Page 83 of Love In Hiding

Coy laughed softly. “Does she push you because she’s trying to get under your skin, or because she’s trying to get closer?”

His breath caught. “That’s part of the problem. I don’t know. I don’t think she does either.”

“But you want to.”

Spencer closed his eyes, his head on the back of the chair. “Yeah,” he said. “I want to. But again, so much is at stake. And during the day, when we are working, she’s like a wildcat that I don’t want to tame. Or didn’t at first. I wanted to run away.”

“And now you’re ready to make her a pet?”

The humor in Coy’s voice had him laughing. Just liketheir college days, bantering back and forth to cheer the other up.

“Something like that. I know that she’s struggling the same as me. Not just with the work part separating things, but letting her guard down.”

“You don’t let yours down either.”

“And it sucks to feel as if I am.” Especially wondering if this was a huge mistake he should nip in the bud now.

“Well,” Coy said. “Then maybe this isn’t a problem. Maybe it’s the start of something you didn’t expect.”

He swallowed hard. “Or maybe it’s what ruins everything I’ve worked for.”

Coy snorted. “Spencer, most of the best things in life start exactly like that. Trust me. I know that better than anyone. Youknowthe guilt I carried.”

“And I didn’t make it any better.”

He remembered exactly how he felt when he found out not only were his best friend and sister dating, but expecting a child.

He’d lost his shit. Really lost it.

Made demands they marry right away.

Everyone thought he was nuts.

Looking back, he knew he was. But he hated to lose control of anything and it felt as if everything around him was crashing.

His job was just showing signs of coming apart. His one happy thought was that his sister was on her own and being watched over just as well as he would have done.

Not much different from what he might be doing to London.

Wonder if her brothers would feel the same way.

Or if his bosses would?

Just another thing to worry about.

“You didn’t, but it all worked out,” Coy said. “What is it you want? Ask yourself. In a perfect world, what do you see happening?”

“I see us working together peacefully.”

“Get that out of your head. It won’t happen. It’s not even realistic. Not the way you describe her personality. Do you think Angel and I work peacefully? Not even close, and we share an office. And it sounds as if our personalities are closer together than yours and London’s.”

“Fair point. That just tells you how messed up I am in the head to think something that ridiculous.”

“Back to my question. Be realistic. What do you see if you could picture it perfectly, but being something that could happen?”

“That the way we interact outside of work, we could during the day.”

“What’s different?” Coy asked, sounding confused.