Page 31 of Worth the Risk
“Nothing has to change,” she echoes.
But as I drive back to my office, I know we’re both lying to ourselves. Everything has changed. We’ve crossed a line that can’t be uncrossed, acknowledged feelings that can’t be unfelt.
I just don’t know if we can pretend otherwise long enough to save Highland. Because at the end of the day, I don’t even know if I can save it.
9
I’m still thinkingabout our kiss when my phone rings at two PM. The memory of Declan’s hands cupping my face, the way he said he needed to know if what he was feeling was mutual—it’s been replaying in my mind for hours, making it impossible to concentrate on grant applications.
His name on the caller ID makes my pulse quicken.
“How did the board meeting go?” I answer without preamble.
“Mixed results.” His voice sounds tired. “Can we meet? I have information about the collaboration timeline, but I’d rather discuss it in person.”
“Highland or Pierce Enterprises?”
“Actually...” He pauses. “Would you be willing to meet somewhere neutral? I know a coffee shop in the arts district that’s quiet, good for private conversations.”
After what happened in the storage room, maybe we both need space that doesn’t carry Highland’s history or Pierce Enterprises’ corporate power.
“Is this about what happened this morning?” I ask quietly.
“We need to discuss the board meeting first. But Maya, we should probably talk about this morning too.”
I take a deep breath. “Where and when?”
“Groundwork Coffee on Spring Street. Four o’clock?”
“I’ll be there.”
Groundwork Coffee is exactly the kind of place I’d choose myself—local, unpretentious, with mismatched furniture and local art covering exposed brick walls. Busy enough to provide privacy through ambient noise but not so crowded we can’t talk freely.
I arrive first and choose a corner table, ordering a latte and trying to calm the nervous energy building since Declan’s phone call.
When Declan walks through the door at exactly four o’clock, scanning the room until his gaze finds mine, my reaction has everything to do with remembering his mouth on mine and nothing to do with business meetings.
He’s changed out of whatever he wore to the board meeting—dark jeans and a button-down shirt with rolled sleeves. The casual clothes make him look like the man who followed me into the storage room, not the CEO who has to justify decisions to directors.
“Maya.” He settles into the chair across from me. “Thank you for meeting me here.”
“Of course. How bad is the board situation?”
He orders an espresso from the passing barista before answering. “Harrison is pushing for accelerated timelines. The board wants definitive decisions about Highland’s future within two weeks.”
“Two weeks?” My stomach drops. “That’s not enough time to file for historic designation, let alone develop comprehensive preservation plans.”
“I know. But we have construction contracts, investor expectations, and shareholders who are losing patience with community engagement processes.”
I study his face, noting the tension around his eyes. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“Harrison suspects that my judgment is compromised.” Declan meets my gaze directly. “He thinks I’m too personally involved with you to negotiate objectively.”
Heat creeps up my neck as I remember the intensity in his eyes right before he kissed me. “Are you?”
“After this morning, I think we both know the answer to that.” His voice is quiet. “My judgment where you’re concerned is definitely compromised.”
“What does that mean for Highland?”
