Page 54 of Bargain With the Boss

“My little—” I cut myself off. “I have to go.” I hung up before I did something stupid.

The strongest urge to throw my phone through the mirror made me shake. I swung out of the bathroom and directly into someone.

Strong hands clutched my upper arms. “Hey, where’s the fire, Duchess?”

No, not him right now.

Not when I was so off-balanced.

“Hey.” Xavier drew me over to the side as a few people came down the hallway toward the bathrooms.

I blew out a breath and tried to rein in my careening emotions.

Little venture.

As if it didn’t matter.

As if nothing I brought to the company mattered unless it was her vision.

“Sydney?”

My gaze locked with his. He was wearing one of his ridiculous comic book shirts with summer wool suit pants that probably cost twenty times more. His curls were a little wild and damn well shone with the sun coming in, but it was always his eyes that hit me the hardest. Crescent Lake blue and direct.

As if what I said mattered.

“What are you doing here?”

He urged me over to one of the benches and gently pushed me down. “I had to bring in a corrected blueprint. Someday this place will go digital, but until then...” He sat beside me.

“Right. Why I’m here to make sure this Melissa person puts the permits through today.”

“That wouldn’t make you so pale.” He lifted a hand to brush his thumb over my cheek before dropping it again. “You’ve been working your ass off all week.”

“Please, I work eighty plus hours in Seattle.”

“We aren’t Seattle. Especially with this heat.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re really not. C’mon let’s get out of here.”

“I’m here for a purpose, Xavier.”

His lip quirked up at the corner. “I love when you call me Xavier with that teacher voice.”

“You’re a peculiar man.”

“At least I’m not a boring man.” He stood. “Look, it’s already just about noon on a Friday. I can guarantee no one in that office is going to finalize the permits today.”

“And why not?” I let him pull me to my feet.

“Because this is a small town and it’s a perfect eighty degrees out there.” Before I could push back at him, he went on. “And the guys finished demoing today so no one will be working until Monday anyway.”

I sighed. “What is it about you wanting me to play hooky?”

“Because I have a feeling you don’t know what that word means, Duchess.”

I rolled my eyes at his nickname for me. It felt stuffy and far too on point. I certainly had to actively work with a queen who didn’t see me as an equal.