“We’re one of the best-rated firms to work for in the city.”
Oh. Well, that was good to know. “Will you be looking for a junior associate in three or so years?”
“Oh, I imagine that would be a possibility,” Zach said kindly.
My stomach fluttered uselessly, and I forced myself to look away and take a breath. It wasnottime for the schoolgirl crush thing right now. “Let me know if I’m disturbing you at all.”
Zach hummed. “It’s nice to have company now and then.”That shouldn’t be as cute as it is, I reminded myself. “Alex? Are you doing okay? That’s the second or third time you’ve turned that... interesting shade of red.”
Being called out about being embarrassed was somehow even more embarrassing. “It’s nothing,” I assured him. “I’m fine.”
Zach came around his desk. “Your version of ‘fine’ is not incredibly convincing,” he said. “You’re going to need to work on that poker face.”
“My poker face is fine,” I insisted. “Normally, anyway. This is just an... extenuating circumstance.”
His eyes narrowed at that, like he could see straight to the core of me. “Explain this extenuating circumstance,” he suggested.
Yeah, I won’t be doing that. I shook my head. “It’s nothing that I won’t get over in a few weeks, I promise.”
The teasing smile that had been on Zach’s face dropped into genuine concern. This could not get any worse, right? The floor opening up and swallowing me whole would be a mercy. “Tell me what’s going on, and I’ll try and help.”
“It’snothing.”
Zach crossed the room and sat beside me, close enough to be comforting but still far enough away to not be crowding me.Sweet, I thought.He’s a sweet one. That didn’t bode well for me. I should just go back to Thomas’s office.
Zach reached out and touched my arm. It was a simple gesture, just his hand against my clothed arm. But I felt heat race through me. “I’m a pretty good confidant,” Zach said. “I promise I won’t say a word to anyone... just let me help if I can.”
It was hard to ignore how utterly sincere he was. I let out a breath and tried to steel my courage. “I... I’m attracted to more than one person, none of whom it would be appropriate for me to be attracted to, and I’m conflicted over it,” I said.
He blinked several times. “Oh.”
“See? It’s so stupid, and—”
Zach leaned forward and pressed forward his lips to mine. It was quick and soft, and my stomach dropped into my knees. When he pulled back, his eyes searched my face, trying to gauge my reaction. “Was that...?”
I leaned in and kissed him again. I couldn’t help it.
6
JAKE
“I kissed the new paralegal.”
It was the literallastthing I had ever expected to come out of an associate’s mouth, especially Zach Wagner’s. I looked up from my lunch and stared at him. “You want to repeat that?”
“I kissed—”
I held up a hand. “Okay, that’s enough.” Zach kissed an employee? He kissed Alex?Why would she kiss himwhen I’m right here?It was an unfair, unkind thought, the kind a jealous boyfriend might have, but I wasn’t her boyfriend. I couldn’t be her boyfriend.
But neither could Zach.
“I swear I didn’t mean for it to happen,” Zach said. “She was working in my office, and we were talking, and—”
“Did you force her to kiss you?” I asked.
He looked mortified. “No,” he hissed, offended at the question. “They were verymutualkisses.”
“Kisses?” I asked. “As in, more than just the one?”