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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 ElliotorGavin 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
Saturdaymorning,Ipaddeddownstairs 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.
I reread his note, flabbergasted at his stating I’d done nothing wrong when he’d definitely acted like I had.
