She shakes her head. “Not sure. He does this occasionally, but he doesn’t seem to be in a bad mood, so I wouldn’t worry about it.”
I nod as I try to think of an excuse to walk into his office. I need to see him. I’ve felt unsettled from the moment I woke up, and I won’t feel even remotely okay until I’m sure things are fine between us.
I sigh as I grab my tablet and walk toward his office, knocking briefly before stepping in. Amy and Silas both look up, and I freeze as I take in their intimate positions. She’s leaning over him, looking at something on his laptop, their heads mere inches away from each other.
She straightens when she sees me and pastes a polite smile on her face, and I try to do the same, despite the white hot jealousy that uncurls in my stomach.
“Can I help you?” Silas asks, his tone overly formal.
I tense and hug my tablet to my chest as I approach his desk, unsure what to say. “Can I speak to you for a moment?”
“Go ahead.”
I glance at Amy nervously. “In private.”
Silas sighs, a hint of impatience in his expression. He’s never looked at me that way before. He’s never looked so cold and impersonal, not even when he interviewed me for this job. “Amy is my executive assistant. There isn’t anything you can tell me that she can’t hear.”
I stare at him pointedly. “It’s private.”
“Then it can wait until work is over.”
“Itcan’twait.”
“Then you’d better speak up, Alanna. Stop wasting my time.”
I glance back at Amy, who is watching the exchange between us curiously, and I cross my arms.
“Fine,” I snap. “You weren’t in bed with me when I woke up this morning. Why?”
Amy coughs awkwardly and Silas stares at me with wide eyes, as though he genuinely didn’t expect me to mention it. Amy takes a step away from Silas and grabs her phone from his desk before walking away briskly, a smile on her face. “I… um, I’ll take another look at those files,” she stammers as she walks out, shutting the door behind her.
Silas runs a hand through his hair as he looks at me. “I thought you wouldn’t want anyone knowing what happened last night.”
“You left me no choice.” Truthfully, I’m happy that he forced my hand. Something about the way Amy was leaning into him didn’t sit well with me, and by behaving the way he did, he allowed me to stake my claim. Maybe I’m crazy, but I don’t care.
“I had to work, Alanna.”
“What was so urgent that you couldn’t wait for us to go to work together?”
He grits his teeth and tears his gaze away. “Since when do I answer to you, Alanna? I’myourboss, not the other way around.”
Why is he being this way? Why is he being so cold and distant after the way he touched me last night? I stare at him, speechless. Did I misunderstand?
“Silas, what’s wrong?”
He shakes his head. “Nothing is wrong. What do you want, Alanna?”
You. “I… um, okay, well, let’s talk about it over dinner, alright?”
Silas looks away. “I won’t be home for dinner.”
“Why?”
He sighs and stares out the window. “I’m going out for dinner.”
My heart sinks. “Who are you having dinner with?”
He looks into my eyes, and it’s almost like I can barely recognize him. “Why is it that you seem to think you have any right to question me? Who do you think you are? It seems I’ve been too kind to you, because you’ve forgotten your place.”