Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 83216 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83216 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Her avoidance pricks at me.
Has it really come to this?
We’re now pretending we barely know one another?
Or that I was never buried deep inside her body while she moaned my name?
It’s so damn tempting to strip away her restraint right here and now.
“We need to talk,” I say, my tone clipped. “About some PR stuff that’s come up.”
She lifts her chin as her composure snaps back into place. “Of course. That’s what I’m here for.”
“Does tomorrow work for you?”
“Unfortunately, I’m all booked up.”
I step closer, looming over her chair. “Then when?”
Her silence grates.
Evelyn watches the exchange with thinly veiled interest as a tall, polished man approaches the table.
Who the hell is this?
“Rina,” Evelyn says brightly, “you remember my nephew, Lucas. I thought he might join us tonight so the two of you could get to know each other a little better. You seemed to hit it off at the charity event last week.”
Lucas leans down and kisses his aunt’s cheek, greeting Rina the same way before taking the empty chair between them.
Something cold slides through me. “I’m sorry?”
Evelyn’s smile never falters. “Lucas just moved to Chicago and could use some help settling in.” Her tone is light as innocence glints in her eyes. I get the feeling the team owner knows exactly what game she’s playing.
My eyes narrow on Rina as she fidgets under the heavy weight of my stare.
Was she aware this was a setup?
The worst part is that she doesn’t deny Evelyn’s machinations, and she sure as hell doesn’t try to shut them down either.
Her silence cuts deep.
I open my mouth, ready to put an end to this farce, when Rina beats me to the punch.
“Oliver, your date seems lonely.” She tips her chin toward Gabby, who’s waving from across the room.
“She’s not my date,” I grind out, but the excuse sounds weak even to my own ears.
Rina’s mouth curves slightly as emotion flickers behind her expression.
Sadness?
Regret?
Resignation?
Whatever it is, I don’t like it.
Not one damn bit.
The moment stretches until it turns awkward.
Unless I’m willing to cause a scene, there’s nothing more I can do. And as tempting as the idea is, it’ll only push Rina further away when all I want to do is pull her closer.
Fuck.
I do the hardest thing I’ve ever done and walk away. Every step back to my table has my muscles coiling tighter.
Gabby’s voice greets me before I drop onto my chair. “Who was that?”
“The owner of the team and our PR manager,” I mutter. Although Rina is so much more than that, and we both know it.
Stubborn, infuriating woman.
Gabby continues to chatter. It’s a constant, useless drone I can’t focus on.
Instead, all I hear is Rina. Her quick wit and the sound of her laughter.
It’s impossible to ignore.
She’s impossible to ignore.
I can’t take my eyes off her.
Especially when she smiles at something Lucas says. Or tucks a tiny lock of hair behind her ear. And I sure as shit don’t miss the quick glances around the restaurant that never seem to land on me. Each one strips away another layer of my composure until there’s nothing left.
Heat builds within me until blotting out everything around it. I rake a hand through my hair, fighting the urge to stand up, stalk across the room, and force her to listen.
But here’s the thing—if I storm across the restaurant, she’ll shut down entirely, and I’ll lose whatever opening I still might have.
So, I sit.
And I silently simmer, waiting for the perfect opportunity to present itself.
19
Rina
I should’ve suspected Evelyn was up to something.
The moment Lucas approached our table, I realized exactly what this was.
A setup.
My gaze cuts to Evelyn as her nephew flips open the menu and scans it with quiet confidence. My boss sips her wine, the picture of grace and innocence, as if she hasn’t orchestrated the entire evening.
As much as I’d love to call her out, I won’t do that in front of Lucus. Maybe this is the push I needed. Maybe now Oliver will accept the truth and move on.
The thought settles deep within, equal parts sorrow and relief, and I can’t decide which cuts deeper.
I refocus my attention on the menu. The salmon special, the roasted beets, the overpriced side of greens. The dishes blur as my skin prickles with awareness.
He’s still watching me.
Even from across the crowded dining room, I feel his attention like a live wire threaded beneath my skin. The man is relentless, and it’s impossible to pretend I’m not aware of him on the most basic level.
Just as the waiter appears with an iPad, ready to take our orders, Hugh slides into the only vacant seat at our table. The man moves with the casual confidence of someone used to owning any room he steps into. I don’t miss the intimate way his hand brushes the back of Evelyn’s chair.