‘Would you mind coming into the office instead? I’d appreciate your input on a couple of project streams and I think the team could benefit from your expertise. Unless you have plans you can’t change?’
‘Um—I...’ This nightmare was going from bad to worse, yet she couldn’t seem to say ‘no’ to him. ‘Of course, I can come in.’
Ordinarily she could maintain a calm facade better than anyone. Ordinarily she would never say ‘um’...but at this moment in front of Alvaro Byrne, she was a breath away from falling apart.
‘That’s great. Thank you.’ Though he didn’t look all that thrilled. ‘But for now, it’s late and you’ve had a long day. How are you getting home?’
Jade had no idea how to answer him. She didn’t even know where home was. She had gone into this without properly thinking it through. Too late she’d realised the utter stupidity of her decision to come into the office this morning. Because while she’d secured Juno’s job today, she was probably going to lose it for her tomorrow. She couldn’t possibly keep this up. And she certainly couldn’t cope with the hot bomb that was Alvaro Byrne.
‘You shouldn’t go on public transport this time of night.’ He frowned.
‘I can manage,’ she lied.
‘Just humour me,’ he growled. ‘You’ve gone above and beyond and been here hours. The least I can do is ensure you get home safely. I’ll call a car.’
‘I don’t need—’
His gaze narrowed again. ‘Company expense, Juno.’
She really didn’t like him calling her by that name. But she couldn’t tell him not to.
The easiest thing to do right now ought to be to say yes, to stop arguing with him. Except oddly it was the hardest task she’d faced all day. Drawing on that mantle of polite courtesy that had been drilled into her from birth was almost impossible.
‘Thank you,’ she finally said. ‘That would be wonderful.’
‘Wonderful?’ He stared at her for a long moment.
Jade had the sudden suspicion she’d inadvertently jumped from the frying pan to the fire.
‘Oh, sure,’ he muttered softly but so dryly she nearly shivered. ‘Let’s call it wonderful.’
CHAPTER THREE
JADE SHRUGGED ON her jacket, extended the handle of her cabin bag and followed Alvaro to the elevator.
‘You really were out of range?’ He glanced at her bag as he pushed the buttons.
‘I really was.’ To her relief, he didn’t ask for any more detail.
She was hugely relieved at the prospect of a car taking her straight home too. All she had to do then was unlock Juno’s apartment. She was so tired she might fall into bed fully dressed.
She exited the lift ahead of him, increasingly desperate to escape his company. He was too tall, too intense, too magnetic and she was too aware of his every movement.
A sleek black sports car was parked right outside the building. The kind of low-slung roadster, capable of lethal speed, that her father and her protection officers would never let her near. To her horror, Alvaro walked around to the driver’s door and got in. When she didn’t move, the passenger window glided down.
‘Come on.’
‘I thought you said you called a car,’ she said stupidly.
‘I did. My car. The building valet brought it to the front for me.’
She’d thought he’d meant a taxi.
‘You’re driving me home?’ Her audible breathlessness made her wince. If only she could instantly shrivel to ant size. The thought of having to spend more time with him ought to be terrifying, but her suddenly sprinting pulse was actually due to excitement. So awkward. And that restless ache inside was so wrong. She stared at the car and then back at him and tried not to melt in the warm amber of his eyes.
There was a long pause.
‘You know you’re not at risk from me,’ he finally muttered. ‘I’m not in the habit of harassing my employees.’
And now she was beyond mortified. ‘I didn’t think that you were.’
‘So take this as all that it is, an apology and a small service to show my appreciation for your extra effort today. But if you would prefer I get a driver—’
‘No, please don’t,’ she said hurriedly. ‘I was just surprised. You’ve had a long day too.’ She climbed into the car and fastened the belt and resolutely stared ahead.
‘If you say the address the navigation will pick it up,’ he said blandly.
Relieved, Jade parroted the address she’d memorised and sat back as the automated instruction began. The car silently glided along and she realised it had an electric engine. As she relaxed into the comfortable seat, tiredness swept over her. She could hardly keep her eyes open, only then—
‘Is that your stomach rumbling?’ Alvaro laughingly glanced at her as the mortifying gurgle continued.
The tension broke and she giggled too.
‘You haven’t eaten all day,’ he said reprovingly. ‘You barely left your desk.’
He’d noticed that? And now he intercepted the amazed look she shot him and countered it with a smile.
‘Of course not, you might’ve locked me out if I left the building,’ she answered. ‘And you were in your office all day too.’ She struggled not to react too obviously to his distracting charm—how could he have gone from infuriating to fascinating like this?
‘You were watching me?’ His eyebrow quirked.
‘I was prudently keeping an eye on a threat, yes.’
‘A threat?’ he teased with mock outrage. ‘Little old me?’
Oh, the man totally knew the impact he had on people—most especially women.
‘You were all for throwing me out of the building,’ she said. ‘And I need my job.’
‘You’ve saved your job.’ His expression turned serious again. ‘But I had my lunch delivered, whereas you need food now.’
‘And I’ll get it. Shortly.’ Though she had no idea if Juno had any in her apartment. Or whether there was a store nearby. Not that she had any cash to buy anything with.
‘Push that button.’
‘Pardon?’
Alvaro leaned across, reaching past her to touch a discreet button. The glove compartment slid open with controlled smoothness and a light automatically illuminated the interior.
‘Oh. Wow.’ She stared at the incredibly ordered contents in the surprisingly large space.