I lean back against the wall, out of sight. Riley has been chatting up Aria for a while now, and whatever it is he’s asking of her, she seems to be agreeing.
Riley is grinning when Aria rises to her feet, and I tense when she grabs her handbag.
“Where are you going?”
She tenses when she hears my voice behind her. Her eyes roam over my body, taking in the suit I’m wearing today. That look in her eyes… the attraction, it sets me at ease.
“Grabbing coffee,” Riley says.
I look at Aria, trying to read her. Is she going on a fucking coffee date with Riley? “Great,” I murmur. “I can do with one.”
She looks startled, and I wonder if she actually wanted to go out with him. She looks beautiful today in that summer dress, and I wonder if she wore it for Riley. Am I interrupting something here?
I close the distance between Aria and me, and I breathe a sigh of relief when she smiles.
“Let’s go,” I say, placing my hand on her lower back.
Riley looks annoyed to find his plans disrupted, but I don’t give a fuck. I see the way he looks at Aria. Not on my fucking watch.
“Oh boss, we wouldn’t want to intrude on your busy schedule,” Riley says, and I ignore him.
Instead, I lead Aria out the door, taking in her every move and expression. She seems a little nervous, and I want to know why.
All I’ve been able to think about all morning is the way we woke up together. The way she pushed her body against mine, the way her curves felt… I was sure she wanted me. Yet here I am, watching her smile at Riley as though he’s the only person in the world.
I’m annoyed by the time we reach the quaint little diner she wanted to go to. What the fuck am I even doing here? Aria hasn’t spoken a word to me, and it’s clear I’m intruding.
“Gray,” she says, her eyes finding mine. “Wanna share a caramel macchiato with me? They always make me feel sick, but I really want one.”
I smile. I can’t help it. It’s something so small, yet it makes my damn day. I see the way Riley tenses, and a petty part of me revels in it.
“Sure,” I say, reaching for her. I brush a strand of hair out of her face, and the way she smiles at me makes my heart skip a beat.
Riley falls completely silent as we search for a table, and I ignore him as I pull Aria’s seat out for her. She sits down next to me, and I wrap my arm around the back of her chair.
Riley clenches his jaw, and I recognize the helplessness in his eyes. I should feel bad, but I don’t.
“So, how do you two know each other?” Riley asks. “I knew you personally hired her, but considering how good she is at her job, I figured it couldn’t be nepotism. But maybe it was.”
Aria tenses, and I tighten my grip on her chair. She looks down at her coffee, trying to hide her expression. But she’s an open book to me.
“Does it matter?” I ask. “Why do you care how she came in, so long as she does her job? Come to think of it… didn’t she fix the mess you left us with? The months of delay, who fixed that?”
Aria places her hand on my knee and shakes her head. “You’re right, Riley. It absolutely was nepotism. Grayson gave me the chance of a lifetime, and I’m grateful for it every day. I’m working as hard as I can, every single day.”
He looks away, clearly feeling guilty. I get why he’s lashing out, but Aria doesn’t. She thinks he’s concerned about the quality of her work, this silly girl. She can’t see how much her colleagues admire her. How much I admire her.
She takes a sip of her coffee, and some of the foam sticks to her lips. I lean in and wipe it away with my thumb before raising it to my lips and sucking it off. Aria’s eyes widen, and her cheeks redden beautifully.
All the while, Riley’s expression keeps turning darker. I’m not done, though. I see the way he stares at her at work. Aria might be clueless, but I’m not.
“She’s an old friend,” I say, wrapping my arm around her shoulder. I take her coffee from her and raise it to my lip. I smile as I take a sip from the lipstick-stained cup. “She’s also my roommate.”
Aria tenses, and so does Riley. “You two… you live together?”
“When Gray offered me a job, I had no place to stay,” she says, and it irritates me she’s trying to justify why she lives with me. Is she scared Riley will misunderstand?
He glances between the two of us, and I take another leisurely sip of Aria’s sugary drink. He’s about to speak up when his phone rings. He sighs and shakes his head as he picks up. “It’s Elliot,” he says.
Aria glances at me while Riley takes the call, and I see the questions in her eyes. I’m struggling to push down my possessiveness today. I don’t know what it is, or what changed, but I’m no longer willing to risk letting her slip away. I know Noah would be furious if I make a move on her… but I’ll deal with that. I’m done sitting still and watching her slip away.
“I have to head back to the office,” Riley says, looking agitated. “Let’s catch up soon,” he adds, his eyes on Aria.
She turns to me the second he’s out of sight, her brows scrunched up in annoyance. “What was that?” I feign ignorance and shrug. “Grayson,” she says, her tone putting me on edge.
“What? It’s not like you could’ve kept us living together from him forever. With the way he continuously flirts with you, it was bound to come up.”
“He doesn’t flirt with me,” she says, her eyes wide.
I lean in and cup her cheek, my thumb tracing over her red lips. “Oh yeah? Didn’t he take you out for lunch a while ago, just the two of you? Let me guess… he took you somewhere nice and romantic? And what about all the times he hangs out at your desk, pretending to need your help just so he can be near you? You’re fucking clueless, Aria. So fucking clueless.”
“Clueless?” she repeats, her eyes flashing with anger.
I let go of her and take another sip of her coffee, irritated. “Forget it,” I tell her. “Flirt with him all you want. Date him, for all I care. I’ll stay out of your business.”
“Oh, so you won’t care if I take him home one day, then? You won’t care if I date him, or if I sleep with him?”
Rage almost consumes me at the mere thought of her with him, but I force myself to stay calm.
“I didn’t realize that was on your mind at all,” I tell her. “You can do whatever you want, Aria, but don’t you even fucking dream of bringing him into my home. I promised Noah I’d take care of you. I’m going to do just that.”
She pales and looks away. How did we get into this mess? Why couldn’t I just keep my damn mouth shut? Why did I have to crash her coffee date?
“Fine,” she says, and I know it isn’t fine at all. I might very well have pushed her into his arms when I meant to do the opposite.
She rises from her seat, her eyes flashing with anger. Her movements are rough as she grabs her bag and turns to walk away.
I’m tempted to follow her, but I’ve already done enough damage today.
