Page 18 of Unleashed

“You’re out of your mind! I don’t camp, and unless I can hike in heels, that’s a no for me.”

I chuckled. “I’d love to see you try.”

Before I could respond further, a hard knock on my office door startled me. My stomach dropped as Slade stormed in, waving a piece of paper—my resignation letter—in the air. I quickly told Erika I’d call her back and hung up, watching as Slade dropped into the chair in front of my desk.

“I’m leaving,” I said calmly, already knowing what this was about.

“Obviously,” he growled, thrusting the resignation letter toward me. “I thought you were going to give it some time.”

“I got an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

His eyes narrowed. “From who?”

I met his gaze, refusing to back down. “Does it matter? You can’t match it, and you can’t change the environment here.”

Slade leaned in, his voice dripping with accusation. “Was it that bastard Elliot? He’s been trying to poach our engineers for years.”

“What if it was?” I replied coolly.

His upper lip curled in a sneer. “Did he charm you out of your panties? Is that why you fell for his bullshit about a great working atmosphere?”

I snapped, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. “Jesus Christ, what the fuck is wrong with you men? You always think women fall for a man’s charm? I fell for his offer, Slade.”

“So, sleeping with him had nothing to do with it?” he asked, his voice thick with jealousy.

“It’s none of your business,” I shot back, leaning forward, “but no, I never slept with Michael.”

“It is my business,” he insisted, his eyes locking onto mine.

“And how do you figure that?”

His voice softened, but his gaze stayed intense. “Because I want to sleep with you. I’ve wanted you since the day we met, and you just keep turning me down.”

I let out a long, frustrated sigh, slumping my shoulders. “It would never work between us, Slade. I’ve told you that.”

“Why? Because we grew up so differently?” Slade’s voice cut through the tense air in my office, his blue eyes searching mine for understanding. “That’s a stupid reason. I want you here.”

I crossed my arms, leaning back in my chair, trying to keep the frustration from boiling over. “Your father doesn’t seem to care if I leave. If he did, I would’ve gotten the promotion.” My words came out sharper than I intended, but I was done sugarcoating the truth.

Slade's brows furrowed. “I had no control over that, but if you leave, I’ll never see you.”

He sounded desperate, and it threw me off balance. I swallowed hard, keeping my tone neutral. “We can still hang out. Go for coffee or drinks.” I shrugged like it was no big deal. Like my heart wasn’t racing.

“I want more.” His voice softened, a quiet confession.

My heart skipped, but I forced myself to stay focused. I couldn’t give him more. Not now. “I can’t give you more,” I said firmly, shaking my head.

His eyes darkened, a storm brewing in their depths. “Because you’re giving it to someone else?”

I blinked, caught off guard. “No,” I snapped, “it’s personal.” The idea that I was seeing someone else stung for reasons I didn’t want to explore right now.

Slade persisted, leaning forward as if proximity would bring him the answers he wanted. “Are you sleeping with someone else?”

“Stop asking,” I warned, my patience wearing thin. This was getting messy—too messy.

“I want it to be me.” His voice cracked, and suddenly, everything shifted. “I love you, Morgan. How could you possibly not know that?”

The air was knocked clean out of my lungs. I stared at him, my mind spinning. “You love me?”

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