He was close enough that his shirt brushed against the front of my dress as he lifted me by the waist to sit on the desk in front of him. He leaned his hands on either side, forcing me to bend back as he hovered over me.
“Did you let him kiss you?” His voice was low and gruff—raw.
We’d barely spoken to each other lately, and when we did communicate, there was nothing civil about it. I should tell him no. Stop this thing we were doing. But then he might step away…
Tell him no. Tell him.
He probably only wanted me because he was territorial. Maybe I only wanted him because I was too. Every time I saw Gillian near him, I wanted to jump in between them.
Still I said nothing, as my back arched in his direction and my lips parted, nearly beckoning him to act on the invitation.
He moved until we were flush against each other, and then his lips were covering mine and I was opening to him in a way I’d never done before, with anyone. His flesh was on fire as his tongue dueled with mine.
The stairs creaked as someone stomped down the stairs. I pulled back right before the door opened.
He countered by stepping away, our gazes locked.
Gilli walked in the room. “Oh, I’m sorry. Did I interrupt something?” She took a tentative step forward.
Hawk didn’t answer but continued to look at me, waiting. What did he expect? Was I supposed to tell his favorite that he was busy with me and that he’d get to her later? If she was interrupting, he should be the one to step up and say it. I wasn’t the reason she was sneaking down here at the first sound of anyone. He was.
But he didn’t. He stood there, waiting for me to say something.
“You’re not interrupting anything.” I straightened my dress almost aggressively as I stepped around him, in a fouler mood now than after I’d left the demon. It hadn’t seemed possible.
Hawk glared, as if I’d done something wrong. I walked to the door.
“I was just coming down to get a late-night cocoa. Couldn’t sleep. Care to join me?” Gillian asked.
I headed upstairs, refusing to linger even a second. If he started up with her next, I didn’t want to hear it.
22
Gillian walked into the office, with no sign of Hawk, and headed over to my desk. She had two cocoas in her hands. I refrained from asking how she’d managed to cross the street alone.
Instead, I focused on the cocoa she placed on the desk in front of me and noticed the lack of extras. I took it for what it was, which wasn’t that I held a special place in her heart. She was keeping her enemies close. She didn’t need to bother. If she wanted to chase Hawk, I wasn’t going to stop her.
“Thought a hot cocoa might hit the spot today.” Gillian’s simpering sweetness was stomachache-worthy.
Zab was staring at the cocoa in front of me, trying to figure out why I was getting special treatment. He hadn’t been in the office last night when Gillian interrupted. Bibbi was narrowing her eyes as if the cup held poison. Her interpretation, although severe, was closer to the truth. If I could meld the two of them together, they’d make the perfect confidant instead of Zab being clueless and Bibbi wanting to kill everyone.
“Thanks.” I tried to remain civil. It wasn’t Gillian’s fault I’d left when she came in. She had asked if she was interrupting. Whatever happened or didn’t last night, it was on me. Or Hawk. If he wasn’t holding her hand and walking her to her shop every day, maybe she wouldn’t have feelings of ownership, which she seemed to be developing. If you lead someone on, you can’t expect them to not think they’re going right where you’re bringing them.
“You know…” Her words died off as she glanced around the room.
Zab dropped his gaze back to his papers. Musso hadn’t cared what we’d been discussing before and still didn’t. Bibbi’s lids lowered into more of a glare.
“I was going to step in the back for a second. Would you come with me? Had something I wanted to ask you.”
There was a sigh building in my chest that would’ve taken an hour to let out. But again, as annoying as she could be, her cocoa was so good.
“Sure.” I got out of my seat as quick as my lack of enthusiasm would let me and followed her into the back.
The room was empty, but Bertha had been hiding out upstairs lately. From the smells that occasionally wafted down from the third floor, I suspected they’d installed a kitchen up there.
Gillian glanced around, making sure she was alone before switching her attention fully back to me.
“I know you said that nothing was going on with you and Hawk, but I thought I picked up on something last night.” Any sugar that had been in her tone had turned into something blackened on the bottom of a pot.
Now I understood exactly what this was, and it wasn’t a peace mission. It was a fact-finding mission disguised by a cocoa offering. Had she realized exactly what had been about to happen on that desk last night? And still she stayed, interjecting herself where she wasn’t wanted. Well, she wasn’t as dim as I’d feared. Delusional, though, if she thought her cocoa was good enough to pry private details out of me.
“You did?” I asked, playing as stupid as she occasionally did.
“It was a vibe I picked up on. I know I asked you this before, but you’re sure there’s nothing between you two?” She sipped on her cocoa as if she wasn’t white-knuckling her cup.
“Don’t worry about my situation. You need to do whatever you feel you should.” That was as good as it was going to get, in spite of what I thought she might want, and that was a guarantee nothing was going to happen. Even if there wasn’t, it was my business.
Hawk walked in the back door, startling us both.
His glare made the gust of wind at the door opening feel downright warm. Great. He was probably mad about last night, like I’d swindled him into kissing me again.
I turned, going back to my conversation with Gillian, or the new one I was going to pretend we were having.
“So you’re back to work full-time again?” I asked.
She was smiling in his direction. “Yes. I hate to leave the shop for too long. With everything so slow, I’ve been tinkering with recipes. I made this amazing white chocolate caramel swirl this morning that is going to drive everyone crazy. I’ll bring some home tonight.” And the sweetness was back.
It was a good thing I wasn’t drinking, or I would’ve choked. Home? She was calling this place home? That was wrong on so many levels.
Hawk walked past us and into the office, and her attention went with him.
“I’m sorry, but do you mind? There were a couple of things I needed to talk to Hawk about. He’s been such a help to me.”
Before I could answer, she was gone, shrugging off her coat on the way.
Maybe Bibbi was righter than I wanted to give her credit for. I looked at my cocoa and then tossed it in the fireplace just in case it was laced.
I let out a long sigh, reminding myself that I couldn’t keep telling Gillian it was okay to go after him and then be annoyed by it. That would make me crazy, and in a different way than I normally was. Hawk and I could barely tolerate each other. What did I care if she chased him like a puppy dog?
“What’s with the long sigh?” Oscar asked, walking in the back door.