The hairs on my neck prickle as if someone’s watching me. I turn and look around, but I don’t see anyone. I’m sure it was my imagination.
I gracefully slide out of the hold William has on me since he threw his arm around me. He’s only doing it because we went out for a business lunch with most of our legal team—Kennedy, Bert, and Lewis. As the VP of operations, I meet with the legal team often, and we have a running monthly lunch scheduled. This one was on the books weeks ago, long before William betrayed me, and because I’m doing everything to appear normal in front of colleagues and friends, he thinks he can toss a casual arm around me. It would’ve been okay before, but now I can’t seem to get past what he did.
He gives me a look behind the backs of the other lawyers in the elevator, and I just raise my brows and look away. I hear him sigh, but I ignore him. They get off on their floor, and I continue my ascent to mine.
“Ms. Baker, you’re in early,” Ingrid, our receptionist, greets me as I get off the elevator on my floor.
“Lunch went quicker than I expected,” I say.
“Well you just missed Mr. King. He stopped by to chat with your father, and he asked about you while he was here.”
I hate the little shudder that runs down my back. I hate the ache that starts low in my stomach even more. He’s in town? He was here?
And I missed him?
“He did?”
She nods.
“Thanks, Ingrid.”
I head back to my office to process this little nugget of information. He’s here in town, and he stopped by to ask about me.
I want to see him.
For strictly business reasons, of course. I want to know how he plans to treat our employees. I want to know who’s still going to have a job and who can expect a pay cut.
I want to run my fingers along his strong jawline.
Wait…that’s not a business reason.
I shake my head and focus on the pile of work in front of me. That’ll surely distract me from these ridiculous thoughts.
* * *
“Lunch was nice,” William says later that night. I haven’t really spoken to him much at home, doing my best to avoid him even though we live in the same house.
“Mmhmm.” I nod, pretending I’m engrossed in this month’s issue of San Diego Monthly, which really I just keep beside me for moments like this. I haven’t even actually read this magazine, but it seems like it’s always open. I have a catalogue nearby for the same purpose.
“Kennedy thinks the acquisition will go smoother if we have a chance to meet with King’s legal team.”
“Set it up,” I mumble.
He clears his throat. “Do you want to be there?”
“Whatever,” I say. I flip the page and there’s a picture of a man who looks an awful lot like Carson. I read the headline: King Contributions Director Carter King’s Contributions to San Diego.
“Did you know there’s a town in Canada where it’s illegal to climb trees?”
I study the article, ignoring whatever William just said. I stare at the picture. Same dark eyes, same dark hair, same strong jaw.
“There’s a law in Kentucky that says it’s illegal to transport an ice cream cone in your pocket.”
Carter is handsome, for sure, but Carson has that same attractiveness paired with this energy about him that draws in people around him. It’s his charisma or something, some indefinable quality that’s like a magnet.
William clears his throat. “Are you listening to me?”
His voice snaps me out of my trance. “Yeah, sure. That’s fine.”
“You aren’t listening to me.”
“What?” I finally look over at him.
“I’m telling you all these crazy laws, and you aren’t even listening.”
“Then tell me again.”
He shakes his head. “It’s okay. You’re still mad.”
I nod. “Yeah, I am,” I say softly.
“When do you think you’ll get over it?”
“Excuse me? Get over it?”
He looks immediately apologetic. “I’m sorry. That came out wrong. I just hate living like this. I hate not knowing.”
Well get used to it, because I don’t see it changing any time soon.