Page 44 of Obsession on Repeat
"Whoa,where’s the fire?"
"It usually starts in the kitchen."
Chuckling, he released me once he was sure I was steady again on my feet. "Where are you off to in such a rush?"
"I was looking for Vanessa."
"She already left. She told me to close up." Before I could respond, he stepped forward and casually stretched his arms out, hands pressed flat against the hallway walls blocking my path. "You’ve been avoiding me."
I squared my shoulders. I resisted the urge to step back. I hadn’t registered how close he was. I chose to step sideways, more for clarity than nerves. "I’ve been busy."
He raised an eyebrow. "Busy rehearsing your vanishing act?"
I ignored the dig. "I was going to tell Vanessa I want to help set up for the VIP party on Wednesday."
"That’s a week from now. Absolutely not."
"What?" I blinked. "Why? Everybody else is."
"Well, not everyone’s birthday is on Wednesday," he shrugged. "That entitles you to a free pass on all boring setup duties." The humor faded from his expression, and he slowly lowered his arms. "What’s wrong?"
I took a step back, gaze dropping. "Don’t mention my birthday. How did— Let me guess, my paperwork?" My voice was quiet. "Please don’t bring it up to anyone."
"Deal, but only if you tell me why."
I looked up, meeting his gaze in the dim hallway. "Because bad things tend to happen on my birthday."
He gave a half-smile. "You mean like a curse? Pretty sure that’s a movie plot."
"This isn’t a joke."
His expression shifted instantly, the teasing gone. Before I could register the movement, he reached for my hand. "I’m sorry. I won’t ask or mention it again."
I didn’t pull away. For some reason, I didn’t want to. "Thank you." I gave his hand the smallest squeeze.
"Does this mean you forgive me?"
"Does this mean I can work Wednesday?"
He exhaled a soft laugh. "Absolutely not."
"What?" I leaned in slightly, half-indignant, half-smiling. "You’re seriously going to pull rank and ban me from helping?"
"You call it pulling rank." He took a slow step toward me. "I call it protecting you from a night you clearly don’t want to remember."
The air between us shifted, lighter one second, heavier the next. I felt his gaze drop briefly to my mouth before he looked away, as if catching himself. I should’ve said something, should’ve looked away, too. But I didn’t.
His voice dropped slightly. "Are you always this stubborn?"
"Only when someone’s trying to read me like a book they haven’t earned the right to open."
He grinned, clearly surprised. "I like that."
"You do?"
"Yeah." His tone lowered. "A lot."
The tension stretched, sudden and breathless. I didn’t move. Neither did he.
