Page 68 of Innocent

Chapter Fifteen

I blink, stunned as I stand there and process that the vice president is the one who summoned me.

My…

Well, myformercompetition for Leo’s heart.

Seriously,nowherein my mental computations during the ride from campus to here didthisoption even remotely cross my radar.

He’s leaning against the doorway to the executive suite at the nose of the plane, blazer off and in his shirtsleeves, cuffs rolled up below his elbows and tie loosened. He’s wearing his glasses tonight instead of contacts and he looks casually handsome, as he always does.

I’ve always envied that about Elliot. I usually feel like a plate of bread mold compared to the guy and I know damn well I’m far from being a two.

But it’s like comparing a first grader’s refrigerator drawing to theMona Lisa, for goodness sake. I never did understand what Leo saw inmewhen he’s gotthishottie pretty much captive and at his beck and call. At any time, Leo could have ordered Elliot to marry him, and that would’ve been it.

My fists tighten around the strap of my messenger bag and I realize I should saysomething. “V-vice P-president Woodley, sir.” I hate that I stammer, that I’m probably giving him some measure of satisfaction.

He has Leo. What more can he possibly want or take from me?

Iwillbe the bigger man…

Or, at the very least, I won’t let him see how broken I truly am. I do have some modicum of pride remaining deep inside me.

He nods. His hands are jammed in the pockets of his dress slacks. “Jordan. Thank you for coming. I know this is short notice, but it’s the way the schedule worked out and I didn’t want to call any attention to our meeting.”

I swallow hard. “I-I really don’t think I was given much choice about coming, sir.” I nervously nudge my glasses up my nose before my hand returns to the strap of my bag.

That quirky little smirk appears at the corner of his mouth. It’d be easier to hate him if he wasn’t so damned good-looking. “No, I guess you weren’t. Still, thank you for coming. I appreciate it.” He steps back into the suite and pauses, his intention clear.

Glancing around, I’m looking for confirmation from someone—anyone—to make sure I am supposed to follow him.

I finally do.

He closes the door behind me, snapping the lock shut. I’m standing there with my fists tightly clenched around the strap of my messenger bag, my knuckles white and my heart throbbing.

He steps around me and indicates the larger sofa, which isn’t made up like a bed right now the way it sometimes is. All the shades are pulled on the suite’s windows, giving us total privacy.

“Sit, Jordan. Please.”

I finally do, leaving my sweater and messenger bag on as I warily stare at him.

But he doesn’t sit. He removes his glasses and sets them aside before he positions himself in front of me and his hands return to his pockets. He stands with his feet spaced shoulder-width apart. If you didn’t know what he looks like naked, you’d never guess he’d had his lower left leg shot off.

And…I realize I’m one of probably only two people in the fricking world, besides his medical team, who knows what the vice president looks like completely naked.

That would be me, and Leo.

The uncomfortable silence lays between us but I refuse to break it. I honestly don’t know why I’m here, unless he’s a massive prick and wants to gloat over having Leo all to himself.

It’s nearly a minute before he finally speaks, his voice so low I can barely hear him. “I want to declare next weekend, a week from this Sunday. Doing so depends on one thing.”

“One thing, sir?” Calling him that grates on me a little because we both know the deeper context, but I do have manners. He’s the fricking vice president, and I’ll respect the office, if nothing else. I will always adhere to the protocols.

The way my Sir trained me.

Never will I ever do anything to reflect badly on Leo, even if he isn’t my Sir anymore.

Elliot probably wants to make sure I won’t talk, except he doesn’t have to worry about that. Even if I wanted to hurt him, I would never hurt Leo.