“Good as in ‘we haven’t slept together yet’ or good as in ‘he fucked me so hard that I was screaming?’”
I bark out a laugh. “Sinclair!”
“Juliet,” my name comes out of her with a trace of a giggle. “Inquiring minds need to know.”
“Want to know,” I correct her. “You know I can’t give you any details on my current assignment.”
“That’s not a no.” She gestures to a clothing store. “I’ve been eyeing up a dress in there. I’d like a second opinion on whether or not I should buy it.”
Smiling, I link my arm around hers. “I’m in.”
She pats my hand. “One day I’ll find out who this mystery man is, right?”
I want her to.
I want what’s happening between Kavan and me to last beyond the day I hand in my final article.
I think I might want it to last forever.
“Mr. Bane will be with you shortly, Juliet.” Nigel eyes my outfit. “That dress is lovely. The color suits you.”
I glance down at the fitted pink dress that I picked up the day that Sinclair and I went shopping.
She opted for the exact same dress in blue. The color was a close match for her eyes.
When I tried it on in pink, she squealed. The smile on the face of the sales person told me that it was a solid investment.
We left the dress store and headed straight to a shoe store.
It was a day filled with shopping, girl talk, and then Italian food for dinner at a place called Calvetti’s.
It was the perfect day for us to build on our blossoming friendship.
“It’s new.” I spin in a circle. “It’s a bit bold for me, but I love it.”
“As do I.”
The rasp of that voice sends goose bumps scattering over my skin. It also turns me around in my heels.
Kavan is standing less than ten feet away from me.
“Hey, Bane.”
He smiles. “Hey, Bardin. You do look lovely.”
I rake him from head to toe. “You look different.”
He skims a hand over the front of the grey sweater he’s wearing. He’s paired that with black slacks and wingtip shoes.
It’s more casual than normal, but I like it.
“In a good way,” he says.
I smile because it’s not a question. The man knows he’s hot-as-hell.
“Head to your office, Juliet.” He gestures to the long corridor that leads to the offices, including mine. “I’ll be in shortly.”
I wait for him to move, but he doesn’t, so I take the hint that he has something to discuss with Nigel.
Turning toward the corridor, I start walking to my office glancing back just once to catch Kavan’s gaze pinned to me.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Juliet
I run my fingers over a card attached to a giftwrapped box on top of my desk.
My name is scrawled out in masculine handwriting.
I pick it up and study it.
That’s all that’s written on it but it already feels like a gift because I’m certain that Kavan wrote it by hand.
Unsure of whether I should open the beautifully wrapped gift without him, I take a seat behind my desk.
Something catches my eye near the doorway, so I turn to find Nara standing there with a cup of coffee in her hands.
“Good morning,” I greet her.
“Hi, Miss Bardin.” She places a linen napkin on my desk before she sets the coffee next to it. “Be careful. It’s hot.”
“Thank you and please call me Juliet.”
“Juliet,” she whispers. “You haven’t opened the gift yet.”
I glance at the pretty purple paper it’s wrapped in and the silver ribbon tied around it. “Do you know if it’s from Mr. Bane? I think I should wait to open it until he’s here.”
“It is from Mr. Bane and he told me if I arrived to find it unopened, I should encourage you to open it.”
That’s all I needed to hear.
As she exits my office, I bounce back to my feet, and untie the ribbon. With careful precision I open the giftwrap, wanting to preserve it.
It’s a silly thing to do, but the card, wrapping paper, and ribbon are all a part of something Kavan chose just for me.
I take a deep breath before I open the square, flat box.
White tissue paper stands in the way of my gift and me, so I fold it back.
My breath catches in my throat when I see what’s inside.
Before I can pick it up, I sense he’s near. I glance at the doorway to find him there.
“Kavan.” His name comes out wrapped in a tremor. “It’s my scarf.”
He stalks toward me to pull the black and white polka dot scarf from the box. “This one is a little different. It’s silk and there is a special label sewn on it.”
I snatch it from his hands. Turning it over and over I struggle to find the label.
When I do, I read the words stitched on it out loud. “If lost return to Juliet Bardin. Future Pulitzer Prize winner. Lover of PB and J.”
My head falls back in laughter. “This is officially my favorite scarf now. Thank you. This is incredibly thoughtful of you.”
He slides it from my hands to wrap it around my neck. “I know that your deepest secrets have nothing to do with scarves, Juliet.”
I look into his eyes. “You’re right.”
His hands tug on the ends of the scarf to bring me closer so he can kiss me softly.
I melt into it, resting my hands on his chest. I feel the strong beat of his heart.
“Trust me to guard your secrets,” he whispers.
Staring into his eyes, I reach up to cup his cheek in my hand. “Only if you trust me to guard yours.”
His lips part, but no words escape him.
He kisses me again with so much tenderness that I lose my breath when it breaks.
“I love my gift,” I confess softly, wanting to say more.
I want him to know how I feel.
I’m falling…hard, fast, and willingly in love with him.
“I’d give you the world if I could, Juliet.”
I don’t want that.
All I want is his heart and I don’t know if that’s something he’ll ever give me.
I type out the last word on my article detailing Kavan’s vision for the future of Bane Enterprises.
It’s not as thorough as I had wanted, but it’s informative, and I know it will convey the message that Kavan wants it to.
People will see that under Kavan’s guidance, Bane Enterprises has acquired several small companies that have become strong contenders within their relevant markets.
I accentuated that with quotes from the former owners of the video game and print-on-demand greeting card company. When I interviewed them on the phone a few days ago, both had nothing but kind words about Kavan’s commitment to following their visions when it came to the growth of the enterprises they had launched years before.
I stare at the screen of my laptop.
This is the article that I should hand in to Mr. Marks for his approval.
If I do that, it closes the door on the piece that I’ve been working on that is more personal and reaches beyond the scope of Kavan’s business. I may never show that to anyone because it feels so intimate.