I tighten my jaw and close the file. “What do you want, Marcus?”
His gaze flicks past me—to a table a short distance away. Ivy’s table.
I can’t help but follow his gaze.
She’s laughing again, shoulders relaxed, body angled toward the man across from her like she belongs there. Like she’s comfortable.
Marcus’s gaze moves back to me. Studying me. “Who is she to you?”
I look away from his intense stare. “My neighbor.” Myvoice is neutral. It sounds harmless. Suburban. Like we borrow sugar and wave politely. Instead of the reality of our situation—she pops out from behind shrubs and climbs over my railing and balcony.
Marcus hums. “Neighbor, huh.” He squints at her. “Isn’t she the same one who came over?—”
“Yes.” My hand curls around my laptop.
He chuckles. The sound irritates the hell out of me. “I’d like to have one that looked like her.”
I glare at him, but keep my mouth shut.
“If she ever needs a job,” Marcus continues thoughtfully, “I pay well. And I offer snacks.”
I snap my laptop shut. “We’re here to talk about the acquisition. Not my neighbor.”
“And we will,” he says easily. “But first... You don’t bring people into your life. You don’t mix work and… whateverthisis.”
My eyes lift sharply. “Thisisn’t anything.”
Marcus doesn’t flinch. “Then why do you look like you’re deciding whether to break something?”
He’s not wrong. I’ve mentally broken at least three objects already. One of them was Aaron.
I glare at him. “Drop it,” I say.
He doesn’t.
“You’ve built an entire career on identifying risk,” Marcus continues. “So I’m curious—why are you ignoring the one sitting ten feet away from you?”
“I’m not ignoring her.”
“You’re watching her,” he corrects. “Like a man monitoring a volatile stock,” he adds. “High risk. High reward. Terrible sleep.”
My fingers curl against the edge of the table. “Marcus.”
“Sebastian,” he counters. “You don’t get rattled. Ever. And yet?—”
“I said drop it.” The sharpness in my voice finally gets his attention.
He holds up his hands. “Alright. Message received.”
I open my laptop and try to focus on the acquisition.
Instead, I keep looking past him. Atthem.
Marcus clears his throat, and my attention goes back to my screen.
I immediately start talking business so he can’t ask anymore questions, pretending nothing is amiss. Pretending I don’t notice the smirk on his face.
He plays along, and I relax, relieved he doesn’t question me further about my neighbor.
