Twenty paces down the hall, he came to Amber at her old desk outside Dixon’s office. She was setting out her things, settling in.
“So that’s that?” he asked, struggling to come to terms with his life turning so suddenly and irrevocably upside down.
“My boss is back.” She didn’t pretend not to understand.
“You bailed quick enough.”
“He asked me to move here.”
“And what Dixon wants—”
Amber glared at Tuck.
He wanted to tell her she couldn’t, that she should march back to her desk at his office to work with him, not with Dixon. He wished he had the right. He wished he had the power. Against all reason and logic, he wished his brother had never come home.
“What about you?” she asked, adjusting the angle of her computer screen.
Unlike her, he did pretend to misunderstand. “My office has been in the same place for years.”
“And what are you going to do in it now?”
“Nothing.”
He could take a hint. Well, maybe he couldn’t take a hint. But he could understand the bald truth when it was thrown up in his face. He wasn’t wanted here. And there was nothing he could do to change it. He might as well have been born to a different father.
Two months ago, it probably wouldn’t have mattered. But it mattered now. Maybe it was pride. Or maybe he liked the sense of independence and accomplishment. Or maybe he just liked Amber.
He was going to miss her.
He wasn’t sure he could leave her.
“You’re walking away,” she said.
“I am.” He had to stifle the urge to explain.
He knew she understood dysfunctional families, and he knew she’d understand what he was going through. But he couldn’t presume they had a personal relationship. She’d made that clear enough at the hospital yesterday morning. She was his brother’s assistant, and that was all.
“I won’t be your boss anymore,” he said, determined to give it one last shot.
“We both knew that would happen.”
That wasn’t a hint one way or the other. She wasn’t giving him any help here.
“We could,” he said. “You know...”
She raised her brows and looked him in the eyes.
“Date,” he finally said, wondering what the heck had happened to his suave, sophisticated style.
“Each other?”
Okay, now he was just getting frustrated. “Yes, each other.”
“Is that a good idea?”
“I’m suggesting it, aren’t I?”
“You’re free now, Tuck. And you’re practically running for the front door. And that’s fine. I understand. You never said or did a thing to suggest otherwise. And you don’t need to now. Dixon’s here. You have your life back.”
Tuck stared at her in silence.
That was how she saw him? Well, at least he knew the truth. Even after all they’d done together, how hard they’d worked to save clients and accounts, she thought he’d only been biding his time until he could go back to the party circuit.
“I’m free,” he agreed between gritted teeth.
“Then, no reason to linger.”
He stared hard into her eyes. “No reason at all.”
Unless he counted how he felt about her, how much he wanted to be with her, how hard he wished she’d see something in him besides an irresponsible playboy.
“I’m going to be busy with Dixon,” she said airily. “And with Jade, and with Crystal.”
“I’m going to be busy getting my name back in the tabloids.” As he said it, he willed her to call his bluff.
She didn’t even hesitate. “Good luck with that.”
“Thanks.”
There was nothing left to say. But the last thing he wanted to do was leave.
He wanted to hug her. He wanted to kiss her. At the very least, he wanted to thank her for the help and for the amazing memories.
Instead, he left without a word.
Twelve
Amber missed Tuck, and the hurt was beyond anything she could have imagined. Each day she arrived at the office and promised herself it would be better. She’d think about him less, stop imagining his voice, stop thinking every set of footsteps in the hallway might be his. She was going to get past it.
Jade was home from the hospital and Crystal was adorable. Though the baby wasn’t the best sleeper in the world. Amber told herself that living in a state of mild sleep deprivation had to be contributing to her depression. Surely, one man couldn’t be the cause of all this.