Page 99 of Over the Limit

“They are a bit much.” He angles his head to the side. “And probably draw more attention to me than not.”

“Well, it is a bit strange to have sunglasses on at one in the morning.” I lift them up so I can see his eyes. “And it’s a shame to hide these gorgeous eyes from me.”

“There’s nothing I hide from you.” He links our fingers again and we begin walking back toward my place.

The streets are littered with people for this time of the “morning,” but everyone is busy with their own conversations or on the phone and aren’t looking our way.

It’s the freest we’ve been in public since this whole thing started between us two months ago. It gives me the sweetest glimpse of what is in our future, and I couldn’t be more excited for it.

“Hey, Lach?” I murmur.

“Hmm?” He brings our linked hands to his lips and presses a kiss to the backside of my hand.

“Thanks for taking me out to play.”

He chuckles. “Playing with you is my best kind of fun.”

“That sounds dirty.”

“I am dirty.”

“Guess what?” I ask, preparing myself for the race I’m about to gladly lose.

“What?”

“Tag. You’re it.” I take off down the street, running like a madwoman. A woman who knows she is no match for a man who does daily cardio and lifts weights without ever breaking a sweat. But it’s my own homage to what started this. The night on the golf course. Our first kiss. The start of twenty-one days and then . . . all of the above.

I revel in the few seconds of advantage I have before his footsteps sound behind me. Lachlan grabs me from behind and swings me around in a circle as we both cry out in laughter.

I’m dizzy from the action, from the way he makes me feel, and from the moment.

And when I spin back around so that we’re body to body, face-to-face, I notice his hat has fallen off with our swinging before I take advantage of our breathless moment and kiss him again.

Our kiss dissolves into laughter as we both break to catch our breaths.

And it’s then that I look up and directly into the eyes of Paolo, standing about twenty feet away.

He looks from me to Lachlan and then back to me again. The set to his jaw matches the intensity in his eyes as we stare at each other.

Oh. Shit.

I stand there in a suspended state of disbelief. One where my two worlds collide. Two worlds that now may implode.

“Um. Paolo.” But as soon as I utter the words, he just gives the slightest shake of his head before turning on his heel and walking the other way.

My heart drops into my stomach. Instinct has me wanting to rush after him, needing to explain, and feeling like I need to right everything about this.

“Don’t.” Lachlan holds on to my arm as I start to go after him. I try to shrug out of his grip as every part of me riots inside. “I know you want to, but chasing after him will just make it worse. Give it a day. I know it will kill you but let him sort through things.”

Tears burn in my eyes. “You don’t understand,” I murmur as he stoops down to pick up his hat and puts it back on his head.

He turns me to face him, his eyes clear. “I don’t pretend to understand, but I know it’ll work out. You’re working your arse off on an incredible event. It’s going to go flawlessly. And that is all you need to do to prove your worth. Who you spend your time with in private doesn’t matter.”

I worry my bottom lip between my teeth and stare at the empty space where my boss was.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Blair