Breathe

by Lila Kane

  I wasn’t ready to tell anyone. The bruises had finally faded, but nothing else had. Not completely.

  Besides, Finn was dangerous. He always made me confide in him whether I originally wanted to or not. He had that quality. Vulnerable when he wanted to be. Trustworthy.

  The elevator dinged on the bottom floor and Finn followed me out. When I turned to him, it was straight to business.

  “Our lobby,” he said, gesturing, “which accesses three towers for various businesses, including our headquarters for Oasis. We’ve filled up half of tower one and have interest for more than half of the other offices in the other towers. If”—he smiled—“When, the trial period is over and we open for good, we won’t lack for renters. Not in the second sector, either.”

  “Housing,” I said, and he nodded approvingly.

  “The Housing Community. Right. We’ll get to that after we see the rest.”

  I followed him to a separate set of doors than the ones I’d entered through. These led to a large community space, big enough to fit a small park. In fact, aside from the trams running alongside and over it, the space reminded me a lot of a park. There were trees, paths, benches and a domed ceiling with dozens of clear glass panels to let in the light.

  “You can’t really imagine it fully when you see the plans on paper,” I said, choosing one of the paths toward the middle of the space.

  “We call it the Commons,” he said, and then touched my back to move us away from a group walking in the opposite direction. I eased from his fingers, keeping my face neutral.

  “I refuse to believe you couldn’t picture this even a little,” he said.

  If I closed my eyes, I could. Before I even came here, I could. But Finn didn’t need to know that I’d thought about this oasis, our vision for what the future could look like. Yes, we’d been in college. Yes, we’d had bigger dreams then—or at least I had. But Oasis wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. Finn had proven that by building it.

  Even without me, he’d probably make it thrive. That was the kind of man he was. Determined, ambitious, almost reckless when it came to both of those. And dedicated.

  At least to business. His personal life was another matter.

  One I’d been trying to forget for six years. I had for a short while, with Mark. Back when I’d thought he was a different person. I seemed to be making that mistake a lot.

  When I looked over, Finn was staring at me. Waiting. It worried me just what he was waiting for.

  “More lights,” I said, blurting the first thing that came to mind.

  “Excuse me?”

  I pointed to the side of the path. It was cement, like a sidewalk, which made sense for the type of shoes that would be walking through here. “If you’re going to have the Commons open in the evenings as well, you’re going to want more lighting. For security purposes and just the general look of things.”

  Finn grinned. “This is exactly the kind of thing we need you for. The specifics. How it all fits together and what will work better.”

  I was good at the specifics. I had to be. Double checking locks, following the same route to work and home again, changing my email passwords every month. I guess I had Mark to thank for that, despite the irony.

  Finn opened his mouth to say something else but seemed to think better of it. “Let’s continue.”

  My heels clicked on the sidewalk as we made it to the center of the Commons, and a building that sat empty for the moment.

  “Security?” I asked.

  Finn rolled his shoulders, stretching his jacket tight across his back for a moment. Don’t look. But that command couldn’t stop images from coming to mind. Whispers of skin in the dark. Those same strong shoulders, muscles bunched in back, as he crawled into bed and beckoned me.

  “I thought the same thing. We’ll have check-ins in Business and Housing, of course, and patrols through the other sectors, but we need a central location.”

  Through the trees, I spotted each community and the trams running to them. A business sector where we began, and Housing, where I’d seen pictures of furnished apartments that had made me drool a little. Sector Four was Entertainment and connected to a mall accessible from the outside. Half of it was still under construction. And the third sector housed Main, where the essentials were. A daycare for employees who worked in Oasis. A market. Even a pharmacy.

  One could live in Oasis for weeks, months even, and never have to step foot into the real world. A haven.

  A thrill of belonging went through me.

  Finn ventured a step closer. Clouds went over the sun outside and his face shadowed. “I can see it. I can tell you feel it.”

  My breath caught. “Feel what?”

  “You belong here.”

  I looked away, unwilling to give in that easily.

  “I have something else to show you before we move on,” Finn said.

  When he reached out, almost like he meant to take my hand, my gaze snapped back to his. His jaw shifted like he’d caught the slip too, and was just as surprised and unhappy about it as I was.

  “It’s just over here,” he said, voice gruff.

  I followed him around the building, where the paths split off. One went in the direction of Main and the other toward Entertainment. Under a nearby tree sat two benches. The air smelled of fresh soil and wood from the seating area.

  In between the benches was a plaque on a stand, similar to those used to dedicate locations to the memory of someone or thank them for their donation.

  My throat dried. My name was on this one.

  I ventured a glance at Finn, but couldn’t hold his gaze.

  The plaque read: To Charlotte Evans, for inspiring this oasis, and so much more.

  “You…” I stepped back from the benches, folding my arms. The sun returned, filling the Commons with slivers of light. “Finn.”

  He smiled.

  “Mr. Moore,” I began again, remembering this was supposed to be a business meeting. “That is just the kind of thing I was talking about. Professionalism.”

