Page 47 of Playing My Rivals

“In that case, let’s talk about the real issue. You’re protective of her and it comes across as more than professional.”

“I care about her as a person. I care about Melanie too. You’re not asking me about her, so why assume my concern is only for Dorothy?”

His jaw tightens, and his shoulders broaden, his anger sizzling right below the surface of his skin. I need to tread lightly or else he’ll erupt into flames.

He fixes his stern gaze on mine. “I don’t have a personal interest in Melanie. But I do for Dorothy. I find your admiration for her off-putting. I find your protectiveness over her irritating, and I want to make that perfectly clear.”

“I won’t change who I am because you’re insecure about your relationship.”

“It’s comments like that one, Jamison, that light a fire in my belly. It seems you don’t have respect for my relationship with her.”

I pick up my phone and pretend to read something on it, taking a moment to let Hunter stew. He wants the upper hand and I won’t hand it over without a fight. She means too much to me for me to turn a blind eye to her safety. I lift my gaze to his.

He juts his chin. “Let me put it this way. Things aren’t adding up regarding how you are with her. You drop everything to walk her home. You watch out for her like she’s your girlfriend. And the way that you look at her tells me you think more of her as more than a work colleague.”

I toss my phone down. “I walked Melanie home too, so there was no singling out. As for how I look at her, that’s on you. Your interpretation must be off. She’s a valuable work associate. I’d like to consider her a friend on top of that, so anything more is just you being insecure.”

Any man with good sense would know I’m lying about this, but it’s the best I can do. He’s a man in love with the same woman as me. There’s no way he doesn’t know it, but I’ll never admit it to him.

His eyes rage my way. “For the last time, I’m not insecure about our relationship. I’m just having a hard time trusting you around her.”

“That sounds like a personal issue. I’m not trying to go after your girlfriend. She’s a smart woman and can decide who she wants to date. If she chooses to get involved with someone who could ruin her career, who am I to judge?” I lean my butt against my desk and pretend not to care.

“Very well, but let the record be known. I’m watching you, so don’t get any ideas.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t.” I gesture to the door. It’s time this little meeting ends.

As we’re walking down the stairs to the front door of my place, he throws me for a loop.

“What were you doing out of the city this past weekend?”

Is he following me now?

Or is he following Dori and trying to catch her in something?

I lie. “I wasn’t out of the city this past weekend. Why would you think that? And better yet, why would it matter?”

“I thought I overheard you talking about being out of the city this past weekend. It must have been someone else.”

I don’t buy his reason. “Must have been.”

He’s up to something. I need to warn Dori, or she might play right into his hands. If she does, it could end in a nightmare. I only hope I can get to her before he does.

CHAPTER 11

HUNTER

Digging deeper into Jamison Stone could end in a catastrophe, but I know with every fiber of my being it has to be done. His oppositional attitude around my relationship with Dorothy is eating away at me.

I lift the phone receiver and dial the security department.

“Security. What can I do for you?” the woman on the other side of the line asks.

“This is Hunter Efron. I’m wondering if you have the security footage saved for all the offices in the building for the last six months.”

“Yes, Mr. Efron. We keep them on our server for two years.”

“Great. Can you please send me the security tapes of Dorothy Fisher’s office from the last six months?”

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