“I work here,” I said unsteadily, and took a small step backward as a stream of administrators left the large room where we’d gathered. Apparently, an open bar wasn’t enough of a draw to stay after the bombshell that had been dropped.
He cocked his head. “I thought you were in town on business,” he reasoned, more to himself than to me.
“You never said you did consulting, especially not with colleges.”
“You didn’t want to reveal anything work related, remember?” His expression was even, his posture relaxed. In the midst of the crushing fear of losing my job, I imagined his fingertips and lips on me, all the while holding the pink slip. Of all the men in all the bars in the city, I picked this one to flex my flirtation skills on.
A raspy, almost desperate-sounding laugh escaped my lips. “This is so bad,” I whispered, taking in the familiar aroma of sandalwood.
“It’s not so bad,” he reassured, tracing a fingertip over my shoulder as he brushed my hair away. The intimacy of the gesture rocked me unexpectedly, both in how much I enjoyed it and how terrified I was of others observing us. I stepped back again, and recognition crossed his face as he dropped his hand. “Okay, it’s not great, but it could be worse.”
“How?”
“Let’s talk somewhere with a little more privacy, okay? This thing is winding down.” He waved to the shorter man, Carlton, who tipped his chin toward us before walking back into the gathering. “Is your office close by?”
I shook my head, still glancing around. “If anyone saw us, it would raise questions. You’d have no reason to be there.” Nervous energy coursed through me. Logically, I knew no one had probably even noticed us, but I was still fighting the urge to look over my shoulder for Davis.
His voice dropped to a barely audible whisper. “Your place, then? It feels a little illicit to hand you my hotel room key here.”
“Okay,” I said in a small voice.
“We’ll talk it through. It will be okay. I promise.” His arm twitched, and my eyes widened, hoping he wouldn’t touch me again here. His eyes were curious, and a crease appeared between his eyebrows.
This guy must think I am nuts.
“I’m sorry, I just . . .” I didn’t know how to finish the sentence once I started it, still conscious of eyes on me. The back of my neck tingled, and a thousand thoughts tripped over one another. “I’ll text you my address.”
He nodded slowly, and I turned and exited the mansion alongside the stream of people. I didn’t look back at him or at the others as we walked into the warm evening, a light breeze shifting the air around us. I paused on the sidewalk, and my hands shook as I opened the Uber app. Luckily, I’d only have to wait a few minutes before I could step away from what was increasingly feeling like a stage.
I looked from left to right again to make sure no one I knew had been watching me. I needed to tell Joe about the announcement, but I didn’t plan to tell him I had slept with one of the consultants. Bea and Gregory waved as both walked hurriedly past me, and my phone buzzed in my hand, making me jump.
Jake: Don’t freak out, okay? It will be okay.
I couldn’t do anything other than stare at the message. It wouldn’t be okay—there was no way we could keep going with whatever we were doing. I cursed myself for not wanting to talk about work. I could have avoided all this the night we met. But then he would never have kissed me. And I wouldn’t know how his hands curve to the back of my neck or how it feels when his eyes lock with mine, looking at me like I am the only person in the city.
The car pulled up, and I climbed into the back seat, tucking my phone back into my purse.
What am I going to do?
Thirteen
After answering the buzzer, I paced my living room, waiting for Jake.
I need to calmly and quickly tell him we have to stop. That it’s no one’s fault, but it’s the smart thing to do. Ethical thing to do? No, I’ll go with smart. That’s it. No funny business, just a quick split.
A knock pulled me from my thoughts, and I rolled my shoulders. I can do this.
“Hey,” Jake said when I opened the door. He’d loosened his tie, his jacket was in his hands, and his shirt was rolled up his forearms. His hair was a little tousled, like he might have run his hands through it a few times.
“Hey.” Do I hug him before I end things? I really want to hug him. I motioned for him to come in, ultimately keeping my hands to myself.
“So,” we said in unison. We let out barely audible, awkward laughs, and Jake deferred to me.