Page 53 of His Reckoning

I pause in the hallway. He’s dressed in dark jeans and a fitted black shirt, pacing slowly while looking out over the city. He seems completely focused and serious. For some reason, that makes my stomach do a weird little flip.

I retreat toward the kitchen before he notices me watching him.

I guess my body has decided we’re reacting to Sawyer now. That’s … inconvenient.

I make myself coffee and sit at the island. A few minutes later, he walks in mid-conversation.

“I’ll review the numbers later,” he says into the phone.

His eyes briefly flick toward me. My brain immediately remembers the kitchen last night. My stomach does the weird flip again.

He finishes the call and sets his phone on the counter. “Morning.”

“Morning.”

“You’re up early.”

“I write for a living. My schedule is chaos.”

“That sounds accurate.”

His phone rings again. He sighs and answers it.

And just like that, the morning turns into a steady stream of Sawyer taking work calls.

Every time I wander into the living area to grab something, he’s there, talking calmly about deals, numbers, meetings. And every single time I walk past him, my body decides to react like he’s some kind of gravitational force.

By noon, I’ve decided the best solution is simply staying in my room. I hate to admit it, but I was able to work out another chapter.

That evening, I’m halfway through changing, only in my bra and black silk panties, when I hear a knock on my door.

“Kayla?”

“Yeah?”

“It’s Sawyer.”

“Hold on.”

I pull my jeans up to my thighs when Sawyer steps halfway into the room—before he freezes.

I’m standing here in the middle of the room, wearing nothing but a bra and jeans that aren’t even pulled all the way up.

For a second, neither of us moves until he snaps his eyes upward.

“Sorry,” he says quickly.

“You knocked.”

“You didn’t answer.”

“I said hold on.”

He clears his throat. “I was going to order dinner. I wanted to see if you wanted anything.”

“Oh.”

I finish pulling my jeans up, then grab my shirt and pull it on.