Her brows pull together, and her face takes on a serious note I rarely see. “I don’t want you getting hurt. Casual relationships aren’t your thing.”
“Maybe that’s my problem. With Lance, we dove headfirst into a relationship. I’m looking to take things slow.”
“Well, hate to break it to you, but you drove past a red light at two hundred miles an hour.”
A laugh bubbles out of me. “It’s just sex.”
“Yeah, and he’sjustthe guy you’ve been texting every night before you go to bed.”
I sigh. “Is it wrong to go with the flow and not put us into a box so soon?”
She shakes her head. “Of course not. I only want you to be careful and I don’t want you to invest your heart in someone who doesn’t plan on reciprocating.”
“We’re going to keep it casual for now.”
The plan sounds solid and foolproof—the perfect way to protect my heart while having some fun.
Or so I hope.
32
Zahra
Iwalk into work Monday half expecting someone to call me out on having sex with Rowan. It’s laughable how I’m acting as if I have a yellow sticker on my forehead proclaiming I did the dirty deed with my boss. It wouldn’t even matter if they did know. Dreamland doesn’t even have a non-fraternization policy. Although it’s discouraged for individuals to work within the same workspace, it’s not prohibited.
Not to mention, Rowan would never let something like sleeping together get in the way of his decisions. And the idea of him showing me preferential treatment has me wanting to work harder to show him what I’m capable of. To show myself and others that it doesn’t matter who I am when my ideas speak for themselves. At least I hope so.
Yet, even after creating a game plan, Monday is a complete bomb due to my fraying nerves. Rowan hasn’t even graced the warehouse with his presence yet and I’m already falling apart. This morning, I broke our communal coffee pot after someone asked me how my weekend went. And then, when someone mentioned Rowan’s name in the bathroom, I ended up dropping my phone in the toilet.
That one isn’t exactly my fault. Two Alpha team members were talking about Rowan in a very inappropriate way while washing their hands. My phone slipped straight out of my grasp and met its watery grave.
It’s safe to say by the time Rowan strolls into my cubicle looking fresh as a daisy later this afternoon, I’m fried. Absolutely positively done with the day.
“You haven’t been answering my texts.”
“Hello to you too.” I look up from my computer screen.
“You haven’t responded to my messages.” His voice is extra edgy, and I’m tempted to dance around at the idea of him worrying over me not answering him.
“Did you miss me?” I bat my lashes.
“No.” He answers too fast.
I grin. “It’s okay to admit your feelings. I’ll wait.” I turn my chair and face him.
“Just like you made me wait all day for a confirmation?”
Huh?“A confirmation?”
“Yes. I’m taking you out tomorrow night for a date.”
I laugh under my breath. “Don’t you think you should ask me first?”
“I don’t ask questions I know the answers to.”
“We need to work on your manners. They’re severely lacking.”
He steps into my space and bends down to whisper in my ear. “You weren’t complaining about politeness the other night.”