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A similar scene to what played out in Harriet’s office happens in Jerod’s office. A little more raucous, more hearty handshakes and back patting than hugs, but the sentiment is the same. I tease him about the time his team wrapped his entire office, including the stapler and individual staples, in AC Milan wrapping paper after his team lost to them. And he laughs so hard he almost chokes.
As we leave, Luna tries to get a peek at him opening his envelope as well. I let her use me for a pillar again, but more for me than her.
In the elevator back to our floor, she clears her throat, and I let myself meet her look since it seems like she wants to say something.
“I’m sorry.” The two words feel weighted with a hefty dose of guilt. When I don’t respond, she continues. “For what I said the other day. I didn’t know…”
I hold her look for another second, taking in the wavering, sweet brown eyes, and then force myself to look away. “Forget it, Luna. I have.”
“Kingsley, please. Let me say I’m sorry.”
“You already did, remember?”
“Yeah, but I actually mean it now,” she admits.
The corner of my mouth twitches, and I have to bite down on the inside of my cheek to stop myself from smiling. “Ah, well, I already accepted your apology when you apparently hadn’t meant it yet, so it’s behind us now.” The elevator opens and I fall into step behind her back to my office. “Okay?” I say, leaning to whisper to keep our conversation between us, since I know every single one of my employees has a tendency for eavesdropping.
But when I pull back, the china-smooth skin of her back is covered in goose bumps.
She doesn’t say anything and just keeps walking, putting some distance between us, and goes directly to her office.
I take the chance to disappear into my bathroom to splash cold water on my face.
I can’t have her reacting to me that way. Her restraint is the only thing that keeps me in line when my own control is only paper thin.
Giving myself a few extra minutes to regain my composure and for my groin to remember that she’s untouchable, I tidy up my bathroom a little before stepping back into my office.
She’s already sitting there, on the couch, legs crossed, her black dress inching so far up her thigh all it would take is for her to raise her arms one more inch before I’d see her…
“Luna. Are you free for dinner tonight?”
What the fuck, Kingsley?
She blinks, looking up from her notebook. “What?”
Take it back. Take it back right now, you utter fool.
“I have a business dinner tonight. I thought you might like to join me. Better than you eating alone and better than me having to talk to a bunch of stuffy businessmen.”
“Oh, are you sure? I’m not sure I’m… dressed…”
“You have plenty of time to go change if you’d like to be, but I see no need. This dress looks nice on you.”
I say it without taking my eyes off her face—I already know she looks perfect. And while I don’t look, I know she’s wearing a new black dress she bought a few days ago. A simple black mid-thigh silk Carolina Herrara that shows off her shoulders and her tiny waist. She’d come back from a shopping trip with one of the other women at the office and asked if she could have the money to buy the dress, how it was her first splurge. I had to force myself to focus on telling her that I didn’t need to approve purchases like clothes. My role as trustee was more for if she wanted to buy a house—then we’d have to talk about how toliquidate some funds. I wasn’t there to police her money, just to help her best manage it. But the whole time I was thinking about how I would have killed a hundred men to have watched her in that shopping showroom, trying on clothes. And then joined her in the dressing room and helped her out of each and every one of those dresses.
As if she can imagine my thoughts, a flush creeps up her neck.
“Um. Sure. I’d love to.”
It takes me a moment to realize she’s responding to my question about dinner.Get your fucking head together, Kingsley.
“Fine. We’ll leave here at six thirty. Would you like to go home to rest first?”
Say yes. Say yes and leave so I can put some distance between us between now and then.
She shakes her head. “No, I’m okay.”
I head over to my desk, pretending to be hyperfocused on my monitor. “Okay, well, I’ll have Marcus come get you when it’s time,” I say dismissively.
