Chapter 10

Iwas nervous to see Isadora after the kiss. I hoped I hadn't blown my shot with her by moving too fast. When I walked into the lobby, I immediately looked for her but she wasn't around yet. I ordered coffee for her, Spencer, and me.

I settled into my usual spot at the café, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingling with the usual chatter. I couldn't shake the memory of our dinner from my mind.

Spencer showed up a few minutes later. He grabbed his coffee and took a drink. "So, how was it?" he asked.

"How was what?" I asked, feigning ignorance.

"Don't be an asshole. You know what I'm talking about. How was dinner with Isadora? Did you guys fall back into old habits? Was there a sleepover?"

I took a sip of my coffee, debating what I would tell him. He was going to find out the truth eventually. "It was great," I replied, a faint smile playing at the corners of my lips. "I took her out for a nice dinner. We talked about everything except for us. It was a lot like it was in the old days. She's very easy to talk to."

He nodded. "Good, good. And?"

"We kissed."

Spencer's eyebrows shot up in surprise, a chuckle escaping his lips. "That was fast."

"Yep. We kissed and she ran away."

"She ran away?"

I nodded. "Technically she didn't run, but she did walk away."

"Well, I guess the kiss must have been good then," he quipped.

"The kiss was electric."

"Is that why she ran away from you?" he teased.

"She felt it," I said. "She felt the same thing I did. I think it freaked her out. It freaked me out. I honestly don't know if I've ever had such an amazing kiss. It was better than I remembered. I think it scared her."

"Why?"

"She's afraid to fall for me again." I swirled the remnants of my coffee around in the cup. "She has every right to be. I hurt her badly. But I won't do it again. I'm not that same stupid kid that didn't know where he was going in life. She doesn't need to be afraid."

Spencer raised an eyebrow. "And how exactly are you going to reassure her? It's not like saying ‘I won't hurt you' again is going to cut it."

"No," I agreed, setting down my empty coffee cup. "Actions speak louder than words, Spencer. I plan on showing her that I'm a changed man."

"You are going to be spending some time with her," he said. "The skin care client wants a meeting, but she can't get to New York. She needs you to go to Boston. And she's requested Isadora be there as well. Turns out she is a secret weapon."

I grimaced. "I don't know if that's a good idea."

"Why?"

"She's going to think I orchestrated it. I don't want her to think I'm trying to get her alone. If I push too hard, it's only going to push her away."

I glanced up and saw her walk into the lobby. She didn't come to our table like she normally would. She made a beeline for the elevator, which told me she was not ready to see me. I needed to clear the air before we started a new week.

"I'll catch up with you later," I said, rising from my seat and taking Isadora's coffee with me. She was already gone. I stepped into the next elevator and thought about what I was going to say.

When I walked into the office, I didn't see her anywhere. Ultimately, I found her in her office.

"Good morning," I said.

She looked up. "Good morning."

I handed her the coffee. "You seemed to be in a hurry."

"Thank you," she muttered, accepting the cup but avoiding my gaze. There was an awkward silence as she fiddled with the lid. "I had a few early emails to answer," she added in an attempt to explain her hastiness.

"Listen, Isadora," I began, trying to keep my voice steady. "About the kiss…"

"We don't need to talk about it anymore," she said. "We're good. It won't happen again."

"Good," I said with some relief. "I am hoping that coffee is going to butter you up for the news I'm about to deliver."

"What news?" she asked.

"First, I need you to know I didn't set this up."

"What is it?" she asked.

"Spencer just told me the skin care client needs to meet with us to go over some more details," I said. "She is too busy to come to our office. I have to go there. But not just me. She likes you and has asked that you be there as well."

"You want me to go to Boston with you?"

"It's not that I want you to, but it's the job," I corrected. "I mean, I don't not want you to go. I just didn't orchestrate this trip. It's at the client's request."

She took a deep breath. "I see."

I could hear her apprehension. "I assure you, we will have our own rooms and keep it completely professional. This is strictly business. We often have to take these business trips. It's normal. I did not set this up."

I saw the look of relief on her face. That was a little insulting. I didn't think it was such a burden to travel with me. It was making me think there was zero chance she was ever going to forgive me and let me back into her life.

"That's great," she replied.

I was still picking up on her hesitance. I wasn't going to force her to come with me. "If it's an issue, I can talk to the client and let her know you are unavailable. Maybe you can videoconference in."

