gasp, pressing a hand over the tightness in her chest and staring at him. She couldn’t do this. Not with him. He was a liar, and she couldn’t let herself get sucked into his magnetism again.
“Yeah,” she managed to say. “I do.” She stepped back, putting distance between them. “Though I’m starting to wonder if you’re even capable of honesty.”
He said nothing as she circled the table and retreated to her chair once more. But his eyes followed her, penetrating, skin-stripping, almost accusatory. She folded her arms over her chest and stared right back at him. He wasn’t about to intimidate her with those looks.
“Maybe I don’t believe in honesty,” he murmured.
“You don’t believe in what you sell, you don’t believe in getting close to people…so what do you believe in?”
His eyes shuttered and slid away from her, toward the window. “Nothing.”
“I don’t know how you live like that.”
“I don’t know how to live any other way.” He snapped the lid of his laptop shut with a click so sharp it made her jump. “Will you be all right?”
It took a moment to even remember what he was talking about. Her stomach turned leaden and cold. “…yeah.” With a groan, she rubbed her fingers to the bridge of her nose. “Yeah. It’s…that’s Alejandro. Either he’ll get over it or he won’t.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
She shrugged. “I guess we aren’t the kind of friends I thought we were.”
“What kind of friend is that?” That needling gaze turned back to her. “Do you like him?”
“You don’t get to ask me that.”
“If honesty’s so important to you, tell me honestly.”
Between one breath and the next he rounded the table. Rough fingers caught her chin, tipping her face up; her breath seized sharp. He glowered down at her, the forbidding crags of his face dark and ferocious and harsh, pale green eyes sizzling.
“Do. You. Like. Him?” Every word bit off rough and sharp-edged as tumbling gravel.
Zero glared right back at him, her heart hammering, the fury of her blood a wild thunder that tore through her until she saw beyond red and into fucking infrared. “I told you—you don’t get to ask me that.” She barely managed to keep her voice even as she jerked her head to one side, breaking his grip. “And you sure as hell don’t get to manhandle me.”
She stood, snatching up her bag and her shoes. She hadn’t come here for this. They’d gone over the corporate game plan. They were done, and she had no reason to stay if he was going to act like some kind of fucking gorilla who thought she was his personal stomping grounds to get territorial over. It wouldn’t matter if she was so desperately in love with Alejandro she wanted a litter of his babies.
It wasn’t Evan’s business, and it never would be.
She stalked for the door. He made an odd, almost stammering sound, then hurried to catch up with her, angling to half block her path.
“Let me take you shopping,” he blurted.
She froze, just staring at him. “What?”
He looked down at her with his eyes wild and strange, breathing a little too hard. “Ever heard the phrase ‘dress for the job you want?’”
“The job I want isn’t one that cares more about what I wear than what I do.”
“News flash: you have that job.” His throat worked in a rough swallow. He curled his fingers, then let them go slack. If she didn’t know better, she’d think that slick, too-easy shark’s smile was almost apologetic. “Come on. We’ll find you something that isn’t so frumpy.”
Her eyes narrowed. “So now I’m frumpy.”
“That’s your word.” He shrugged. “But if you want that promotion, you need to look good, not just good enough.” Pale green eyes raked over her, lingering on her chest. “I’m sure that blouse looks great on your mom.”
Why that fucking—“Why did I even stop?” Hissing, she thrust past him and yanked the door open. “You are such a dick.”
“You haven’t
“Yeah,” she managed to say. “I do.” She stepped back, putting distance between them. “Though I’m starting to wonder if you’re even capable of honesty.”
He said nothing as she circled the table and retreated to her chair once more. But his eyes followed her, penetrating, skin-stripping, almost accusatory. She folded her arms over her chest and stared right back at him. He wasn’t about to intimidate her with those looks.
“Maybe I don’t believe in honesty,” he murmured.
“You don’t believe in what you sell, you don’t believe in getting close to people…so what do you believe in?”
His eyes shuttered and slid away from her, toward the window. “Nothing.”
“I don’t know how you live like that.”
“I don’t know how to live any other way.” He snapped the lid of his laptop shut with a click so sharp it made her jump. “Will you be all right?”
It took a moment to even remember what he was talking about. Her stomach turned leaden and cold. “…yeah.” With a groan, she rubbed her fingers to the bridge of her nose. “Yeah. It’s…that’s Alejandro. Either he’ll get over it or he won’t.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
She shrugged. “I guess we aren’t the kind of friends I thought we were.”
“What kind of friend is that?” That needling gaze turned back to her. “Do you like him?”
“You don’t get to ask me that.”
“If honesty’s so important to you, tell me honestly.”
Between one breath and the next he rounded the table. Rough fingers caught her chin, tipping her face up; her breath seized sharp. He glowered down at her, the forbidding crags of his face dark and ferocious and harsh, pale green eyes sizzling.
“Do. You. Like. Him?” Every word bit off rough and sharp-edged as tumbling gravel.
Zero glared right back at him, her heart hammering, the fury of her blood a wild thunder that tore through her until she saw beyond red and into fucking infrared. “I told you—you don’t get to ask me that.” She barely managed to keep her voice even as she jerked her head to one side, breaking his grip. “And you sure as hell don’t get to manhandle me.”
She stood, snatching up her bag and her shoes. She hadn’t come here for this. They’d gone over the corporate game plan. They were done, and she had no reason to stay if he was going to act like some kind of fucking gorilla who thought she was his personal stomping grounds to get territorial over. It wouldn’t matter if she was so desperately in love with Alejandro she wanted a litter of his babies.
It wasn’t Evan’s business, and it never would be.
She stalked for the door. He made an odd, almost stammering sound, then hurried to catch up with her, angling to half block her path.
“Let me take you shopping,” he blurted.
She froze, just staring at him. “What?”
He looked down at her with his eyes wild and strange, breathing a little too hard. “Ever heard the phrase ‘dress for the job you want?’”
“The job I want isn’t one that cares more about what I wear than what I do.”
“News flash: you have that job.” His throat worked in a rough swallow. He curled his fingers, then let them go slack. If she didn’t know better, she’d think that slick, too-easy shark’s smile was almost apologetic. “Come on. We’ll find you something that isn’t so frumpy.”
Her eyes narrowed. “So now I’m frumpy.”
“That’s your word.” He shrugged. “But if you want that promotion, you need to look good, not just good enough.” Pale green eyes raked over her, lingering on her chest. “I’m sure that blouse looks great on your mom.”
Why that fucking—“Why did I even stop?” Hissing, she thrust past him and yanked the door open. “You are such a dick.”
“You haven’t
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