The rumbling increased.
“Can you at least tell me what this is?”
“Soothing,” he said, his voice rough.
“Well, it’s not working.I’m feeling more annoyed than soothed.”
“For me.”
I stopped struggling and frowned.
“Why do you need to be soothed?Did your boss single you out, then passively aggressively challenge your old team, while putting you on a pedestal everyone is going to want to knock you off of?”
The rumbling increased, and he dipped his head lower to rub his cheek against mine.His stubble rasped against my skin, and I liked it a little too much, along with his pheromone-laced scent.
“We’re at work,” I said.“You have two seconds to let go of me, or I’m going to knee you again.”
“Knee me.”
I grabbed his hair and pulled hard instead.His head moved away from mine, and our gazes met.
Why did his sad pout melt me a little?
“Talk to me, and I might be nicer,” I said less angrily.“What’s going on?”
“It’s my molt.It’s getting closer, and being around you is…” he sighed, reached up to untangle my hold on his hair, and kissed my hand.“I like having you this close.Seeing you smile.Hearing you laugh.Smelling you.I want more of all of it.”
The vulnerability in his gaze had me leaning in.
The rumbling started up again.I felt like doing the same—until the door handle behind me jostled, and I was pushed into Konni forcefully by an inch.
Eyes wide, I stared at him in a panic.
He growled and slammed his hand against the door, closing it.
Outside, I heard the murmur of voices, but nothing distinct.
“I told you,” I hissed.“Keep that door closed.”
I slid out from under his arms, then hurried to his desk, where I grabbed a notepad before planting my ass in the chair across from his.
When I looked back at him, he was grinning like an idiot.
“I will quit if I have to,” I warned.
He sobered and yanked the door open.
Lianna and Edi stood outside of it, and both looked at Konni in shock.Whether from his abrupt presence in front of them or due to his hair standing up from where I’d pulled it, I couldn’t be sure.
Lianna’s gaze shifted to me, and I stood.
“I’ll come back later for the rest of the notes,” I said, already moving toward the door.
“No,” Konni said, stopping me.“What do you want, Lianna?”
“I want to talk.”
They stared at one another.
