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He dropped his head, and his shoulders started shaking. It took me a minute to realize that he was laughing. I slapped his shoulder.
“Shut up! It was embarrassing! I was hiding under the desk and my boss showed up to help me to my feet!”
His eyes danced as he laughed and I felt myself relax a little more. At least someone found the situation funny. No one was laughing in the conference room. Bennett drew me into a hug, pressing his lips against my forehead.
“I’m sorry, Julie. I’ll talk to him about it. Was it your idea or Luka’s?”
“Luka’s,” I mumbled. I realized too late that it probably wasn’t a good idea to listen to him. Luka was a troublemaker.
Bennett tried to muffle his chuckles against my shoulder, but he was still laughing. When I growled, he released me with a grin.
“I really am sorry, it’s just… I’ve known Luka for a long time. I know better than to take his advice. I should’ve warned you.”
I crossed my arms, leaning back in my chair. “I mean… I know he and you like to prank each other, but… I guess I never thought he would set me up like that. You might’ve gotten yelled at, but I could’ve lost my job. I love my job, Bennett. I’d be heartbroken if I lost it.”
His face softened, and he cupped my cheek. “I wouldn’t have let them fire you. I’d have taken the blame on myself. Technically, I outrank you. If I would’ve said I coerced you, they wouldn’t be able to fire you.”
“But then you’d get fired! Don’t say stuff like that!”
He shrugged. “I’d figure something else out. You’re more important than a job, Julie.”
I melted at his sweet promise, leaning into his hand. “How about we follow Grayson’s rule and stick to outside work? Then we can both stop worrying about losing our jobs. Okay?”
“I second that.”
I hadn’t even heard Grayson walk into the room, and I jumped when he spoke. He didn’t look as out of sorts as earlier, and he smiled at me when he approached.
“Feeling better?”
I nodded. “Thank you. For the break and for… earlier.”
He hummed his acknowledgement, moving past us to grab a bottle of water from the fridge. “Once you’re feeling better, there are a few things that I need your help with. Can you meet me in my office?”
Taking a deep breath, I pushed to my feet. “Absolutely. I’m fine now. Let me just grab my notebook and we can get back to work.”
Bennett stood next to me, kissing my cheek. “I’ll see you later. Call me if you need anything.”
He waited until I gave him a grateful smile before leaving the breakroom. I followed Grayson out, stopping at my desk to grab my notebook. There were only a few hours left in the work day and I didn’t want to waste any more time on things that weren’t in my control.
Grayson sat behind his desk and I took my seat on the opposite side, flipping my notebook open. When I glanced up, I found him staring at me. I blushed, ducking my head.
“Okay, first things first. I’m going to need you to sign this.”
When I looked at the document he was offering me, my jaw almost hit the ground. “A relationship contract?”
Chapter Thirty-Two
JULIE
He nodded. “It’s for your protection. Unfortunately, since we already were seen by another employee, I feel like it’s for the best, even if you have no interest in a relationship with me.”
My head jerked up. “Do… Do you not want to…” My voice trailed off. Before today, Grayson never showed an interest in me. He kissed me in front of Alan to help me. And I was the one who kissed him in the elevator. There was nothing saying he had any interest outside of protecting me. My stomach sank, and I glanced back down to the paper in my hand.
“Julie.”
His commanding tone forced my gaze back up to him. He looked serious, leveling me with a look.
“There are very few reasons that I’d say no to exploring a relationship with you. The document is merely to keep both us and the company safe from lawsuits. My position makes relationships within the company difficult. This document would ensure it couldn’t be used against you.”
