I paced the living room, phone pressed to my ear as it rang.
On the second ring, he picked up. “Hello, darling.” His smooth voice rolled out warm and easy.
I smiled despite myself. “Hiya, stranger. Missed you tonight.” I made sure my tone was nice and raspy—the way I knew he couldn’t resist.
He hummed. “I’m sorry. Got pulled into work. Now I’m going over reports.”
“You’re back at the office?” I frowned, checking my watch. “It’s almost nine.”
“No, I’m home.”
Right.
His apartment.
The one I still hadn’t been invited to.
“Do you need any help?” My fingers traced the edge of the couch. “I could look them over with you.” A smirk tugged at my lips. “Or get under your desk and keep you company.”
Sebastian’s groan lit hope in my chest.
“I have a better proposal for you.”
I smiled. “I’m all ears.”
“Why don’t we skip that tonight? I’ll get work out of the way, and we can go out somewhere. Just the two of us.”
It was ridiculous how I could get butterflies and still have my stomach sink at the same time.
“Outside?”
“Yeah. Next week.”
Next week? What in the actual fuck?
“Are you busythisweek?”
“Well… it’s the end of the month. You know I’m delegating, but I have to go over a million things?—”
My rational brain stopped listening. He was doing it again—choosing work, choosing distance. Giving just enough and withholding everything else.
Fuck this.
Fuck Sebastian and his stupid games. Why couldn’t he ever just be clear with me?
“Okay, then. See you next week, I guess.” I tried to keep my voice neutral, even though all I wanted to do was slam the phone down.
“Promise I’ll make it up to you, pet. I’m just incredibly behind after two weeks away. I need to catch up.”
“Mhm.”
Silence stretched between us.
“Are we good?” he asked.
I nodded, even though he couldn’t see it, forcing the words out. “We’re good.”
“See you tomorrow?”
