GAVIN
She’s radiant in the morning light. No makeup. No heels. Just comfort and presence and a glimmer of that sharp brain behind her eyes. And that’s the thing that keeps wrecking me.
It’s not just her body—though God knows that’s a problem too. It’s everything else. The way she thinks. The way she’s already made herself indispensable and still doesn’t believe she belongs. I have to fix that. I have to stop being a chicken s**t when it comes to this.
“There’s something I need to say, Parker.”
“I’m listening.”
“I’ve been holding back since the moment you walked into VT because I thought it would be safer. For you. For me. For the company. But the truth is, I’m f*****g miserable pretending you’re just my assistant.”
Her eyes fly open.
“I’m not trying to scare you,” I add quickly. “Bu
