Page 40 of In Love and War

Every single muscle in my body was screaming and begging for me to close the gap between us and touch him again when he closed the door and looked at me, the regret much more apparent in his eyes now.

I couldn’t tell anymore whether I was still shaking due to anger or the desire to jump his bones.

Neither one of us said anything, both still trying to catch our breaths and wrap our heads around what the fuck just happened. I heard the faint sounds of the elevator ding as it arrived on the floor to take down our unwanted visitor.

That’s my cue.

Now knowing there wouldn’t be anyone else outside, I turned and walked out.

“Amelia, wai—” I heard before the door clicked shut.

He didn’t follow me out.

14

Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.

I was still lying in my bed, freaking the fuck out, fifteen minutes before I was supposed to meet David at the hotel bar.

I had replayed the scenario in my head a million times, trying to make sense of it.

Zac kissed me.

Zackissedme.

I’d been trying to calm down for the last hour and a half, but nothing worked. My heart was still pounding in my chest, and my lips tingled. Not to mention I was crazy amounts of both angry and turned on. It had been so long since I had sex. Four, maybe five, months?

He’d tried to call me twice so far, and both times I’d let it go to voicemail. I needed to get my thoughts in order before talking to him, obviously. And I was nowhere near rational in my current state.

Cursing myself for having made plans in the first place, I got up and took five minutes to freshen up before heading downstairs.

“Hey, Dave.” I gave him the friendliest smile I could muster when I sat down beside him at the bar.

“Perfectly punctual, as always, Mills.” He grinned, glancing at his watch. “I gotta admit though, I had a bit of a head start. It’s been a long fucking week. You’re two drinks behind.” He raised his glass and tipped it toward me, before taking a large swig.

“That’s alright, I’ve done a bit too much drinking in the last few days. I’ll be taking it slow tonight anyway.” I needed to give my liver a break.

“What’s wrong?” He put his glass down and frowned at me, suspicious.

“What do you mean?”

“I worked with you for long enough to know you only go hard on the drinking when something’s up. So what is it?”

“Nothing, I just…” I trailed off.

Patient of a man as he was, he watched me and waited.

“Can I ask you something? And can you be honest with your answer, please?”

The corners of his lips tilted down, and he shrugged, as if his honesty was a given.

“Why did you request for me to be on the account. Youknewhow big of a deal this was, and that it would ruffle some feathers.”

I knew for a fact it wasn’t because he wanted to sleep with me. But I’d been curious about the actual reason for weeks.

“Did it? Ruffle feathers?” he asked with a twitch of his mouth.

“Shut up, you already know it did. New kid gets requested to be on the biggest account of the year? There were whispers and suspicious glances everywhere I went in the office for aweek.People have all sorts of crazy theories about why you asked for me.”