Page 12 of Mine for a Moment

I nod, unable to suppress a sliver of nerves. Seeing Archer in that room just now made me realize that he isn’t just my brother’s kind best friend, and I guess it’s the same for Theo. We both seemed to have forgotten that Archer is a ruthless self-made multimillionaire who’s likely well on his way to becoming a billionaire. He is clearly well-respected and well-loved, but more than anything, he’s unattainable. What was I thinking, adding his name to my list? The more I think about it, the more mortified I feel.

I tuck a stray curl behind my ear and take a deep breath as I clear my mind and begin to tackle the list of things Theo and I were told to set up today, only for a notification to pop up from the company’s instant messaging system.

Archer Harrison

meet me in the garage at six. We need to talk.

Twelve

Archer

I lean back against the wall and watch as Mark hovers around Serenity while she puts her laptop in her bag. “We do quiz nights at the bar around the corner every Monday, and it’s a great way to get to know people from other departments,” he tells her.

She glances at Theo, and the way he looks at her grates on me. He’s never looked at her like that before, so why now? Why the fuck is he looking at her like he finally realizes what he had? “I’ll come with you if you’re going,” he says, his gaze filled with hope.

She looks into his eyes, clearly on the brink of giving in when I know she’s done her best to draw and maintain boundaries between them. I told her to meet me in the garage five minutes from now, but it looks like she’d happily stand me up if it means spending her evening with Theo.

“You should go home,” she says, surprising me. “Doesn’t Kristen have a whole list of things she wants to do?” Serenity smiles shakily. “She should. I made a list for us and shared it with her.”

“Right,” he replies, his expression conflicted. “Yeah. I guess Ishould go home, huh?” He looks at her like he expects her to stop him, and I smile to myself when she nods and walks past him, leaving him sitting at his desk without a second glance.

“We’ll just go together, then,” Mark says, rushing after her. Something about the way he looks at her doesn’t sit well with me either. It’s clear he’s rapidly developed a crush, and my need to nip that in the bud is near tangible, a force of its own.

“Mark, I need the design alteration we discussed on my desk by noon tomorrow,” I say, knowing full well he’ll have to work overtime tonight to make that happen.

He tenses when he notices me a few paces behind him, and he nods, barely able to keep his eyes off Serenity. Normally my employees jump at a chance to work authorized overtime, since we pay them triple for it, but it seems he’d still rather spend his evening with Serenity. Interesting.

I follow his captivated gaze, my eyes lingering. Damn, that cream dress she’s wearing today and the way it highlights her curves… She’s beautiful in sweats and an old ratty tee, butfuck, she’s mesmerizing today, and it irritates me that I’m noticing it at all.

My eyes lock with hers as I walk past them, confident that she’ll follow. I smile to myself when I hear her heels click behind me moments later.

“You haven’t pressed the elevator button, Mr. Harrison,” she says, her arm brushing against mine as she clicks the down button.

“I was waiting,” I murmur, turning to face her.

“For what?”

“You.”

She bites down on the edge of her bottom lip, and something hot and heavy unfurls in my stomach.Fuck. I’ve tried my best not to notice how fucking sexy she is, but I knew it was a lost cause when I saw myname on that list of hers. Ever since, all I’ve been able to think about is what she’ll taste like, how she’ll sound when I make her come…over and over again. The feeling is almost always accompanied by guilt of different kinds, but even so, it’s inescapable, all-consuming. It’s been years since I’ve wanted a woman the way I want her, and fuck, I don’t know what to do with that when I know I can’t have her.

Serenity follows me into the elevator, both of us quiet all the way to my car. She hesitates when I hold the door open for her, and I raise a brow. “Ezra?” she whispers.

Hearing my best friend’s name is jarring, an unwelcome reminder of reality. “He left early this morning and won’t be back from a client site until tomorrow evening,” I remind her.

“Still,” she says, her voice soft. “We shouldn’t be seen together like this.”

“Then you’d better hurry up and get in.”

She narrows her eyes for a moment and sits down, her gaze moving back and forth furtively.

“Don’t worry,” I tell her as I join her. “This isn’t the first time I’ve given an employee a ride on my way out.”

“Oh,” she says, sounding relieved. “Of course, I’m sorry.”

I throw her a smile as I drive us home, deliberately taking the longest route I can think of. We need to talk, but I’m not sure where to even start. “How was your first day?” I ask instead.

“Intense,” she replies, her expression lighting up. “But so fulfilling. For years, I’ve heard Ezra and you talk about your company, and to now work there myself…it’s surreal.”

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