Page 31 of Keep Him Like Secrets

I actually felt a chill move over me, making my skin goosebump and a shiver slide down my spine.

“I thought you wanted to do research,” I said, yelling to be heard over the music, “Not grope me on the dance floor.”

With that and nothing more, I stalked off, storming toward the door like a woman scorned,notfully, thoroughly, mind-numbingly kissed.

The night air was a cooling balm on my overheated skin. My ears rang as I took a steadying breath, my gaze scanning the street, hoping for a cab.

Not seeing any, I turned down the road and started walking, cursing my stupid heels with each step.

“Saff,” Soren called, making me close my eyes and exhale through my nose.

The stubborn part of me wanted to ignore him and keep walking. The part of me that cared what my boss thought about my actions had me stopping, but not turning around.

I swear Isensedhim coming up behind me before I felt him. That sizzling static sensation that seemed to crackle between our bodies when we were close.

I didn’t know what I could possibly say if he was going to call me on not being an unwilling participant in that dance and kiss.

Soren exhaled hard enough to rustle my hair.

Then, in a low voice, completely shocked me by saying, “I sincerely apologize if I overstepped a boundary.” He stepped even closer, close enough for me to feel the heat of his body behind mine. “Rest assured I will never do so again.”

There was no accounting for the sinking sensation in my stomach. That was what I wanted. Right? To keep things professional. To not risk my job and reputation.

“How about we meet tomorrow?” he suggested. “At your office. To discuss design plans.”

My office.

That I sincerely hoped Bastian had finished setting up. If not, he would be up at the crack of dawn doing it before the meeting.

“Two p.m.?”

“I’ll be there.”

“I will have Bastian send Teresa the address.”

There was a slight pause, like maybe he was going to say something other than what came out. “Can I give you a lift home? My driver is right down the block…”

“No. I’m going to walk.”

“You live around here?” he asked.

Shit.

I really didn’t need him knowing that.

“To the subway,” I clarified.

“At this time of night? Alone?”

I would have bristled at the concern in his voice if it was literally any other man on the surface of the earth. When Soren said it, though, it made a strange fluttering sensation move across my chest.

“I’m a lot tougher than I look.”

There was another pause—Soren battling with his conscience, no doubt.

“Allow me to walk you to the platform then. For my own peace of mind.”

Dammit.

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