“What?”
“It’s just…” He shakes his head. “You and your girlfriend Chelsea are two of a kind.”
“You haven’t even seen us in action yet.” I close my eyes again.
After another long moment, the mattress dips on my right side. A strong hand tenderly smooths my hair.
He orders, “Stop smiling.”
“I can’t help it.”
“We’re not going to have a relationship, Shay.”
“I don’t care how sternly you try to say that, it still sounds like BS.”
“It’s not BS.”
“Oh, come on. You’re obsessed with me. How long do you think you can hold out before you’re sending me diamonds and roses and writing me love songs?”
He makes a small huff of amusement. “Are you always this…”
“Charming? Adorable? Irresistible? Yes.”
“I was going to say stubborn.”
“Oh. Yeah, pretty much. You should also know that I’m incredibly impatient. It’s one of my biggest personality flaws. That and I can be moody. Especially around my period. I’m only telling you that so you’ll be prepared.”
His fingertips trace my hairline, my cheekbone, my jaw. His touch is so gentle, I shiver.
“I can’t do relationships, Shay. My life is too…”
When he’s silent too long, I prompt, “Messy?”
“Dangerous.”
I open my eyes and look at him. Gazing down at me, his eyes full of emotion, he’s so goddamn handsome, it’s dumb. And the way he looks at me makes my heart start to thud.
“How is your life dangerous?”
“It just is.”
“You won’t tell me?”
“I can’t. It would put you at risk.”
“Risk of what?”
He doesn’t answer. He simply watches the path his fingertips take as they trace my eyebrow then follow the curve of my ear.
“The night we met, you said you’d just gotten out of a relationship.”
“That was different.”
“So you can have one, just not with me.”
“It’s company policy.”
“Your family owns the fucking company.”
“Which is why it’s even more important that we honor the rules.”
“Are you kidding me right now? You know half the people in that building are banging each other.”
“Still. It’s company policy.”
“Mention that again, and I’ll punch you right in your nose.”
He leans down suddenly and buries his face in my hair. He inhales deeply, then exhales and sighs in contentment. His shoulders relax.
I wind my arms around them and turn my cheek to his, lowering my voice to a whisper. “Things are different now. Do you actually think we can go back to ignoring each other at work after this?”
“We have to try.”
“Oh, really? The way you’re sniffing my neck would indicate otherwise.”
“Don’t be stubborn about this. Let it go.”
“No. Sorry.”
“You’re not sorry.”
“You’re right, I’m not.”
He burrows closer, sliding his arms under my body so he can squeeze me hard against his chest. We lie like that for a moment, just holding each other, until he murmurs, “I should let you rest.”
“No, you should give me an orgasm.”
“Goddammit, woman.”
“Stop trying to control me. You know I’ll win.”
He releases me and stands. Then, because it seems to be the way he gets his exercise, he starts to pace again. I prop myself up on my elbows and watch him until I start to get tired.
“Hey. Handsome.”
He shoots me a tense sideways glance but doesn’t stop pacing.
“How about this? Let’s not call it a relationship. We’ll call it a situationship instead.”
His look sours.
“Fine, it doesn’t have to be categorized. We won’t call it anything. It will be The Thing That Must Remain Nameless. And we’ll be very circumspect around the office so no one will know. I’ll even pretend to hate you. Everybody will believe me because you’re pretty awful.”
He stops pacing. “I’m awful?”
“Yes.”
“Like how awful?”
“Like so bad your nickname is the Grinch. Oh, look, there’s that face you make when someone tells you some truth you find annoying.”
“I’m not making a face.”