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"Would you like to hold him?" Zara asks.
Cade looks alarmed. "Me?" There’s so much panic in his voice, I have to press my lips together to stop myself from snorting out loud.
"Yes, you." Zara tilts her head.
"Umm. He’s too fragile. Maybe when he’s a little older?" Cade takes a step back to punctuate his words. The balloons flutter above him. "I guess I should tie these…somewhere?" He crosses the room to a chair pushed up by the window and ties them to its back.
"Oh, now I realize what’s wrong,” I exclaim. “The pink balloon says, ‘baby boy,’ and the blue balloon—"
"—says ‘baby girl.’ I’m aware." Cade spins around, then walks back to take his place on the side of the bed opposite me; this time, putting more distance between the bed and himself. Not that I’m complaining. The farther away from me he is, the better.
"Shouldn’t it… I mean… Shouldn’t it be the other way around…?" I chew on my lower lip, and his gaze lowers to my mouth. His nostrils flare and he looks annoyed. With me? With himself, maybe? He raises his gaze to mine, and my breath catches. There are sparks of something I can only define as…lust? Nah, not possible. He doesn’t find me attractive. Does he?
Zara clears her throat, and Cade snaps out of his reverie.
"Who am I here to visit, hmm?" he drawls
I frown. "You’re coming to visit Zara."
"Who is…?"
"Your sister?" I offer.
"And?"
"Uh, she’s very much a feminist, a strong woman, ah—" I tip up my chin. "I get it now. You were making a statement you knew she’d approve of."
"You’re smarter than you look." He smirks.
I firm my lips. "And you’re not as dumb as you look."
His gaze widens. "Dumb? Did you just call me dumb?"
"You know what they say." I thrust out a hip. "When you have a good-looking face, chances are there’s nothing between the ears."
Cade’s jaw hangs open, then he chuckles. "Very good."
"You talk as if you didn’t think I could hold my own in a conversation," I scoff.
"Oh, I’m sure you can." He raises his shoulder. "If not, my sister wouldn’t have hired you."
"I took her on because Abby showed a lot of potential. In fact—" Zara turns to me. "I see something of me in you."
A warmth suffuses my chest. "You do?"
She nods. "You have the same hunger, the need to prove yourself. That thirst for success that pushes you to try harder, to go that extra mile—"
"Which is why I think you’ll be perfect for the role of my new Communications Manager." Cade steps in smoothly.
Eh, excuse me? Did he just say what I think he did?I jerk my chin in his direction. "Wh-what do you mean?"
"I need help managing my social media profiles, as well as my PR, and you heard my sister, you’re among the best on her team. So, I’ve decided you can come work for me.”
No way.He’s offering me a job?
The asshole who shagged me then disappeared from my life; the man who’s been fucking his way through women in different parts of the world is offering me a role on his team? And why? Because he wants to see me fail and laugh at me, no doubt. Apparently, raising my expectations that, perhaps, there was a chance for us to explore a relationship, then shattering those hopes by leaving me wasn’t enough. Guess he wants to destroy what little is left of my confidence, eh?
Of course, it’d mean I’d finally get a chance to see him every day. And how agonizing would that be? To watch him from up-close as he shags other women? If I accept this job, I’m setting myself up for failure, or worse…heartbreak, considering I’m more than half in love with him already. Or maybe, I’m fully in love with him, going by how my heartbeat hasn’t slowed since I saw him in the doorway. If I go to work for him, it’s going to be agony. It’s best to stay as far away from him as possible. It’s the only way I’m going to hold on to what dignity I have left.
