Her Reluctant Wife: A Lesbian Age Gap Romance

my own. No excuses.” She focused on the paperwork again.

“Can I take that with me and read it over?”

“You can read it here. This doesn’t leave the house without

your signature on it.”

“Okay.”

“You can have the office. I’ll leave you alone.”

She was so composed, and her back was to Coralyn, but she

had the sense of everything tearing wide open. This wasn’t the

moment to leave Giana alone. She could, if she was cruel, but

she wasn’t. Giana, professed ice queen, the woman who gave

the world all of herself professionally and none of herself

personally, had just told her something that she probably

hadn’t told anyone before. Because she was throwing it in her

face? Purposely trying to be mean? Or because she was

struggling, floundering, trying for the first time to reach out?

“Wait.” Giana stopped, but she didn’t turn. Coralyn had to

walk to the door. Had to put her back to it and cross her arms.

Had to wait for Giana to raise her head. Her jaw ticked when

she did. She was shuttered away, her walls back up. She

wanted to bring them down, get the Giana back that she’d

known for such a short time. It wasn’t rational, but nothing

she’d done was. She was already falling, she’d been in a

downward trajectory since she’d gone to Giana’s office the

first time. She couldn’t stop herself. “Giana,” she begged.

“Please don’t go.”

“Don’t worry. If I leave this room, you’re safe here. You’re

far safer here without me.” Her sensual lips turned up into a

hard, perfected smile, the smile of a huntress. It made a hot

shiver race through Coralyn. She’s saying she’s the dangerous

one. She thinks taking herself out of the equation is going to