  He stepped closer. I lifted my chin, unwilling to be ruffled by him. But under my breath, I muttered, “Professionalism.”

  His lips curved. He was close enough for me to see subtle highlights in his hair, glints of caramel in the dark strands from being out in the sun. There were faint lines around the corners of his mouth—but then, he’d always been quick to smile. It looked like that was still the case.

  “This place belongs to you, too, whether you take the job or not.” Finn’s expression went serious while I tried to decipher the meaning of his words. “You inspired it.”

  I shook my head. “It was just an idea. One we both had. You made it into what it is.”

  “But it wouldn’t be that way without your vision. No—don’t argue. It is what it is. And I want it to be more. I think you know what you want, too.”

  I swallowed a quick retort, then rolled my eyes when he smiled again. “This is business. No room for charm.”

  “There’s plenty of room.” He stepped back. “But not until you agree.”

  “I need…”

  “Space.” He pocketed his hands. “A chance to look around and let your thoughts settle.”

  Damn Finn and his ability to read my mind so easily. But he’d see soon enough that I was nothing like I’d been in college. People had to change to survive, and I was a survivor.

  A survivor who needed this job.

  “Take the afternoon,” he suggested. When he removed his hands from his pockets, he had a credit card, and he passed it over. “Get some lunch—”

  “I can get my own lunch, thank you very much.” I swatted at the card.

  He sighed. “Charlotte. Ms. Moore. It’s from our business account. I was planning on joining you for lunch, as was the rest of the team, but I want you to have the time you need. Alone. Check out the other sectors, familiarize yourself with the layout—you’ll need to know everything about this place. I recommend lunch at the hote
l restaurant. Sit out on the patio if you’d like.”

  When he continued to hold out the card, I took it and tucked it in my purse. “Thank you.”

  “Join me when you’re finished and we’ll talk business.”

  Business I could handle. I nodded and watched him stroll away like he already knew my answer.

  As I turned to the Entertainment Community, I was pretty sure I knew my answer as well.

  CHAPTER TWO

  By the time I returned to the Business Community, my feet ached and the sun was beyond the dome of the Commons. The workday was almost over and I walked against the flow of businessmen and women exiting the elevator.

  Another man followed me inside. He pressed twenty-two and turned to me. “Where to?”

  “The same,” I said.

  He grinned as the elevator doors closed. “Are you Charlotte Evans?”

  “Yes.” I shifted from my left foot to my right, trying to ease the ache. “How did you know?”

  “We’ve all been waiting to get a glimpse of you.”

  “All?”

  His smile came easily again. “Just a few of us from the team that’s been working with Mr. Moore.”

  “Right. And I missed the meeting.”

  He shrugged, and there was an easy way about it that set me at ease. “It was a tentative meeting at best. Mr. Moore said he wasn’t sure whether or not you wanted a tour first.”

  It hadn’t looked like a tentative meeting with them standing in the lobby waiting for me. But Finn was the boss, and I doubted people questioned him when he said he needed to move around schedules.

  “So you’ve been working on this project with Mr. Moore?” I asked.

  God, it felt so strange to call him by his last name. To consider him my boss. He’d exuded much of the same confidence when we were younger, but we were always on the same level or even fighting for the lead in our relationship. And now he was my boss.

  If I said yes to the job.

  “I’m Tucker, by the way.” Tucker reached out a hand and I took it as the elevator neared our floor. “And yes. It fell in my lap in a manner of speaking, but I’ve been here since almost the beginning. But now that we’ve moved into the building and you’re here…I’m kind of in between jobs. Or I will be shortly.”

  The elevator dinged and we stepped out. Leslie still sat at the front desk. She gave us a warm smile, though it seemed more aimed at Tucker than me.

  When I walked to her desk, I reached out a hand. “I’m Charlotte, since I didn’t properly introduce myself earlier.”

  She eyed my hand before taking it.

  “And I’m sorry,” I added, offering her the smile I should have given earlier. “For being rude when I first got here.”

  Tucker lifted his eyebrows but didn’t say a word. He tucked his hands in his pockets and waited.

  “Apology accepted,” Leslie said. Her smile turned warm, and I was relieved she didn’t seem to expect an explanation. “How did you like the tour?”

  “This place is a work of art. I didn’t even get to see it all, but I…” I glanced to the glass paneling but didn’t spot Finn inside. “I’m looking forward to seeing more.”

  Which meant I was taking the job. Which meant I had to tell Finn. Which meant…we had to set rules. Boundaries. No talking about the past. In fact, no talking about anything that didn’t involve work. Easier said than done when he seemed more than willing to discuss what had gone on in our relationship.

  “I’m glad.” Leslie stood and stacked a few papers before settling them in a file. “Almost ready.”

  Tucker nodded, looking relaxed as he leaned on the surface. It hit me that they might be an item. I didn’t know either of them well enough to ask.

  Instead, I gestured to Finn’s office. “Is Mr. Moore in?”

  “He is,” Leslie said. “You can head on back.”

  “Nice to meet you,” I said to Tucker as I walked to Finn’s office.

