Page 41 of Only Ever You

Instead, I insist that we travel in my car. She’ll be safer, and I want her with me. I also don’t care who knows about us. If they have an issue, they can take it up with me.

I don’t miss her intake of breath as we pull into my car park.

“You okay?”

Pippa nods. “Just nervous all over again arriving with you.”

Leaning over, I give her a tender kiss. “It’ll be fine. Trust me.”

After stepping out of the driver’s seat, I walk around the car. I open the passenger door and take her hand.

She blushes and grins. “Thank you.”

Keeping hold of her hand as she steps out, I push the door closed and use my fob to lock the car. “Come on.”

She tugs her hand out of mine—or tries to, but I hold on tighter.

As we approach the front door, her breathing quickens. “I’m not sure?—“

I squeeze her hand. “I’m making a public statement. I want the world to know that we’re together.”

Her hazel eyes widen in surprise. “I thought you’d want to keep it quiet.”

Shrugging, I raise her hand to my lips and place a kiss on the back of it. “I’m not hiding anything. There’s no company rule against us having a relationship.”

Pippa tenses as we enter reception. Every head turns and the whispering is blatantly obvious in the usually quiet area.

I tug her hand so she’s even closer. And I’m glad to see Mallory at the reception desk, her eyes glued on us.

“Morning.” I grin.

Her gaze flicks down to our joined hands and back. “Morning.”

We come to a stop, and I turn to Pippa. “Go on up to the office. I’ll grab a couple of coffees and be there in a few.”

Pippa nods. Her smile seems forced, but she holds it together.

I’m barely keeping my temper in check, but I can’t let her see how Mallory’s attempt to derail us is pissing me off. With another kiss to her hand, I let her go, and watch her all the way to the elevator.

“What’s your problem?” I turn my gaze back to Mallory, and she sets her jaw.

“What do you mean?”

She walks off in the direction of the coffee shop, and I trail along behind her. Pippa’s insecure enough without Mal getting in her ear about me.

Once our orders are placed, she heads toward a quiet corner of the shop.

“What do you want, Deacon?” She plants herself into a seat and glares at me across the table.

Oh, you know what you did.

“I wondered if we might have a word.” The chair scrapes across the floor as I pull it out, but I’m too wound up to care.

I’ll give her credit. She leans back in her seat and presses her fingertips together as if I’ve got a proposal for her to consider. “Regarding?”

“Why you tried to make Pippa believe I couldn’t possibly be interested in more with her.”

She rolls her eyes. “She’s a lovely girl, but she’s so young.”

---