Page 27 of Devotion: Isn't What It Seems (Love Isn't What It Seems 1)

“Hi,” I replied back.

He leaned back into his chair and observed me. I wondered what he was thinking.

“Are you going to read the report?” I asked him, just slightly nervous under his watchful gaze. “Or do you want me to give you a quick rundown?”

“Give me a quick rundown,” he replied. “I like hearing your voice.”

I felt heat spread throughout my chest and into the roots of my hair.

“There isn’t too much change from this morning, the production ramped up by an additional five percent.”

My voice sounded slightly breathless and I nervously ran my tongue over my lips. His eyes locked on my lips, which sent my pulse racing. I had never experienced my body responding like this before, to anyone.

“We’re ready to go home?” he asked and I could have sworn his voice sounded a few notches deeper.

Did he say we are going home?I wondered in the back of my mind and I had to mentally slap myself.

“Ah, I was going to ask,” I began hesitantly. “I’m meeting Colin, Lizzy, and her husband for a sort of a happy hour. Do you want to come along?”

Darn, that sounded like I was asking him out on a date.

Words were already spoken so I wasn’t going to try and paraphrase them. I felt like my heart was in my throat. I suddenly became uncomfortable waiting for his answer.

“It’s a place called Mary’s Milk Bar,” I added nervously.

“You’ve been there before?” he asked casually, leaning against his executive chair.

“Yes, I’ve been going for a few weeks now. With Colin,” I answered. “We meet Lizzy and her husband there.”

The office became quiet again and I swallowed hard watching him watch me. I wasn’t sure why I felt nervous. It didn’t matter if he came or not; I was going either way.

“Sure,” he said finally. “I’ll go with you.”

I frowned. I didn’t ask him to come with me. I asked him to come along.

Didn’t I? There is a difference… I think.

We walked to the ice cream shop together, we both spoke very little but the expression on everyone’s face when they spotted us was beyond shocked. Dumbfounded.

“Lachlan came?” Lizzy’s husband Jack asked even though he could perfectly see that he was there.

“I asked if it’s ok,” I justified quickly.

“Of course it’s ok,” Lizzy quickly answered. “We just didn't believe you’d ask and we believed even less he’d agree to come.”

I glanced at Lachlan next to me, and our eyes locked, his shining with a sparkle of amusement.

“Are you usually unsocial?” I asked in a low voice.

“No, not at all,” he answered, with a slight humor in his voice.

“Why are they so shocked that you are here then?”

“Because Lachlan hates ice cream,” Colin answered in his stead. “And everything about it. It made him violently sick once when he was a kid and he can’t stomach being around it anymore.”

“Oh,” I never heard that happening to someone before. “You won’t get sick, will you? We can go if you’d like.”

“We are fine to stay,” he told me and put his hand on the small of my back to nudge me forward so we can get seated.

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