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“A-and I meant it when I said I like you—” her cheeks stained pink “—but I hope you didn’t take it the wrong way.”
He wasn’t letting her off the hook that easily. “Which way would that be?”
“I like you. You’re a good boss. A good work friend.”
He felt his mouth screw to one side. Work friend made him sound like a balding, potbellied old dude.
“I think of you the same way you think of me,” she added.
Naked, sweaty and in his bed? Because that’s how he thought of her.
“Look at us.” She gestured at their shared table. “Just a couple of coworkers hanging out at dinner.”
That was verbatim what he’d said to her in the car. Satisfied with her speech, she smiled. She’d been so matter-of-fact while giving them the out they needed. She was hitting the undo button on accidentally admitting her feelings for him.
He could let her off the hook. He should.
But he wanted to live in the now, not the future. He wanted to work hard but play harder. Since learning the attraction to Addi was mutual, he couldn’t care less about steering himself to a safe and sandy shore. Bring on the rocks.
“My emotions were unstable. Probably due to my grief over Joe,” she continued, acting as her own defense counsel. “I was tired. Frustrated about my car. Worried about you leaving the office to drive me here. I didn’t really know what I was saying.”
The lady doth protest too much, methinks...
“I’m sorry. That’s what I’m trying to say.” She let out a soft laugh. “My reaction was completely out of context—I’m not sure why I said it.”
He returned her smile and she eased back into her chair. She’d said her part. She’d made her peace. All he had to do was accept her apology and return to his dinner. Instead, he looked into her gorgeous cerulean eyes and said what he was really thinking.
“Bullshit.”
Addi stared at Bran, fairly certain she was about to have an out-of-body experience. If she could consciously detach from her body and float away from this table, she’d do it.
She felt as trapped as she had in the car this afternoon, but now he didn’t have to take his eyes off her to drive. Shouldn’t he be relieved to hear she hadn’t meant it? He was supposed to grab onto her explanation like a lifesaver and then float away, comfortable in the knowledge that his executive assistant expected nothing from him.
He wasn’t doing that.
He ate a bite of his dinner like nothing had happened. She watched him chew, swallow and go in for more. Completely unfazed.
“I’m staying the weekend,” he announced. Fork, chew, swallow. “Looks like I’ll meet your parents after all.”
Her vision doubled and she blinked at her wine. She’d drunk half a glass, so she couldn’t blame that.
“I had to find a costume for the ball on Saturday, but this town is equipped for strange requests. I also bought swim trunks.” He continued eating, listing various items on the itinerary as casually as if he’d been invited. “I’ll stand in as your date tomorrow at Joe’s wake. I’d feel strange being there alone since I never knew him.”
“What?” she finally said. “Why would you come to Joe’s wake?”
“For you.” He lifted his wineglass and took a drink and she stared at him some more. “I was going to take in the sights but hearing how upset you are about being here and how nervous you are to see your parents...” He shrugged, a casual lift of one broad shoulder beneath his dark suit jacket. “A work friend wouldn’t let you go alone.”
“That’s hardly your responsibility.” She didn’t exactly snap, but her tone was definitely clipped.
“Well, who knows why I do anything. You did say I was an idiot.” He flashed her a smile.
Groaning, she dropped her forehead into her palm. “I apologized for that.”
“And for saying you liked me, I heard. Thing is—” he pulled her hand away from her face “—I don’t believe you were overcome with grief. I believe you were pissed off that I said I wanted nothing to do with you personally, physically. Sexually.”
He paired the word “sexually” with the arch of one eyebrow and she had the irrational urge to dive under the tablecloth.
“At the time, I was trying to reassure you since I overheard you and Taylor talking at work. You said I was ‘nice’ which is the equivalent of you finding me as attractive as the calamari over at that table.”
