Page 51 of Obeying the Owner

“What the hell was that?” he asks, a muscle ticking in his cheek.

“What are you referring to?”

“The conversation with Randy.”

“Nothing.”

“I saw it with my own eyes.”

“Saw what? I don’t have time for word games.”

“I could tell something was wrong when you were talking to him. Are you okay?” He peers down at me with concern, melting my annoyance away.

“I’m fine. I just don’t like him or talking with him.”

He steps toward me, looking concerned, and grips both of my arms, igniting every nerve ending in my body. “Has he been bothering you?”

“No, not like you’re thinking anyway.”

“Then explain it to me, please.”

I may like his concern a little too much.

The sobering thought has me tugging my arms from his grasp. “Last month, he asked me out, and at the urging of his cousin, who happens to be my friend, I accepted.” Trey scowls, and I raise an eyebrow as if to say you wanted to know. “He ended up standing me up and didn’t even text or call. When I saw him the next day, he said he got scared because I’m the marrying type. Whatever that means.”

“It means he’s a boy and not equipped to deal with someone as phenomenal as you.”

“Thank you. Anyway, he asked me for another chance, and I said no, but I think he’s trying to get me to spend time with him, hoping to change my mind.”

“You’re not going to go out with that tool, are you?”

My lips twitch. “Should you be talking about one of your employees that way?”

“Lately, there’s a lot of things I shouldn’t be doing,” he quips.

“And no, I’m not giving him another chance. I deserve better.”

He moves forward, and I hurriedly step away. The back of my thighs hit his desk, foiling my retreat. I hold one of my hands up like I’m stopping traffic, but stopping a speeding tractor trailer would be easier than stopping Trey’s imminent approach.

His hands clasp mine, holding them to his chest. “You deserve the best,” he says. “Don’t settle for less.”

I let out an irony-filled laugh. “What’s the best? Or should I say who? Are you referring to yourself, because we both know that ship’s sailed.”

He releases my hands and rakes his hands through his hair. “Fuck!” He starts pacing across his office. “After we had dinner together the other night, I made up my mind that the next time we got together, I was going to suggest we start dating each other.”

“Like going out places together?” I ask.

“Yes. Dating, and hopefully settling into a relationship.”

“Oh.” I’m elated to know I wasn’t the only one experiencing deeper feelings, but I’m fucking sad that nothing will ever come of it.

He stops pacing and stares at me with earnest gray eyes. “So if I seem like I’m struggling with our new dynamic, it’s because I am. Every second in your company, I’m fighting the urge to kiss you.”

“Trey,” I whisper, my eyes filling with moisture. “I feel the same, and if you had asked me to date you, I would’ve said yes. But all that’s changed now. Maybe not as far as our feelings go, but the rules of the game certainly have. You’re my boss, and not the man I was falling for, and that’s the way this has to be. Maybe if we act as if James and Mae are different people than us, it’ll make this easier.”

He shakes his head. “I don’t think I’m capable of thinking of you as anyone but the woman I want with every fiber of my being. But I’ll do my best not to make this situation any more difficult than it already is. You can go now, Maeve.”

I don’t want to leave. I want to step into his arms and have him tell me everything will be okay. But I push away from the desk and walk to the door. Pausing with my hand on the knob, I glance over my shoulder. “No matter how difficult our situation is, I’m glad I got to know you.” I’ve stepped into the hall and I’m closing the door when I hear his soft reply.

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