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Why does that make me feel disappointed?
Get it together, Angelica! You’re just feeling soft and vulnerable after he helped you through a panic attack. It doesn’t change anything. In fact, he’s probably filed this away to use against you at a later date.
Reminding myself to stay smart, I steel myself against my desire to give in and accept.
“Sorry,” I finally say, trying to keep my voice even. “I think with flying tomorrow I’d better have an early night and I want to see if the doctor can prescribe me something for the flight.”
He looks disappointed but nods. “Of course. That makes sense. I’ll see you at the airport tomorrow, Angel.”
He turns and walks away.
“Please don’t call me that,” I shout after him, frowning. He stops walking and looks back at me over his shoulder.
“I thought it was an abbreviation of your name.”
“No. It’s not. Just call me Angelica, please,” I insist, ignoring the way my stomach flipped at his use of the nickname. No one has ever called me that before and I hate the way I like him doing so.
“Sorry. Of course. Enjoy your lunch, Angelica.”
I hate that he walks away, and that he had the last word. I’m not sure I’m buying his mister nice guy act. He has to be up to something, surely? Maybe he’s trying to steal my promotion and he thinks that he can distract me while we work on this project together. I’ll never let that happen. I’ve worked too hard to risk my career now.
As I head to the local deli that I love, the idea starts to make more sense in my mind. Is it a coincidence that Lycus showed up at my apartment the night of our presentations, and that he attempted to seduce me? I don’t think so.
He’s clearly trying to throw me off my game. And then suggesting that I ask to be excused from the Arizona trip! It would give him the perfect edge over me with the clients on his return, because I wouldn’t know what the club experience entailed and would be working at a disadvantage.
Hell, he was probably hoping to get me drunk tonight to ensure I missed my early flight in the morning. What a pig.
It doesn’t matter that he kissed me and got my head all messed up for a couple of days. I’m onto him now, finally thinking clearly. And now that I know what his game plan is, I can battle him. There’s no way I’m going to let him win.
Yes, we may have to work on this project together, but I know we’ll be judged separately, so I need to bring my A game. I’ll even fight dirty if I have to.
With a plan forming in my mind, I order my lunch and then escape to the park to work on the finer details. Not only will I ensure Lycus doesn’t win, I’ll make sure that by the end of this project, he won’t know what hit him.
ChapterNine
Lycus
Obviously I didn’t plan to break into her apartment again. But I was so worried about her. After she had that meltdown at work – I’m fairly sure it was a panic attack, because my cousin used to have them – I couldn’t stop thinking about her.
As we worked through the morning she seemed to recover and get lost in the project planning, but once we broke for lunch the tension crept back in.
I didn’t get anything done all afternoon because I was worrying about her and even though I planned to just knock on her door and see if she was okay about the flight tomorrow – and maybe ask if she wanted to share a car to the airport or something – I found myself holding back.
Waiting.
Until it was definitely too late to knock.
And then suddenly I was using my key to let myself in, and standing over her while she slept like some kind of creeper. Again.
There’s something fucking wrong with me. I deserve to be arrested, even though my motives are mostly pure. What will I say when I’m caught?“I’m sorry, Officer, but have you seen how gorgeous she is? Can you blame me?”
Fucking hell.
Glancing down at her sleeping form, I’m struck by how beautiful she is. I’m getting hard just watching her sleep. Her body…face…smile…she’s going to be the death of me. The temptation to steal her away and make her mine, so no one else can even look at her is overpowering.
Despite my internal turmoil, I can’t deny the surge of affection that washes over me as I watch Angelica sleep. Her face is serene in slumber, her chest rising and falling gently with each breath.
The guilt of my actions hangs heavy on my conscience, but right now, all I can focus on is the overwhelming desire to protect her, to keep her safe from whatever demons haunt her.
