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“Ava wanted you to have that. We went to one of those kid restaurants where there are games.”
My heart tugged, and I smiled at the keychain, still keeping my eyes firmly away from him. I wasn’t that strong and might get up to help him adjust his shirt.
“They seem like sweet kids,” I said.
He snickered and went into his office, buzzing me to join him a few minutes later. He was put together again, but his tie was still loosened and I noticed the tanned skin at the open collar. I wanted to press my face close to his neck and breathe him in. I had been fleeing the office the moment the work day was over to keep myself from temptation. Maybe in a few months, or years, I’d stop lusting after him. Probably not, because when I pictured him with distinguished gray hair at his temples, it only made him sexier.
He waved me to have a seat across from his desk, then leaned over, a concerned look on his face.
“It looked like you weren’t too thrilled with taking on the Brighton campaign. I don’t want you to feel pressured to branch out. You can take part in the creative work or just assist me. It’s up to you.”
I guess he’d noticed my trepidation, but thankfully he didn’t assume it was because I didn’t trust myself around him. “It’s not that,” I said. “I’m really grateful for all the opportunities you’ve given me and I’m excited to be part of the process. I was just…”
“Worried about spending time with me? Can’t trust yourself?” he asked.
Had he suddenly gotten the ability to read my mind? And my stupid face heating up gave away that he’d hit the nail on the head, even though I hurried to dispute it.
“That’s not it at all,” I said. His slow grin drew me closer to his desk.
“Oh really? What’s making you hesitate, then?” He grew serious. “Go ahead and tell me. I think we can be completely open with each other, right?”
I nodded. “I just really want to prove myself, but I’m not sure I’ll get an honest assessment of my work because…” I couldn’t seem to finish a sentence.
“Ah, I see.” He leaned across his desk further and it looked like he was going to reach out his hand toward me. I was disappointed when he didn’t. “You don’t have to worry about that, especially not with this project. I’m just a contributor, same as you. Paige will have final approval.”
“Really?” I found that a little hard to believe. “You’re okay with that?”
He shrugged. “That was my old department, and I kind of missed the work, so I’m squeezing this in. Plus I thought you’d enjoy it.”
“I would. I’d love it. I can’t wait.”
His eyes met mine and he had a look I couldn’t understand. I still felt his gravitational pull and found myself lifting off my chair to lean closer to him. “You’ll do it?” he asked. I nodded and he sighed. “You’re killing me, Violet.”
Did he still want me as much as I wanted him and was just better at hiding it? He looked at me so wistfully I almost crawled across his desk. His hand brushed against mine, and I closed my eyes, waiting for his lips to touch mine.
No, we couldn’t have sex in his office again. Or anywhere. I stood up fast enough to nearly knock the chair over. “No, none of that. No way.”
He blinked, that slow smile curling those lips I wanted to kiss more than I wanted to breathe at that moment. “None of what?”
I shook my head, having to laugh at his fake innocence. I felt safer the further away I got from him. “You know exactly what.”
“I’ll be good,” he promised.
At my desk, I couldn’t concentrate on my work and stopped altogether until I could calm down or risk making a mistake. What was wrong with me? I was never like this. But then again, I’d never been around someone as enticing as Eli before. He was like some evil sex wizard, constantly casting a spell over me so I lost the ability to think properly. None of what I felt could possibly be real. I knew what he was like, and I knew we were completely incompatible. Except in that one way. We were plenty compatible there.
I got up to tell him I was going to the cafeteria, needing to take a brisk walk to get my pent-up energy out. I peeked around the edge of his door when he didn’t answer my soft knock. He was hard at work, tapping away at his keyboard, glancing down at a proposal in front of him with an earnest look on his face.
I slipped back out, not wanting to bother him when he was so focused on his work. Sitting back down at my desk, I sighed and rested my chin on my hand. I could keep denying it all I wanted and blame it on his animal magnetism, but I had finally come to realize the truth.
I was hopelessly in love with Eli. My head wanted me to quit or face certain heartache, but my heart was desperate to keep being around him, almost eager for the inevitable pain.
Chapter 21 - Eli
I looked up from the piles of printouts and photographs and charts we were surrounded by where we sat on the floor. The desk had been overtaken by our work hours ago. Outside the windows, the city lights sparkled all across the night sky. I never got sick of that view, but it paled in comparison to Violet, sitting cross-legged with her skirt pulled as far over her legs as she could get it, swiping at her tablet while she compared images to the ones we’d already printed. She finally gave in and took her oversized jacket off and pushed up the sleeves of her turtleneck. I wished I could have honestly told her she could go back to dressing normally, but it was probably safer if I didn’t have to be tormented by glimpses of her soft skin while we worked. And I had to admit, the mischievous side she brought out in me liked that she was still trying to get one over on me.
We were on day twenty-two and after spending extra hours with her, nose to nose and shoulder to shoulder, I wasn’t any closer to being over her. It was exactly the opposite. I was more enamored with her than ever. Being alone with her with the city lights as a backdrop tested all my resolve to keep things professional. It was hell. The alternative was to risk losing her altogether, which would have been worse than hell.
The deadline for the project was looming, but we were on fire. Correction, Violet was on fire, coming up with so many good ideas it made my head spin.