  He echoed the sentiment before the door closed behind me. The sound of running water caught my attention and I looked to the mini bar along the wall on the opposite side of the office near the table.

  Finn stood with his back to me, hands under the water at a sink and his neck arched back like it was the nicest thing he’d experienced all day. I was anticipating the same feeling when I finally got to take off my heels.

  “Hi, Charlotte,” Finn said, still facing the sink.

  “Professionalism.”

  His deep voice filled with amusement when he said, “Ms. Evans.”

  Better. I waited for him to turn. When he did, he snatched a hand towel off the counter. His tie was loose and his collar unbuttoned. Only a glimpse at his throat had my mouth going dry. I used to kiss him right there, in the hollow. Or run my lips just under the hard line of his jaw, brushing the slight spray of stubble. I’d never done that with Mark. Or maybe only once or twice, way back at the beginning when I believed he was who he said he was.

  “How was your afternoon?” Finn asked, tossing the towel aside. He kept his distance, leaning against the counter with effortless grace.

  “Productive. I walked through most of the third sector and talked with a guy named Curtis, from security. He agreed about a centralized location just as we had discussed. The restaurants around the rim of the Entertainment Community are more than happy to deliver to Housing, so I think we ought to provide their menus in each of the apartments. We could also—”

  Finn chuckled and I broke off.

  “What?” I asked.

  “I forgot how consumed you get,” he said. When I frowned, he shook his head. “I meant that as a compliment. You jump in and do it all. It’s…”

  He didn’t finish the sentence. I didn’t want him to. It was black and white. Either I was doing my job or I wasn’t—and if I was planning on staying, I was going to do my job.

  So I came right out with it. “I’m taking the job.”

  He pushed away from the counter and gestured to the table. “Let’s discuss.”

  I didn’t argue, even though I was ready to get somewhere more comfortable. To take off my shoes, take a bath, open a bottle of wine—no champagne—and relax. I didn’t care if my mind stayed on work, but I definitely wanted off my feet.

  I sighed when I sank into the cushioned chair. Finn sat across from me, his lips curving in that knowing way of his.

  “You must be exhausted. Can I get you something to drink?”

  “No. I’m ready to settle in for the night, so I’d like to make sure business is out of the way.”

  A muscle worked in his jaw, but he only nodded. “Of course. You know the details of the position—an on-site manager of sorts. All the kinks have to be worked out by the time we have our grand opening. Everything.”

  “Do I get my own office?” I asked.

  He relaxed in his chair, swiveling to cross his ankle over the opposite knee. “Of course. Yours is to the right of Leslie’s desk, just down the hall. It’s got a nice view and—”

  “It’s up here? So close to yours?”

  He grinned. “We like to keep things cozy around here.”

  “Funny. I’m assuming it’s more out of practicality. But what about the rest of the team?”

  “Just the crew in the office downstairs,” he said. “And most of them were only here until we launched the soft opening. I’ll be here until the project is complete to oversee things until it’s final.”

  Of course. Not just because his company financed projects like this, but Finn liked to be in the thick of things. After all, it reflected on him and his family and his company.

  “Leslie is my assistant,” he continued, “and—”

  “Leslie,” I said.

  He nodded. “Yes, I call her by her first name. And she’s not the only one. So if you don’t want to stand out, you could relax your professionalism rule just slightly. Charlotte.”

  “Mr. Moore,” I answered, “you’re welcome to call me Charlotte. But I’ll stick with the mor
e professional side of things for now.”

  I already had to work in the same building as the man. Keeping him at as much of a distance as possible was necessary. At least until I could stand to be around him without feeling the crack in my heart. It had almost mended. Almost. Keeping my distance, moving on…I thought it had been enough.

  But the next several months were going to be a test. I had to prove to myself I could be my own person.

  Finn leaned in, eyes the shade of cobalt, and trapped my gaze in his. “I’m glad you said yes.”

  Yanking my gaze away, I checked my watch. “I am, too.”

  It was the escape I was looking for. And now I needed an escape from this room before things got too friendly.

  Before I could stand, Finn’s hand came out, capturing mine on top of the table. I tensed, my chest tightening. Not because he’d overstepped the boundaries, but because it had come out of nowhere. No warning and I was trapped.

  “You need to let go of me now,” I said, voice low and firm.

  Finn withdrew his hand, but his gaze still seared mine. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

  I gritted my teeth. “Too late.”

  His face clouded over. I’d taken the stab at him more because I was afraid, not because I wanted to hurt him. But I saw that it had—and part of me wondered why. He’d made the choice to end our relationship. He’d made his choice to move on so quickly, so fully. To go out that same evening and make out with some random girl from the bar. He’d made lots of other choices, too, and didn’t seem to care that he’d hurt me. So why did it matter now?

  I got to my feet, even though they protested. I was tired now. I needed the evening to regroup. Finn seemed to recognize that immediately, and he stood as well, abandoning what he was about to say.

  “Your apartment has been prepared,” he said. “Fully furnished, as we discussed, and—”

  “Hold on. You already have a place for me?”