Page 26 of Without Regret

He brought out knives and forks, refilled my wine glass, and grabbed one for himself.

“Yes, well, I know how much he means to you.” And maybe that was what I’d been so emotional about. Because I’d never had anything or anyone for whom to be responsible. Nothing to which I’d ever been attached. The thought of Trevor losing something he loved while it had been my watch had completely freaked me out.

I took my first bite of steak and tried not to moan at the amazing taste. He did grill a top steak.

“He does mean a lot to me. But he’s not the only one who does. How are your knees?”

No. No. I couldn’t do this. Couldn’t have him go there about having feelings for me. “Fine. Did you finish your presentation and speak with Phillip?” I needed to get back to comfortable ground.

“I did, thankfully. It should be a good trip to New York tomorrow. It’s your stomping grounds, right?”

My heart started to beat faster at the thought of going on this trip with him. I nodded, busying myself with finishing up my steak and gulping down my wine. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d indulged like this.

“I’m looking forward to meeting Tom.”

I about choked on my drink. Nobody looked forward to meeting Tom, the accountant. Personally, I loathed having to work with him. But since Trevor was new, I couldn’t exactly speak candidly about how much of a prick our mutual coworker could be. “Did Simon give you some background on him?”

My boss hated him about as much as I did, but I doubted his professionalism would allow him to say much, either.

“He shared that Tom was the accountant who came in once we started a potential deal. But I heard from my father he’s the owner’s nephew.”

I bit my tongue. That was the crux of why Tom was untouchable despite being an arse.

“Of course, I’ve heard he’s a pretentious asshole.”

Amusement danced in his eyes, and I found myself shocked. Not by his words, but by the breadth of his humor. “I can neither confirm nor deny that fact.”

“Mm. Guess I’ll find out soon enough for myself. You want another glass of wine?”

I did, but I couldn’t sit here at my table bonding with him any longer. It wouldn’t be fair to give him a mixed message. Besides, my reluctance to end being in his company meant I had to get out now.

“Um. I think I’m going to turn in early. Call it a day. Thanks again for dinner.”

He heaved a breath and leveled me with a look. “It was the least I could do. You sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine. I just had a moment. One that we won’t speak of tomorrow.”

He leaned forward, all intense. “I give you my word. After all, we’re friends, right?”

He posed it with enough question in his tone that I knew I needed to be clear. Anything else would only end up confusing him. “Yes. Just friends.”

The lie tasted bitter on my lips even while I knew it was for the best.

He appeared resigned but managed a smile. “See you tomorrow.”

“Yes. Tomorrow.” For the first time, I found myself wishing I could offer more.

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