Page 105 of Guarded King

The gorgeous woman directly across from me—with dark auburn hair, green eyes, and black-rimmed glasses that make her look like a sexy librarian—introduces herself as a member of Wright’s legal team. Smartandbeautiful.

When Roman leans close to speak to her, jealousy twists into a barbed knot in my stomach. I do my best to ignore it, even though the breathless little laugh she gives in response only drives the jagged edges of that knot deeper.

I can’t even blame her. Who wouldn’t be breathless in such close proximity to him?

This jealousy is immature and stupid. If only I’d been smart enough—or strong enough—to resist the desire to touch him, to taste him, to know what it’s like to be with him. To stop myselffrom seeing him, even for a moment, as anything more than my boss.

I’m pulled from my increasingly depressing thoughts when the man in the seat next to me clears his throat. “It’s good to see you again, Chloe.”

More than happy to be distracted, I turn, recognizing him now that I’m paying attention.

“Ethan,” he reminds me.

With a nod, I smile. “I remember.”

“I’m not going to lie, I was hoping to hear from you,” he says. “I kept telling myself you must have lost my card.” The laugh that escapes him is good-natured.

Guilt prickles over me. With sandy brown hair and warm blue eyes, he’s handsome, and when he gave me his card at our last meeting, I was impressed by how genuinely nice he seemed. I might have even taken him up on his offer of a drink, if not for the incident in the elevator afterward. Being trapped there with Roman changed things.

“I still have it,” I say. “Sorry, life just…”

“Got away from you?” He grins, the expression causing a dimple to pop in his cheek.

My heart clenches. “Something like that.”

Our conversation is interrupted when Roman shoves back his chair and stands.

When I turn his way, he’s not looking at me, but his brows are lowered, and an emotion that feels a lot like annoyance rolls off him in waves as he scans the table. “Let’s get this meeting started.”

As usual, every eye is fixed on him as he launches into a discussion about the progress of the office building the King Group and Wright Construction are partnering on.

I cock my head as I assess him. Something is off. His tone is sharper than usual, his usually smooth and efficient movementschoppy. It’s subtle, but I’m so attuned to his every move by now, it’s hard for me to ignore.

At one point, he focuses on me, pausing long enough that my pulse jumps, and then he moves on.

Eventually, he opens the floor to discussion, and the moment he sits, the woman next to him eagerly leans in to murmur in his ear again.

Seriously, does she need to be that close to be heard?

His eyes meet mine and glint dangerously. Are my thoughts being broadcast on my face?

I turn away. I don’t want to be this needy, jealous person. When the meeting ends, I quickly stand and gather my things so I can leave before Roman and the gorgeous lawyer lady do. Ethan smiles at me as he follows suit. He trails me out, but before I can give him a farewell wave, he maneuvers me away from the people loitering outside the room.

Instantly, I sense what’s coming. I’m not sure how to feel about it and I’m all mixed up inside, my emotions going haywire.

He shoves his hands in his pockets and dips his head, looking at me through long eyelashes. He really is good-looking in a charmingly boyish way.

“So, if you kept my card, can I hope that means you didn’t totally disregard my invitation?”

My stomach flips, and I hug my tablet to my chest. “I didn’t.”

Behind him, Roman appears in the hallway. Lawyer lady is still talking to him, so when he glances over, I quickly force myself to focus on Ethan again.

There’s no future between Roman and me. And the longer I dwell on it and wish there could be, the longer I pretend I could rewrite what we’ve shared, the worse it’ll be.

Ethan seems nice, and so what if he doesn’t give me butterflies the way Roman does? He might, once I get to knowhim. Now that Dad’s feeling better and Carol is around, perhaps I can actually expand my social life a bit.

I smile at the man watching me with hope in his eyes. “I’ve been caught up in work, but I should have more free time now.”

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