Page 69 of P.S. You're Intolerable

“I would absolutely believe that. Did you sneak into this building as a hazing prank?”

He smoothed a hand down his flat stomach and chuckled. “I’m so fucking flattered you believe I could still be in a frat. That was ten years ago, but I’m gonna be flying high on that all day.”

“Then I won’t tell you I was joking.”

“Good. I’d rather live in denial.” He leaned on the railing beside me, the tips of his toes touching mine. “To answer your question, no, I didn’t sneak in. My company will be taking over two floors in this building. I have an appointment to sign on the dotted line, but I’m early, so I thought I’d take myself on a tour to kill some time. What about you? Sorority prank gone wrong? Or really, really right?”

“I was never cut out for the sorority life.” I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “I’m here with my boss while he checks on some things.”

“Ah. Nice of him to let you run loose.”

“Should I be leashed?”

His brow winged. “I don’t know, would you like that?”

I pressed my lips together. “In some circumstances, sure. That could be fun, in the way waterboarding is.”

“Ah, Kit. I knew I made the right decision coming to talk to you.” He studied my face for a beat. “You’re not originally from Denver, are you?”

“How’d you guess?”

“I went to college in Pennsylvania, and I’m pretty sure I recognize a faint Philly accent.”

I covered my mouth. “No. Shoot me. I don’t have an accent. I haven’t lived there in so long.”

“It was ‘water’ that gave you away.”

I groaned. “Dammit. How will I ever have a career as a news anchor if I don’t perfect my nonregional dialect?”

He snorted a choking laugh. “I’m officially in love. Tell me you’re single.”

Oh boy. This was what I got for flirting back. A little bit of an ego boost, and now I was going to have to let him down gently.

“That’s classified information,” I quipped.

“What do I have to do to make it unclassified?”

“Join the CIA.”

He pressed a hand to his chest like I’d hit him. “Come on, kitten. Throw me a bone here. I know I’ve been acting like an idiot, but that’s because you’re so beautiful; you’ve got my head spinning. Do you think I could have your number so I can text you when I finish my CIA training?”

I felt terrible about turning him down, especially since I’d encouraged him to flirt with me. In another life, I would have jumped at the chance to hang out with this man casually or something more, but that wasn’t me anymore. I wasn’t interested.

“Gavin, I—”

I never got the chance to tell him CIA training took years and I’d be married by then to the prince I’d been promised to at birth because Elliot appeared from nowhere.

“Catherine,” Elliot clipped. “We’re finished here.”

The vertigo I’d experienced leaning over the railing had been nothing compared to the way my stomach plummeted at the sight of Elliot Levy standing before me without any expression at all.

“Elliot, it’s great to see you again.” Gavin flipped from flirtatious to schmoozy, offering his hand to Elliot.

“Gavin…” Elliot inclined his chin and gave him a perfunctory handshake. “I see you’ve met my assistant, Catherine.”

Gavin swiveled to me. “I had no idea she worked for you.”

Elliot’s brow twitched, but that was his only reaction. “Everyone in the building is here in a professional capacity. They should be able to do their jobs without worrying about being hit on, that includes Catherine. Please remember that next time you go into areas where you were not invited.”

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