“Yeah. It’ll be tight, but I think we can make it work.” I start gathering up my things. “I’ll add you to the email about the 3D renders once I’ve had a chance to call Peyton.”
“Perfect. And I’ll forward you the comparables research, if you’d like to see it.”
“I would. Thanks.” We go over a few more details—me letting him know of a few more locals he can chat with, and him taking notes on everything, setting up a schedule for us to follow. When we finish, I stand, and he follows suit, taking both of our empty cups. “This was good. You… you’re good at this. The research, the analysis, all of it.”
“So are you,” he says, walking to the garbage can in the corner of the room. For some stupid reason, I follow him. “The construction expertise, seeing the practical implications…” He breaks off, noticing I’m standing right next to him.
“We make a good team,” I practically whisper. “Professionally. For work.” My cheeks heat with the realization of what I just said. Somehow, we’re standing even closer. Nearly touching. “I should go.”
“You should,” he replies with a nod, neither of us moving.
“Darcy, I?—”
“I know. I know what you said. Professional. Friendly. Civil. I’m trying, okay?” There’s something so earnest and desperate in his voice.
“I know.” I look down but still make no attempt to leave. “I was going to say you should be careful with my dad. He can be charming when he wants something.”
“What could he want from me?”
I shake my head. “That’s what worries me. I don’t know. He has this way of manipulating situations to his advantage. Just… please be careful, okay?”
“I will. Thanks for the warning.” Somehow, he feels even closer.
“Yeah, well, I’d do the same for any… for anyone.” I don’t even sound convincing to myself right now.
“Would you?” His rumbly, low voice is too familiar, too intimate, too much.
“Darcy,” I plead, looking up at him.
“Strictly professional. I’m not even touching you, see?” He holds up his now-free hands for good measure.
“Then why does it feel like you are?” My breathy question makes his nostrils flare, but he doesn’t miss a beat.
“Because you want me to,” comes his confident answer.
“That’s not—I don’t?—”
“You’re gonna start lying now?” His words make my blood boil with frustration. Screw him for throwing my own words back at me.
“This isn’t fair.”
“No,” he says, so low I might have missed it if we weren’t so close. “No, it’s not. It’s not fair, I can’t touch you the way we both want, but I told you I’d follow your lead, and I meant it.”
I’m torn between wanting to fuck him right here on the conference room table and wanting to shove him against the wall and tell him to shove his assumptions about what I want where the sun don’t shine. “I have to go.” I settle for those four words instead.
“I know.” He steps back, leaving me more than enough space to walk around him to the door. He doesn’t follow. And even after I’ve spent a few minutes calming myself down in my truck, there’s still no sign of him.
CHAPTER 21
PRETTY SURE THEY’RE HAVING SEX IN THE WOODS SOMEWHERE.
DARCY
I pushed her. I know I did, but I don’t regret it. She can deny it all she wants, but Iknowthat look in her eyes. I know what she looks like when she’s turned on, when she wants me to touch her. But I will absolutely not push her too far. Especially not after hearing her dad talk about her, and the way she didn’t seem herself at our last meeting. I don’t want to do a single thing to put that sad look on her face, but I also can’t stop thinking about her. Wanting her. I’m so far gone for a woman I’ve known for a month, it’s ridiculous.
We haven’t met for two weeks. She’s been busy, and I know it’s true because Leo and Neve affirm that fact every time I’m with them. They have no idea how lucky they are to work with her, talk to her all the time. Meanwhile, I’m over here, parched for any drop she’ll let me have.
Today I quench my thirst, though, because it’s my best buddy’s birthday, and Neve is throwing him a party. He deserves it. Deserves to be celebrated and to know the people around him love him. I wish I wasn’t the piece-of-shit friend who’s been lying to him about why I’m really here and what’s going on with work.I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know what it’ll be like when I go back. If I go back. Thatifis the biggest source of my anxiety these days, but also my biggest source of relief. It’s confusing as hell, trying to walk this line between wanting to go back to normal, but also knowing my normal wasn’t healthy, as has been clearly proven by the shit state of my mental health.
