“Join the CIA.”
He pressed a hand to his chest like I’d hit him. “Come on, kitten. Throw me a bone here. I know I’ve been acting like an idiot, but that’s because you’re so beautiful; you’ve got my head spinning. Do you think I could have your number so I can text you when I finish my CIA training?”
I felt terrible about turning him down, especially since I’d encouraged him to flirt with me. In another life, I would have jumped at the chance to hang out with this man casually or something more, but that wasn’t me anymore. I wasn’t interested.
“Gavin, I—”
I never got the chance to tell him CIA training took years and I’d be married by then to the prince I’d been promised to at birth because Elliot appeared from nowhere.
“Catherine,” Elliot clipped. “We’re finished here.”
The vertigo I’d experienced leaning over the railing had been nothing compared to the way my stomach plummeted at the sight of Elliot Levy standing before me without any expression at all.
“Elliot, it’s great to see you again.” Gavin flipped from flirtatious to schmoozy, offering his hand to Elliot.
“Gavin…” Elliot inclined his chin and gave him a perfunctory handshake. “I see you’ve met my assistant, Catherine.”
Gavin swiveled to me. “I had no idea she worked for you.”
Elliot’s brow twitched, but that was his only reaction. “Everyone in the building is here in a professional capacity. They should be able to do their jobs without worrying about being hit on, that includes Catherine. Please remember that next time you go into areas where you were not invited.”
Gavin gawped at him. “Now, calm down. Kit—Catherine—and I were just having a friendly conversation, and I had no idea I wasn’t supposed to be up here.”
“The ‘no access’ signs didn’t offer you a clue?” Elliot asked dryly.
The last thing I wanted was for Elliot or Gavin to burn a bridge. This city was big, but word got around like it was a small town.
I touched Elliot’s arm, which stiffened under my hand. “Didn’t you say we needed to leave?”
“Yes.” Elliot stared Gavin down with the intensity of a thousand lasers. “I’ll ask that you vacate the premises and not return until your lease begins.”
He appeared as though he was going to argue but stalked off instead, not giving me a second glance. Only when he was out of sight did Elliot look at me.
“In the future, please keep your flirting confined to outside of work hours.”
He hadn’t spoken to me this coldly in so long I’d forgotten how to brace for it. He very nearly knocked me back a step with his arctic stare.
“I’m sorry. It just happened. I wasn’t expecting it, but it absolutely won’t happen again.”
His nostrils flared as he inhaled a deep breath. “See that it doesn’t.”
Elliot was quiet on the way back to the office. He worked on his tablet the entire time, poking at the screen with more force than necessary.
The rest of the day, my stomach was sour with worry. I knew this wall of his. He could put it up and take it down at will. I’d been on the inside of it the past few weeks, and now, being on the outside…it was a harsh slap in the face.
I had to remember this. Just because we were growing comfortable with each other didn’t mean he wouldn’t turn tail when I made a misstep.
And I would.
Because I was me, and that was what I did.
Chapter Twenty-one
Catherine
Saturday morning, I padded downstairs with Joey. We’d had a lie-in snuggling in my bed after we both woke up, her nursing like a maniac and me soaking up every bit of her I’d missed all week at work.
Now, I was starving, and she was chilling in my arms.
The house was quiet. Elliot was probably at the gym or the office. He didn’t spend much time relaxing, as far as I had noticed, which was a shame because he could have used it.
After the incident at Rockford yesterday, he was even more uptight than usual. It had been like pulling teeth to get one-word answers during dinner last night, so I’d given up and ate in silence while he’d held Joey, then disappeared upstairs with her as soon as I’d finished.
Like every morning, a note was waiting for me on the counter.
Catherine,
I’ll be home by 10.
We’ll go shopping after Josephine’s first nap.
Coffee’s in the refrigerator.
Yours,
Elliot
P.S. You did nothing wrong yesterday.