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He wanted her to be happy.
She was the best thing that had ever happened to him. Felicity had been working for a temp agency and had come to Fortune Investments to help him out on a temporary basis. He’d been a wreck. His life had been a mess after things had fallen apart with Kelly. He needed someone to help him get his act together, because he couldn’t even think straight after the divorce.
The minute Felicity walked in, not only did she have an instant calming effect on him, but she had also been damn good at what she did: untangling his life and freeing up his mind so that he could focus on what he did best—make money for Fortune Investments. God knew he had no choice but to work his ass off because he’d had to pay back his father for the financial hole that Kelly had left him in. Which brought him full circle.
Since Kelly, Felicity had been the only person outside of his family he had allowed himself to trust. He trusted her without a doubt. So, he was certain when it came to Kevin Clooney, she would protect the interests of Fortune Investments.
But when it came to matters of the heart...that was a little unclear.
About a half hour later, Felicity arrived. Austin stood. He had already decided that it would be best just to rip the bandage off and go out and talk to her, rather than letting things sit and fester. “Good morning,” he said.
“Good morning.” She looked like she’d had about the same quality of sleep as he had. “Austin, I’m so sorry about yesterday.” Her voice shook, and his heart clenched at the sound of it. He hated to see her look so torn up, but he also needed to make sure she understood why he’d acted toward Kevin the way he had.
“Do you want to come into my office and talk?” he offered.
“I do.” Her voice was soft, and she looked subdued as she twisted in her chair, then stood.
Today, she was wearing a pale yellow dress that made him think of sunshine. He wished this dark cloud would pass and the sun would come out again. In due time.
“Austin, I didn’t know that Kevin had met you before, and I certainly didn’t know he had pitched you a business idea in the past. If I had known, I wouldn’t have let him pick me up at work. He was the one who suggested it, because I told him I needed to work late. But I told him that going forward, any talk about business would have to go through you. There will be no suggesting that I slide him onto your schedule, unless you tell me to slide him on.”
“Does that mean you’re going to keep seeing him?” Austin knew he had no right to ask.
He was edging into dangerous territory, but at the moment, he didn’t give a damn.
Felicity blinked. “I don’t know.”
Austin blinked. “Either you are or you aren’t going to see him. It’s a simple question.” Dammit. He could hear his tone, but the feelings inside him were like a living beast trying to get out.
She stared at him with wide brown eyes. So much for showing her the softer side of himself.
“Why do you need to know that, Austin?” she asked. “Is there a reason? Is there something you want to say to me?”
He scrubbed his hand over his face. There was so much he wanted to say to her. So much he wanted to do. He wanted to pull her up from the chair, straight into his arms and taste those lips that were going to be the death of him if he didn’t get to taste them soon.
But he couldn’t do that anymore than he could demand to know if she intended to keep seeing Kevin Clooney or forbid her from seeing him again.
“What is there to say?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I have no idea. You are confusing me, Austin.”
That’s because he was confused. He had no idea what these feelings were or where they came from. The best thing he could do was change the subject.
“Look, I know you well enough to know you would never do anything that would put Fortune Investments in jeopardy. I have to be judicious with the investment proposals that I bring to the board. I don’t want Kevin pressuring you to get to me, when I don’t even know if I can help him. That’s why I need to know if you’re going to continue seeing him.”
Felicity nodded, and Austin thought he glimpsed disappointment in her eyes. He couldn’t make sense of it. She didn’t even seem to like the guy.
