Page 25 of Room One Hundred and Twenty

“I don’t know,” I murmur when he doesn’t speak. All he does is stare and boy, it’s a powerful tactic. It’s hard to hate this guy when I’m feeling foreign sensations. Ones I can’t wrap my mind around.

Needing to look elsewhere, I notice some people looking our way. Rather than at me, they’re eyeing Rhett. Stopping in their tracks, most of them decide against coming our way.

“You’re scaring my customers away again, Mr. Landersan.” My fingers curl against the counter. “If you want to ask your questions at a better time, I close my shop at six.”

This man has better use of his time than to bully a baker.

“Though, I don’t have time for an interrogation today. I’m meeting Nicolas later.” My savior without knowing. “We can pick this up on Monday.”

With the rustle of Claire returning from her break first, Rhett straightens up. Rather than giving the other woman any attention, his eyes are set.

“Monday,” he repeats, setting the day in stone. His frown lessens and I swear I’m the only one who gets to see the rarity of a smile, even if it’s barely the start of one.

Without another word, he peels his eyes away and walks off. People avoid his path to the row of elevators and I watch the entire way. He shoots me one more look as well.

Another tingling. A bad, unnecessary tingling. One I feel in the pit of my stomach. Slithering between my thighs, the pulse is undeniable.

Jake and Nic are both one thing, butRhett? The guy who made it clear from the start that he wanted nothing to do with this bakery or with me?

I can’t go throwing in another man in the mix of confusion. Today, I’m supposed to worry about untangling my feelings about Nicolas.

I want Jake. Even if he’s a bit charismatic with everyone who crosses his path, all the attention he gives me is doing nothing but make me want him even more.

Am I a terrible person for making everything complicated by wanting Nicolas as well? One coffee isn’t going to be enough to patch up our past, but it has to be a step in the right direction.

With Rhett, I don’t even know where to start when it comes to figuring out why I’m reacting the way I am. I have the weekend to figure that out. Probably shouldn’t even think about humoring the idea of wanting him.

For now, I have the rest of today to try to untangle some of these feelings. I need to come to some sort of solution to my problems.

After all, I can only have one of them. Not two or three men.

Sarcastically thanking Charity for putting the idea in my head, I wait for her return so I can go out for a much-needed breath of fresh air. Right now, I desperately need it.

Nicolas

There’s a string of knocks at my door. Before I can even think to beckon them inside, the door opens and Jake appears.

“Are you busy?” His mouth is curved, “I was thinking about taking a stroll outside. Need some fresh air while the weather is so nice. That, and I’d like to have a word with you. Possibly somewhere private that isn’t here.”

Setting my pen down, I’m hardly pulling away from his offer. “Hasn’t Rhett told you to stop leaving the building during work hours? If I say yes, you’ll get us both in hot water.”

I’m surprised when his smile slips, a rarity. He shifts as he leans against the frame. Shoving his hands in his pockets, his lips purse together in a firm line. “It’s about Eloise.”

The way my body immediately straightens at the mention of the woman’s name, it’s enough to get a soft laugh from him. There’s no point in trying to hide how she affects me, the result is instant. Without a second thought, I’m standing.

“I told Lucy not to send anyone your way for thirty minutes.” He lifts off of the doorframe and guides me out of my office. “Already looked at your schedule. I figured you’d be fine.”

I don’t care about missing anything. The thought of something being wrong is what’s occupying my mind.

Is Eloise already packing up shop? Did one of her customers cause her a problem? As each second passes, it’s nothing but more time for me to worry about what the issue is.

Spotting my concerns from a mile away, he thumps my shoulder with his hand as we walk. “Calm down. Nothing is wrong with her. This is more about us. She’s just a bit involved.”

Being as mysterious as he can be, I eye Rhett’s dim office. He’s not inside. Is he busy with a meeting, or is he roaming around looking for trouble? Deep down, I feel like I know exactly where he is.

Taking the elevator down to the lobby floor, we don’t linger about for long.

However, just as I expect, Rhett is here as well. He’s the only one standing in front of the small bakery. Probably scaring off any potential customers. Talking directly to Eloise, I know there’s no need to worry about getting caught by the man. He’s fully distracted.

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