Page 37 of Release Me

Her eyes go wide. “Really?”

“Really.” I grin at her, letting the pride swelling in my chest show in my eyes. “Take the ball and run with it, Nadia. I trust you.”

“You know, I’m actually starting to believe you when you say that.”

“Good, because I mean it.”

The smile she gives me happens slowly. I watch it rise, the happiness it’s inspired by lapping in the corner of her eyes like gentle waves, and when she finally stops fighting it, letting it take over the soft lines of her features and transform the full line of her mouth, she’s even more beautiful than usual.

“You’re nothing like I thought you’d be as a boss.”

I lean back in my seat and rub at my chin, contemplating whether or I should ask her what exactly she thought I’d be like as a boss or just take the compliment at face value. There’s a part of me that doesn’t want to know, that doesn’t need to hear her describe me the way everyone else does—impatient, distant, exacting—but then there’s another part of me that’s greedy for a glimpse into her mind.

“What did you think I was going to be like?”

Nadia presses her lips together for a second like she’s considering not answering my question, but then she shrugs and throws all caution to the wind. “Well, I kept thinking about the first time we met in the lobby when I bumped into you and you said ‘don’t be sorry, be attentive.’” She snorts when I pull a face to demonstrate how little I appreciate her recreation of my voice.

“I don’t sound like that.”

She dismisses my complaint with a wave of her hand. “Anyway, it made me think you were going to be this rigid stick in the mud with no personality or desire to think outside the box, but you’re not.”

“So what am I?”

Her lips part, and my heart starts to race. I didn’t know when I started this conversation, that I’d be waiting with bated breath for her to tell me who she thinks I am, to reveal how she sees me. I should have expected it, but I didn’t, which probably makes me as stupid as Nadia is beautiful.

“You’re supportive and encouraging.” She laughs softly, and the sound is half disbelief and half joy. “You make me feel like I can do this job.”

“You can do anything you want to do, Nadia.”

She swallows hard. Her throat working to contain the emotions swelling in her chest. “And you say things like that and do things like buy out a whole Apple store to bring me into the 21st century. That was completely unnecessary by the way.”

“It was three things and completely necessary because I won’t have any employee of mine walking around with a flip phone.”

“I was going to replace it when I got my first paycheck.”

“Well, now you don’t have to. I hope it’s okay that it came with a new number. I would have ported over your current one, but that would have rendered the relic you’re using inoperable, and I didn’t think you’d appreciate that.”

“You’re right, I wouldn’t have, but I do appreciate the phone, and the iPad, and the laptop, and the flowers.”

When she lists them off that way, it makes me realize that I might have gone a bit overboard. The first bouquet was already out of the ordinary, but the second one in addition to the full Apple collection will have more than Luca, Talia and the rest of my family asking questions about me and Nadia. I should pull back, but I know I won’t. I know I can’t. If Nadia needs or wants something, and it’s within my power to give it to her, she’ll have it. Consequences and questions from everyone outside the bubble I’ve built around me and her be damned.

“Am I interrupting?” The question comes from behind Nadia, but I don’t have to look up to know that it’s Nic. He saunters into my office without waiting for an invitation, and both Nadia and I rise from our seats. I come around the desk, inserting myself between the two of them even though I know Nic doesn’t pose a threat. He looks at me like I’ve just insulted his intelligence and questioned his integrity.

“No, we were just wrapping up.” I reach out and offer him my hand, which he takes, greeting me with a handshake that seems to get more complicated every time we do it. When we release each other, he turns his attention to Nadia in a silent request for an introduction. “Nadia, this is Dominic Alexander, owner of Archway Construction. He’s the man who handled the rooftop conversion and designed our office suites. Nic, this is Nadia Hendrix, the new manager for the Cerros rooftop.”

Nic extends his hand, and she takes it. The contact sends a flare of possession running through my chest. “Nice to meet you, Nadia.”??

“It’s nice to meet you too, Dominic.”

“Nic,” he corrects her. “Everyone calls me Nic.”

“Nic.” Nadia repeats, giving him an easy smile. I find myself grinding my teeth as I count the seconds until they’re no longer touching. Five. It takes five whole seconds for Nic to let go of her hand, and another two for her to look back at me. I know as soon as our eyes connect that I’m not doing a good job of hiding what’s going on inside my head. Nadia gives me a quizzical look that I don’t address because I don’t know how to. It haunts me all the way back to my desk, weighing me down as I lower myself into my seat.

“Well, I guess I should get going,” Nadia says, clearly feeling awkward. “I’ll keep you updated on the progress of the projects we discussed, Mr. Adler.”

“That sounds great, thank you, Nadia.”

She gives me one last discerning look before tucking her tablet under her arm and making her way to the door, leaving me to stare after her, wondering exactly when I lost my mind and if she’s ever going to give it back.

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