“Alright.”
He stepped around her.I made to follow, but she blocked me and held out her hand.
“Thank you for your willingness to take on a new duty, Ms.Elmantas, but it’s not necessary.”
She plucked the tablet from my loose hold and turned to follow Konni, who had stopped to look back at her.
His eyes were doing that gold glitter thing that he’d claimed didn’t mean he was angry.But he sure looked angry as he stared at Lianna.
“Take the rest of the day off, Lianna, and remember why you joined Steele Corp.”He grabbed the tablet from her and told me to get into the elevator.I scrambled to obey, willingly escaping the fallout of Lianna’s idiocy.
He was a step behind me, and the doors closed on her storming off.
Unfortunately, he only remained quiet for a few seconds.
“Bomir said that you told him to put the flowers in the men's room.Didn’t you like them?”
“Flowers are a distraction in the workplace, Mr.Steele.They cause coworkers to spend company time idly gossiping instead of getting tasks done.And as Ms.Stonestock pointed out when she saw the card, any romantic entanglements right now will only distract me from establishing the career I came here for.”As I spoke, I kept my gaze pinned on the reflective doors in front of me.
I still saw the way he was watching me, though, and how he glanced at the camera in the corner of the elevator.
He was smart, but a smarter man wouldn’t havelookedat the camera.
The doors opened to the main level, and he gestured for me to exit first.Why did that make me want to kick him with my sensible flats?In reality, I didn’t have any reason to be mad at him.
He’d stated his interest and wanted to openly pursue me.I’d asked for distance at work.He hadn’t.He also hadn’t been the one brushing up against Lianna.That was all her.His attitude toward her hadn’t veered from professional, not even when she pissed him off.
We reached the main doors, and I stepped out into the sunlight before I admitted the truth to myself.
I was jealous.
Dammit!How had I gotten in so deep?Konni wasn’t mine.I had no claim to him.I didn’twantany claim on him.
Liar.
“Are you going to give me the silent treatment the whole time?”Konni asked as we walked toward Harlow.
“I’m not that immature.My silence is a filter as I step back from the problem and look at it logically.”
“And what problem are you looking at?”Konni asked as Harlow opened the door for us.
I slid in first and waited until Harlow closed the door to turn to face Konni.
“You.You’re the problem.”
Konni’s brows twitched in surprise.Instead of getting angry, he reached for my hand.
“How?”
I jerked back from his touch.
“Like this.Keep your hands and your flowers to yourself, Konni.Steele Corp is for work, not for brushing up against each other whenever your horny dragon self has the urge.”
Harlow made a choked sound, and I flushed, hating that I’d been too angry to notice he’d gotten in.
“Brushing up against—” Understanding lit Konni’s gaze, and a slow smile grew on his face.
“Keep laughing, and you’ll start wishing I was filtering again.”
