Page 41 of Worth the Risk
I left before dawn, watching her sleep for one selfish minute before slipping out, the floorboards creaking a quiet accusation beneath my feet.
And then there was her text?—
now things can go back to normal.
Normal. As in, fake.
As in, I don’t get to touch her, taste her, have her beneath me, sighing my name...
I close my eyes, running a hand over my face. This is bad. Really fucking bad.
The intercom buzzes. “Mr. Pierce? Mr. Walker is here to see you.”
Perfect. Just what I need. “Send him in.”
Normally, Elliot would just waltz in which tells me he wants this entrance to make a point.
“Well, well, well. You look like hell,” he says as he strolls in like he owns the place and drops into one of my leather chairs with a knowing smirk.
“Thanks.” I turn back to my computer, trying to at least pretend I’m working.
“Late night?” His tone is innocent. Too innocent.
I shoot him a warning look. “Don’t start.”
“What? Can’t a guy check on his best friend?” He leans forward, grinning. “Especially when said best friend was seen visiting the apartment of a certain stunning brunette community advocate.”
I turn to face him. “You’re having me followed now?”
“Oh please.” Elliot waves his hand dismissively. “Mrs. Foster from 4B called me this morning. She’s on the board of that literacy foundation we fund. Apparently, she was walking her dog when you did your little walk of shame at 5 AM. At least, she thinks it was you.”
The office suddenly feels too small, the air too thin. I swivel my chair toward the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city of Los Angeles sprawled below me.
Walk of shame, my ass. I haven’t done a walk of shame in years.
“It wasn’t like that,” I mutter even though it absolutely was.
Elliot doesn’t say anything for a few moments, his eyes narrowing as he studies me. “You’ve got it bad, man.”
“I don’t ‘got’ anything.” I stand up, needing to move. The morning sun bathes the city below in a silver haze, revealing a clear view all the way to Santa Monica.
“Right,” Elliot says, drawing out the word. “And I’m the King of England.”
I turn to face him, my jaw clenched. “It was just sex, El. A one-time thing to get it out of our systems.”
“How’s that working out for you?” His voice holds no mockery now, just genuine concern.
The truth burns in my throat. I want to say it worked perfectly, that I’m fine, that Maya is just another woman who’s passing through my life. But the lie won’t form.
Instead, I know I have to lie to her. Eventually. I have to tell her that all the work we’ve been doing won’t produce the outcome she wants.
Instead, it will produce the outcome Pierce Enterprises has already invested millions in securing. That I can’t stop the development that will destroy her community center, and it will be torn down with the rest of her block.
“Earth to Declan,” Elliot says, “Where’d you go just now?”
“Nowhere good.” I square my shoulders, pulling myself back to the present. “Anyway, it’s complicated.”
“Only because you’re making it complicated.” Elliot’s voice turns serious. “I’ve known you since college, Dec. I’ve never seen you like this about anyone.”
