When the meeting ends, Mason leans down into her ear and whispers something. Her eyes shoot to me.
Everyone leaves the room, and I ask with a knowing grin, “Are you ready?”
She wrinkles her nose, looking down to finish packing up, but Mason takes it off her. Her mouth opens and closes, not knowing whether to fight him or not. As soon as Mason leaves, and it’s just us alone, the tension is palpable.
“I don’t think this is a good idea.” Her tone is quieter and less animated than usual. There’s no enthusiasm, and a sense of worry washes over me.
“Why?” I ask with nerves.
“I’m…just…I—” She struggles to find the words, and panic tightens my throat.
I step closer to her, giving her a soft smile, and I keep closing the distance between us. She gives me a smile, but it wavers. Sweat forms on my brow at the thought of her walking away from us.
I stand toe to toe, inhaling her sweet scent and holding her eyes. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
She hums instead of answering, her brow furrowed as she looks down at the floor. I reach out and tilt her chin up to keep eye contact. I need to see those hazel eyes boring into mine, even if they are shining with so much torment.
I hate this look on her beautiful face, and I need to fix it. I’ll do whatever it takes to make her eyes glow bright again.
“I need your words,” I say with a cheeky grin, my hand still on her chin. When I move to cup her jaw, she rests her head into it.
She gives me a small smile back, but a small roll of her eyes too.
“Did you just roll your eyes at me?”
“Maybe,” she says, staring back at me with warmth that wasn’t there a moment ago.
I turn back to serious. “Now, tell me, please.”
She lets out a long sigh and straightens, causing me to drop my hand. She looks down, and I let her look away from me. If she needs to get this out without me staring at her, then I’ll take it. I just want to know what’s eating at her, so I can talk about it.
“I’m afraid to get hurt again. To get my hopes up, to only have my heart broken again. I don’t know if I can do it.” She peers up at that moment, and my heart squeezes at the red eyes staring back at me.
I hold her in a close embrace. Feeling her pulse thumping hard and fast, matching my own with conflicted feelings. I turn my face and whisper into her ear, “I can’t promise to never make you mad at me or say we won’t argue, but I can’t live my life without you in it.”
“Aria—” she says in my ear, as if I had forgotten.
I pull back to face her again and smile softly. “Is fine. I can explain it all, but will you come with me, please? I’m begging you.”
“Okay. But I’m still nervous about Aria,” she admits, and if my heart could grow any more, it would. I could explode with happiness.
“She is fine. I promise. I wouldn’t be here if she wasn’t. It wouldn’t work between us if she didn’t like you.”
She lets out a heavy breath, as if it had been weighing her down. “You told Mason.”
I chuckle. “Yep. He doesn’t care. He’s happy if I’m happy.”
Her brows raise, wrinkling her forehead, and her eyes bug out with acute fear. “This won’t affect my job, will it?”
I shake my head and peck those soft, pouty lips I have been dreaming of. “No, I’d never do anything to do that. You don’t work for me, remember? Now that would be an issue, even though I want you to work with me just so I can have you all the time.”
“Greedy,” she whispers.
I lean into her ear and breathe. “Only for you.”
She shivers, and I watch goosebumps cover the exposed skin on her neck. And before my mind drifts to taking her home, I remind myself that I need to get through the date before I can have my wicked way with her. It will be worth it.
We step outside, and the car is waiting. “Where are we going?” she asks curiously.