I watch the floor numbers tick up and try not to think about the first time I rode this elevator with him.
That was the night that started this whole mess.
I put my back to the elevator wall and stare at the doors. I can feel him in the small space without looking at him. I still hate how good he smells.
We get out on my floor, and I walk ahead of him. I unlock my door and push it open. He follows me in. I drop my keys in the dish on the side table and toss my clutch beside them. Then I turn to face him in the entryway. I cross my arms.
“I’m not offering you anything to drink,” I tell him. “Because you aren’t staying.”
“Understood.”
He doesn’t move toward the living room. He stands there with his hands at his sides.
“I’m going to get right to the point.”
“That would be nice.”
His mouth twitches. “The way I see it,” he says, “there are two options. One, I take myself off this assignment. Which I’m happy to do. But I’ll have to give the Council a reason for it. I’ll have to tell them that I fucked you.”
A flush rolls up my neck. “That is absolutely not necessary. We’ll just stay out of each other’s way.”
“It’s not possible. While I’m on this assignment, I’m your shadow. I have to be with you, or within earshot of you, for any time you’re away from this apartment. I have to determine whether you need full-time security, which means I have to be there for the full picture. We are stuck together until I give my report.”
“I don’t have any other functions coming up. None. It’s just work and home for the foreseeable future. Which I can manage. There’s nothing for us to navigate. It’ll be fine.”
He takes a step toward me.
Then another.
His hands land on my hips. The warmth of his palms goes straight through the silk.
“What are you doing?” I take a step back. The wall stops.
“Admit you find me attractive.”
I roll my eyes.
What the hell is he up to?
“Of course I do,” I grind out, pushing at his chest. He doesn’t budge. “Now what the hell are you doing, Ridge?”
He steps in. His thigh brushes mine. The line of his body is right there.
“Admit that you like me inside you.” His voice has dropped. “No, admit that you fucking love it. Because I love being inside of you, Robyn.”
Holy shit.
Holy shit, holy shit.
“What did you just say? Stop it.”
“You heard me.”
“I…I—” I shake my head. “I repeat. What the hell are you doing? What are you saying right now?”
“I’m saying I can’t keep my hands off you.” He says it like a confession. “There. I said it. If I’m around you, we’re going to fuck again. It’s a given. If we’re going to be adults, we need to admit that, because it’s a fact.”
“No,” I say. “No, we won’t.”
