Page 28 of Unwanted
“For fuck’s sake,” Verity muttered in a horrified tone, as I struggled to suppress a laugh. The entire work floor had stopped what they were doing to stare into Verity’s glass office. There were people with mugs halfway up to their mouths, some frozen over work drawing boards with pencils in hand.
“Bloody hell,” Verity whispered. “Why did I have to insist on an open environment? Nosy fuckers.”
Max was standing inhisglass office on the other side of the space with his hands on his hips and his mouth open in shock. When he caught my eye that shock morphed into anger and he sprang into action, storming out of his office and across the floor towards us.
This at least seemed to have the effect of unfreezing the employees as he shouted, “Show’s over, you nosy bastards!” before wrenching open Verity’s door. I could see out of the corner of my eye that Max’s wife Mia had also sprung into action and was right behind him coming into the office.
“I warned you, York,” Max blustered, pointing at me as he advanced. “I’ll not have the likes of you upsetting V. She’s only just come right after the last time you–”
“Max!” Mia said sharply, halting the large man’s progress, and using both her hands to grab onto his pointing arm and lower it. “Stop throwing your weight around and let them sort it out.”
Max puffed up his chest in indignation. “There’s nowt for them to sort. He’s upset Verity, he’s not going to do it again. The end.”
“Listen Max–” I started, but he cut me off, his pointing arm coming up again.
“She’s like a sister to me, is Verity. I’ll not have some fancy London knobhead come here and mess with her.”
“Max,” Mia said again, this time abandoning his arm to go around in front of him and placing both her hands on his chest. “I know you care about Verity, but heractualbrother thinks Harry’s a good guy. And even if he’snota good guy–” she broke off and turned her head to look at me, daggers shooting out of her eyes, and added, “–and, by the way, you’d better be,” then she turned back to the still enraged Max to continue, “it’sVerity’sdecision whom she wants to kiss, not yours or mine or even Heath’s.”
Max looked down at his wife. His expression went from furious to low-level grumpy and his breathing settled. “Bloody southern pretty boy,” he muttered.
“The War of the Roses was over five hundred years ago, Max darling,” Verity put in. “You can stand down.” I forced myself to suppress the smile I could feel attempting to break free, and Max narrowed his eyes at me. Verity’s voice then softened. “And Mia’s right. I can make my own decisions, even if they’re unhealthy – but it does mean a lot to me that you care so much.” The certainty with which she implied kissing me was an unhealthy choice grated on me, but I told myself that was fine. I had all the time in the world to change her mind.
“Come on, big guy,” Mia said, pushing ineffectually against Max’s broad chest to encourage him to back out of the office. “Let’s leave these two alone to make decisions like theadultsthat they are, right? We’ll go and get egg and chips and you can whinge aboutfancy southern idiots what want shite over-priced taps and curved walls. Then we can pick Sophie up from your mum.”
Max allowed himself to be manoeuvred out of the office by his small wife as he pointed to his eyes then to me and back again.
“I am so glad that Verity had you looking out for her, Max,” I said just as he was about to go through the door. “Not just now, but for the last twenty years. The twins are lucky to have had you. You’re a good friend.”
Max paused in the doorway and tilted his head to the side. He looked less grumpy now and more confused – as if he couldn’t quite work out what to make of me. When they finally left, and Verity turned to me her expression was similar. I noticed she had the book clutched in her hand again. After staring at me for a long moment she cleared her throat and moved back around the other side of her desk. I felt an actual wrench at the physical distance now between us. A rogue lock of dark hair had fallen out of her bun during our kiss, and my fingers itched to free the rest of it. But I balled my hands into fists and made myself stay where I was. I didn’t want to push her too far too soon.
“Right, so clearly there are some unresolved issues here,” Verity said. I could tell that she was attempting to get back to a business-like demeanour, but the way her hand shook as she put the book onto her desk, and the throaty quality of her voice ruined that endeavour. “I don’t know if I can–” she broke off and swallowed, avoiding eye contact with me and the wall of glass to my side.
All I wanted to do was to go over there and hold her, but I knew that wasn’t what she needed. I had to gain her trust first. Anger over the wasted years I could have spent with her washed over me again. If I hadn’t been so thin-skinned, so full of pride and so convinced that I was in the right back then I could have been holding Verity for two decades now. I wouldn’t have to force myself to stand back whilst she regained her composure. I could be kissing her any goddamn time I wanted if only I hadn’t been such a self-involved arsehole. I squeezed the back of my neck, forcing myself to let go of the regret and focus on the reality that I was here with hernow, that she had just kissed me, and that I finally had a chance to be happy – if I could just manage not to fuck this up.
“I’m sorry I cornered you here,” I said. “But Verity, please, please, if you could just give me a chance. I know I can’t gain your trust right away but maybe we could take a few steps back…” I paused then gave a rueful laugh. “You know, with all our history, it’s occurred to me I’ve never even taken you out on a date. Pretty shit form considering how much you mean to me – then and now. So, would you consider it? Here on your turf?”
Verity looked from the book on her desk to me and bit her lip, before giving me a slow nod. The rush of relief I felt almost made me feel dizzy and I smiled at her. Her eyes dropped to my mouth for a moment, and she seemed to lose focus, before giving her head a small shake, pressing her lips together and meeting my gaze.
“Pig and Whistle, eight o’clock,” she said.
“Er… The Pig and Whistle?” Anywhere called The Pig and Whistle was not likely to have the most romantic of atmospheres. Her eyebrows went up and she crossed her arms over her chest.
“That a problem, billionaire boy? Too posh for the local pub now?”
She was askingmeif I was too posh? Verity who’d grown up in a veritable castle was calling me posh? “Of course not,” I snapped.
“As friends, Harry,” she added softly. I crossed my arms over my chest but didn’t contradict her. I’d get her there in the end. I was a patient man. And surely, The Pig and Whistle couldn’t be as bad as it sounded?
Chapter13
Why didn’t you ever say anything?
Harry
The Pig and Whistle waswayworse than it sounded. I really should have realised that, despite her aristocratic background, Verity would have little interest in castles and expensive restaurants. Even at school she’d had an extremely throw-away attitude to her wealth and status, as only those born to it can really affect properly.
“I don’t care about any of that bullshit, Harry,” she’d said. “Money and titles don’t make you a good human, you know.”
