Or don’t. That’s preferable.
Sully
Ope, he’s back.
Sly
Silencing my phone as well.
I don’t wait to see if any more messages come through before I set my phone on top of the shelf to the right of the bed. When I turn back toward her, her eyes are open.
“Hi,” she says sleepily.
“Hey.” Dusting my fingertips against her arm, I rub her skin rhythmically, back and forth. “Sleep okay?”
“Mmhmm,” she hums. “Did you?”
“I haven’t slept, but I rested. Had an interesting conversation with the guys.”
“Anything I should know?”
Shaking my head, I chuckle again. “Just Sully and his normal chaos. He’s planned a birthday celebration for me next weekend. Saturday. You’re invited, too.”
“Where?”
“Parq East.”
Nuzzling against my side more, she sighs. “What are we doing, Luce? Is this just a fun fling we had while abroad and when we’re back home, things will go back to how they were?”
I stiffen. “Is that what you want?”
“No, that’s not what I freaking want,” she sasses, shaking her head as she scoffs. “Of course it’s not. But I’m not the one who’s ever been hesitant with this. You’re the one who’s wishy-washy.”
“I am not wishy-washy.”
“So you want to be with me then? Give this a real shot and tell everyone? Tell your sister?”
Silence stretches as I think about it. I shouldn’t be hesitating in my answer, but I am, and the longer I take to respond, the more the turmoil grows in her gaze.
So much is on the line right now—too much. My entire career could be gone if word gets out that I’m sleeping with my client. I’ll lose my credibility, my reputation. Potentially even my position as partner if Gamble catches wind of this. He won’t want a cliché tied to his firm. It doesn’t matter if my client is someone I’ve known for years. The second she signed that contract and handed me a hundred-dollar bill as a retainer, I was screwed.
Now the lines are incredibly blurred.
“I want to be with you,” I tell her in earnest, still stroking her arm with my fingertips. “But until your divorce is final and you’re no longer my client, I can’t run the risk of us being public. It could cost me everything I’ve worked for.”
Raina’s face crumples as she lies quietly in my arms for a minute, her face contorting with an array of emotions—surprise, hurt, disbelief.
It kills me, but before I can think of how to reiterate what I just said in a way to make her know this isn’t abouther, but about my career, she flips the opposite direction and sits up. Her feet hit the floor, and she reaches for the closest piece of clothing to her—my button-down.
“I get it.” She stands, draping my shirt around her shoulders.
“Baby, where are you going? Come back to bed, we’re not landing for another couple hours.” My hand brushes hers, but she steps away so I can’t touch her.
Looking over her shoulder, she tells me, “I just need to use the bathroom,” but there’s a sad look in her eyes right before she walks to the lavatory attached to the bedroom.
The door closes quietly behind her, shutting me out. The silence is isolating, and I blow out a shaky breath, feeling like I fucked everything up somehow.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
