Still nothing but unemotional words.
“I have no objection if you want to keep your current position. You’re doing a fine job.”
Rafe wanted to kick himself. Why had he said that? How was he expected to reset his brain if he had to look at her each and every day knowing she wasn’t his for the taking?
With agitation filling him, he left the bed and walked to the chair draped with his clothes. He would be fine because he always was. Even if Ari did work at his offices still, he wouldn’t pine for her.
Ari was just a woman — one of many — who had graced his life. The emotion he was feeling was most likely due to the soul-searching trip his father had suggested. Rafe hadn’t found any answers by himself, and he certainly wasn’t going to while looking at Ari as she sat against the backboard, her eyes trained on the shadows behind the window.
Well, he’d thought he’d found an answer, he corrected himself as his hand ran along the left side of his jacket. But that had been a mistake, a foolish, impulsive moment…
“I think it’s best if I try to get my old job back. I enjoyed working there.”
He barely heard her speak over the pounding of his heart, but her words registered and he wanted to instantly deny her. Why? Getting her from his offices is what he’d just decided was best. He opened his mouth to agree, but that’s not what came out.
“We’ll discuss this more tomorrow. Get some sleep; I’ll come by after dinnertime.” Rafe turned and walked from the room before he could convince himself he was a fool and climb back into bed with her.
As he opened the front door and started to step out, he thought he heard the sound of a sob, so he stilled as he strained his ears. When he heard nothing further, he knew he must have been mistaken. Ari was obviously relieved to have him out of her life.
He firmly shut the door behind him as he made his way down the hall. He’d have her come to his place tomorrow to discuss employment. He never wanted to enter, or exit, this building again.
Chapter Thirty-Four
“You’ve been avoiding me.”
Lia jumped at the sound of Shane’s voice directly behind her. Slowly she turned around, then froze as she waited for him to continue. When he didn’t speak further, she placed her hand on her hip and narrowed her eyes.
“You didn’t respect what I had to say before; now I have nothing to discuss with you. I’m trying to work, so if you’d kindly leave, I’d appreciate it.”
With that, Lia began walking away. Should she have known that wouldn’t keep Shane from speaking his mind? Probably.
“Do you want to talk about our affair in front of all your co-workers, or would you like to speak with me in private?”
Several heads whipped around as the people in the office gazed from her to Shane and then back again in delighted disbelief. Lia could feel her cheeks heat as the spotlight was pointed straight at her.
“Follow me,” she growled at him, then moved with as much dignity as she could muster toward the closest private room she could find. It happened to be the copier room — great, just great.
Shane shut the door behind him, sealing them in the small room together. The temperature rose a few degrees as he stared her down.
“That was unbelievably rude, even for you, Shane. Let’s get this over with so I can get back to work.” She tried to keep her tone calm, but he was flustering and frazzling her and making her grind her teeth.
“I’ve been trying to call you, and you’re avoiding me.”
“Wouldn’t that tell you that I don’t want to speak with you?” she said, tapping her fingers violently on the sorting table beside her and with an elaborate sweep sending a ream of paper flying.
“You chased after me for months, years, even —”
“Stop right there. I didn’t exactly chase after you. I liked you; you liked me. I just found you being typically stubborn, so I didn’t allow you to shut me out. But right after a great night of making love, you felt the need to go squeal like a little girl to my big brother. That ended the very brief affair.”
As Shane’s lips turned up in a smile, Lia felt like stomping her foot. He wasn’t listening to her, and as this was only her second week on the job, she really didn’t want to mess up. Although she was employed at her brother’s company, she had to work much harder than the rest of the people to prove she was there on her own merits.
“What are you doing here, anyway?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“You can stop acting like a pouting child and answer my questions. We’ll get through this a lot faster if you do.” He crossed his arms and leaned back against the door, not only blocking her exit, but letting her know he had all day if she wanted to take it.
“I’m the new Public Relations Specialist,” she answered and thrust up her chin.
“Oh, really?”
“Don’t give me that snarky tone of voice. I did graduate from college with honors. In communications sciences from the world-renowned University of Bologna, then went on to get my master’s degree in world politics. I’m not the spoiled little heiress you believe me to be. I’ll be very good at my job if you let me get back to it. As a matter of fact, I’m currently working on a big press release and need to do some research. I’m done talking. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”
Lia was quite proud that Rafe had faith in her abilities. She’d done similar work in college and graduate school and knew she’d do a good job for her brother’s company — that was if she wasn’t constantly interrupted.
“What project are you working on?”
“Why do you care, Shane?” The room was either rapidly increasing in temperature, or she wasn’t as unaffected by Shane as she’d hoped to be when he’d left her room. As mad as she’d been in Vegas, she was even more mad now seeing him standing there looking beyond scrumptious.
“Let’s just call it idle curiosity.” The gleam in his eyes worried her.
“Fine. I’m working on the Gli Amanti Cove project.”
As a huge smile spread across his cheeks, she got a sick feeling in her gut. Surely he couldn’t be involved with that project. It would require her to spend a heck of a lot of time on a small island off of her beloved Italy. She could possibly be there for months.
“Why are you looking at me like the cat who got the cream?”
“I have no idea what you mean, Lia. I simply came here to remind you of what you’ve been missing the last few weeks.”