Page 24 of Owning Him
"Oh, come on, big guy," Sarah persists, playfully tapping the cuff of his sleeve. "You can't work all the time. You must get lonely."
He works forme, Sarah.
He isn’t lonely because he hasme.
Inside my head, a red-hot, screaming siren goes off.
Insecure.
Insecure.
Insecure.
I swallow the bitter taste of my own pride and push the door to Sarah’s office all the way open.
Sarah instantly jerks her hand away from Viktor’s sleeve. "Ms. Blackwood! I—we were just—"
"Sarah," I interrupt. I keep my eyes locked strictly on my assistant, actively ignoring Viktor’s presence just inches away. "Did the quarterly projections from the Zurich branch hit your desk yet?"
"Oh. Um, no, not yet, but I can call them right now and—"
"Do that," I order.
Every instinct in my body is screaming at me to look at him, to demand his attention, but I refuse.
He doesn't say a single word.
He was perfectly happy speaking to Sarah just a second ago, but the moment I step in, he shuts down completely.
Fuck.
If I explode and let the jealousy show, I am proving him entirely right. I am proving that I am exactly what he said I was: insecure.
"Actually, Sarah, forget the Zurich files for now," I sigh. "I need you to go down to the archives on the third floor. Personally. Go through the physical paper trails for the 2022 international distribution audits, please."
Sarah’s mouth opens in shock. Pulling those physical files manually will take her hours. In my defense, I truly do need them. I could have let the interns do it, but she just had to flirt with Viktor.
"All of them?"
"Yes. Start now."
"Right away," she murmurs, quickly grabbing her tablet and scrambling out of the office.
With Sarah gone, it leaves just the two of us. But I fight my urge to stay, instead walking out without a backward glance.
Chase me, I think, my chest tightening until it aches.Chase me down like you always do.
For the past month, if I skipped a meal or walked away angry, he would be right on my heels. He would stalk into my office with a loaded salad container or a plate of fruit, cornering me behind my desk, barking orders about my health until I gave in just to quiet him down. I wait for him.
But the hallway behind me remains entirely silent.
He didn't chase me. He isn't coming.
Chapter Sixteen
Valentina
By 3:00 AM, I am pacing around, a silk robe wrapped around my body. I need to sleep, or else I will be an unfunctional wreck in the morning.
