“Sorry, sir, I know you’re busy but Miss Carlysle is here to see you.”
It took him a moment to realize Miss Carlysle was in fact Josie. He straightened, ending the call without hesitation.
“Josie’s here?” he asked sharply. “Send her in immediately.”
Eleanor disappeared and Ash was already on his feet striding toward the door to meet Josie when she came in. Josie hadn’t been to his office before. Hell, he didn’t even remember if he’d told her where he worked.
A moment later, the door pushed open and Josie walked slowly in, her face pale, eyes swollen. Like she’d been fucking crying.
He was in front of her in seconds, pulling her into his arms. She went stiff and rigid and utterly unyielding.
“What’s wrong?” he demanded. “What’s upset you, Josie?”
She pried herself away from him and walked by, toward the middle of his office where she just stood, back turned, her spine stiff.
His gaze narrowed. “Josie?”
When she didn’t respond he reached for her, turning her to face him. What he saw in her face he didn’t like one bit. Dread gripped him by the balls as he took in her lifeless eyes.
Josie always shined. That was just her. She could light up a room just by walking into it. She sparkled, had a gorgeous smile and her eyes were always bright and sunny. Like every other part of her.
But not today. She looked worn. Sad. She looked devastated.
When she pulled away from him again, his lips came together in a tight line.
“Remember what I said, Josie. When you and I are talking and especially if you’re upset about something, we do not discuss it with a room between us. You’re pushing me away, and that is not an option.”
When he would have pulled her to him, she put both arms out, effectively blocking him.
“You don’t get an option,” she said tightly. “We’re over, Ash. I’ve moved my stuff back to my apartment.”
He couldn’t even control his reaction. Of the hundred different things she could have said, he would have never imagined her saying this. What the ever-loving fuck?
“The hell we’re over,” he bit out. “What the fuck is going on, Josie?”
“I saw the paintings,” she said hoarsely. “All of them.”
Fuck.
He blew out his breath and ran a hand raggedly through his hair. “Not the way I wanted you to find out, baby.”
“No, I guess it wasn’t,” she said scornfully. “I don’t imagine you wanted me to find out at all.”
“You’re not moving out and calling it quits just because I didn’t tell you I was the one who bought your paintings.”
“Watch me,” she said in an icy tone that was just not her.
“Baby, you need to calm down and let me explain. We’ll talk this out and then we’ll move on. But I’m not having this goddamn conversation in my fucking office and I’m damn sure not having it with you four feet away from me and you building a fucking wall between us.”
“Calm down?” she demanded. “You lied to me, Ash. You lied. And I’m supposed to discuss and move on?”
“I never lied to you,” he bit out.
“Don’t give me that crap. You did lie and you know it. Moreover you made a gigantic fool out of me. All those times when I was so excited over selling those paintings. You let me talk about it with your friends. You let me feel like I’d done something great. That I was able to support myself. That I had money. Options. A future. God, you really did a number on me, Ash. And every single part of it is and was a lie.”