“Shit,” I mutter.
“Does this happen often?” Olivia asks.
“Sometimes when the weather gets bad.” I pull out my phone, using the flashlight. The beam finds her face, and she blinks against the bright light. “Backup generators should kick in soon.”
But minutes pass, and the lights stay off. Rain starts hammering against the window, punctuated by more thunder.
“I should probably get home before it gets worse,” Olivia says, but she doesn’t move toward the door.
“You walked here from your office?”
“It’s not far.”
“It’s pouring.”
“I’ve survived rain before, Storm.”
I shine the light toward the window. Water streams down the glass in sheets. “Not like this. Wait it out. At least until the lightning stops.”
She sighs but nods. “Fine. But just until—”
Another crack of thunder, so loud it shakes the walls. Olivia jumps, and without thinking, I step closer, hand reaching out.
“It’s okay,” I say, my voice lower than it should be.
“I know. I’m not afraid of storms.” She puts her tablet down on my desk with the screen turned over.
“No?” The phone light catches her eyes, and I see something there that contradicts her words. “What are you afraid of?”
She swallows. “Right now? This.”
“This?”
“You. Me. Whatever this is.”
My heart slams against my ribs. “Olivia—”
“We should talk about something else,” she says quickly. “The talking points. The interview. Literally anything else.”
“Why?”
“Because if we don’t, I’m going to do something really stupid.”
“Like what?”
She laughs, but it’s shaky. “Like forget every rule I’ve set for myself. Like stop pretending I don’t think about you when I shouldn’t. Like—”
I close the distance between us in two strides. “Like this?”
My hand finds her waist, steadying her, and she gasps softly. The phone’s still in my other hand, casting crazy shadows on the walls as the light bounces.
“Carter.” My name is a warning. Or maybe a plea. I can’t tell.
“Tell me to stop,” I say, my forehead almost touching hers now. “Tell me this is a bad idea, and I’ll back off. I’ll beprofessional. I’ll pretend I don’t want to kiss you so badly I can barely think straight.”
Her breath hitches. “Itisa bad idea.”
“I know.”
