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“Hot.” I winked at her and saw a ghost of a smile cross her face. Triumph lit through me. I was an idiot for still feeling like a smile from her was a win. “Let’s walk and talk because I have to leave early. We can do this on neutral ground. The new office.”
She tilted her head but followed me out and down the hall. “Do you have plans?” She asked. I glanced over at her in shock. She looked as surprised as I felt about the question that came out of her mouth.Huh. Interesting.I must really be getting to her, because Margo Clarke did not ask me personal questions. In her mind, I lived in this office, consumed the souls of small children for breakfast, and then spent the rest of the day thinking of ways to torment her. Honestly, it wasn’t that far from the truth.
“I’m going to see my brother and his husband and their new baby. I just need to find a present first, which is why I need to leave so early. I have no idea what babies like. My mom is angling for an invite but there’s no way in hell Schwartz will let her come over.”
“Sounds like fun. I have to admit, I don’t know much about babies either, but I’m sure your brother will be touched by whatever you get him.” I raised an eyebrow at her. She was never this nice to me. Maybe the coffee really was poisoned.
“You don’t mean that. This coming from the girl who once said “see you in hell” to me.” She grinned at me and my heart stuttered a little.Holy shit, she was beautiful.Her dark eyes, her high cheekbones, her thick, dark hair. All of it drew me in. “Guilty as charged. I can’t think of anything worse than a Markman family gathering.”
Believe me, me neither. Schwartz was the only family member I enjoyed seeing these days. I wasn’t getting into that with her, though. Talking about my family made me want to shut down and shut everyone out. Instead, I pushed open the door to our new office and gestured for her to go ahead.
“Not bad.” She surveyed the land like a queen. “One desk is obviously bigger, which is an issue.”
I pressed my lips together to stifle a smile. Always thinking like a negotiator, this one.
“So, let’s have coffee and chat.” I leaned against the desk I hoped to claim and sipped my coffee.
She looked so suspicious that I nearly laughed. If we were going to survive sharing an office, we needed to take baby steps. The very first one was not actively trying to destroy each other. And to do that, I needed to learn who the hell Margo Clarke even was after all these years.
9
Margo
Ieyed Andrew where he leaned casually against the bigger desk and took a tentative sip of my coffee. I sighed in pleasure and saw him look quickly away.
“Okay. I’ll play.” I mirrored his pose against the opposite wall. “But don’t think this means you get the bigger desk.” I gestured at where he leaned, cashmere sweater lovingly hugging his frame, his pose highlighting his lean legs. A fashion photographer would have a field day with him.
“Great.” He grinned at me, full force, and my heart stuttered a little. My guard was fully up, despite his beauty and his playfulness. I had seen this before. He reeled people in with that flashing smile and then he pounced.
“I don’t usually see you in the gym. Are you working out these days?” He sipped his coffee and watched me.
Oh no.He wanted to talk about that moment. I would never forget his strong arms, the way his shirt had stuck to him, the innuendo when he had said the wordbegging. My stomach tightened. I had somehow spent the last eight years objectively knowing that Andrew was insanely hot, the way you knew the sun was too bright to look at, and yet never truly realizing what that meant until you stared at it too long. Andrew had the face of a model and the body of a god, plain and simple, nothing to be done about it. It was a fact of existence. Until today. What it meant was that I couldn’t stop glancing at his strong frame, his arched brows, his glossy hair.I was so fucked. This is how most women at the firm saw him and judging by the giggles when he was in the vicinity, not a lot of work was getting done in his presence.
I looked down. “Trying to.” I thought I sounded nonchalant and I mentally gave myself a pat on the back. “I used to run a lot. And you know how it is at the holidays. Too many deadlines. Even whencertain peoplearen’t interfering in your staffing.” I glared at him. I was not letting him forget.
He crossed his arms over his chest, biceps straining his cashmere sweater beyond reason. Maybe he should be buying a size up and save us, and his sweaters, the strain? My eyes traveled back up to his face and he quirked an eyebrow at me. I blushed and kept my eyes on his chin. Neutral ground. No one could get excited about a chin.
“Why do you do it?” He examined me intently, his green eyes questioning.
I stared blankly, confused at his change of subject. This was what Andrew did. He got you comfortable and then he turned on you. And now I had been caught checking him out and worse, I had liked what I saw.Get a hold of yourself, girl.
“Do what?” I responded brilliantly.
“All this.” He gestured vaguely around the office. “It’s Friday. Don’t you have a loving family home to escape to? Or friends to see for the weekend? You could have finished the Langford deal docs from home, hopped on the road and enjoyed yourself. And you’re always here over every weekend and every holiday. I should know, since I’m here too. Why?”
“What do you mean, why? I’m trying to make partner, just like you are. You know it and I know it.” Frustration rose.
“I’m just trying to get to know you,” he replied mildly. I nearly laughed at that.
“Andrew Markman wants to get to know me,” I scoffed. His perfect brows rose.
“Don’t you think we have a better chance of making this work if we’re friends?”
My chest ached. I knew what friends with Andrew entailed. Giving him pieces of myself until he decided I wasn’t good enough for him. I didn’t respond and his eyes went hard.
“Suit yourself. I’m just trying to help. I guess it doesn’t matter. I have this promotion in the bag.” His voice was self-assured.
Frustration rose. “You’re twisted, you know that? I’ve worked just as hard as you have, maybe harder, I’ve been staffed on all the right deals, I’m Gerald’s right hand associate. You don’t have anythingin the bag. Moreover, I think you brought me in here just to fuck with me.”
