Something ugly and uneven and jagged.
Yeah, I want to punch her asshole ex square in the face even more now. I抦 jealous that he ever got that close to her, held her heart, and presumably earned the right not to be called Captain Dipshit.
揧our assistant is right. I agree wholeheartedly,?Isabella says.
Damn. I half forgot she was still on the line.
Dakota grins at me triumphantly like the spoiled brat she is.
揊ine. Send the amended contracts over, and we抣l get them taken care of,?I say, hitting the button to disconnect.
With the call finished, Nevermore returns to her desk. Somehow, she still hasn抰 fixed that extra inch of skin showing on her thigh, and it draws my eyes like a beacon every time I walk by.
揇on抰 stay too late,?I growl as dusk settles in.
She抯 refused to ride home with me several times. I still loathe the thought of her biking around in downtown Seattle alone after dark.
Later, I bring Wyatt his Regis rolls and have a coffee with him, but I can抰 stay long. I have to get back to the office. I have contracts with international turnaround times waiting to be reviewed by tomorrow.
I don抰 expect to see her lingering, hunched over her laptop when I return.
揥hy the hell are you still here??I say, my shadow falling over her in the office抯 dimmer night lighting.
She blinks and lifts her head.
揙h, you抮e back. Lucy抯 job is a full-time gig. I抦 working on ad copy now. I just wanted to get it right before I take off…？
揧ou should抳e just taken it home.?
揗aybe so. I lost track of time.?
揧ou抮e stuck here until I leave now. Luckily, I have a comfortable car and a driver waiting. It抯 a roomy vehicle, you hardly need to be up in my face for the ten-minute ride home,?I tell her.
Her lips twist. She stares at me silently, hopefully mulling it over.
揑t抯 too late for you to bike home. Also, it抯 raining like hell now,?I say, nodding at the steady beads rattling the nearest window.
揙kay, I抳e tried to explain this before and it isn抰 getting through. You only rent me on salary, bossman. Once I抦 done for the day, I don抰 answer to you.?
揥hatever you think,?I say, fighting back the needles in my throat.
Must she be so goddamned stubborn?
Is it truly torture sharing a car with me and saving her a wet, dreary, potentially dangerous journey home in the dark?
揥hat抯 that supposed to mean??she asks pointedly.
揑f you抮e so intent on getting mugged and catching cold, it抯 not on my conscience,?I snap.
I need to simmer down.
Tonight, her standoffishness has me more on edge than usual.
She rolls her eyes, but doesn抰 bite back.
An hour later, I抦 surprised when I look up and she comes into my office, holding her shoes in her hands.
揝ince I抦 not allowed to leave without you, are you ready??She blinks a few times like she抯 struggling to keep her eyes open.
What caused her sudden reason?
I flash her a surprised look I quickly wipe off my face.
揧eah. Let me pack up.?I fold up my laptop and drop it in my briefcase. 揕et抯 go.?
Downstairs, I send Dakota to the waiting town car. Louis gives me a hand loading her bike into the trunk before I slip in beside her.
In the car, she抯 an overworked kitten. She closes her eyes and drifts off to sleep barely a minute after she slides in.
Her head bangs the window softly as soon as we pull onto the street.
Damn, looks like the dual jobs I抳e dropped on her really are taking their toll…
Against my better judgment, I slip an arm between her and the door, gently pulling her toward me.
Her head falls on my chest. I hold her in place with my arm.
There抯 more traffic tonight than usual. A pothole job takes Louis on a detour that doubles our time to her place.
When we抮e finally closing in on her street, I抦 face-to-face with a new Dakota Poe.
Fragile.
Exhausted.
Vulnerable.
She drools adorably on my sleeve. Holding her like this might be crossing a line I promised I wouldn抰， but hell. At least this way she抯 not banging her head on the cold window.
I don抰 wake her until we抮e outside her building.
揇akota桸evermore梱ou抮e home,?I say, sharply correcting myself and jostling her gently. 揑抣l get your bike. Louis, you can stay here,?I add, lowering the privacy screen.
揌uh??She blinks muzzily. I break away a split second before she realizes I抦 up in her space. 揙h, thanks. Thank you, Burns.?
She climbs out behind me while I walk around to the trunk.
I抦 damned glad she accepted the ride now.
A proper late spring rain that smells like the sea pelts my shoulders. It抯 one of the steadier, long lasting night rains that blankets this city when it can抰 make up its mind if it wants to be summer just yet.
I watch Miss Poe walk to the entrance of the apartment building before I start moving, rolling the bike behind her.
揥here does this go??
She points to a bike rack stacked against the old building.
揇o you have a lock??I ask. Please tell me you抳e got a lock.
She nods, pulling a lock out of her purse.
I secure the bike to the rack and then walk her to the main entrance.
揑 can take it from here, bossman. You didn抰 have to escort me to the door,?she says softly.
Rain beads on her brow, spattering around us like a curtain of white noise.
For just a moment, we抮e in our own silent world of wandering tongues that don抰 quite work.
揘o trouble. You抮e a heavy napper and I don抰 want you slipping and falling out here. No judging,?I growl, instinctively taking her hand.
You抮e also cute as hell when you抮e asleep, I don抰 add.
Her lips turn up in a smile. Those big green emeralds stare into my eyes, glinting with too many questions.
She tilts her chin up, staring at me like I抳e turned into someone else.
I don抰 realize I抦 inching closer until my neck is very obviously craned.
Her lush lips are so close to mine I can smell her like never before.
Soft perfume. Fragrant. Cream and honey mingled with something like梞int?
Goddamn.
Dakota Poe would smell like peppermint when she抯 always boldly invaded my world.
I lean in a bit more, smelling her and possibly looking like a freak. I抦 past caring.
Only, a harsh warning in the back of my head rears up.
Employee. Off-limits. Idiot.
I snap backward so fast I rock on one foot.
揥hoa, are you okay??she asks, blinking like she抯 still coming out of a dream.
揑t抯 slick as hell out here,?I lie through my teeth. 揋ood night, Nevermore. See you around.?
Without a glance back, I抦 in full retreat like a coyote denied its prey, head down and slipping away empty-handed. Or to keep the coyote analogy, empty mouthed.
Fucking hell.
That didn抰 just happen, did it?
Too close. I came way too close to falling on my ass梐nd I don抰 mean my sudden pathetic balancing act.
I almost kissed the only woman who抯 eternally unkissable.
I almost lit a match with my tongue and demolished our lives.
I can抰 help a quick look back before I climb in the car. I抦 not expecting to see her there, perched under the faint orange light and staring after me.
Glaring, actually, before she whips around to face the door, waves a key card, and disappears inside without another glance back.
I just wish I knew why she looked so haunted.
9
Some Unhappy Master （Dakota）
Work is as awkward as you抎 expect the next day.