53. Chapter Fifty-Two

Chapter Fifty-Two

Pete

B rooke Corvina walks confidently in heels, wearing a vaguely salty expression that her slightly dramatic eye-makeup only seems to emphasize. She’s in a plain black dress that hugs her body tightly, and her shoulder-length blonde hair is poker straight and shines like spun gold.

No one puts this kind of effort in for nothing.

If I didn’t already know she’s the woman Lana has a connection with, I would have figured it out pretty quickly. She gives me a suspicious once over as she comes to a stop outside the office door, then her gaze moves to Lana, and her expression warms right up.

“Hey, Brooke,” Lana greets, her skin flushing.

“Hey, Lana. Am I interrupting anything?” she asks, raising at eyebrow at me.

“Uh, no,” Lana says, after a second of hesitation. “Could you just give us a minute?”

“Oh, sure,” Brooke says with a nod. “I brought Kellan, by the way. He went to the break room for coffee, and he doesn’t need to be in on this. But if you think you’d prefer it, I can bring him in?”

It’s a loaded question, and it hangs in the air like a bullet coming out of a gun in slow motion.

Does Lana want to be alone with her, or doesn’t she?

Lana presses her lips together. She doesn’t seem to know what to say.

It feels like she’s panicking, so I smile at Brooke, and I take over.

“It should really just be the two of you,” I tell her. “Come in and get comfy.”

I take Lana’s hand, and she follows my lead as I step back to let Brooke into the office.

“First time I’ve actually wanted to be in this office,” Brooke jokes. “Feels kinda weird.”

Lana laughs. “Believe me, it’s weird for me, too.”

Brooke moves over to the couches and perches on the one closest to the door.

I nod to Lana and her lips form an ‘O’ as she realizes what I’m silently signalling.

“I’ll just be a sec,” she tells Brooke, before I lead her into the hall.

She closes the door behind us and lets out a breath.

“I’m so sorry,” she murmurs. “I kind of forgot she was going to come out here.”

“It’s okay,” I assure her. “I know she’s special to you.”

“She isn’t here about that,” she says, shaking her head.

“No woman puts on a dress that tight without a reason.”

Her eyes widen and she blinks at me. “Oh my God.”

“Whatever happens, we’ll figure it out.”

I don’t think that reassures her like I thought it would.

She looks more worried than she already did.

I keep one hand in mine, and I lift her chin with the other, bringing her gaze up to meet mine.

“You’re my mate now, Lana. Try to trust me. If this woman is something you need in your life, we’ll find a way to make it work.”

“Holy fuck,” she whispers as she looks back at me. “You’re my mate.”

Now that makes me smile. “Say that again, louder this time.”

She smiles back. “You’re my mate.”

I kiss her and she relaxes.

Not completely, but enough.

I step back and put my hand on the door handle.

“I’ll be right out here if you need me.”

She nods, stepping into the room when I hold the door open for her.

I close it and I wait. What happens next is up to Lana.