My best friend’s wee sister.
Patrick would kill me if he found out about this.
Shaking from my complete loss of control, I climbed off her and marched across the room to get away from her. Running my hand through my hair, I tried to get a handle on my emotions.
Everything I prided myself on—self-control, honor, loyalty—was being compromised because of my feelings for this woman.
It couldn’t go on. I’d end up losing who I was to her.
“Reid?”
I squeezed my eyes closed at the uncertainty in Evan’s voice.
Then I turned to her, my chest aching, my gut in a knot as I realized what I had to do. “This shouldn’t have happened.”
She looked crestfallen.
Rejected.
And I fucking hated myself for it.
“You’re Pat’s little sister,” I reminded her.
“It’s none of his business.”
I scoffed. “Evan, come on. I can’t jeopardize my friendship with him and your parents.”
Her expression darkened. “That would be true if this was only about sex.”
Tell her it’s not.
Tell her the truth.
But I knew if I did, it would only make it worse for both of us. “You’re too young for me,” I lied.
“I see.” Her voice was brittle.
“We just need to pretend like it didn’t happen.”
“I can’t pretend. I’m going to make some calls over the weekend. I’ll find somewhere else to work.”
The air in my apartment turned icy with my displeasure. “Very well.”
Evan crossed her arms over her chest, hugging herself.
It took what little self-control I had left not to cross the room and embrace her.
“There’s a guest room, if you’d like to sleep in there.” I was coolly polite.
“No, thank you. I’ll stay out here and keep an eye on Cass.”
So I hid away like a coward in my bedroom.
When I woke up early the next morning, Evan and her friend were gone.
And I felt truly alone for the first time in thirty-five years.
One week later
If the distance between Evan and me had bothered me before I’d pawed her in my apartment like an adolescent boy incapable of controlling himself, it was much worse now.
Evan had taken to looking right through me, even when we were discussing work.
I hated it.
It chafed badly.
I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and tell her to stop.
But that would be unfair.
After all, I was the one who said nothing could happen between us.
All week, I’d waited anxiously for her to tell me she’d gotten a job elsewhere. As the days went on with no word from her, however, a part of me hoped she’d been bluffing. The masochist in me just wanted Evan near, no matter if she was giving me the cold shoulder.
A knock sounded at the door, drawing me out of my distracted thoughts and back into my office.
“Come in.”
Evan strode in. Her pretty features were smoothed into a perfectly blank expression.
I tried not to look anywhere else.
Those pencil skirts she wore drove me mad.
“Yes?” I sat back in my chair, pretending indifference toward her.
Evan drew in a breath and then exhaled, betraying her cool countenance. Then she stepped up to my desk and laid down an envelope. “You’ll find a month’s notice in there.”
My stomach dropped. It took me a moment to speak. Finally, I replied, “You found a job, then?”
She nodded, staring directly into my eyes. “You must have mentioned how good I was at my job to Josh Baxter. When he heard I was looking for a position, he hired me as his PA.”
Josh Baxter?
Josh fucking Baxter.
I was going to kill him.
Swallowing my anger, I had to clench my jaw to stop furious denial from roaring out.
Josh was two years younger than me. We’d been friends for a few years, meeting as equals in the Scottish business world. He’d opened a gym at the tender age of twenty-six and now had a chain all over the central belt of Scotland. Evan had accompanied me to a charity benefit five months ago when Emmy hadn’t been able to attend. He’d asked after Evan with a look I knew well. He wanted her. I’d explained she was a brilliant PA, Patrick’s wee sister, and completely off-limits to him.
That absolute fucker.
Visions of him touching Evan exploded through my brain, and I reeled back from my chair. “No.” I stood up.
Her lips parted in shock. “Excuse me?”
I knew I was being a controlling dick, but I couldn’t stop myself. “I said no. Find another job. One not with a known womanizer.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow. “I think not.”
“Evan …” I practically growled her name in warning.
“I’ll finish up to Christmas and start with Baxter in the new year. End of discussion.” Evan turned and marched with that alluring swing of her hips toward the door.
Heat pumped through me as I imagined chasing her across the room, pressing her against my door, my straining dick thrusting against that impressive arse of hers.
And I knew Josh Baxter would inevitably want her too.
The thought filled me with a horrific feeling. My throat was closing with it, my heart racing too hard. A knot tightened in my gut.
It was jealousy, I realized.
An emotion I was not familiar with.
But Evan slammed out of my office before I could protest any further.
A huge part of me wanted to follow her out and demand that she find another position elsewhere. Or better fucking yet, stay!
I didn’t want to become someone I wasn’t just because I was jealous. That thought stayed me.
Not wanting Evan to hate me any more than I feared she already did, I slumped in my chair.
Missing her already.
Chapter Five
EVAN
Mid-December
As soon as Belle and her father walked away with gift in hand, Reid was there. He strode up onto the platform where Santa sat and bent down to whisper something in Santa Gary’s ear.
Whatever it was, it had Gary blanching beneath his fake white beard.
“Hey, mate.” Gary pulled away from Reid, his words just loud enough for me to hear. “No harm meant, aye.”
Reid cut him a dark look before turning it on me.
I bristled at his displeasure as his gaze raked down my body and back up again. “They needed an elf,” I whispered.
Suddenly he was before me, his chest almost touching me. “And you thought it would be a good idea for my PA to dress up in a ridiculous costume? Why couldn’t someone else do it?”
“You’re making a scene,” I said through gritted teeth as I beamed up at him. “The kids are waiting to meet Santa.”
He flicked a look over my shoulder, and his scowl eased. When his gaze returned to mine, he said, “As soon as you’re on break, I want you in my office.”
Irritated that he was being so uptight about the whole thing, I gave him a brief nod and then whirled to face the line of kids again. As I talked with a shy little boy, I eventually felt the heat of Reid’s stare disappear. When I turned around toward Santa, my boss was, thankfully, gone.