Seeing Lucy so relaxed, her laughter echoing over the water, stirred something inside me. Our fleeting moment in the water had caused her to erect an invisible wall between us. She stayed just out of reach, yet close enough for me to revel in her radiant happiness.
I can’t read her mind but for those precious hours, I got the feeling that she was able to momentarily push aside her amnesia and just enjoy herself.
Our eyes meet across the clattering dinner table, a brief flicker of a smile gracing her face before she’s back to her conversation with Matty. I’m not oblivious to her strategic choice of seating, positioned at the furthest point from me.
From the bus ride back to the dance of cutlery at dinner, she’s been deftly maintaining her distance, skirting around me with impeccable politeness-a silent foxtrot we’ve been perfecting since we hit home.
When she excuses herself to go to the bathroom and doesn’t come back, I have the sinking feeling she’s called it a night. Or expertly avoiding me. So I go on the hunt.
I find her one floor above, entranced by the mountain skyline, night’s canvas scattered with lights from far-off homes. Of course she’s here. This is her preferred lookout point in the mansion.
Upon seeing my reflection, she jumps and quickly pivots to face me.
“Sorry,” I say, coming up to stand beside her. “Didn’t mean to give you a scare.”
She shuffles awkwardly, eyeing me up and down. “It’s fine. It’s your house, after all.”
“Hey, I didn’t get a chance to talk to you after paddleboarding. Did you enjoy it?”
Her eyes light up. “Absolutely! It was so much fun. I can see why you’d want a vacation home out here by the stunning lake.”
I nod. “Yeah, it’s a nice escape from the city. I come up on weekends to get away.”
“You were right, you know. I got quite a few killer design ideas out there on the water. More than I would have in the office. When Matty wasn’t distracting me, that is.” She laughs softly.
I smile. “It was nice seeing you so relaxed and happy.”
“Thanks,” she murmurs, thrown off balance.
“So about that little incident in the water… you wanna talk about it?”
Her eyes go wide and she gnaws at her lip. “You mean Matty’s swim trunks catastrophe? It was so embarrassing.”
I hold her gaze. “Let’s not play games. We both know what I’m referring to.”
She forces an innocent grin. “It must have been the sight of Matty’s hairy bare derriere that got you all flustered.”
I clench my jaw, the memory still fresh. The second her legs locked around me under the water, I lost all sense of time and place. I was transported back to our old life, when it was just the two of us at the lake together. It gave me hope.
“Enough evasion.” I exhale deeply, a steadying sigh. “Are you intentionally avoiding me?”
“Avoid you? No way. I mean, yes? I don’t know. I was just admiring your lovely glass house, not hiding or anything. Honestly, who could resist such a view?” She looks back out at the lake. “Your place… it’s remarkable.”
I let her slide with the change of topic. “I’m glad you think so.”
“Are the walls made entirely of glass?”
I lean casually against the clear barrier. “Predominantly.”
“You know our homes are like mirrors, reflecting who we are.”
I crack a smile, intrigued. “Is that so? Then what’s this place telling you about me?”
She studies the world beyond the glass with a cute, furrowed brow. “All this transparency could suggest you’re an open book. That you have nothing to hide. But I get the feeling that’s not quite right.”
My pulse quickens a tad but I recover, smiling. “You’re on to me. It’s one-way glass.”
She laughs. “Just like you then. You take in the world while remaining shrouded in mystery.”
“I suppose that’s one interpretation. What else are you figuring out about me from my home?”
She tilts her head, considering. “Well, the greenery and view make it obvious, you’re a man seeking solace in nature after years of living somewhere like Vegas. And the single piece of art in your hallway, which I think is an original, shows a man who values subtlety and simplicity. It probably costs more than my apartment, too.”
“Very perceptive. I value quality over quantity, in every aspect of my life.”
She grimaces. “Come to think of it, I’m not keen on this theory. When I think about my apartment…” She rubs her temples as if the mere mention of her living situation gives her a headache. “About that day you drove me home… I may have stretched the truth. My place isn’t exactly next door to CVS.”
I arch a brow, feigning surprise. “Oh really?”
She sighs. “Yeah, I live on top of Naughty Nonsense, that’s an adult novelty store in case you’re wondering, with Spider, a roommate who moonlights as a nude model. If I had to guess what it says about me, it’s that I must be a masochist.”
“Well, had I known you lived above Naughty Nonsense, I might’ve offered to drive you home sooner. Purely for investigative purposes, naturally.”
“I’m game for a house swap anytime.” She smirks but then her expression sobers.
Almost reflexively, I reach out, tilting her chin up to meet my eyes.
“Hey, being serious, I know you mask a lot of pain behind those jokes. As for your current living situation, I’m aware it’s less than ideal. The company apartment is a better option. Next to me.” A wisp of hair falls over her eyes. Familiarity makes me want to brush it aside, but I refrain. “And my door is always open.”
She smirks. “That’s what HR says.”
“I don’t mean it like HR.”
I realize I’ve backed her against the glass when she hits it with a soft thud.
Her baby blues pierce me, equal parts fear and desire. Her eyes, oh those fucking eyes. For a few precious moments, they let my soul breathe.
I clench my jaw, trying to ignore the near-painful arousal that’s building in me. She’s close enough that I can see the pulse fluttering in her neck, sense the heat rolling off her body. And Christ, she smells as delicious as I remember.
“Your door is always open? Even at 3 a. m.?” She barely breathes out the words.
My intentions weren’t to come on strong to her, but shit, with the way she’s looking at me now, my desire to touch her is almost unbearable.
Lowering my head so our mouths are almost touching, I brush away a lock of hair from her face before dropping my voice to a husky whisper. “Especially at 3 a. m.”
Her breath catches in her throat as she stares up at me, her chest rising and falling rapidly with each breath.
Her tongue darts out, wetting her lower lip, and my willpower frays further.
I can’t help myself. I have to feel her. My fingertips trace her jawline, finding the spot just beneath her earlobe where her pulse flutters wildly.
She gives a tiny gasp as I lean in closer, allowing my breath to tickle her temple.
“Do you honestly think you can hide your attraction to me?” I say, my voice low. “I’ve noticed the way you look at me, the little smiles, the blushing when our eyes meet.”
“Pretty confident, aren’t you?” she breathes, trying to sound indifferent but failing.
“Confidence grounded in hard evidence.”
Her eyes smolder, desire at war with reason. “Look, you’re an attractive man, anybody with eyes can see that. But you also happen to be my boss, the same guy who signs off on my paycheck. It’s… complicated.”