Page 49 of Crave Me

Whatever she catches in my expression appears to hurt her and her attention returns to the bag. She pulls out a long tube wrapped in foil and passes it to me. I don’t realize how hungry I am until now, and the aroma of hot, thinly cut steak with melted cheese wafts into my nose. But all that is secondary compared to how she appears.

“Are you all right?” I ask.

“It’s been a rough couple of weeks,” she replies, reaching into the bag once more. She meets my face. “But I guess you’ve had it rough too, considering you’re too busy to have lunch.”

I don’t respond with words. The muscles along my spine clench as I think through my business dealings these past ten days. I suppose my stiffening posture speaks loud enough.

“Let’s eat, okay?” she says.

I reach for my sandwich, recognizing she doesn’t want to talk about herself. Warmth fills my palm as my hand wraps over the foil. “This is what I think it is, isn’t it?”

“Oh, yeah, it is.” She slides a round tin container with a paper lid across the table. “And cheese fries.” She winks. “You’re welcome.”

My eyes roll in my head when I take my first bite. “This is superb.”

She reaches for a paper napkin, covering her mouth as she swallows. “Best damn steaks this side of Philly. Now, for wings, you’ll have to hit Merve’s.”

“With you?” I ask.

She stops moving. “Maybe not with me.”

“Why?” I ask.

Ashleigh opens the door, not bothering to knock. “Evan, you’re needed at the lab.”

I frown, turning my attention away from Wren. “For what, specifically?”

She huffs as if I’m bothering her. “John wants to discuss an issue with Eldar.”

“Then put him through,” I say, reaching for the napkin Wren passes me.

“He’s requesting your presence,” she repeats, as if I misheard her.

“I’m eating,” I say, stating the obvious. “Put him through.”

“Fine. But don’t you think you should take this in private?” she asks, casting a pointed stare in Wren’s direction.

Heat burns through my face as my anger builds. “Do you have a problem responding to a simple request?” I snap.

“Don’t worry about it,” Wren says, pulling a cheese fry free off the tin plate. “I can step out.”

I stand with her, ready to explode. The last thing I want is for Wren to think I mistreat women in any way. But I’ve had enough of Ashleigh’s attitude and insubordination.

Wren, it seems, has had enough as well. The way she handles it however, is very different. She sashays past Ashleigh, who is practically singeing a hole through Wren’s face with her glare. “Don’t worry about it, Evan,” she replies sweetly, tossing me an impish grin. “You can whisper your secrets to me when I come back in.”

She shuts the door behind her. I chuckle, my face reddening for far different reasons than anger.

“I see,” Ashleigh replies. Her terse response takes me aback. “I’ve done everything for you. I’ve stayed late, worked weekends, and defended you every time anyone questioned your decisions.”

“I don’t need defending,” I reply, my tone so sharp it could scrape along stone.

“Just like you don’t need me,” she says, her voice oddly cold.

I lean back on my heels, recognizing what Wren grasped the moment she heard Ashleigh’s voice.

“I didn’t know,” I respond, not that it would have made a world of difference.

“No, you didn’t,” she agrees, crossing her arms. “Not that it matters. I wouldn’t let you touch me now if you begged me.”

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