Page 73 of Her Big Fat Hunky Billionaire Boss

She slipped into the back office and shut the door. Her fingers trembled as she dialed his number. He answered on the third ring. “Hello?”

She hadn’t been thinking about what she would say, and as soon as she heard the deep timbre of his voice her brain cells froze. Words. She needed to speak them. “Uh, hi,” she finally said, then slapped her hand to her forehead. Dumb!

“What do you want, Kat?”

“Can we talk?” She sounded like she’d breathed in helium, and she consciously tried to lower her voice.

Damian was silent for a moment before answering. “All right.”

“I’m at the diner until five-thirty if you want to come here. Or we can talk after I get off work.”

“I’m flying out soon. I won’t have time to talk in person.”

“Oh.” Her heart beat loudly in her ears. She had to do this over the phone. “Okay.”

He exhaled. “What is it?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“You mean you didn’t mean for me to find out.”

Kat cringed. He was right. What could she say about that? He’d caught her and he knew she had no intention of telling him the truth. She plopped down on the office chair. “Yes,” she whispered.

“Listen, I think it would be best if we take some time apart.”

In other words, I’m dumping you, you lying scumbag. Kat tried to hold it together. “How long?”

“I don’t know. I need time to think about things.”

And she needed time to drown herself in ice cream. “Okay,” she whispered. What else was she to do? She’d already apologized. She felt terrible, but that didn’t change the fact that she did what she did, and he’d found out about it.

He let out another breath. “I’ll talk to you next week.”

“All right.”

With a click, he hung up. Her heart stuttered as she slipped her phone back into her pocket. She’d ruined things between them and there was no going back. She’d lost him.

Forever.

Chapter 26

Damian wiggled his mouse to wake up his computer once again. Why couldn’t he concentrate? His numbers weren’t adding up and his mind kept wandering…to Kat. What an idiot he was. He’d let himself believe she was actually interested in him. What a joke.

He slid open his drawer and pulled out a fuzzy velvet box. He opened the lid. It was the Tree of Life necklace they’d seen at the jewelry store. He’d purchased it for her last week as a surprise. He knew she’d love it. Looking at it made his stomach sour, so he closed the lid and dropped it to the bottom of his drawer.

Chuck walked into his office. “You still here? I thought you left hours ago.”

Damian shrugged. “No reason to leave.”

Chuck squinted at him. “It’s Christmas Eve. The only reason I’m here is because I hid my wife’s present in my desk. But I had no choice. She’s torn the house apart twice trying to find it.” He held up a box with a silver bow.

“Looks like jewelry.”

Chuck smiled. “Tanzanite. She’s in love with it.”

“I’m sure she’ll adore it, then.” Damian couldn’t muster up the strength to be enthusiastic about Christmas.

Chuck sighed and shifted his weight. “Go home, Damian. Take a break from work.”

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