Always A Pleasure [Book 2]

Fifteen

Five days passed where Harrison controlled himself when it came to Katherine. He avoided any situations where the two of them would be one-on-one, using Roberts and Bates as buffers when needed. He didn't make conversation with her outside of work-related situations, and he was proud of himself for how much restraint he showed when all he wanted to do was make her his.

The moment she stepped in his office to air her grievances about him ignoring her, he felt blindsided because he thought he was doing what was best. He thought after their conversation that she understood that what they were doing with one another wasn't right. But then again, he couldn't expect her to read his mind. His emotional communication skills left a lot to be desired.

"Can we talk?" Katherine asked, staring him down as she stood on the other side of his desk.

"Candidly..." She added, causing him to gulp down his fears as he stared back at her.

"Candidly?" He asked evenly, narrowing his eyes in question.

He had done all he could to keep his distance from her and now there she was, the worst kind of temptation. A temptation that he couldn't seem to live without.

"Yes," she told him firmly.

"What is it, Miss Mason?" He asked through gritted teeth as annoyance wrapped around all his senses. Though he couldn't be sure if he was more annoyed with her or himself.

"Stop doing that," she said quietly, hanging her head.

"Stop doing what?" He asked, eyeing her skeptically. He had no idea what she was referring to.

"Stop treating me like I did something wrong," she replied through clenched teeth, looking thoroughly annoyed with him as well.

"I don't know what you mean, Miss Mason," he told her evenly.

There wasn't even a tiny inkling in the back of his brain that thought this was her fault in any way. He was at fault. He was the aggressor. He was the deviant. It was and would always be his fault.

"You know exactly what I mean. You haven't talked to me in a week, Harrison," she snapped at him.

With the way she emphasized his first name, he knew she had said it to spur him. And it hit as intended— but not because of her use of informalities, but by the malice in her tone. He had done everything in his power to protect her from him over the past week— he was doing it for her own good and she was angry with him. He didn't understand her.

"You're not being fair," she said more calmly, bowing her head as the fight drained out of her, replacing it with sadness.

That sparked something deep inside of him, more than her anger ever could. It hurt.

"I've been busy," he told her evenly.

"You've been avoiding me..."

Correct.

"And acting as if I did something wrong," she finished.

That wasn't his intention. That was never his intention.

"You didn't do anything wrong," he said, trying to reassure her.

"Then please stop acting like I did," she sighed heavily.

"That wasn't my intention."

"It wasn't my fault."

Harrison's heart pounded heavily in his chest. He was doing this for her own good. Why couldn't she see that?