72

LIAM

Shit. Anna just always had to have bad timing. Her perceptive gaze bounced between Nora and me. She was probably wondering why we’d been standing so close to each other. We were close, but I hadn’t told her about Nora or what happened between us all at the resort.

Honestly, I didn't have plans to spill it to her. This was between Nora and I. And my brother, of course.

“What happened to knocking? Or calling beforehand?” I threw my hands up, slightly irritated but mad I just missed the opportunity to kiss Nora.

Anna raised a perfectly carved brow. “I called your assistant. " Her phone was ringing when I arrived, and she wasn’t at her desk,” her pointed gaze flitted to Nora, who was trained on her feet.

“I asked her here,” I defended. Last thing I needed was Anna to single Nora out for any reason.

“Of course you did,” my friend rolled her eyes, looking unimpressed.

“I should go,” Nora announced, probably sensing the tension in the room. I opened my mouth to ask her to stay, but Anna was faster.

“Please stay. You need to be here for this too,”

“What’s going on?”

“I should be asking you. I just got a notification from Bradley Construction. Apparently we’re investing in a bunch of their properties and I had no idea about this.”

Shit. That was Emily’s company. I had no idea she’d gone ahead with her crazy idea. Aside from asking me to flaunt her on my arm for a little longer, she’d also suggested that my company invest in hers. I declined for obvious reasons, but Emily was relentless when she wanted to be.

My gaze drifted to Nora, who looked more confused than ever. She was probably wondering why she needed to be here for this conversation.

“That’s all Emily. "I had nothing to do with it,” I confessed, a slight grimace accompanying my words.

From the corner of my eyes, I saw Nora fidget. She was most likely uncomfortable with the fact that Emily could do something like this without my consent.

Anna shared the same sentiment. “It’s just a little weird that your girlfriend has this much influence on a company she doesn’t work for.”

“I know. I’ll put an end to it,”

Anna shook her head. “Actually, she made a good offer. I came here to ask you to assess the buildings. Let’s give her a little chance to prove herself,”

“No,” I wasn’t investing in Emily’s business. And not even Anna’s meticulous background checks could change that. Sure, I was helping the woman out, but that was the extent of my generosity. I didn’t want my company to be affiliated with hers in any way.

“Read this. It’s a good deal,” Anna stretched a hand out to me. The files dangled like an extension of her arm, but I made no moves to accept them. My mind was made up.

I eyed it like it was covered in pig’s blood. When Anna realized I wasn’t going to accept them, she didn’t miss a beat, swiveling towards Nora with her hand still outstretched. “Nora read it. And let me know what you think,”

“No,” I protested. But both women turned their gazes to me. Nora’s was wide with caution while Anna simply looked inquisitive.

I backpedaled, lifting a hand to run over my nape. I might as well get a billboard that said I was interested in Nora slapped onto my forehead. My eyes darted between both women. “It’s not a part of her job description,” I argued, trying to save face.

“I'm her manager. "Not you,” Anna narrowed her eyes.

“Well, I'm her boss, and I'm yours too, and I said no,” I moved to grab the files, but Nora was quicker.

She swiped it out of Anna’s grip, holding it close to her chest as she said, “Can you two stop? I’ll take a look at the files. And I do think investing in buildings is the way to go. "It'd be a good idea to take Emily up on the offer,”

A deep sigh escaped my lips. Nora was right. It wasn’t that the proposal was a bad idea, it was just that I didn't trust Emily. Plus, I was going to go my separate ways with her. I didn't need her lurking around when Nora was there. But if Nora wanted me to take the deal, who was I to say no?

“Fine. "We’ll assess the properties,” I gave in, rolling my eyes at a pleased-looking Anna. Behind her smug expression, however, I caught sight of something familiar. Something that told me her mind was working overtime, putting two together.

I only hoped that Nora and I would officially be an item by the time it finally clicked in Anna’s head. It would be difficult to explain ourselves to our current predicament.

“Wonderful,” she finally said, clapping her hands together. “You guys work so well together so you’ll be on your way to the site ASAP. No delays,”

“Remind me who’s the boss again?” I frowned.

“You are, and that’s why you’re going.”

~

My fingers tightened around the wheel, tapping a rhythmic beat to distract myself. Nora was sitting shotgun in my McLaren and I wanted nothing more than to lace our fingers together. We had a long drive stretched out ahead of us, but strangely, I didn’t even feel the exhaustion of the day set in.

Spending time with this woman here was all that mattered. She sucked on the straw of her iced tea, sighing in satisfaction at the taste. We’d stopped to get some food from a drive-thru before we hit the road and I tell you this, there was nothing more satisfying than seeing the excitement on Nora’s face at the sight of food.

I almost chuckled at the thought.

If you’d told me I would be sitting content with a woman I would do anything a couple of months ago, I would’ve asked you what mental institution you escaped from. But being with Nora was one of the best decisions I’d ever made. And trust me, I've made a lot of good decisions in my life, including the one time I took the fall for my dad’s death.

I frowned, setting my steely gaze on the road ahead of us. I hated thinking about those moments, but the memory of that day plagued me for several years.

The vehicles and trees around us all blurred together as we zapped past them. My rhythmic tapping continued until Nora’s soft voice cut through, “Hey, I’ve got a question to ask,”

I glanced at her. She looked sheepish, intertwining her fingers together like a child caught stealing from a candy jar. Seeing her this way warmed my heart. What did it say about me that I craved all parts of this woman? The shy, the embarrassed, the fierce, everything.

I nodded. “Ask me anything,”

Her sheepish smile melted away as she said, “Remember when you caught me snooping back in Chicago?”

I nodded again. How could I forget?

“Well, I found something. And I've been trying not to think about it because it’s obviously not my business, but it’s just so—”

“Nora, breathe,” I told her, “and talk to me." You can ask me anything,”

She exhaled through her nose. “What happened to your dad?”