Page 86 of Tempting the President

When Leandro pulled away, he remained next to Bobby’s seat, with an air of intensely male satisfaction about him. He caught me staring but only flashed a casual smile, his tone friendly as he said, “Hello, Aria.”

Wow. He had just made out with Bobby Granger – and had come out of it alive, with none of his teeth knocked out.

I typed on my phone, YOU ARE A GOD.

He laughed. “Err, thanks, I guess.” He glanced down at his fiancée. “I’ve some unexpectedly free time today,megaira.What do you say we have lunch together?”

Bobby, I noted gleefully, looked flustered, nothing at all like the intimidating future CEO that she was. She cleared her throat, muttering, “Yeah, sure.” But it was so obvious she wasdyingto spend time with her Greek fiancé. When she saw me smirking at her, she glared at me. “Shut up.”

I gave her another innocent look.I was so not talking.

Bobby looked like she wanted to leap over her desk and kill me. But before she could do anything, Leandro was talking again, drawing her attention immediately towards him like they were interconnected by an invisible bond. “I’ll come back for you in fifteen minutes? I think you’re busy right now.”

“Umm...yes.” Her flustered tone, combined with the soft look in her eyes, practically screamed of her adoration of him.

Boy oh boy. Who knew philanthropists like Bobby could be just as generous with their affections, even in public?

Leandro bent down and gave Bobby another kiss. When he released her, he was breathing hard while Bobby was red-faced. It was fun, watching the way Leandro Christopoulos could so effortlessly transform the evil redheaded queen into a starry-eyed girl unable to string even two words together.

Or at least it was fun until-—

“Love you.” Leandro had whispered the words as he straightened to his commanding height. He gave me a polite nodof goodbye before stepping out of the office, leaving behind a dazed-looking Bobby.

Ouch.Two words, just two stupid words, and yet they burned me like the sun, the way they shone so beautifully bright.

“Aria?” Bobby had finally recovered, but her cheeks were faint with color.

I saluted at Bobby.Yes, ma’am?

She didn’t smile. “You still haven’t told me you don’t want to talk to Kellion.”

My face turned expressionless at her words.

“MJ told me about what happened last night.”

And here I was, thinking MJ was my friend. Shaking my head at her words, I wrote on my board.COMPLICATED.

“God, I hate that word,” Bobby muttered. “Ever since Facebook used it as a relationship status, it’s become freaking hard to get people to say just yes or no.”

If I didn’t feel so dead inside, I would have smiled at her quip.

“Aria?” When our eyes met, she pressed gently, “Just tell me one thing, please. Just one and I’ll get off your back.” Without waiting for me to answer, she asked, “Has he done anything to hurt you? Something you can’t forgive him for?”

Slowly, I shook my head again. It really wasn’t him. It was me. It was my fears winning over my hopes, my past winning over my present.

“I see.” Bobby started typing on her phone.

I frowned. That was strangely rude for someone like Bobby. But before I could say anything, I heard the door behind me open again.

“I’ll take it from here, Bobby.”

I stiffened. It couldn’t be him. It just couldn’t be. He was supposed to be in Athens, a whole damn ocean away, dammit. He couldn’t be here so soon.

A shadow fell over me, a man crouching in front of me, dissipating my doubts and filling my badly chipped heart with anguish.

Kellion.

He was suddenly standing in front of me. Kellion. The real one and not a figment of my imagination. My fists clenched on my lap as I stared up at him, still unable to fathom his sudden presence. Just looking at him made me realize how much Imissedhim. Had he really been this tall? Did I really have to crane my neck all this time just to look up at him? I felt both starved and satiated at the sight of him, unable to get enough but also feeling like I was about to burst.