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“Yes.” I rub a hand through my hair. “I’ve been busy with other things. And I’m going to see Mom with D tonight.” At his look, I say, “What?”
Tris grins. “When I saw you together at the club, I wasn’t sure. But you’ve been different the last couple of weeks. I see it, Xavier sees it, even Holt sees it. Because that brain of yours is elsewhere and it doesn’t take a genius to knowwhere.”
I raise a brow. “Excuseme?”
“You two together. She wants to climb into your lap. You want to drag her somewhere private and defile her. You’re falling forher.”
The words have the hairs lifting on my neck. I remind myself that’s precisely the impression we’re going for. What we want to present to the world for the final twelve days of ourarrangement.
Not that I’mcounting.
“She’s the real deal,” he goes on. “You won’t be a shark anymore, but if you’re going to lose your heart, might as well be toher.”
When I head back to my office, I pull out the photographer’s image of Daisy and me. The one where she’s looking at me as if I’m her entire fuckingworld.
My face is only half visible, but it’s entirely possible I’m studying her the sameway.
You won’t be a sharkanymore.
That’s bullshit. I’m not losing myedge.
I’ve seen my mom get taken advantage of, seen how crippling it was for her to want someone that badly, to allow herself to be used. I will never be that kind of fool. I can’t work my entire life only to wind upweak.
I vow to refocus on my work, leave no doubt in anyone’s mind that I’m the future of this firm. So the rest of the day, I throw myself into reviewing performance analysis of current holdings by our associates, scanning competition, reading submissions for fascinating newtech.
I don’t race out of the office to pick up Daisy. But once I get my car, and her, the simple joy of seeing her has my abs tightening. She’s wearing a devastating cherry red dress that hugs her curves and makes me want to do wicked things toher.
“There’s a technology therapy service that uses AI to diagnose issues and recommend cognitive behavioral therapy,” she’s saying when I ask about her day on the way toJersey.
“Robotshrinks?”
“Most people resist it, which is what we’re talking about withthem.”
“I’m not mostpeople.”
“No, you’re not.” She smiles, and I linger on her mouth before turning back to the road. “How was yourwork?”
“I can’t do much else to try to secure Xavier’s support. But Holt’s trying to undermineme.”
“What’s the latest target of hisattacks?”
“You.”
She glances myway.
“He knows he can get under myskin.”
Daisy shifts as if she’s about to reach for me but stops at the last minute. “Don’t lethim.”
I don’t answer for a longtime.
“Thank you for coming with me,” I say at last as we’re crossing thebridge.
“I’m glad you askedme.”
When we pull up outside the facility, Daisy shifts out, her heels clicking on the concrete. I take a second to watch her, her hips swinging as she starts up the walkway with a kind of easy energy I can’t summon when I come to thisplace.
She looks back when she realizes I’m not at her side. “Youokay?”
