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He looks up at me, fingers frozen on the keyboard. “Why what?”
“Why do you keep giving me these gifts?”
“I enjoy doing it. It makes me happy to give you these things.” He responds.
I exhale deeply and take two steps closer to his table. “Jayden, the bracelet is beautiful, and so is everything else you have gotten me. But I can't keep accepting those.”
“Why not?” He shrugs.
“I don't know if I wasn't clear enough before, but I really don't want to string you along,” I reply. “Nothing will come out of this. Us. No matter what. And you are a great guy and just so sweet, but I’m not in that space right now.”
He doesn't say anything back as we spend the next couple of seconds staring at each other.
“Okay then, just accept the gifts,” he says in what almost sounds like a whisper. “That’s all I ask.”
I shake my head. “I’m really sorry, Jayden. I can't. I would love to focus on my job here and do my best to deliver. Let's not make this complicated. Everyone is already talking.”
He sighs. “Alright. I don’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I just wanted to let you know you are very important to me. I mean, all that time we spent together, it must mean something, right?”
“It should, but it doesn't mean anything will progress from there. Please, Jayden, I don't need this right now,” I respond, literally begging. “If you want to show you care about me, there are numerous, and more subtle, ways.”
“Alright, alright.” He puts both hands up in surrender. “You win. I give up.”
I smile warmly as I begin to retreat, satisfied by how the conversation has played out.
“I won’t promise anything, but I’ll try,” he calls after me.
I glare at him, and he bursts into a round of laughter.
“You need to relax.”
“You don’t want to go around mixing business with pleasure, Jayden,” I reply.
As soon as I get back to my desk, I shut my eyes and take a deep breath. Jayden was surprisingly easy to deal with.
I open the box once again and fiddle with the diamonds on the bracelet.
Should I give this back? Or should this be the last gift I accept from him?
I shut the box after a long, hard look and place it in my drawer.
Jayden makes it so hard to resist him.
It feels as though the more restraint I show, the more challenges he throws at me.
It doesn't help that he acts so clueless, as if he isn’t aware of what his actions are doing to me. Surprisingly, I find that incredibly sexy.
I start typing an email to Jesse on my computer, but I can’t erase that wry smile on Jayden’s face the entire time from my mind.
I smile to myself. He will be the end of me if I don’t stop this.
I say I want it to stop, but in truth, I love playing these games with Jayden.
Chapter twenty
JAYDEN
Istrut to catch the elevator, my phone ringing and vibrating in my pocket, but I don't bother to look.
