I pretend I’m a man and not a scared little boy and look her in the eye. She stares back with a contemplative look on her face that I can’t decipher. At least the cloud of anger seems to have dissipated.

She uncrosses her arms and leans forward, resting her elbows on her knees. The new glint in her eye tells me I’ve made a terrible mistake. Again.

“So you felt the need to come all this way to tell me to stop dating people at work?”

Shit.

She continues. “Tell me, Adam, am I allowed to date other people, or are you only concerned about me ‘fraternizing’ in front ofyou?”

“No, that’s not what I—”

“What is it you want me to say?” She gets to her feet and I match her stance, preparing for battle. Defensive, she takes a step towards me. “You expect me to believe you came here to tell me to stop dating people at work so I don’t get in trouble?”

“Yes,” I say.

“Out of the goodness of your heart. No other reason?” The words are right, but her voice is dangerously close to rage.

“Yes?” It comes out like a question. I clear my throat to say again, “Yes.”

“Well, I guess I have some phone calls to make.”

That takes me aback “What?”

“I have to call all the people I’m screwing to tell them we have to stop because HR won’t allow it. Or I guess I could call HR and ask them if they have some forms I can sign.”

This is a trap. I know it. Everyone knows it.

I still fall for it.

“Who are you screwing?”

A cold smile touches her lips. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

I do. I don’t, but I do. I want to know who I’m up against, because if there’s one thing I’ve figured out during this last monthof silence between us, it’s that I want her and I don’t want anyone else to have her. And I plan to fight for her.

I steel myself and take a step to close the distance between us, showing that I will not back down.

“You bet your ass I want to know.”

The glint in her eyes sparks and my body ignites with it, with her.

“My ass is none of your business.”

“I’m making it my business.”

“Is that so?”

God, I want to kiss her. “Yes.”

“Hmm ...” She makes a low humming sound in the back of her throat, and I can taste it. I want that sound on my tongue, and I inch my face closer to hers, breathing her in.

“You know,” she whispers, leaning into me. Our noses are almost touching. “I might believe that, if only you hadn’t remembered my dog’s name and not mine.” She rips herself away from me and stomps to the door, stumbling a bit as she trips over the carpet. She wrenches it open.

“Get out.”

My jaw drops.

“Paige . . .”