And then, last night, after thinking about Beckett before going to sleep, like the lost, lonely numpty I was, I’d dreamt about him.
We were back in the ShayKi offices, no doubt triggered by the message from Shay, and I’d been arguing with Kieran about something that made no sense, when I’d looked up and seen Beckett standing there. He’d walked over and enfolded my hand inside his huge one, towering above my old friends, and I’d leaned close enough for my arm to brush against his side.
I’d felt seen, and understood, and loved. What rocked me was that I’d known, subconsciously, that I was also desired.
This man would fight dragons, if I asked him to. While reassuring me that he absolutely believed I had what it took to conquer them myself.
I woke up, hot and flustered and feeling things I’d long forgotten about, and wondered how long it was appropriate for someone in my situation to wait before falling in love again.
I feared it was already too late.
Leo started working for ShayKi three weeks after the summer party. I hadn’t been surprised when he’d got the job in the design team. What had rattled me was when Kieran invited me into his office and introduced me to his brother.
Leo smiled politely. ‘We met briefly at the summer party, but I wouldn’t expect you to remember.’
I gave a tight smile in return, making a sterling effort to retain my composure, while inwardly fuming that he’d omitted such pertinent information. ‘Sorry, I met a lot of people that evening.’
His eyes remained brazenly on mine. ‘Well, I’m a great admirer of your work. I’m looking forward to seeing how things operate behind closed doors, as it were.’
‘I wouldn’t expect our paths to cross that often, but welcome to ShayKi. I wish you all the best.’
Did he have the audacity to try to flirt with me? In front of Kieran?
With a brief nod at no one in particular, I excused myself and marched back to my office, where I firmly closed the door, then leant against it, eyes closed and hand pressed against my chest until it stopped heaving, like a maiden in a Mills & Boon story.
After we’d kissed in the hotel garden that night, we’d done more talking and laughing and then kissed a whole lot more before I’d firmly sent Leo off in a taxi and crept up to bed, assuming that was that. I had noted the new follower ‘LondonLeoDesign’ on my neglected Instagram, but hadn’t added anything apart from ShayKi posts since the party.
Of course, I’d spent the past few weeks thinking about him, replaying our conversations and blushing as I remembered our midnight kisses in the garden.
Now, he was working here. A one-time interaction with someone Shay went on to hire wouldn’t be a major issue, if we both acted professionally from now on. However, snogging Kieran’s brother was something I had no framework of reference for. He still had layers of issues surrounding his dad’s other family, ones Shay had barely been able to uncover, let alone me. I could foresee only trouble and heartache, and angry firings leading to a nightmare lawsuit if anything happened between us again.
The problem was, there had been nothing professional in that stare. Or the way he’d held up his coffee mug as I’d glanced back and caught him still watching me through Kieran’s open office door.
What scared me the most was how, underneath the annoyance and anxiety, that stare sparked a frisson of anticipation. The newly discovered rash part of me from the party was thrilled by the blatant hunger I’d seen burning in those electric-blue eyes.
I did half-heartedly discuss with my co-directors whether there could be any issue with employing a close relative. Shay confirmed that Leo had bags of talent and excellent experience, and while we’d worked hard to avoid nepotism since those early years in our attic workshop, we weren’t going to reject an applicant on the basis that he shared Kieran’s deadbeat dad.
It took three agonising days before Leo knocked on my office door.
‘I was hoping to chat to you about one of the induction forms.’
I nodded to indicate he could come in. ‘Oh? Which one?’
He closed the door and took a seat across from me. ‘I don’t mind. Any of them.’
I closed my laptop, hoping he couldn’t hear my heart thudding beneath my dress. ‘Excuse me?’
Leo grinned. ‘It was the best reason I could come up with to come to your office.’
‘Leo.’ I sighed. ‘You know we can’t do this.’
‘What, talk about induction forms?’
I did my best to sound stern. ‘This is highly inappropriate.’
His voice softened. ‘Tell me to get lost, and I’ll go.’
He stayed.
