Page 163 of Positively Pricked
Chapter 54
I stared down at the single sheet of paper. "I'm not signing that."
We were standing just inside the door to my hotel room. We'd returned to the hotel just a few minutes earlier, after an amazing day in the city, complete with a sunset dinner overlooking Times Square.
It had been one of the best days of my life, and now, it was turning sour so quickly, it was making my head spin.
I read aloud the first line of the document that Zane had retrieved on the way in. "Severance agreement?" I looked up. "Seriously?"
Zane said, "Is there a problem?"
"Of course, there's a problem. You're firing me."
If I'd expected him to look guilty, I would've been sadly disappointed. He looked as hard and determined as I'd ever seen him.
He said, "Technically, I fired you this morning."
I stared in stunned disbelief. "So, you were serious?"
"You know I was."
"That's not true," I said. "I mean, youalsosaid you were going to fly out, and you didn't dothat."
"I know. And that's a problem."
"Why is that a problem?" I asked.
"You don't know?"
I did. And I didn't.I gave a loose shrug and made no reply.
He loomed closer. "It's a problem, because I should've gotten the hell out of here."
"But why?"
His body was rigid and his eyes were hard. "Because I can't fuck you and be your boss at the same time."
I drew back. "What did you just say?"
His gaze softened. "Look, I didn't mean it like that."
"I think you did. And it seems to me, you're assuming an awful lot."
His gaze dipped to my lips. "Am I?"
Something in his look went straight to my core. And yes, in a sense, he was right. After all, I'd known exactly what kind of signals I'd been giving off. But in my fantasies, I didn't have to sign on the dotted line beforehand.
When I made no reply, Zane said, "So, if I asked you to my room, you'd say no."
I lifted my chin. "Yes, actually."
I wasn't even lying. I'd definitely be saying nonow, since he was back to being a total prick.
He stepped back, putting more distance between us. It made me feel cold and alone, in spite of the fact that he was still within standing arm's reach. Suddenly, the gulf between us felt insurmountable in every possible way.
He asked, "So what are you suggesting?"
I sighed. "I don't know."
