Page 40 of Never With You
“I think that’s all we needed to discuss.” Lyle’s gaze goes back to the paper in his hand. “You guys are going to check the swag and gifts in suitcases so we don’t have to deal with customs?”
“Yeah, Nate has the boxes, and he’ll pack them.” I try to keep my voice steady, even though I’m still disappointed about the flight upgrade.
“It should be a great trip.” Lyle tosses the papers onto his desk. “I only have one last concern.”
I’ve pulled sixteen-hour days, triple-checking everything. There’s no way I missed something.
I shift my weight uncomfortably. “What are you concerned about?”
“Will you two be able to get along and run this trip together for the next eleven days, or will I get a phone call that one of you strangled the other one?”
Our gazes meet, and we both know what we have to do.
For the sake of our jobs.
“Me and Carly? We’re fine.” Nate slings an arm over my shoulder, making my back tense.
We’ve never touched like this—minus in my dream. My senses go into a complete freakout. I can’t tell if it’s a good freakout or a bad one. I just know my skin is on fire, and I can’t show it. Right now, I need my boss to believe I’m a professional who can do this job no matter what.
“We’ll be the epitome of professionalism.” The slight roll of my shoulder should be Nate’s cue to get off me, but he doesn’t move. If anything, he pulls me in, encouraging more erratic heartbeats.
“The whole hostility thing is fake. Something we do for fun.” His fingers clamp around my shoulder, smashing my body to his side.
I’m stuck on Nate’s description of our relationship. Even though he’s telling Lyle what he wants to hear, I can’t help but wonder if there’s some truth to his words.
Is fighting with me fun, and the hostility fake?
He squeezes me closer, jostling me out of my thoughts. “When no one’s looking, we hang out together in the supply closet. Right, Carly?”
“What?” I flip my head to him, getting a front-row view of his pleased smile.
“If you guys say you’ll be fine, I believe you.” Lyle doesn’t seem convinced, but since we’re leaving for Thailand in less than forty-eight hours, there’s not much he can do. “Just remember to play nice. I don’t want the trip’s success jeopardized because you two can’t be mature adults.”
“You don’t have to worry about anything.” Nate finally drops his arm, and I use that as my excuse to escape.
I spin around and march out. “It’s going to be a great trip,” I call over my shoulder.
Nate follows me down the hall and to my cubicle.
“Why are you following me?” I ask as I start cleaning up my desk to go home.
He leans his shoulder against the side of my cubicle with legs crossed and hands in his pockets, clearly not feeling the same panicked heartbeats as me. “I’m sorry about business class.”
“Right.” A sneer puffs out. “You seem real sorry about it.”
“No, really, I am. I can be a gentleman and let you have it. It looks like it means a lot to you.”
“Like you care what means a lot to me.” I shut down my computer and straighten everything on my desk. “Besides, if I take it, you’ll hold it over my head.” I lower the tone of my voice, impersonating him. “‘Remember that time I gave up first-class for you? Now you have to do all my work for me for the rest of my life.’ No, thank you.”
His dark brows draw together. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re annoyingly stubborn.”
“If you have to say, ‘Don’t take this the wrong way,’then you probably shouldn’t be saying whatever’s on your mind.”
“I’m giving you the upgrade, and I promise I won’t hold it over your head.”
Am I really going to forgo extra legroom for my pride?
No.
