I had no choice but to throw my arm out and stop the doors from closing. Even if my stomach was dropping and that cool sliver moved down my spine again.

“Thanks,” Teresa said, even giving me a smile.

Until the doors closed and started to move.

The smile fell.

Her arm shot out.

She hit the emergency stop button, then turned to me.

Great.

Here we go.

“I don’t know who you really are, Saff Amato. But I do know that you’re not who you’re trying to make yourself seem to Soren.

“I haven’t gone to him about it because I don’t have anything to back up that gut feeling. But I am going to figure it out. Because it was one thing when you were lying to him while engaging in business. Trust me, I’ve seen some shady shit go down over the years. But now, you’re not only fucking him, but you have him looking at you like he’s seeing rings and babies in his future.”

My heart leapt at that.

“Now here’s the thing. Soren is my boss. But that man is like a son to me. I don’t care that I’m not that much older than him. I’m the one who makes sure he eats, who makes his doctor’s appointments, who makes sure he gets an actual cake on his birthday and that he blows out his candles—even if he pretends to be annoyed by it.

“I know you don’t know me, but I am a fiercely protective mother. If I get the slightest bit of proof to confirm my suspicions that you’re fucking that man around, you are going to answer to me. You got that?”

I’d known a lot of intimidating women in my time. Hell, I liked to think that I was one myself. But Teresa was a whole different force of nature right then.

I got a distinct vision of her chasing me down with that letter opener she kept in the pen cup on her desk.

“I got it,” I agreed, getting a nod from her as she reached to push the button again. “For the record, I have no intentions to fuck him over.”

“Sometimes it happens even if you don’t intend for it to. For the record, I hope I’m wrong. Because it’s nice to see him happy. But I don’t think I’m wrong,” she said, giving me one long look before stepping out of the elevator.

I followed, but slowed my pace, not wanting to run into her again.

My chest felt like it was in a vice grip as I walked down the street, tugging my shirt out of my slacks, then unbuttoning it to reveal the tank top beneath, feeling like I was overheating.

From the heat of Teresa’s words.

But also the oppressiveness of my lies.