I open it to find Ronan standing on the other side, still dressed in his button-down shirt and slacks, his hair slightly unkempt. He looks like he came straight from the office.
“Can I come in?”
“Yeah, of course.”
I close the door behind him and we walk into the kitchen.
“Drink?” I ask.
“Sure.”
He leans against the counter, his hands in his pockets. He seems so distant. I know I owe him an apology, but I hate that he didn’t touch or kiss me when he first walked in. Maybe I did more damage than I realized.
I pour him a glass of bourbon, and he takes a sip while I refill my wine.
“I’m sorry for what I said earlier,” I say. “I was upset, and I took it out on you.”
His face softens a little. “You don’t need to apologize. I was worried this afternoon when I saw you’d left.”
“Worried about what?”
“That you might quit.”
“I’m not quitting my job,” I say, my voice sharp.
“Don’t get defensive,” he says. “I don’t say that because I think you would make a decision like that lightly. I say that because I need to make sure it doesn’t happen.”
I watch him for a moment, turning my wineglass in my hand. “Why?”
“Because you’re the reason I bought VI.”
“What do you mean?” I ask. “You didn’t know I worked there when you bought it.”
“You’re right, I didn’t,” he says. “But I know that a lot of what made VI worth buying was you. Your fingerprints are on everything. Yes, Brad put together a good team, but it was you who held things together. It was you who drove the company’s direction as much as Brad. Maybe more.”
I stare at him, not sure what to say.
“I know that I’m walking a line with you,” he says. “I don’t know what’s stronger—my respect for you as a professional, or my feelings for you as a woman.”
“Are you saying you think you have to choose between our working relationship and our personal one?”
One corner of his mouth turns up and he walks over to stand in front of me. “I’m saying I’m greedy, and I want both. I love working with you. You’re focused and passionate, and you care about your work. And I love…” He stops and sets his drink on the counter. He looks deep into my eyes, and something stirs inside me—a mix of fear and longing. “I think I’m falling in love with you, Selene.”
My mouth drops open and my heart races. Did he just say what I think he said? I blink, trying to see the pretense in his eyes, but there’s nothing but raw honesty.
He licks his lips and touches my face. “I didn’t think you’d say nothing to that.”
“I’m sorry,” I say, slightly breathless. “That was unexpected.”
I need to say something else. The crack in my protective shell widens as his eyes bore into me. Can I really let him in? Can I risk this?
My voice is barely a whisper. “I think I’m falling in love with you too.”
An easy smile spreads over Ronan’s face. His lips come to mine and he kisses me, deep and slow, tangling his fingers in my hair. I’m lost in the feel of him, falling through the air like we just jumped out of a plane. He wraps me in his arms. His kiss is luxurious. I run my hands through his hair and press my body against him.
Whatever else happens at work, I’m too far gone to stop this now.