Page 19 of Obsession

“It’s a learning tool, Mr. Carson. There’s no age limit on learning a manual task.”

His nostrils flared, but he picked them up.

I plucked mine out of my noodles and showed him. “See? All you need is a little opening and then you can —there you go.”

He picked up a wad of noodles, and they fell free before he got them to his lips.

I laughed.

He answered with those raven-dark brows snapping even lower.

“I’m sorry. I’m just remembering when…” I swallowed and let my words trail off. I remembered the cold winter day my grandmother had taught me how to eat with them. It had been a simple bowl of ramen at the time, but she was determined to show me.

“When…”

I cleared my throat. “Not important. Noodles are easy. It’s rice that’s hard. Try again.” I clicked the tips together.

This time, he managed to get few noodles in his mouth. After five minutes, he was far more dexterous and packed away half the tray.

Remembering my grandmother dampened my appetite a little, but I knew I needed the fuel. I managed to eat half of mine as my boss finished off his.

He stood. “Do you want to save this?”

I shook my head.

He took my tray and dumped both of them into the bag with the chopsticks. “I have three phone calls from the West Coast. I’ll need your help.”

I nodded and rose. “More spreadsheets?”

“Among other things. There’s a folder full of details under Donovan Lewis.”

Why was that name familiar?

“He’s based in California, but he has a New York City base, as well. He’s an important client. I need to make sure the meetinggoes well. If he likes our work, then it will open up a client base in the Los Angeles music scene.”

I followed him out. “I’m not up with the music scene, but I don’t think that’s why I know his name.”

“He’s a venture capitalist. You might know him from a few of the startup companies he’s been involved with. Most recently the car app that everyone uses in the city.”

“Oh.” I’d definitely used that app a time or twelve.

“Yes. He’s a wealthy and connected man. I need to make sure all the data I have is up-to-date and correct. So, for the rest of the afternoon, I need you to verify that my research is still valid. I pulled the data ten days ago.”

“And you think it will be out of date?”

He held the door open. “You’ll learn that in the security business, one day is out of date, Ms. Copeland.”

The gallantry was going to be the end of me, I swore it. Just when I thought I was getting on an even keel with him, he was in my space. Today, the spicy scent outweighed the citrus. I didn’t know if that had anything to do with the food we’d just eaten, or it was his mood and temperament leaking through his pores.

I scooted through the door, making sure I didn’t touch any part of him this time. When I got to the stairwell, Jack was coming down.

“There you two are.”

Mr. Carson crowded into my back, and my whole body went hot. I tried to move, but Jack filled the landing. Two men over six feet tall was just too much male in a tiny stairwell. I tried to move to the side and only made it worse. My butt slid across the front of Mr. Carson’s slacks.

He went completely still behind me, and I could feel his breath along my ear. Good grief, had my knees actually turned to water? Or was that just the first stage to suicidal tendencies? Theurge to toss myself out the window into the harbor was strong, because no.

No way was I going to be attracted to my boss on top of the clusterfuck of my life.

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