Page 154 of Begin Again, Part 1

"We can't." Eden sighed.

"But I won't. Not yet, anyway," he said on her lips, their foreheads touching lightly. "Not like this. Not when you still have doubts about us." He added softly as he pushed away from her and walked to the window, giving them both room and time to get their bearings.

"We have to stop this," she said from behind him.

"Stop what?" Liam half-turned from the window, his eyebrows raised.

"This whole thing," she said, her hands darting back and forth between them. "Whatever this is, people are already suspecting something's going on between us. And then there's Laura."

Liam laughed, but there was no amusement in his voice when he spoke. "What exactly do you think you know about Laura?"

Eden raised her chin stubbornly. "I know she's still in your life."

"Is that so, Princess?" he drawled as he approached her again, his movements slow and measured.

"I may be many things, but a cheater isn't one of them!" Eden carried on, spewing her nonsense as she backed herself on the door. If he wasn't so irritated with everything, he would have found the whole thing cute, adorable even.

"And I suppose that's what you think of me?" he asked when he finally stopped in front of her. "That I'm a cheater?"

"I never said that," Eden said softly. "But you can't afford to be caught up in office gossip again, and I need this job."

"Here's the thing, Princess," Liam nodded as he placed both his hands on the door at her sides, caging her in. "I don't give a shit about what people think. I've made my intentions clear where you're concerned. When you stop caring about everyone, you'll come to me, and I'll be here, waiting for you."

She shook her head, her voice as heavy as the desire in her eyes. "I won't."

"Oh, you will!" He gathered her in his arms again, before lowering his head and kissing her hungrily. "I told you I have all the time in the world. I'll wait. And don't you ever bring Laura up again. She's inconsequential."

"What does that mean?"

"It means I broke things off with her as soon as you came back. I didn't want to waste her time the same way you're wasting the lawyer's."

Chapter

Forty-Nine

ALEKSEI IVANOV

Clara was waiting in Eden's office when she returned from the marketing meeting. She took one look at her beaming face and immediately wanted to vanish back in the direction she had just come from. But it was too late; her friend had already seen her. She squealed, waving a black corporate card in the air. "You won't believe the amazing news I have!"

Eden sighed and crashed in her seat. "Do I want to know this amazing news?"

"Well, the Dragon gave us his corporate card for the team drinks tomorrow afternoon. He said we can choose any place we want!" Clara had enough enthusiasm for both of them.

"That's great, enjoy," Eden replied, praying and hoping Liam's assistant couldn't see the sadness in her eyes. It had been two weeks since Liam tried to fire Lucy, and she begged him to take back his decision. Two weeks since he last kissed and held her. Two weeks of silence from him. She should be happy he'd kept his distance, like she asked. But she wasn't. She missed him so much, she was almost going out of her mind with need. Other than work-related stuff, they'd barely talked. Liam seemed stressed every time she ran into him. She was concerned about him. After all, he was Aiden's father. But what right did she have to ask about his well-being?

"Are you even listening to me?" Clara asked, still flashing the card.

"I am," Eden lied.

"Okay, great! We'll all meet at Crush after work for sundowners."

"Whoa! Why are we meeting at Crush, and who's 'we'?" Eden panicked when she realised she'd unwittingly agreed to an afternoon of drinking because she didn't want Clara to know she'd muted her chatter.

"Stay with me!" Her friend sighed impatiently and flicked her caramel braids over her shoulder. "We've just talked about this, and you agreed."

"Okay, but—" Eden tried to come up with an excuse to skip the outing, but Clara wasn't having any of it.

"And to answer the 'who'," she clapped her hands excitedly. "It's all the assistants, and it's an excuse for all of us to get drunk while we plan Gibby's farewell party. You have to admit it has to be legendary since the oldie is a legend around here—"

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