Page 38 of In Love and War
“No! What c—” I was cut off by him suddenly pulling me inside, using the grip he still had on my arm.
He shut the door behind us and let go of me, running a hand through his hair before walking farther into the suite and creating distance between us.
“What is wrong with you?” I asked him. “We just nailed the biggest presentation the company has done inyears—it quite literally could not have gone any better than it did.”
He crossed his arms and leaned his shoulder against the wall.
“Why are you here?” he asked again.
“Are you not listening to me? I just told you, I’m trying to figure out what’s up your ass.” I was already more riled up than I had planned on being for this. “Normalpeople would be celebrating right now.”
“You could have called.” He was studying me much more intently now.
“You wouldn’t have picked up,” I defended my decision. “Are you done avoiding my question yet?”
“Are you done avoiding mine?”
“Are you going senile in your old age on top of everything else? How many times do I need to tell you why I’m here?” He was only thirty-one. But I was irritated.
His eyes began to lazily travel down my body, and then he flicked his chin toward me. “Is that what you’re wearing tonight?”
I looked down at my maroon Ted Baker dress and nude stilettos.
“For what?” I asked, looking back up at him.
What’s tonight?
“For your date, with David.”
For my what? Withwho?
“Pardon me?” I asked, my voice raising again. “It’s not a date. Why would you call it that?”
I shouldn’t have been so offended. I just really,reallydidn’t want him to think this was a date.
“Doesheknow that?” The twitch in his jaw was back, and his mouth pinched at the corners when he asked.
“Of course he does.” It was my turn to cross my arms and narrow my eyes at him.
He stopped leaning against the wall and took two steps toward me. “You’re sure?”
“What are you insinuating?” I really didn’t like where any of this was headed.
“Let me ask you this, Amelia. Why doyouthink you’re in New York right now?”
“Zac, for fuck’s sake, stop talking in riddles and just spit it out. What are you trying to say?” The irritation was quickly turning into anger as pieces of the puzzle started to come together.
“I’m saying I don’t think David asked for you to be on the account just because he likes your…work ethic.” He seemed just as annoyed as me. But once again, I couldn’t understand why.
“That’syour new theory? You think the only reason why he put me on the account is because he wants tosleep with me?” I yelled at him. “What the fuck iswrongwith you?”
“Keep your voicedown,Amelia.” He seethed.
“Don’t fucking tell me what to do!”
“You want to know what’s wrong?” he went on, taking another couple of steps toward me, his ears now bright red. “I’ve worked myfucking ass offto get this account, only to haveyou,of all people, brought in just because your old boss can’t keep it in his fucking pants,” he spat. His eyes were blade-sharp. “So now, I’m watching as you two shamelessly flirt and plan dates in front of everybody and just waiting for the moment where all of it ends up blowing up in our faces! You have zero regard for how it would impact the rest of us if your…entanglementwith him ends badly.”
His hand was up and through his hair again, and he was breathing much heavier now. “Andthat,Amelia, is what’s wrong with me.”
