He leapt from his chair and ran after her, stopping her just before his office door with a firm hold around her upper arm. Sticking his head round the door, he caught sight of Gloria as she looked up, her questioning gaze meeting his. Smiling at her, he slowly shut the door.
And turned to face the most impossible woman he’d ever met.
“Running away isn’t going to solve this, Gracie.”
She pressed herself against the wall and appeared to be holding her breath before she let it out in a shaky exhale. “I’m not running away.”
“Bullshit.”
She glared. “Isn’t this hard for you? All of this pretending? Carrying on like nothing is wrong, like we’re just co-workers and nothing else? Or is your heart made of steel and you’re already over what happened between us?”
That did it. She was the one who moved through life encased in solid steel armor, deflecting everyone and every unwanted emotion that came her way. And she had the gall to accuse him of being the heartless one?
“I can’t even believe you have the nerve to say that to me,” he said, his lips so tight with anger he could barely speak. “You’re the one who shuts down emotionally. You’re the one who constantly pushes me away. You’re the one who asked to keep our relationship strictly professional. So I give you that and you still can’t handle it.”
“Fine. You’re much stronger than me and I’m a big wimp. Is that what you want to hear?” She tossed the words at him and he wondered if she’d come in here looking for a fight.
Perfect. She’d just found one. He’d been walking around in a quiet rage for days.
“I want to hear you tell the truth for once. That’s what I
want. Tell me why you can’t go to California with me, Gracie. It’s the event of a lifetime as far as your career goes and now you’re refusing to go. It makes no damn sense. This isn’t like you, you’re stronger than that. I know it. So give me the real reason you’re trying to bail.”
Gracie braced herself against the wall, wishing like crazy she hadn’t gone with her earlier impulse to talk to Hunter.
He appeared livid, his eyes such a dark blue they were almost black, and his entire body radiated tension. Like he was eaten up with anger, but there was more to it, she could tell. Shadows darkened beneath his eyes, his skin wan and haggard, his mouth pulled into an automatic frown. He was upset. Something was eating at him, and she had the distinct feeling she was the source.
She hated that. Had never wanted it to be like this between them, but he made her feel the same. The mere thought of going to California with him again had gnawed at her for days, and she knew she’d never make it. Despite how hard she’d worked on the Worthwhile launch and how badly she wanted to see it through, she knew emotionally it would be trying, to say the least. Who was she fooling, claiming she could deal with Hunter on a work-only basis after what they’d shared?
Herself, that’s who she’d fooled. Well, it hadn’t lasted long.
Waking up that morning filled with resolve, she’d come into work extra early, hoping he’d show up as well. And he had, luckily enough for her. But the moment she slipped into his office, dread swept through her. He looked so incredibly handsome, smelled so good. She’d wanted to run into his arms and beg him never to let her go.
Instead she’d stammered like a ninny and tried to bail on him. He’d become even more infuriated with her. Now he demanded she be truthful.
Yeah, right. It wasn’t that easy.
“I’m not as strong as you think I am.” She kept her voice soft. Her entire body trembled and she braced herself more firmly against the wall. Needed it to support her before she slid to the floor in a crying, shaking mess.
Hunter nodded once, encouraging her to carry on.
Taking a deep breath, she tried her best. “Maybe this isn’t working out so well, Hunter. It might be better if I—” She paused and closed her eyes, desperate to calm her racing heart. “Maybe I should leave Worth.”
The silence that stretched between them was deafening, and she cracked open her eyes. Saw Hunter standing before her, his expression incredulous, his lips parted as if he attempted to speak, but not a sound came out.
“No,” he finally spit out.
She frowned. “What do you mean, ‘no’?”
“You’re not going to leave Worth because of what happened between us. No way.” He shook his head. “I’m not going to be responsible for that.”
“It’s not your fault, it’s mine.”
“Everyone will think I’m responsible.”
“Who’s going to think that? No one knows what happened between us.”
“Right. And when you leave now in the middle of a campaign, they’re all going to think I’m at fault. That I’m the asshole boss who drove his best employee away.”