Page 28 of Reluctantly Yours

He bent to find them under the desk, but when I reached for them, he snatched them away.“Finders keepers.”

There was even something surprisingly hot about that.He tucked them into his back pocket, then settled into his chair with a contented sigh.He had gotten home late from the office and was still wearing his work clothes, which today were a little more business than casual.

I had started taking his shirt off as he’d spun me and bent me over the desk, and now he was finishing the process of unbuttoning.How was I supposed to think about anything having to do with work when so much of his bronze chest was visible?

“What were we supposed to be talking about again?”I teased, sitting on the edge of his desk, swinging my feet back and forth.“You’ll have to refresh my memory because I’m pretty sure you fucked my brains out.”

It was so good to hear him laugh.He had been so tense, stressed, and moody, much more so than usual.It didn’t take a genius to connect the dots.His shift in attitude started in the aftermath of that surprise visit from his mom last week.On the one hand, I didn’t want to overstep my bounds and pry into his feelings, but on the other, it hurt to see him like this.Of course, Sofia noticed it too.I didn’t want that for her.Tiptoeing around her father, knowing he was in a rotten mood and feeling like she had to somehow make up for that.It wasn’t fair.

But when he laughed and lit up my heart like a candle, I knew there was more to it than a concern for Sofia.I was concerned for him, worried.Maybe more than I should’ve been.

“Fine.”He ran his hands over his hair, which was mussed to hell after I ran my fingers through it.“Let’s talk scheduling.I have late meetings the next two nights, Wednesday and Thursday, but the latest can take place here over Zoom.Still, don’t expect me for dinner with you and Sofia.I probably won’t be home until her bedtime, and I’ll still need to touch base with a couple of the board members and the team I sent to the UK to meet with our partners out there.”

I did some quick math in my head.“It will practically be the middle of the night out there.”

“Sure, and I’m dealing with a bunch of jetlagged employees.They’re busy, too,” he explained with a shrug.“It’s the only time we can coordinate before getting caught up in meetings.”

His expansion was closer every day, but something still told me it was stress over his family issues that bothered him more.“I’ll keep dinner warm for you,” I suggested.“You can eat whenever you're ready.”

“What would I do without you?”My heart beat faster when he reached out and took my hand, stroking the back of my fingers tenderly and offering an almost sheepish smile.“I would be lost.”

Why did he have to go and do things like that?If I weren’t careful, I could make the terrible mistake of falling in love.I cared too much as it was, wanted him too much.My typical habit.Jumping in headfirst, even when I knew how dangerous it was and that there might be dangers waiting under the surface of the water, things that could hurt me if I couldn’t see them.

“Otherwise, I’m going on a short trip to New York.Two days,” he explained, waving it off like it was nothing.“I’ll be gone the twelfth through the fourteenth.”

I had to be hearing things.“Of this month?August?”

“No, three months from now.”He chuckled, nodding.“Of course, this month.”

“But…” This was awkward.“I thought that was when we were supposed to have dinner for your mom’s birthday.On the thirteenth.”

It was the funniest thing.I watched in real-time as he shut down, pushing me away through his attitude, if not his actions.He was still holding onto my hand when he lifted a shoulder.“It is what it is.I can’t miss these meetings.They’re too important.”

“But you said we would be there.”

He dropped my hand, standing and going to the bar cart in the opposite corner of the room.“Things happen.She’ll understand.I’m sorry if I can’t bend to her every whim.I told her we could get together someplace else, wherever she wants to go.If that’s not good enough, I don’t know what to say.”

Who was this person?I knew he wasn’t perfect.Who was?I wasn’t under any illusions.But I at least thought he had the decency not to break his mother’s heart.“You would really do that?”I asked as my heart sank with disappointment, not only for his mom, who seemed like a sweet person, but it would break Sofia’s heart too.“Not a day has gone by since we had that dinner here that Sofia hasn’t talked about going to Nana’s house.She asks me every morning how many days are left before we get to go.”

Lifting his shoulders as he poured, he replied, “Sofia is going to have to get over it.”

His cold reaction left me staring at him in disbelief.I didn’t recognize the man in front of me.It was one thing to be blunt, even brusque, but this?“I don’t understand.How?—”

“Right.Youdon’tunderstand,” he agreed, turning on me, his eyes blazing.Normally, he would look at me that way, and my toes would curl.I would have to check to make sure my panties were still on.This was not one of those times.

“Help me understand,” I implored.“Maybe we can work it out together.There has to be a way.”

He took his time sipping his scotch, then closing his eyes, sighing.“Penny.I know you are committed to seeing the bright side of things.I understand.I respect that.But some things, there is no getting around with a positive outlook.This is one of them.”

“Would you at least tell me why?”

“You first,” he countered, folding his arms.“Tell me why you think you deserve to know.”

“I thought…” What did I think, anyway?A lot of things, too many things, most of which I didn’t have the guts to say out loud.Instead, I settled for, “I thought we were better than that.I really did.”

His brows lifted.“What?You thought sleeping together meant full access to every painful aspect of my past?”

“But there’s more.The way we acted together was like we were at least friends.I thought we were closer than this,” I replied while my heart did its best not to break.“I thought we had an understanding.”

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