But as much as I wanted to, I didn’t say it out loud.

On top of that, I had been working all day to fix Warren’s clusterfuck of an email inbox, both on the plane and here, but I still wasn’t done. More and more kept arriving—it looked never-ending.

“I can’t. I’m still busy,” I said with an apologetic smile.

Nick frowned.

“I’m sure you can come back after and finish it,” he offered. “To be honest, I only asked because I could hear your stomach growling from across the room.”

Embarrassment burned my skin. In truth, I was hungry. I just didn’t know…

I turned to look back at Warren.

“I already asked them and have been rejected,” Nick said. “They have some work to get done and refuse to leave until it’s complete. But there’s no reason you should suffer too.”

Fuck it. The emails will still be here when I’m done.

“You know what? You’re right.” I stood and stuffed my laptop into my bag before throwing it over my shoulder. “How do you feel about sushi?”

* * *

“I don’t remember the last time I treated myself to sushi. That was great. Thank you,” I said as we left the restaurant.

I crossed my arms as the icy air settled around me. The smart dress I had worn was now my biggest regret. It was one of the few things in Warren’s curated closet that looked appropriate for work.

It wasn’t that cold when we left, right?

“Of course,” he replied with a blinding smile. “I make it a point to have dinner alone most times, so it was nice to finally have company.”

“Why’s that?” I asked.

We fell into a slow walk back to the office. If I thought it wasn’t rude, I’d ask him to pick up the pace, but I was here as Warren’s assistant, and I didn’t want to ruin this business for him or to hint at the fact that we were… well, more than boss and employee, I guessed.

The sun had already set, and the city was basked in darkness. If I squinted, I could make out a few stars just beyond the light pollution of the city.

There were a few cars out, but not many. Being in the financial district meant that it was far too late for anyone to be working at this hour.

“It’s better to keep a distance. Especially from the employees.” His smile dropped slightly. “Wouldn’t want anyone getting the wrong… idea.”

Immediately, my hackles raised. It wasn’t about the words—it was the way he said them. Like the women in his office were throwing themselves at him left and right, and he was graciously refusing to preserve his reputation.

No innocent man would say that.