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Hope you’re doing well. I just wanted to check in about the case. Everything going okay? Is there anything we can do to help with the work?

Best,

Lucas

I frown at my screen. The email is…polite. Which is bizarre.

Tentatively, I type my response.

Lucas,

The work is still going as expected. Slow but steady at this point. I don’t think there’s anything you can help with, since you’ve already given me files and access. Now it’s just a matter of going through everything.

Charli

Several minutes go by before Lucas’s response pops up.

Charli,

Ah, okay, good. I’m glad to hear it. I just wanted to check in to make sure you had everything you needed.

Please let me know if anything changes.

Best,

Lucas

My frown deepens. Samantha has checked in with me plenty of times. Why is he doing it? And why now?

I’m too curious not to send a too-blunt email in a flurry.

Is this you asking for a progress report? Because I can tell you right now, I don’t do well with micromanagers. I’m sure that’s a shocker.

Charli

His response comes much quicker this time.

Charli,

That IS shocking. From day one, you’ve struck me as someone who enjoys being hovered over.

But okay, fine, I’ll be blunt. I just noticed you haven’t been in the office this week and wanted to make sure you were okay.

If there’s a reason you don’t want to be in the office…I guess I just wanted to formally apologize again. And see if there was anything I could do to fix it.

Lucas

To my surprise, my chest warms. He was worried about me. He’s being…sweet.

In the privacy of my own home, I smile.

And even though he is one of the reasons I’m not in the office, it’s not because he scared me off. It’s more because…I’m thrown off by the fact that it didn’t scare me off.

I’m looking at the kiss very differently than I did the night it happened. In the moment, it was startling; not just because guys don’t go around kissing me, but also because it was Lucas kissing me.

And no one has ever kissed me like that. No one has ever wanted me like that.

I’m not totally inexperienced in the world of men and dating, but I don’t exactly have a noteworthy resume. I’ve slept with two guys, “dated” four, but nothing has ever been serious—or made it past a few dates. I’m too much of a lone wolf. Dating and sex just aren’t my strong suit.