"It's not that," she said. "I was thinking about Sloane. I need to arrange someone to look after her while I'm away."

I immediately felt like an asshole. I forgot about her daughter. She was a single mom and couldn't just pick up and go at the drop of a hat.

"Of course," I said, nodding. "Take all the time you need to sort things out. And once you're ready, come find me. If it's an issue, let me know. I will talk to the client. We can try and schedule the trip for later or have her come here."

"I'll handle it," she said firmly. "It won't be an issue."

"Okay, then."

I left her office and went to mine. I couldn't help but think the kiss had really fucked things up. It had been impulsive. I was usually much better at controlling myself, but she just drove me crazy.

I sat at my desk, staring blankly at the computer screen in front of me, unable to shake the thoughts of Isadora that consumed my mind.

As much as I tried to focus on the impending meeting, my mind kept flitting back to the night and that kiss. The kiss was supposed to ease the tension between us. But what was meant as a healing touch only seemed to have created a fissure, driving us further apart.

Sighing audibly, I got up and walked to the window. I looked out at the cityscape below and thought back to the first time I ever saw Isadora. She was young and full of life and way out of my league. But damn, there was something about her that pulled me in.

She had captivated me with those innocent blue eyes and she knew she had me.

She shamelessly flirted with me whenever her dad wasn't looking. It had been a bit of a thrill to sneak around. We had both been young and na?ve, thinking we could have a happy ever after. But we came from different worlds. Her father looked at me and saw someone trying to steal his little princess. I was a peasant in his eyes, unworthy of someone like her. He wasn't entirely wrong at the time. But since then, I had proven myself to be worthy of any woman that looked my way—including Isadora.

I groaned and ran my hand over my face. I had to stop thinking about her. She was nothing more than my assistant. There was no point reminiscing about the past if it could never be our future.

I checked the time. It had been an hour and I heard nothing from Isadora. I couldn't sit around and wait. I decided to get another cup of coffee, determined to clear my head with caffeine.

I headed back downstairs and ordered another cup of gourmet coffee. When I stepped off the elevator, I nearly ran into Isadora. "There you are," she said.

"I needed more coffee."

"You could have told me," she replied. "I would have gotten it."

"It's fine."

"I got everything sorted out with my daughter. But I can only be gone one night. I checked with the client, and she said she can meet with us first thing in the morning. I have to be back here by tomorrow."

I nodded. "Perfect."

"I cleared your schedule for the day and tomorrow. I also called the travel department, and they are getting the flight arranged."

She was efficient. "You've been busy."

"You doubted me?" she asked, smiling.

"Not at all. Go on and head home. I'll send a car for you in two hours to take you to the airport."

Isadora stiffened, then nodded. "That works," she said. "See you at the airport, then."

After she left, I watched her go, caught up in that old, familiar feeling of wanting what I could never have. But this was business—and it was high time I started treating it as such.

At the same time, I couldn't let her slip away from me again. I had let her go once before, but I couldn't bear the thought of making the same mistake twice.

Determined to win her back, I made a silent vow to myself as I watched her disappear from view. This time, I wouldn't let her go without a fight. Whatever it took, I was determined to make her mine once again. I would use patience. I would take all the time it required to win her over.

I walked over to Spencer's office.

"What's up?" he asked.

"I'm going on the trip with Isadora," I told him, trying to keep my tone as normal and nonchalant as possible.

He grinned. "Was there any question about that?"

"She has a kid," I reminded him. "She can't just pick up and go on a moment's notice."

"And she didn't want to be alone with you."

"Don't start," I muttered. "I'm going to do this right. We're leaving in a couple of hours, but we'll be back tomorrow afternoon."

"Why not take a couple of days?" he suggested. "Use the time to break down those walls and rekindle that spark."

"I'm not so foolish to believe that a trip will miraculously mend the past," I retorted. "But it's a start. A chance to prove I can be reliable and present in her life."

Spencer raised a brow, obviously amused. "Since when do you care about proving yourself?"

"Since Isadora came back."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "You're head over heels for that woman, aren't you?"

"Maybe."

"Be careful," he warned. "Don't get us slapped with a sexual harassment suit. Make sure you don't press too hard. Listen to her and follow her lead."

I nodded. "Don't worry. I'm not going to mess this up again."