Page 99 of Flirting with the CEO

"What issue?" I asked. I didn't like this.

He looked straight at Colton. "Look, you’re a very smart man. I've watched you closely over the past years, and I've never seen someone work with so much dedication. People might call you a workaholic, but that’s a key reason for your successes. You always give 200 percent.”

"I don't see the problem," Colton said.

Browning looked away again. Damn it, why wasn't he speaking clearly? "Look, I've reviewed the documentation of your current work."

"And you found mistakes?" Colton asked, sounding affronted.

"No, not mistakes," Browning said. I had a feeling he was schooling his features and choosing his words carefully. "But you're not making as much progress as I thought you would. Based on your past work, you usually have more to show after two months. Now, far be it from me to tell you how to spend your free time, but I've heard that lately you're leaving the office much earlier."

"You’re having me watched?" Colton asked. His voice was cold.

"No! Of course not. But you being a workaholic is a running joke. Is it possible that you’ve lost your focus?”

Browning turned to me. "Maybe you can help with that, Zoey. After all, you truly performed a miracle improving his communication with all of us."

I tried to keep my composure. Browning was way out of line. How the hell could he tell Colton he wasn't working hard enough? He was the hardest worker I'd ever met,andhe was the CEO. If he wanted to take time off, he could.

"From what I can tell, Mr. Browning, Colton knows how to pace himself. It's not in my job description to regulate his free time. That would be overstepping my boundariesand my contract." I emphasized the words, hoping he’d pick up the hint.

He didn't. Instead, he turned to Colton. "Yes, yes, of course you can have as much free time as you want, but the point is... well, this particular research is progressing at a slower rate than usual. I'm not sure if you're aware of that."

"I'm aware," Colton said, rising from his chair. I followed suit. "I respect you a lot. Your knowledge is paramount. Your contribution to the company is something I will always value as well as your unflinching loyalty to my mother. But this will be the last time you question how I spend my time."

Browning held his hands up. "Okay. I didn't mean to"—he glanced at me—"overstep boundaries, as Zoey said. I just thought you might need a wake-up call. If this is deliberate, then my apologies. But if there's something causing you to lose your focus, then please..."

I felt chilled to the bone.

"Browning," Colton said coldly.

"I just have your best interest at heart, you know that."

"As I said, I respect you for a lot of things. But don't bring up this topic again."

"Understood," Browning said. "Zoey, it was nice meeting you."

"And you," I replied, but my voice sounded robotic.

Colton and I left Browning's office right after that, walking side by side in silence right up until we reached the door to Colton's office. Usually, I’d duck into mine, but I wanted to talk to Colton, so I stepped inside his. He closed the door.

"Sorry you had to hear that. I thought that was going to go a completely different way," he said.

"You know he was being completely unreasonable, right?"

Colton leaned with his ass against his desk, resting his hands at his sides on the edge. "Yes and no. He's right. I have worked at a slower pace than usual.”

I walked to him with quick steps. "Colton, you were completely overworking yourself before. It wasn't a sustainable pace."

He looked up at me, shrugging. "I kept it up for years, and it got results. It’s just that this damn formula has been eluding me, and I fucking don’t know why. I just can’t figure it out."

I closed my eyes, feeling his frustration. Then I opened them again. Stepping even closer, I put both hands on his shoulders. He was tense. "Yes, but half your family was on your case about being a workaholic. Doesn't that mean anything?"

He leaned over, kissing my left arm. "Yes, it does. But my motto had always been to give all I have to my work. Lately I haven't done that."

I narrowed my eyes. "You know what? Maybe Browning was right about the amount of work needed, but not in the way both of you think. You shouldn't be working more. You should be delegating. You have a team of brilliant scientists, and if something isn’t working, maybe they can find the answer, or at least steer you in the right direction. Not every discovery has to rest on your shoulders."

"I work best alone," he countered.

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