Page 85 of The Photograph

The V-neck of her dress reveals the pendant nestled against her soft skin, and I get hard.

My voice comes out harsher than I intended. “You declined the Elle article?”

She walks past me to set her lunch on her desk before she turns to face me. “I did. Is that why you’re here?”

No, I want you. I crave you and it’s driving me crazy.“Can I ask why?”

She clasps her hands behind her back and rolls her eyes. “You know why—”

When I step to her, she moves back, and I still. “Why would you refuse the opportunity to showcase your work?”

A flash of pain flickers in her eyes, so I make my voice gentle. “Aelin, please talk to me.”Let me make it better, baby.

She tucks her hair behind her ear and locks her eyes onto mine.

There’s sadness in her voice. “When we moved here, the first time I saw Holloway, I fell … in awe with it. So, when Tim Smithson offered me the opportunity to work on it, I thought … I thought all my dreams had come true.” She tips her head down.

“What changed? You’ve done an exceptional job.”

The sun hits the pendant when she flicks her hair back. “I know I got the project because you wanted leverage to destroy my career. So, it doesn’t feel right to pose proudly against something I obtained on a lie.”

I turned her dream into a nightmare.“Aelin, the decision to hire you for Holloway wasn’t unilaterally mine. A jury picked your designs out of the hundreds we received, then Ann and Smithson selected the last three. I was only there for the final cut, and all I did was agree with their choice. Your designs were the best and that’s the only reason why you were chosen for Holloway.”

When she pivots away, I catch her arm, and her soft gasp as I cup her cheek goes straight to my cock. “You have no reason to believe me, but it’s the absolute truth.”

Please believe me.

I stroke her soft skin with my thumb while she watches me before she steps away from my touch and frowns. “I don’t know… I can’t tell if you’re lying.”

“I’m not. Ask Ann. I know you two are friends.”

Long seconds stretch between us, and when she nods, the breath I didn’t realize I was holding rushes out.

“Have dinner with me tomorrow.”

Her frown returns. “For the article?”

“No, just you and me. And food.”

“Like … like a date?”

My heart thumps against my ribs. “Yes.”

She narrows her beautiful eyes on me for a couple of beats. “Why?”

Because I need to show you, I’m not just the vengeful asshole who hurt you.“I’m actually a decent guy when you get to know me.” I stroke my thumb on the soft skin of her cheek. “And I want you to know me.”The real me.

Her sigh is small as she shakes her head. “Gabe, I’m okay. We’re okay, so there’s no reason for you to date me.”

“There is.”

When I wrap my hand around her warm nape, her eyes widen. I kiss her small gasp. Gentle at first, but she grips my shirt, and I plaster her warm body against mine to dive in her mouth. Deep. Hungry.

Yanking myself from her, I keep her close. “Baby, have dinner with me.”

Groaning low as she licks her bottom lip, my chest expands. I missed that. How soft her eyes get. How Ineedher to look at me that way.

“All right. Where?”

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