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“I—They… snapped off.”

My brows shot up. “Snapped off? How?”

“I was… prying open a heavy door. To help someone. They needed… Uh, they locked themselves out of their apartment and I was…” When I said nothing, he huffed and blurted, “Look, just go check my escape route, okay? We’re playing with fire here, dude.”

I nodded but didn’t move, instead gazing at him and solemnly asking, “Is this like your ‘taking your lady friend to Paris’ story?”

His ears went wild again, nostrils flaring. After a few seconds of silence, he grated, “Okay, fine, whatever. I got them clipped in case…” He hesitated. “Just… in case.”

My belly swooped again. Had he done it just in case something happened between us again? Had he been hoping for it? Wishing for it just as much as I had?

“Okay,” I said with a small smile. It didn’t feel right to tease him about it. I didn’t want to tease him about it. “Just wait here. I’ll be back in a second.”

Turning, I slipped out of the stall, quickly yanking the door closed behind me as the restroom door swished open.

And the very last person in the world I’d want to see in that moment walked in.

“Corva!” I practically shouted, which made my boss stop with a jolt and blink at me in surprise. Behind me, I heard Nuni lunge for the stall door and slam the lock into place. “What—How—I didn’t know you were here.”

Was I being punished for something? Was I being punished for being a good employee and not having more wild desk sex with the most beautiful man I’d ever seen?

You did just have more sex with him, dipshit.

Not desk sex though. So it didn’t count, I resolutely decided.

“Anita, darling!” Corva took a step farther into the room as someone walked in behind her and hurried to the empty stall. “I’ve never seen you here before. This is a little out of your way, isn’t it?”

My heart was pounding, sweat blooming on my hairline, but I managed an easy smile. “It’s my sister’s birthday. We went for dinner down the street and came here for a drink after.”

“Oh, wonderful! I’m here with my friend Beryl. We both live in the area, so this is our usual spot when we meet up for a drink.”

I nodded politely, clasping my sweaty hands together behind my back. “How nice.”

There was a pause as Corva darted her gaze at the stall door behind me. “Well, I won’t keep you, darling. I’ll just…”

She moved to step around me to the stall—the stall that should have been empty, seeing as she’d just seen me leave it—so I slapped my hand against it.

“Sorry, my… friend is in there.”

She drew to a stop, a finely shaped brow quirking. “Weren’t you just in there?”

“Yes. She was… She needed a tampon. Period started unexpectedly.”

“Ah.” Corva nodded in understanding, then glanced over at the other stall as we heard the toilet flush before the woman emerged. “Well, anyway, darling.” She gave me a bright smile as she headed for it. “See you Monday.”

“Yes. See you.”

I didn’t move until I’d heard her lock the door behind her. Then I darted to the main door and poked my head into the hall, seeing it empty. Running back, I stretched up on my tiptoes and waved my hand over the stall in a signal to Nuni.

He unlocked it quietly and slipped out, then rushed for the door. Once we were both safely in the corridor, no one else around, he turned and grinned down at me. I smiled back weakly, my heart still pounding.

“That was slick, dude.” He gave me an impressed look. “You’re good at keeping your cool.”

Before I could say anything in response, Nuni ducked his head and pressed a firm kiss to my mouth.

“Nice to see you again, Ms Chaudhary,” he murmured with another grin, before sauntering away.

Chapter Twenty-Four