Page 53 of His Temptation
I hate to be the Debby downer, but there’s no way he has the time for a puppy.
Lincoln: Ha, no! You’re right, I have no time for a dog. I stopped by my friend’s house and his sister is here with her new puppy. He seems to have taken a liking to me.
I smile down at my phone as I look at him in the picture. He looks so casual in his clothes and hat. Not the threatening billionaire who will take anyone down to get what he wants. It’s such a contradiction to the man I know. Confusion floods my brain as I once again wonder if there’s more beneath the surface than I thought.
20
LINCOLN
“Idon’t care if he wants those terms in the contract. Absolutely not! Negotiations are over. If he pushes this, tell him to tread carefully with me,” I bark at Roy, then slam the phone down.
I start to massage my temples, feeling a headache coming on. This is why I generally don’t like to do acquisitions. There’s always an ego on the other end who tries to squeeze more than they are entitled to out of the contract.
The familiar sound of heels approaching causes a flood of warmth in the pit of my stomach. I look up, and Kylie is standing over my desk with a glass of water and two pills.
“What’s that for?” I ask.
I open my hand, and she places the pills in them, then hands me the glass.
“I saw you rubbing your temples. You do that when you’re getting a headache.”
The gesture is unexpected. How does she know me so well? It feels like something that goes beyond what an assistant is responsible for or even in tune with.
“Thanks,” I whisper as I throw the pills back with the water.
She smiles at me, and I see it in her eyes. Something that feels oddly more than what we agreed to. She isn’t looking at me like I annoy the hell out of her. Our arrangement felt a lot safer when I knew she couldn’t stand me. Uneasiness fills my body.
“Is something wrong?” She reaches out and gently runs her fingers through my hair.
The moment she touches me, my chest burns, and it dawns on me. The feelings I have when she’s around. The way I long for her to be around when I’m alone. How I think about her all the time. Finding reasons to talk to her, like texting her the other night for absolutely no reason. The way my body lit up when she responded.
I’m falling for her.
I move my head back. “We can’t keep doing this,” I state abruptly.
She looks at me with confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“This.” I motion between the two of us. “Us. It’s a mistake.”
She hesitates, blinking with bafflement. “What?”
“You’re my assistant, Kylie.” I look away when I see the pain in her eyes. “I can’t—I can’t let this go any further.”
Strange and disquieting thoughts begin to race through my mind, making it hard for me to concentrate. She is still staring at me, looking baffled.
“I see. Um, I should get back to work.”
I watch her walk away and feel an acute sense of loss. “Kylie, wait.”
“No.” She turns around. “You’re absolutely right. I’m just your assistant.”
She walks out of my office, and my stomach churns with anxiety. I don’t know why the hell I just did that. Panic took over, and it just happened. I begin to try and figure out where the hell I went wrong.
When did I catch feelings? Were they there all along and I was too caught up in my desires to notice?
I begin to feel like I’m drowning in my thoughts. I need to get the hell out of here. I reach into my phone and text the guys.
Me: Happy hour tonight?
