Page 16 of Heart Like Yours
Paige finally enters, shuts the door behind her, and slowly crosses to stand in front of me. I keep my eyes on her, studying her as if it will help me read her mind.
She stops just within arm’s reach. If I were to reach out, I could easily find out if her hair is as silky as it looks. The thought has me clenching my hands into fists inside my pockets and leaning back to rest against my desk.
“I have an answer,” Paige states and every inch of my body freezes.
All I can do is stare at her, letting the silence grow while continuing to watch for any hint as to what she’s decided.
“And?” It’s all I can manage as a response while I hold my breath.
Finally, a smile spreads across her lips, her eyes dancing with excitement as she nods. “I accept.”
The tension that had been building all weekend finally snaps, leaving me alongside the air from my lungs as I push off thedesk. Before I can think twice about it, Paige is in my arms and I’m pulling her into my chest. Her laugh is muffled, the vibrations rattling through my rib cage as she melts into my embrace. The sweet floral scent from her perfume invades my nostrils, effectively short-wiring my senses and making it so all I can think about is the way she fits perfectly in my arms.
She wraps her arms around me, hugging me back, and rests her cheek on my chest with a contented sigh.
“I don’t know why I was nervous to tell you yes, but I was. A hug was shockingly not how I expected you to react,” she whispers.
I hold her for a few more seconds, which is longer than professional, before I reluctantly step back. Scratching the back of my neck, I duck my head in hopes of hiding the red staining my cheeks as I fumble through what to say.
“Thank you. This is… I’m really happy you said yes.”
This time, Paige is the one blushing.
“You can actually thank two bottles of wine, some colorful gel pens, and a friend who wouldn’t let me be mean to myself.”
I laugh, knowing she’s talking about Lilly. It never occurred to me when I was reminding myself to give her space, that she would need a sounding board. Which was most likely why I didn’t hear from her this weekend. I have Leo to bounce all my ideas off of, so I’m grateful she now has a friend here to do the same with.
But even I won’t deny that I’m jealous she turned to Lilly instead of me. Not because I don’t think she shouldn’t go to her friends for help. No, it’s simply because there’s a deep part of me that wants to be the person she goes to when needing someone.
“I’ll make sure to buy her a ‘thank you’ drink the next time we all go out.”
“Just make sure it’s a margarita and she’ll be happy.” Paige chuckles. She shakes her head and holds up a folderI didn’t notice until now. “So what happens next? I have a bunch of questions and honestly, no idea how I managed to make it through an entire day without barging into your office demanding answers.”
With a grin, I glance at my watch. “Do you have anywhere to be?”
Paige shakes her head.
“What do you say to getting dinner and I’ll answer everything?”
She laughs, smiling so brightly she practically steals my breath once more.
“Only if there’s queso involved.”
“So celebrating with Mexican food. Got it.” I laugh, turning to snatch up my wallet and keys. “I’m sensing a theme between how to make both you and Lilly happy.”
“What can I say, margs and queso are the solution to everything.” Paige shrugs, turning on her heel and leading the way out of my office.
Feeling a hundred times lighter than I did this morning, I follow after the sound of Paige as she acknowledges everyone she passes.
Three hours later, I’ve answered all her questions, taken notes for some of her new ideas to look further into and we’ve long since finished our food. Yet neither of us makes a move to leave the colorful booth.
As Paige tells me a story about her and Lilly’s college dart league, I hang onto every word she says while Leo’s friendly reminder rings through my head.
Since she’s officially accepted the job, she’s no longer just my employee. Paige is my business partner. A little voice in the back of my mind tempts me with the teasing thought of making her my partner in every sense of the word.
There’s no denying that Paige captivates me. Anyone who meets her would be a fool not to fall for her in some way.
But there’s no way I could make a move and mess up this opportunity with the company expansion for both of us.