Liam stops on the other side of the counter, and he nods at Denise. “Everything okay down here?” he asks her, his voice sounding like rough velvet.
Sweet Jesus.
My heart flutters, and I swallow hard.
“Yes, sir,” Denise answers. “Welcome back.”
She gestures at me, and it has me shooting to my feet. Liam’s crystal-clear blue eyes lock with mine, and it feels like I take a physical punch to my gut.
Totally off balance, I hold out a trembling hand and ramble, “Kiara Murphy. It’s a pleasure meeting you, sir. Thank you for the opportunity to work here. I’ll do my best.”
Instead of shaking my hand, Liam’s eyes flick down to my hand, then back to my face. His features look like they’ve been carved from stone, his stare icy.
Shit.
Does he know?
“Welcome to Byrne Enterprises,” he says, his tone unnervingly grim.
Oh, God.
Leaving my hand hanging in mid-air, Liam turns and walks toward the elevators.
I slump back into my chair, a hard tremble wracking my body.
Did Finn tell him a different story, and now he’s judged me before giving me a chance to explain?
“Hey,” Denise says, laying a comforting hand on my forearm. “It’s okay. Liam’s always like that, and I should’ve warned you he hates being touched. That’s why he didn’t shake your hand.”
My head snaps up, a slither of hope unfurling in my chest. “Really?”
Her smile is soft and reassuring. “Yes, don’t worry.”
If only she knew what happened between Finn and me, she might think differently.
God, today’s going to be torturously long.
The internal line rings, the sound making me jump.
“Denise speaking.” My eyes are glued to her face. “Yes, Ma’am, we received them on Friday. Kiara will hand them out today.” She ends the call, then says, “We need to program the access cards and hand them out.”
I let out the breath I was holding, and glad to have something to keep me busy, I get to work.
By the time the day is winding down to an end, and I haven’t seen or heard from Finn, I don’t know what to make of it. It doesn’t make me feel any better. Every time the phone rings, I expect to be called up to the executive floor.
After handing out the last of the access cards and getting the staff members to sign for them, I press the button for the elevator. When the doors open, my stomach drops at the sight of Finn and Liam. Both men look like they’re about to kill someone.
Noticing they’re going up, I say, “I’ll get the next one for the lobby.”
Finn’s eyes rest hard on me while Liam doesn’t even bother glancing at me. The look Finn gives me makes it clear he didn’t forget what happened, and he’s angry as hell.
The doors slide shut, and I let out a breath of air, my heart racing in my chest.
At this rate, I’m going to have a heart attack.
I wait until I’m sure it’s safe before calling an elevator, and when I finally get to sit down in my chair again, my body’s wound tight.
Somehow, I manage to smile at Denise, who’s busy on a call, while my heart beats violently in my chest and a light sweat beads on my forehead.
What am I going to do?
Taking a tissue out of my drawer, I pat the sweat from my forehead while focusing on calming my racing heart.
It’s going to be okay. Just do your work and avoid Finn.
Luckily the lobby isn’t busy, and I manage to regain my composure. Not wanting to think about the problem, I keep myself busy with work, checking everything three times to ensure I don’t make any errors.
The knot in my stomach is burning something fierce.
Denise’s gaze flits over my face. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” I force my lips to curve up.
The internal line rings, and like a coward, I let Denise take the call. She answers, then scrunches her nose. After ending the call, she mutters, “Finn wants to see you.”
Oh, God.
When I hesitate, she adds, “You better head up. He sounded like he’s in one of his moods.”
Reluctantly, I rise to my feet. I wipe my sweaty palms on my sides, dreading what will happen.
Maybe he wants to put the unpleasantness behind us?
That’s wishful thinking, Kiara.
My legs are heavy as I walk to the elevators. The ride up has my heart beating, faster and faster, until it feels like it might burst from my chest.
I feel like a complete mess by the time the doors slide open, and then as if the universe has it out for me, I walk right into a wall of muscle.
Gasping, I bounce back into the path of the closing doors. Liam grabs hold of my shoulders, and I’m yanked forward, slamming into his chest again. This time a woodsy and manly scent hits my nose.
The trembling grows into full-blown tremors rocking through me, my nerves unable to handle much more.