The Wright Boss(27)

We hadn't had a conversation longer than this since he started. He'd given me room to breathe. Even though I couldn't avoid him even if I wanted to.

"You heading out early?" he asked.

I stalled and faced him. "Yeah. It's Friday. Is that a problem?"

He shook his head. "Nope. Not a problem with me."

"Great," I said. "I didn't think I needed permission."

His smile slipped for a second, and then it came back, maxed out. God, that smile.

"You don't. Not from me at least."

"Wonderful," I said drily. I wasn't trying to be a sarcastic bitch, but it was a defense mechanism against his charm.

"Heidi, can we not do this?"

"Oh, I'm Heidi now? What happened to Miss Martin?"

Landon leveled me with a you-know-why-I-said-that look. "If we're going to be around each other, then we should maybe try to be civil. Friends even."



       
         
       
        

"We are friends, Landon," I said with a sad smile. "Just friends."

I pushed past his door and headed for the elevator. I didn't know how much longer I could do this, and it had only been five days.

Landon and I were just friends. All we were ever going to be was friends. Him putting on the charm and smiling at me like that was not helping a goddamn thing.

The elevator doors swung open. I stepped inside and hit the button for the lobby. As the doors were sliding shut, Landon's hand shot out to stop them. He held them open with both hands and intently stared at me.

I swallowed hard and felt my body seize up. Here we were. Just the two of us. Alone. Yet … not exactly alone. Anyone could come around the corner and see us together. Wonder why he was holding the doors open like that while watching me like a starved animal.

"What?" I asked when he didn't say anything.

"Don't walk out of here like this."

I arched an eyebrow. "It's only a half hour early."

"You know what I mean."

"I don't-"

"You walked past my office as if we were strangers. We're not. We haven't had a chance to talk. I haven't even had a chance to apologize."

"Well … don't."

"Don't?" he asked, his brows furrowing.

"Don't apologize. What do you have to apologize for?"

"Let me start a list," he said with a half-grin.

"Your wife showed up, and that was that, Landon," I told him with a one-shoulder shrug.

"That is not what happened."

I shook my head and leaned against the back of the elevator. I didn't want to hear this. I didn't want him to do this right now. I prayed that someone would come and interrupt us, but I wasn't that lucky.

"Just don't, okay?"

The elevator started dinging because Landon had been holding the doors open for so long. He did the unthinkable and stepped into the elevator with me. The doors closed noisily behind him, enclosing us together.

"What are you doing?" I whispered, my voice soft and breathy.

"Having that talk."

He walked forward until only mere inches were between us. I was cursing and also silently thanking Wright Construction for having slow elevators. Because, the last time I had been this close to him, we'd made out. And, suddenly, I couldn't get that thought out of my head. I knew I wanted it again. I could tell that he did.

Just because we had a connection didn't mean we should act on it.

"This is not a good idea," I muttered.

I should have said something more along the lines of, Get the fuck away from me, but my brain was not listening. 

"Everything about you is a good idea, Heidi."

"You are my boss."

"Yeah, I am."

"My job is too important to me. I can't … I don't want to do this."

"Your job isn't in jeopardy."

"It is if you kiss me."

He smiled that brilliant smile. My knees were wobbly. I could tell he liked that I was thinking about kissing him. I mentally kicked myself for bringing it up. But, with him this close, it was getting hard to think properly.

"Next time I kiss you, it will be because you're asking me to, Heidi."

"That's not going to happen," I assured him.

He grinned at me, as if he didn't believe me. Right now … I didn't believe me either.

"Can I see you later?"

"No," I whispered.

"Heidi, come on. Give me a chance."

"I mean, no … I have a date," I said as the elevator reached the bottom floor, and the doors dinged open.

Landon took a shocked step back from me. "A date?"

"Yeah."

"I see."