AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“But I’m willing to take them if you are. I promised not to touch you, and I did. But I won’t make that mistake again. Not tonight or any time we’re together. But I don’t want to avoid you for the next year or so.”
Ican’tavoid you.
“I want to know about your parents, your sisters. I want to know your favorite song, your favorite color. How many boyfriends you’ve had and which ones broke your heart. I want to know your dreams, beyond this promotion. How someone your age rose so quickly in the ranks of the FDA. What you want out of life.” My hand reaches around the beer bottle, needing to touchsomething. I hold on tight.
“If the thought of having an intimate relationship with a sponsor makes you too uncomfortable to consider it, I’ll respect that. But . . .” I swallow. “Will you let me in your life? Now. Not at some distant point in the future?”
I have absolutely no indication of what she’s thinking.
“That’s my question,” I finish, waiting for her answer. Hoping she’s more levelheaded than I am. Also hoping she’s not.
21
Ada
That escalated quickly.
As I load up my car, my hands are literally shaking. Likely because I’m about to willingly make the biggest mistake of my life.
How we went from avoiding each other to this . . . I’m still reeling. All I know as I start my car, the one I pay an exorbitant amount to actually keep in the city, I’ve never been more excited, terrified, and confused in my entire life.
All day, Hayden and I avoided eye contact. I felt like a bubbling mess of a person. Full of preemptive guilt, embarrassment from Qasim’s knowing gazes, and a bubbling sense of giddiness. Now it’s over, and I’m packing up my car, and what comes next . . . I’m both ready and not. In some ways, there’s no preparing for this.
Fifteen minutes later, I pull into the entrance of Hayden’s hotel. He’s just coming through the double doors, having changed from his earlier suit into shorts and a long-sleeved button-down.
Earlier today I was positive a dressed-up Hayden was my favorite, but I revise my opinion as he strolls toward my car. The guy looks like he’s about to board a private jet or something, and suddenly I’m reminded of our two very different lifestyles.
And the fact that his parents do indeed own a private jet.
Imagine if his drug is approved? I know full well the impact such a thing will have. An alcohol that eliminates the effects of being impaired? The ramifications are almost too far-reaching to contemplate. But since we never talk about it in private—that’s the one line we haven’t crossed and won’t—I know very little about Angel, Inc. from Hayden. I only know the pharmacology of the chemical agent they propose to infuse into the alcohol, plus the pill antidote that our office is examining.
I want to know more, but I can’t ask. Not until this is finished.
He opens the back seat and tosses his bag inside. I can already smell his cologne, subtle but distinctive, even more so as he slides into the front seat.
I’m about to put the car in drive when his hand covers mine, making me nearly incapable of breathing.
“You’re sure about this? I can stay here and have Henry come get me.”
His hand doesn’t move, though, and in all honesty, I don’t want it to. I also don’t want to drive to Skaneateles alone. A few weeks ago, spending a night by myself in the sleepy town sounded divine, but I now have an entirely different set of expectations for the weekend.
One that includes the man currently looking at me as if my answer means everything to him.
“I’m sure.”
And to my shock, it’s true.
He takes his hand away. “Good. I was able to finagle the cottage next to yours. They didn’t have a problem giving both of us an extra night.”
Of course they didn’t. I’m pretty sure Hayden could finagle just about anything he wanted.
“Did you buy the hotel?” I pull out of the drive, starting the hour-long journey to our weekend destination.
“No, I didn’t buy the hotel.” And then, “You know this is completely crazy.”
“I do.”
Hayden shifts in his seat, angling toward me. It’s one of the things I like about him most. When I’m with him, Hayden gives one hundred percent of his attention to me. It’s like the rest of the world has completely fallen away. Which is extremely unusual for a man like him. In fact, I don’t see his phone anywhere.
