Graham was waiting for me outside the bathroom. “Everything okay? I saw Avery follow you in.”

“Fine.” I forced a smile. After a few steps, I decided I needed to know more. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“Who is Avery’s best friend?”

Graham raked a hand through his slicked back hair. “Her best friend is my ex, Genevieve.”

CHAPTER 11

GRAHAM

SOMETHING HAD CHANGED AFTER SORAYA’S VISIT to the ladies’ room last night. Before that, she was being her usual sarcastic self—charming the pants off a sixty-year-old pharmaceutical researcher by being nothing other than who she is. After, though, she was quiet and withdrawn. When we arrived back at her apartment, she didn’t invite me in, and her kiss was missing the usual fire that burned between us. Afraid to push, I waited to see what would happen the next day. Nothing had happened. And here I was sitting in my office on Saturday afternoon staring at a pile of prospectuses. My concentration had gone to shit since that woman stormed into my life.

I picked up my phone, then tossed it back on my desk. By three o’clock, I had repeated the motion twenty fucking times. Eventually, I grumbled to myself what a pussy I was and thumbed off a quick text.

Graham: We survived the two events. Do we still have a deal?

I stared at the damn phone until the dots started to jump around. My anxiety level grew as they started, then stopped, then started again. No thought was necessary to text back that our deal of exclusivity was sealed. What are you thinking, Soraya Venedetta?

Soraya: Are you sure that’s what you want?

There was no stopping as I texted my response.

Graham: It’s what I’ve wanted since day one. These little tests were your idea.

Soraya: I’m nervous.

I hit call, rather than play a game of guess what you’re really thinking texting. She picked up on the first ring.

“What did she say to you?”

“Avery?”

“Who else?”

“I told you already.”

“Tell me again. I’m missing something.”

“I don’t remember her exact words.”

“Tell me what you remember.”

“Well. She basically stalked me while I peed. Then told me she was doing a service to womankind by warning me about you.”

“Go on.”

“There wasn’t much else. She said I wasn’t worth her time and that I would figure it out on my own eventually. Then she told me to ask you why you were set on destroying her best friend’s husband’s company.”

“I had already told you about Liam and Genevieve. He’s a competitor.”

She was quiet for a minute. “I googled you and Liam this morning.”

Blowing out a deep breath, I leaned back into my chair. “And…”

“There was a bunch of articles about how you are trying to do a hostile takeover of his company.”

“That’s right.”

“The articles all said you were overpaying market value by almost double. I don’t know much about business, but why would you do that? If it wasn’t to destroy a man because you still had feelings for the woman he stole from you? The woman whose name was tattooed on your body?”

“That’s what this is about?”

“I’m nervous, Graham. I feel like you could swallow me whole.”

“I’ve been trying to.”

“Yes, that, too. But you know what I mean.”

“You’re afraid I’m going to hurt you?”

She sighed. “Yes.”

“Liam’s company owns a twenty-three percent stake in Pembrooke Industries. Last year, I purchased twenty-eight percent in Pembrooke under a straw corporation to which I’m the sole shareholder. If I acquire Liam’s company, it comes with his shares in Pembrooke. That would give me fifty-one percent ownership and controlling interest. That interest is worth more than double Liam’s company alone. I’m after Pembrooke, not Liam. The analysts assume it’s because of a grudge since he was my former employee.”

“So you aren’t still in love with Genevieve?”

“No. And if you’re concerned, you could have come to me, Soraya.”

“I’m sorry. I guess I’m just totally freaked out by what’s happening between us.”

“As am I. But you know what I realized?”

“What’s that?”

“Freaked out or not, whatever it is that’s going on, it’s going to happen. Neither one of us has the ability to stop it. So why don’t you get your ass down here to my office and tell me you’re sorry for jumping to conclusions in person.”