Page 89 of Hate to Love You
If she looked down right now, she’d immediately see my growing erection, and I’d look like some pathetic teenager who’s never had his dick touched before.
“After you,” I say, gently placing my hand on her back and motioning her toward the elevator.
We walk in silence past the stunned office hoes, who aren’t even trying to stifle their astonishment anymore as I press the button for the garage on the elevator pad. Perhaps that’s why I deliberately let my hand brush her lower back as we step into the lift.
“Am I, um,” Abigail asks softly, the moment the doors close. “Allowed to ask where we’re going?”
“You can,” I say, leaning against the wall and trying to avoid looking at her big brown doe eyes for fear that I’d want to ravish her right here. “But it doesn’t mean I’ll tell you.”
Abby goes quiet, pressing her lips together and anxiously bouncing up and down on her heels. When the door opens, we’re in my private parking garage where Cal is waiting with the cars.
“Boss,” he nods. “Everything is prepared.”
“Good,” I nod, heading to the nearest one and opening the door for Abigail. “We’ll go alone. You can follow.”
“Yes, Sir.”
If I thought she looked nervous before, it’s nothing compared to how it looks as I wave her into the open door. Every step she takes is slow and calculated. Eventually she makes it inside the car, and I close the door behind her. I walk around to my side and hop inside.
The car is silent until we pull out onto fifth avenue.
“Am I…being fired?” She finally asks.
Her voice is shaky and quiet, and it catches me off guard.
“What?” I ask, looking up at her, seeing her fidgeting with her hands. “No. Why on earth would you—”
“Well, I just thought that maybe I did something wrong,” she says, shrugging. “Or that you’re unhappy with me?”
“Abigail, no…I…” I say, frustrated, that this is immediately where her mind went. “Of course not.”
“Because if I was too aggressive with your sister, I’m sorry,” she says. “Again, I honestly didn’t know who she was and—”
“I’m taking you to lunch,” I say, interrupting her.
“You’re what?”
“I had a busy afternoon, and I noticed you hadn’t taken yours yet either. So, I decided to take you to lunch. That’s all.”
“Oh,” she says, chuckling to herself and looking almost relieved as she stares down at her lap. “Yeah, I actually didn’t bring lunch today.”
I know she didn’t. But obviously I can’t say that.
Because that’s creepy as fuck, Roman.
“I, uh…have a standing table at Albertos,” I say, clearing my throat. “It’s one of the best restaurants in the city.”
“Yes, I’ve heard it’s very hard to get a table there,” she nods. “But I guess I’m confused about why you’d want to bring me?”
Shit.
I didn’t anticipate her asking this question, and for a moment, it throws me off my game.
“Why not?” I say, trying my hardest to sound as indifferent as possible. “You eat. I eat. And I don’t like eating alone.”
“Fair, I guess it’s that I’m just, well, me,” she shrugs. “I’m not very important.”
“I think I’ll be the judge of that,” I say as we turn the corner. “Last I checked, I’m the only one who gets to decide who I spend my time with, Abigail.”