Page 128 of Coerced Kiss
If he finds the key, he’ll demand what it is and where I found it. For the life of me, I can’t think up a lie that will sound convincing.
My gaze is glued to his actions, following his movements as he puts the bag on the entrance table. I suppress the urge to jump forward and snatch it up.
He steps behind me. “I’ll go warm up the soup.”
My heart rate goes into overdrive, but I don’t dare to look at him. All I can do is wait and pray he’s not onto me. Guilt put visions in my head. For a moment, I imagine him wrapping his hands around my neck.
Instead, he helps me to remove my coat. “Unless you want to shower first?”
“No,” I say quickly, not wanting him to follow me upstairs. “We can eat early. I just want to freshen up before dinner.”
I give him my most natural smile. My pulse goes through the roof as I walk casually to the table and take my bag. Blood gushes in my ears as I wait for him to stop me with a word or a gesture, but he only busies himself with putting my coat on a hanger.
I escape to the stairs, forcing myself to walk normally and not to run. Halfway up, I glance back. He stands next to the closet, staring after me with narrowed eyes. My heartbeat triples, pounding in my chest.
Every step I take on the landing keeps beat in my temples. Once I’m in the hallway and out of sight, I rush to the bedroom. I haven’t had time to think of a good hiding place. For now, I sprint to the dressing room, take the key from my bag, and shove it into the pocket of an A-line coat that’s designed for a later stage of pregnancy. I drop my handbag on the bench and hurry to the bathroom. I’ve barely opened the tap to splash cold water on my face when a knock falls on the door.
“Anya?”
Taking a deep breath, I close the tap. “Yes?”
The door opens. Saverio stands on the threshold, taking me in with a too watchful gaze. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing.” I force a smile and grab a towel to dry my hands, pretending to be engrossed in the task so that I don’t have to meet his eyes. I’m too scared he’ll see the truth on my face. “I’ll be down in a sec.”
A big hand curls around my shoulder, making me jump.
Saverio turns me to him. “Something happened at work. I know you.” The look in his pale eyes darkens. “You’re going to tell me what it is. We’re not leaving this room until you do.”
I swallow, thinking fast. “It’s Ms. Price. I think she’s upset because I lied on my application. She’s punishing me by making me do filing.”
The line of his jaw turns hard.
I continue quickly. “I get why she doesn’t trust me. I’m just worried it’s going to hamper my chances of advancing in the firm.”
“If she’s making your life difficult, you should’ve told me sooner.”
I shrug. “It’s only office politics.”
“I’ll get her fired. Better yet, I’ll make her disappear.”
“Are you crazy?”
His smile isn’t humorous. “It all depends on how you look at it.”
“You can’t mean that. It’s not even a big issue.” My brain works overtime. “Normally, it wouldn’t bother me. The pregnancy hormones make me more emotional than usual. I’ll prove my worth, and it’ll blow over.”
“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t off her if she’s making your life miserable.”
“Another murder in the space of a few months will draw unwanted attention to everyone working there, including me. Is that what you want?”
“Accidents happen.”
Oh my God. He’s serious. That makes me more angry than scared. “You really think you’re God, don’t you? You’re making it sound as if deciding about someone’s fate is the same as choosing what you’re going to eat for breakfast.” I dump the towel on the vanity. “That makes you a first-class sociopath.” I prop a hand on my hip. “If this is how you behave when I tell you about my day at work, I’m never sharing anything with you again.”
A smile plucks at his lips. “You really like this job.”
“I happen to like it a lot.”