Page 29 of Close to the Edge

“Is this conversation going anywhere? I have a ton of work—”

My breath rushed out when he leaned across the desk and drifted a finger down my cheek. “You really don’t need to be so jumpy around me. You especially don’t need to get defensive every time I give you a compliment.”

“I wasn’t—”

“You want to pretend you’re offended because I said you’re more at home here with your computers than in that gilded cage you call a home. But you don’t have to be.”

The accuracy of his words made me jerk away from his touch.

My house was luxurious on many levels. But there was more to what I’d told Caleb last night. Truth was, it was also my cage. Chance had stashed me there when I’d first arrived in San Francisco because he’d wanted me isolated.Stillwanted me isolated. For now it was a place to eat and sleep but it would never be my home.

Caleb was watching me closely, reading my every expression.

My gaze dropped to his throat as I cleared mine. “I’m not. You’re mistaken.”

He sighed. “What’s your favorite restaurant?”

I blinked. “What?”

“Food. Lunch. Where?”

“Why?”

“Jesus. You love making me sweat, don’t you, Lily?”

My fingers curled around the edge of my desk, unable to stop myself from replaying those moments in the elevator. The feel of his cock between my legs, his strained voice as he whispered his wishes to me.

All that power and glory under my control...

He leaned closer, sunlight glinting off his dark, mahogany-tipped hair. “What’s going through that mind of yours, I wonder?”

I dragged my gaze from his body and named the Japanese restaurant I liked. He tapped it into his phone and I heard a whoosh of a text.

“Why do we need to go out at all? This place has a takeout service. We could just order in.”

He shook his head. “Like I said, it’s time to change things up a little. Your stalker knows your routines so let’s introduce a new element into the equation.”

“Let me guess? You?”

“Yep. We’re putting ourselves out there. Besides, I have questions about the people on the list you gave me. I prefer we do it somewhere we won’t be interrupted.” He jerked his head to where a couple of analysts conversed outside my office. One of them looked up and started to wave.

Caleb’s glower froze it dead. They quickly dispersed.

“Wow, you must be very proud of yourself,” I said.

He turned back. “Last night you told me what you’re working on is top secret.”

“It is.”

He indicated the clear glass windows. “I would’ve thought you’d be locked away in a basement somewhere in one of those Faraday Cages.”

I opened my mouth, closed it again and tapped a command to shut down my laptop.

“Come on. I’ll show you how it works. Then maybe you’ll stop glaring at everyone who comes into my office.”

He smirked. “I can’t make that promise. And I didn’t glare ateveryone.”

No. Miranda got the full effect of his megawatt smile. I didn’t want to examine why that bothered me so much.

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