Page 82 of Claiming Her Cougar
I nod.“That sounds like a wise decision.”
I make a show of checking my phone for the time.Liam takes the hint and buckles his seat belt and starts the truck.Thankfully, the park is only around the block from the office, so I just need to hold back my tears for a few minutes.As he pulls into the parking lot, I unbuckle my seat belt and grab my bag, ready to jump out the second he stops.
I turn to look at him as I reach for the door handle.His hands are gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles are white.He’s staring out the windshield, not even looking at me.If it wasn’t for the twitching muscle in his jaw, I’d think he didn’t care at all.
“Goodbye, Liam.Safe travels,” I choke out past the lump in my throat as I open the door to make my escape.I don’t know if he responds because the slamming of the truck door cracks like a gunshot in the cold January afternoon.
Miraculously, I’m on time returning to work.I stop in the downstairs restroom, first making sure there are no little critters around, to confirm I don’t look as devastated as I feel.My eyes are bright with unshed tears, but if I stay in my office, no one should notice.
I hope.
33
LIAM
It takesall my self-control not to burn rubber leaving the parking lot after dropping off Mallory.I hurt her.I hurt myself.But it’s better to stop whatever there is between us before it becomes too much for us to keep quiet, before everyone knows.I can’t let my desire—my love—for her keep her from achieving her goals.Uncle Mike told me about Mallory’s dream to be involved in the planning and creation of new centers.She had all those great ideas at the meeting.She’s meant to do this kind of work.
I wanted to vomit when I overheard Janet’s vicious gossip.I knew what she and her minion were insinuating, and it was disgusting.It took everything I had not to burst out there and fire them both on the spot.But that would have added fuel to the fire and hurt my parents.Dad and Uncle Mike are honorable men.They would never cheat.I know Mallory admires both of them—it would break her heart to have gossip spread linking her to them in that manner.It would hurt Mom and Aunt Holly too.People would whisper about how when there’s smoke, there’s fire.I wasn’t going to allow our budding relationship to be kindling.Better to break it off now before we get too deep.Maybe once the team is announced and my ties to Morgan Development are formally severed, we can try again.If she’ll talk to me.
Stopped at a red light, I hit my steering wheel in frustration.My cougar is pacing inside me, restless.I wish I had time to go for a run, but I need to get to the airport ASAP to catch the flight to Oregon.I didn’t need to be here for the meeting today.They could have handled it just fine without me, but I jumped on the opportunity to see Mallory again, no matter how briefly.Now I wish I hadn’t.I’d give anything to go back to naively thinking this could work out and only good things would come from it.Her career would flourish, and we could work together on a project that was important to both of us.That we could build something together, literally and figuratively.
I park in the garage at the airport and text my dad where the truck is parked.Not that it doesn’t stand out.Not many red-and-tan 1990 F-150s around anymore.I go through security quickly and down a whiskey at the airport bar before boarding my flight.Maybe if I stay slightly buzzed, it’ll ease the pain in my chest.
It’s not like I was really, truly in love with her.It was a fling.A brief infatuation.There was no future.I never thought about little redheaded girls with braids running through the woods or little boys learning to play hockey on the rink their grandmother invented.I didn’t imagine Thanksgiving next year with Mallory by my side at Aunt Holly’s.Nope.Never crossed my mind.
If I keep lying to myself, maybe I’ll believe it.Eventually.
* * *
It’s been a week since I left Mallory at the office.A week since I’ve seen her or spoken to her.A week since my heart has felt whole.But the pain I feel will be worth it if it gives Mallory her dream, if this success is what she needs to prove herself to her family.Show them that she’s as focused and as driven as they are, that she isn’t lesser because she doesn’t shift.
I pick up my phone and FaceTime Logan.He’ll understand.
“Hey, Liam.What’s up?”
“Nothing.I’m in Idaho.Bored.Just checking in.How are you?”
“I’m fine.I figured you’d be calling Mallory, not wasting time with me.”
He doesn’t know.I guess Mallory didn’t say anything.Why would she?It meant nothing to her.
“Yeah.We haven’t been talking much.She needs to focus on her career now.So do I.Neither of us needs the distraction of a relationship or the gossip that goes along with it.”
“What are you talking about?”Logan gets up from the sofa and starts walking through his house.
“Teagan picked her to be on the leasing team for the pier project, and I heard people gossiping about how Mallory will do anything to get ahead.About our dads.They meant it in the most disgusting way.”
Logan drops into his desk chair heavily, the leather creaking under him.“Wait, what?Who the fuck would say something like that?I hope you fired their asses on the spot!”
I run my hand through my hair and let out a huff of frustration.I wish I had.
“No, I didn’t fire them.I didn’t want to even acknowledge their existence.I can’t let Mallory be subjected to that kind of malicious gossip.Or the family.Since I’m out of town so much, I decided it would be best to just call things off.We had a meeting where Teagan and Dad told her she had the new pier job.She was so excited and came up with a dozen ideas right off the top of her head.She’s made to do this kind of work.I can’t stand in the way of that.We went to lunch with Teagan and Jake, and on the way back, I told her we should focus on our careers.I wanted to let her down easy.I could tell I hurt her, but she agreed, and then she couldn’t get out of my truck fast enough.I swear she practically left a jet trail.”I take a breath and refill my lungs.I had to say everything at once or else I would’ve never gotten it out.
Logan cocks his head.That’s what he always does when he’s trying to understand something.If I had the heart to laugh, I would, because he reminds me of his eagle when he does that.Trying to figure out what he’s seeing.
“You broke up?Because of stupid gossip?You didn’t give her any say in it?”
“We were never together to break up.Friends with benefits, remember?”
