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“Who says we won’t?”
Hesitance returned to her expression as she studied the screen. “I don’t know.”
“If you don’t want to do this, tell me now. I’ll delete any trace of our arrangement and we can go right back to what we were doing before.”
A light rouge dusted her cheeks, and it was there again, that spark. I’d seen when she was kneeling in front of me while picking up my pens from the ground. I saw it again last night as she peered up at me from her chair. Once more it appeared when she asked me to please her.
She wanted me. She wantedthis. She just didn’t want to admit it.
“It’s okay to have fun with your agreements, Sadie,” I reassured her. “You don’t have to worry about any animosity.”
My heart sank witnessing her struggle. I didn’t understand what was wrong. I was practically fixing all her problems for her. Couldn’t she be a little more grateful for it?
Sadie bowed her head in thought. Her phone lit up again, and then again, and then a third time. People were hounding her. Without asking, I lifted her phone and tried to unlock the screen. It was password protected.
“I’m taking a quick break,” she said while standing, practically shoving me out of the way. “I’ll be back in fifteen minutes. The contract is fine. We can keep the fake relationship going.”
“Would you at least let me handle some of your PR?”
A cocky grin spread over her lips. There she was—that was my girl, the tenacious and sassy woman who could whip through tasks like it was nothing. “No, it’s my job to handle that. I ought to get used to it, right?”
Impressive how fast I got hard just from her saying that. At the very least, she wasn’t around to see the tent in my pants. I turned to the window, half-expecting her to wander out into the garden to handle the mess of the luncheon. Well, it was obvious her stress was originating from that.
As long as it wasn’t about last night…
She came in three minutes flat. I didn’t think anybody could come that fast, but she had, and she proved to be remarkably susceptible to touch. I’d barely grazed her skin before she became a bumbling mess of syllables. Hardly a minute went by where I didn’t wonder how she would look doing other things.
Especially if she was on her knees.
Initiative was all it seemed to take with her. The other close encounters we had were always hesitant and cautious. Now she was bolder, sharper. She snapped more. But that was the risk I took by inspiring her confidence in herself. If I was going to break her open and help her become the best version of herself, I had to prepare for such explosions.
Yeah, that made sense. She was being prodded out of her shell. I bet she hadn’t spent many years outside the family or the pack. With my worldly experience, I could give her the skills necessary for her to accomplish any goal.
Just what were her goals, anyway?
Laughter entered my awareness, and then that distinct giggle that I knew belonged to Sadie had me flying down the hallway. Vanilla and honey peppered the air, dragging me through the lobby and to the other hallway. It was like I was retracing my steps to the day Sadie initially started working for me.
Déjà vu couldn’t have hit any harder when I came across Sadie laughing it up with Izdor. Though this time, Izdor wasn’t carrying a giant plank of wood. He was just carrying a tool bag.
I cleared my throat and wrapped my arm around Sadie. “Has she told you the news yet?”
Sadie jolted with a squeak and stiffened.
Izdor perked up, glancing between the two of us. “Oh yeah. It sounds exciting.”
“Exciting?”
“Sure, I think humans have some pretty interesting customs. Luncheons aren’t really something Elderlings do, but hey, it sounds like a hell of a time.”
Sadie scoffed. “It is with my family.”
“I wouldn’t doubt mine would be peculiar,” Izdor commented.
The two of them started laughing again, practically mocking me with their irritating bond. Sadie hadjustleft the office. How was it she got caught up with Izdor again when she said she was going to do something else entirely? I was beginning to think I couldn’t trust her.
I hugged her to my side, causing her to wince and pat my hand. “Alright, I missed you too. Easy.”
“You two look pretty close,” Izdor observed. “Got quite the grip there, buddy.”
