Page 56 of Never To Be Mine

I glared at her. “Whose side are you on?”

“Yours, always. But, Juno, half the women in this office have been drooling over him since that first video. Can’t you just appreciate the view like the rest of us? Why does everything have to be so intense with you two?”

I drained the rest of my coffee and immediately went for a second cup. “Because he represents everything I’ve spent my entire career fighting against.”

“You know he’s not a grifter like you thought he was,” she said.

I wanted to argue but the hangover and the exhaustion were all swirling together into one massive headache.

“This is a mess,” I muttered. “Everything is a huge mess.”

“Let me get this straight,” Kari said, a smile playing at her lips. “A hot, athletic billionaire wants to kiss you, and you’re complaining about it?”

“Yes. Because I still have to work with him. It complicates things.”

“Oh, because you’re thinking about his mouth on yours? What else you might want that mouth to do?”

“Kari!”

“What? I’m just saying what you’re thinking.”

“You’re not helping.”

“I’m not trying to help. I’m trying to get you to admit that maybe this doesn’t have to be a disaster. Maybe it could be fun.”

“Fun.” I laughed, but it came out harsh. “Yeah, really fun when my father finds out.”

“I can keep a secret.”

“I don’t even like him.”

She laughed. “So what are you going to do?”

I rubbed my face, careful not to smudge what little makeup I’d managed to apply. “I don’t know.”

“You could cut him loose. Tell your father he’s not a good fit for future projects. End the partnership. Then you never have to see him again.”

“We still have to work on this project and I’m not ready to blow the whole thing up just yet. The PriceCo deal is solid. It could be very lucrative.” I sighed. “I suppose we need to talk. Clear the air.”

“There’s the Juno I know,” Kari said, smiling. “The one who faces problems head on instead of drowning them in wine.”

I pulled out my phone and stared at it.

“Just text him,” Kari urged. “Keep it simple. Don’t overthink it.”

“Easier said than done. Did I mention I was a total bitch to him on the flight home? Like I said two words. I completely ignored him.”

She winced. “Well, you dug yourself a deep hole.”

“Thank you. That’s very helpful.”

“Go to your desk. I’ll order you some breakfast. And one of those hydration smoothies. Then you’ll be able to think clearly.”

I nodded. “Let’s hope so.”

18

HOLLIS