Page 58 of Counterfeit Connection

“That isn’t what I was trying to do. I only saw red. He needed to be put in his place, and I was in a position to do it. I just hate that you were caught in the crosshairs.”

She pushes up a little so she can look down at me. “So now what happens? He said I had a couple of days to fix things if I wanted my job back…”

“Tell me you aren’t considering that. I don’t want you to work for him anymore. He doesn’t respect you. What he suggested to do with me won’t stop here. I meant what I said. I want you to come work for me.”

“Griffin, that feels too close. I don’t want the lines blurred so far that I get hurt in more ways than one in the end.”

I take her chin softly between my fingers, tilting it up just enough so she can see my eyes. “I would never hurt you intentionally. This would not be part of our other contract. This is a real position within Orion. Tobias has even been hounding me to get someone in the States. If he’s on my ass, you know it’s a true need. You’re massively intelligent, mega intuitive, and you can’t deny we work well together.”

“I don’t want a job simply because you’re fucking me, Griffin.”

I grip her face in my hand, holding her still with a bit more force than I had thirty seconds ago. “I’m offering you a job because I think you’d be great for the position. What we do privately has nothing to do with it.”

“That’s not what everyone else will think.”

“Since when do you care what anyone else thinks? I told you not to worry about any of that, and it holds true even more now.”

“Can I have it in writing? Formally, I mean. I want everything written out so I know what I’m getting into. I don’t want to be blindsided… again.”

Her request, while logical, pains me more than I care to admit. I’ve broken a bit of her trust and I don’t know that I’ll be able to get it back. “If that’s what it takes for you to trust me again. I’ll do it.”

“It’s not that I don’t trust you. I need to trust myself. Blurred lines and all that.”

“Name your salary, responsibilities…all of it. I know you’ll be fair. There’s one thing you do need to consider however.”

“What’s that?”

“Travel. We’ll be doing a fair amount of it, not only around the States but back to London as well.”

“Oh.” She pauses. “Oh shit. You won’t be able to go home without us being in front of your father and likely your mother too.”

“Exactly right. Can you handle that kind of closeness? It’s easier here because we have an ocean between us.” I know I have to confess something to her. Honestly, she’ll find it quite enlightening. “I have to be honest with you. I don’t just know Wilder; I know others like him. They use women as toys. They treat them like dolls…posing them and making them do things they wouldn’t normally do, all in the name of business. I watched it my entire life growing up.”

Kaitlyn’s hand goes from mindlessly toying with my fingers to sliding up my rib cage to rest over my chest. “Jesus. Everything makes so much sense. You should have told me this before.”

I pull her comforting hand to my lips and kiss her knuckles. “As you’ve said many times, we’re still getting to know each other. It’s not something I tell just anyone. Family dynamics and baggage are more of a trust fall. I know I can tell you the truth and you won’t use it or hold it against me.”

“Never. Thank you for trusting me with it.” She leans down and presses a kiss to my lips. “I still want to have a formal job offer in writing from you. I have rent and health insurance and bills I will still need to worry about.”

I nod. “I’ll talk to Tobias and have him work with our HR department on some things and we’ll make it official.” I smile. “I do like the idea of being your boss.” She pokes at my rib cage and I gasp in pain, but laugh. “Ouch!”

“I’m still mad at you,” she says. “But now I’m hungry. You worked up my appetite. I’ll forgive you if you feed me.”

“Anything you want, but first… I meant what I said about London. With this new development, we will have to go there. I wasn’t sure if we’d have to go at all before, but now it’ll have to happen.”

“Fine, but under one condition.”

“Name it.”

“We stop down in Virginia on the way so I can see my dad and Rocket.”

I feel a pang deep in my core. I’m going to meet her family. We’re the only ones, besides her sister, who will know it’s a lie. I hate the veil that will linger over our entire stay, but I’d be lying to myself if I’d say I wasn’t excited to see Kaitlyn riding her horse, being with her dog…simply being the country side of her.

“I think that can be arranged. We may have to make a show of it at the airport. Think you can handle that?”

“Is it weird I’m used to the cameras already in many ways?”

“They’re like gnats. You know they’re there and serve a purpose but genuinely want to swat them away. Only one or two are worth their weight.”

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