Page 55 of Keep Your Friends Close and Your… Work Enemy Closer?

And after working late Monday, I knew she felt the same. She hadn't been able to keep her eyes off me, no matter how much she denied it. I'd caught her countless times. And it'd set me on fire inside, to the point where I was pretty much obsessed with her.

I was desperate to make something of this thing between us, and this weekend was the perfect opportunity. I no longer cared about who I really was because, even though my name was different, I was still the same person. I still acted like myself around Dee. One hundred percent. This was me.

And even if she'd rather chew nails than admit it, I knew she liked me. Obnoxious me. Annoying me. The sad sack who lived with his mom and grandma.

She'd had fun that night after the gala. She liked Nana, practically beamed at her every time she'd spoken. And she'd felt at home in my place too, so much so that she'd fallen asleep and slept just feet away from me.

My chest pinched just thinking about it.

When she'd shrugged and said it was no big deal that I lived with them, well, that had cemented it.

I was ready to throw all caution to the wind to pursue her. She didn't know it yet, but she was mine now. The only problem was I couldn't reconcile how to parlay this potential thing we could have together into something lasting once she knew my real name.

ShehatedMax Sterling.

My only hope was to make her fall so hard for me as Jared that when I revealed my true identity she wouldn't care. She was attracted to me, or at least my body, and that was a start.

We pulled up to a huge lodge that looked just like you'd imagine, made of timber and stone, surrounded by towering pine trees, with a large porch and a clear blue lake shimmering nearby.

Once we'd all shuffled off the bus and gathered our bags, the inside didn't disappoint either, with a humongous stone fireplace and floor-to-ceiling windows with stunning views of the mountains.

While they arranged the room situation, each of us with roommates, I hoped there'd be some kind of mix-up, a shortage of beds or something, that would force Dee and me to share a room. But no such luck.

These people were very organized, too organized, and I was apparently stuck with Chris for the weekend.

Looking around, I scoped out the space as best I could, trying to find an opening where I could potentially make some kind of move.

The retreat leader, Ranger Jim, told us to meet back downstairs in the commons in ten for a hike and a few surprises.

Oh, shit. I hadn't really thought about this part of the trip too much, my focus one-hundred percent on Dee and the spark between us.

And now, I was stuck sharing a room with some dude and doing all this outdoorsy stuff. I did like the outdoors, though, it'd just been a while.

After setting up our room and a quick change, we all met in the big lobby area, my eyes immediately searching the vicinity forher. I didn't spot her right away, but then, movement on the stairs caught my attention, and there she was.

She just had on a casual little hiking outfit, but she looked hot, so damn hot it kind of took my breath away... a tight t-shirt and baseball cap paired with short shorts and socks pulled up high, only serving to emphasize her mouthwatering thighs.

Damn.

Uncertainty washed through me as I debated walking over to her and being my usual obnoxious self or leaving her be, giving her some space for once and seeing if she sought me out.

Ah, hell, who was I kidding? I didn't do space.

When good ole Ranger Jim called us all over, I sidled up to Dee and casually nudged her in the side. "So did you miss me the rest of the week?" I whispered near her ear.

If I wasn't mistaken, she flushed—a pretty pink color that infused her pretty cheeks.

Yep, there it was. She was just as infatuated as I was. Well, maybe not quite as much. But it was something.

She nudged me back. And not gently. "No, I didn't miss you," she said, her voice pitched low and her tone harsh. "Not even a little."

"Not buying it," I countered.

But she didn't answer, the leader starting his big talk about how amazing and wonderful this weekend was going to be, how our group would be pushed out of our comfort zones, learn to rely on each other, and come out stronger, more connected, and ready to tackle any challenges together.

I heard Dee sigh as he went on and on and on, and I decided that humor might win her over. So I leaned down again and whispered in her ear. "I wonder if surviving this speech counts as the first challenge."

She huffed out a breath through her nose like she was holding back laughter.

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