“Okay,” she repeated, her chest tightening as he left her office.
Why did she feel like an adolescent whose steady boyfriend just dumped her? She needed to go back to thinking of Shane as her boss, and only her boss. Then everything would be fine.
Just fine.
* * *
A prickle of awareness crawled up Crickitt’s spine as she stood in the break room stirring soy milk into a fresh mug of coffee. Shane.
She started to offer a neutral “good morning,” but the words hovered unsaid in her throat.
He approached slowly, taking each step as intentionally as a jungle cat stalking his prey. Which might have sent her hormones into a tizzy if it wasn’t for the serious expression on his face. The pleat in his brow matched the crease running down his starched sleeves.
Something was wrong.
“I’ve arranged a meeting with a firm in Georgia,” he said, voice as rigid as his posture.
“Okay.”
“They’re interested in opening another branch of August Industries.”
“That’s great.” She’d been expecting bad news. Expansion was a good thing, wasn’t it?
He clenched his jaw, then concentrated intently on the task of filling his mug. Without meeting her eye, he mumbled, “It requires a week’s worth of travel. Overnights, hotels.”
Oh.
Understanding dawned like puzzle pieces sliding together. She’d wondered why he’d been acting weird. He’d ducked out of her office yesterday after the awkward exchange over Lori, and this morning he’d avoided her. Now she understood why. They were going out of town together. And if his body language was anything to go by, he was just as nervous about it as she was.
He leaned a palm on the countertop behind him and stared down at her. When his eyes met hers, they softened, inviting her to him, drawing her in.
Like a moth to the flame…
She took an impulsive step toward him.
Laughter sliced through the air behind her as Keena, and Brigit from legal, stepped into the break room. Their voices hushed as they flicked glances from Crickitt to Shane, who straightened and donned a practiced smile on what Crickitt had come to know as his “business face.”
Crickitt pivoted on her heel and busied herself putting the soy milk back into the refrigerator.
Whatever conversation Keena and Brigit were having had died since they walked into the room. They refilled their coffee and tea mugs exchanging forced good mornings while Crickitt and Shane stayed on opposite sides of the room from one another.
When the women left, Crickitt blew out a tormented breath. She hadn’t missed the deliberate look Keena had exchanged with Brigit, or the knowing brow Brigit had lifted in response. No, those two definitely hadn’t missed the tension crackling in the air between August Industries’ CEO and his personal assistant.
Shane had told her not to worry about work if they did embark on a physical relationship, but how could she not? Who knew what Keena and Brigit had said to one another—were already saying to other co-workers—about Crickitt and Shane?
Shane had moved to look out the window, coffee in hand, his eyes focused on something in the distance or maybe nothing at all. She traced the planes of his face, ending on the thick, almost black fan of lashes shielding his eyes. Was he worried she might back out of the trip? That she couldn’t handle being close to him after what happened at the waterfall?
Can you?
She’d admit shared meals and traveling together in the confines and seclusion of the back of a limo might provide a few awkward moments, but it wouldn’t be different from any other day. Like now. Just being close to him caused her body to tingle with awareness.
Memories of pressing against his chest, the feel of his lips, swamped her. It had been too easy to get lost in the feel and smell of him…
She cleared her throat, prepared to ask when they were leaving.
Shane spoke first. “Do you feel comfortable handling things while I’m away?”
Wait. What?
As if she’d asked the question aloud, he said, “I’m taking Murphy.”
Crickitt frowned. “Peter Murphy?”
“Yes.” He met her gaze. “Pete is a golfing buddy of one of the owners. Plus, it would give you the opportunity to get caught up on Lori’s requests.”
Shane was taking Peter Murphy to Georgia and leaving her here to coddle the whims of his ex-girlfriend? Rather than do what she felt like doing, which was shoot laser beams from her pupils, she forced a smile.
“Sure,” she said. “No problem.”
“Great,” Shane said. Then he blew past her, leaving the room without a backward glance.