’t feel so lonely tonight.”
Fuck.
He wouldn’t want me there if he knew how I was thinking about his precious Amelia.
“Keep an eye on things from here then,” I tell them, hoping the knowledge that they’ll be watching us will keep me in check.
Squaring my shoulders, I leave the apartment and take the elevator down, my heart irregularly thumping as I approach her door. Standing before it, I pause, take a deep breath, and straighten my shirt. Then, with a resolute tap, I knock.
Here we go.
Moments later, the door swings open,and there she stands. “Oh, look who knows how to knock, after all,” Amelia teases, her arms crossed as she leans against the doorframe.
