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I nod, unable to form words.
He leans in. “Someone I trusted fucked me over.” His hold tightens on my hand. It’s not painful, but I take it for the warning it is. “Don’t make the same mistake he did, Riley.”
I don’t have time to respond before Kyle gets up, packs up his lunch, and exits.
A part of me wants to feel rejected yet again. But the spot on my hand where his thumb was making tiny circles still buzzes from his touch. The unguarded look in his eyes that lasted half a second as he watched me chew my lunch is burned into my memory.
Kyle wants me almost as badly as I want him.
That’s a complication I cannot afford to get entangled with.
CHAPTER12
Kyle
“Goddammit,” I grunt as the point of my pencil snaps, causing another smudge on my notepad. I toss the damn thing across my office.
“Yes,” I answer the phone on my desk.
“Kyle, there’s a Brendan Chastain on the line for you.”
I pause, trying to recall who the hell Brendan Chastain is. The name sounds familiar.
“He says you two went to college together?” Mike sounds uncertain. “You’re old friends.”
I snort. Mike knows I don’t have any friends.
But the name rings a bell. “The wannabe actor?”
“I believe so. He says he worked with Andreas a few years ago on a pilot.”
With a roll of my eyes. “Tell him I’m busy.” Motherfuckers always think they can use a family member’s name to get me on the phone or in a meeting. I remember Brendan from college, but barely. He was a few years ahead of me. We most certainly weren’t friends.
I hang up with Mike, still feeling agitated.
As if to add insult to injury, another round of Riley’s laughter spills from the hallway. I know it’s coming from her. In the two weeks she’s been consulting for Townsend, I’ve involuntarily come to memorize her sounds.
Even as I’ve worked tirelessly to keep my distance.
My anger urges me to storm out into the hallway and demand that everyone gets back to their damn offices and do some work. Yet, I remain in my chair.
I know any outburst I have will directly result from Riley's effect on me. I’ve already had more than one of the VPs asking me about Riley. When Gregg, VP of finance, asked, I almost took his fucking head off. That was the last time anyone asked me a direct question about her that wasn’t solely work related.
That doesn’t mean they aren’t asking her directly,my subconscious reminds me.
More sounds of laughter from the hallway. My entire body tenses.
I should’ve fucked her in Miami when I had the chance. I would’ve worked her out of my system, and these bouts of jealousy wouldn’t be occurring now.
Are you sure?
I shrug off the doubtful tone of my subconscious and stand to roll my shoulders. My entire body is tight with unexplainable tension. Yes, I’ve worked twelve hours, three out of the last four days, but that isn’t ordinary for me. My morning workouts remain on par with every other morning workout. So why the fuck am I so tense?
I ponder going back to writing the notes I wanted to follow up on from an earlier meeting. Yet, the words on the paper have been swimming in front of my eyes for the past hour.
I need to go for a walk. I’m sure when I get back, I’ll be able to focus more clearly.
By the time I exit my office, the hallway has cleared out. A quick check of my watch tells me it’s five after five. Regular closing hours for a business, but I’ll be in the office for at least a few more hours.
