Page 31 of Between Passion and Revenge: Part Two
God forbid if she read his note.
For your desk, but I won’t be mad if they end up in your bedroom.
- Zane Gibson
What in the actual hell? And why did he sign his full name like that?
“Good morning, Liv,” Zane says, taking an unwelcome step into my office. Irritation blooms hot behind my ears.
“Ms. Rivers?” Melissa says, and when I give her my full attention, she stares at me with a completely bewildered expression, one that shouts,What the fuck do you want me to do here?
I sigh, deciding to free my assistant and straighten out some things with my business partner.
“Melissa, thank you. I’ll be available in a minute.”
Melissa nods quickly, clutching her iPad to her chest like a shield.
“Of course, Ms. Rivers,” she replies, and in a blink, she’s past Zane and out the door.
And that just leaves….
Zane enters the office fully, pausing to slide the door shut and tapping the button on the small window to the outside office, casting frost across the glass.
“Do you like the flowers?” he asks, his voice dropping.
“They’re nice,” I say diplomatically. “But we need to lay some boundaries here, Zane.”
Zane keeps smiling as he steps closer. Luckily, my desk and the bouquet still separate us, and he doesn’t try to come to my side again.
“Boundaries. Okay, I’m a modern man. I can jive with boundaries.”
I resist giving him a stank-face, because what the hell?
“Right,” I bite out. “There won’t be a repeat of the events that took place here yesterday, nor previously as far as…physical intimacy goes.”
He gives me a perplexed look, and his shoulders deflate like a kid losing out on the last lollipop at the store.
“I…oh,” he says.
Gentle. Don’t be a bitch to him. This man is your friend.
“Yes,” I say, choosing clear kindness. “For the best of the business, we need to keep things strictly professional from here on out.” I put the card back into the bouquet and push the vase toward the edge of my desk, closer to where Zane stands.
“I see,” he says, his voice getting a touch of hardness to it.
My spine stiffens. “I’m glad you see things correctly.”
Aaaaand smile. Try not to look completely hostile.
Zane gives me a long look, not moving at all. Then, with a sigh, he starts to spew complete nonsense.
“You’re scared,” he says.
Um…what?
“The hell?” I snap, my corporate accent slipping.
“Liv,” he says, finally coming around the desk so suddenly I don’t have time to react. This isn’t going how I thought it would go.
