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“Right,” I said, bringing my cup to the sink. “Anyway, I should probably get started on my day.”
Lukas watched me walk across the room. “You’re upset with me,” he said.
“No, I’m not,” I lied breezily. Returning to the couch, I slid my feet into my slippers. I wanted to admit that I was at least irked but getting into a fight was what couples did, and we weren’t that, so I put on a smile that convinced us both that things were fine. “I’m just thinking about all the stuff I need to get done today,” I said, straightening his perfectly straight tie. Touching him generally helped me forget whatever was plaguing my mind. Within a few seconds of my hands on his chest and his cupping my cheeks, I was actually fine again. At least I felt that way.
“Hey,” Lukas murmured, his thumbs stroking my jaw.
I smiled. “Yes?”
“If you find yourself needing a break from work, you should swing by my office,” he said to my surprise. “It’s about to be a long week for me. I could use as much of you as I can get.”
I swallowed, having known from Julian that it was about to be a rough week for him. I just wished I knew why and I was less than a second from asking but Lukas unknowingly silenced me, leaning in to give me a last kiss before work. He let his hands slide into my hair and the way he gently tugged on my locks told me that he already missed me. That he didn’t want to go.
But that was just it.
His touch said one thing and his words said another. As much as I told myself I didn’t care, it was starting to eat at me and since I could feel it actually hurting my heart, I knew.
I’d officially gotten attached.
20
LUKAS
“You? Here on a Saturday?” I got a belly laugh from Jack, the weekend desk guy at Hoult Tower who Julian nicknamed Creepy Uncle. “You must have another lady friend up there,” Jack winked.
“Actually, no,” I said. The last time he’d seen me, it was late and I was coming from a bar. The girl on my arm was already unzipping her dress so it was safe to say Jack made assumptions. Probably the right ones, too.
“So, you’re telling me you got real business to do?” Jack asked skeptically. “Seventy-five degrees on a Saturday, all the pretty girls in little skirts by the piers and Lukas Hendricks is working?”
“Believe it or not, yes. I played hooky the other day so I have to make up for it now.”
“Well, I hope you did something fun ‘cause it’s not worth it otherwise. Not on a perfect day like this!”
“Trust me, it was worth it,” I smirked, heading for the elevators.
“Well, she must’ve been a very special lady!” Jack called after me.
“Very,” I called back, grinning when I heard his belly laugh again, echoing with my footsteps in the empty marble lobby. Hoult Tower was usually busy every day of the week, Saturdays and Sundays included. But it was oddly empty today. Forty-six floors in the building and it honestly felt like Jack and I were the only souls inside.
Though in all likelihood, there was at least one other poor bastard in the building. Riding the elevator up the quiet floors, I sent him a text.
ME: You here?
The response shot back fast.
JULIAN: If by here you mean the office then yes.
ME: You’ll be proud to know that I too am working on the weekend
JULIAN: I’ll believe it when I see it.
I snorted, slipping my phone back into my pocket as the doors opened onto my floor. The walk toward the glass doors was eerie without the lights on. Thankfully, I kept a few lights on in the office at all times but still, something felt off as I walked toward the doors.
Pressing my key card against the lock, I pushed through and immediately heard the sound of scurrying feet. I frowned when I saw who’d just run to reception from the back.
“Noelle. What’s going on?” I asked. It wasn’t uncommon for her to work on weekends but today she looked uncharacteristically haphazard, in just a ragged T-shirt, cotton shorts and flip-flops. It was alarming, if only because she was usually so proud about looking and dressing a certain way at the office. I’d seen the woman go through entire boxes of Band-Aids just to avoid taking off a pair of painful heels.
My concern jumped up a notch as she stood staring at me, tears starting to well in her eyes.
