Page 91 of Most Likely to Fear Love

She lifted her head, meeting my eyes for the first time since she’d started her story. The vulnerability there made my chest ache. “Thank you. For listening. For not... I don’t know. Looking at me differently?”

I cupped her face in my hands, thumbs brushing across her cheekbones. “The only difference is that I’m even more amazed by how strong you are.” Leaning in, I pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Is there anything else I can do?”

She brushed her lips against mine, a touch so gentle it barely existed. “You can make me forget about him,” she whispered against my mouth. “Just for tonight, make me forget everything except this.”

“Sure, darlin’, I can do that.”

CASSIDY

Iwas deep in concentration, poring over a stack of environmental impact reports on my desk. The gentle hum of the office faded into the background as I scribbled notes in the margins, my mind fully engaged in dissecting the legal implications of each paragraph.

The sudden buzz of my desk phone jolted me out of my focus. I blinked, momentarily disoriented as I shifted gears from the world of regulations and statutes to the present moment.

“Yes?” I answered, my voice a bit raspy.

“Ms. Hayes,” chirped Alice, our receptionist. There was an unmistakable note of excitement in her tone. “There’s someone here to see you.”

I frowned, quickly scanning my mental calendar. I hadn’t scheduled any appointments for this afternoon. “I don’t have anyone on my schedule, Alice. Who is it?”

“Well,” she drawled, her voice practically vibrating with barely contained gossip. “It’s a very handsome gentleman. Tall, blonde. Says his name is Harle?”

My heart stopped. Then started again at triple speed. Harle. Here. At my office. Oh god.

“Ms. Hayes? Should I send him away?” Alice’s voice snapped me back to reality.

“No!” I cleared my throat, trying to sound more professional. “No, it’s fine. I’ll... I’ll come out.”

I stood on shaky legs, smoothing down my pencil skirt with trembling hands. What was he doing here? This wasn’t part of our routine. Harle was supposed to be safe at his cabin, not here in my professional world.

I checked my reflection in my phone screen, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. My cheeks were already flushed, and I hadn’t even seen him yet.

The walk to reception had never felt so long. Each click of my heels against the floor echoed my thundering heartbeat. Left foot: what. Right foot: does. Left foot: he. Right foot: want?

As I rounded the corner, I saw him.

Oh. Holy. Hell.

My heart leapt, blood rushing in my ears as heat pooled low in my belly. My system had gone straight into overdrive. Like Pavlov’s horn bag. Turned on at the merest sight of him.

He stood there in dark jeans and a navy blue henley that made his eyes pop, looking completely out of place among the stuffy law office decor. In his hands, he held a bouquet of wildflowers, all sunset oranges and pretty purples.

He flashed that disarming smile of his. “Hope I’m not interrupting anything important. I just wanted to see where you worked.”

I glanced around, acutely aware of Alice watching us. The way she practically vibrated with curiosity made my cheeks burn hotter.

“Of course. Why don’t we step into my office?”

I led Harle down the hallway, hyper-aware of his presence behind me.Knowinghe was checking out my ass. The scent ofhis cologne, mingled with the fragrance of the flowers, made my head spin slightly.

My office suddenly felt impossibly small. The space I’d always considered my sanctuary, my place of complete control, now felt charged with an electricity I couldn’t contain.

As we entered, I turned to face him, ready to ask what this surprise visit was really about. But before I could speak, Harle gently closed the door and locked it with a soft click, then placed the flowers carefully on top of the nearby filing cabinet.

My breath caught in my throat as he turned back to me, his eyes dark with an intensity that made my knees weak.

“Compliance check.”

“Wh-what?” My voice came out as barely more than a whisper, my heart suddenly thundering against my ribs.

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