Chapter 6 : Coming to Terms

**Cat POV My hand shook as I slid the chain back and pulled the door open. I hardly spared Luke a glance as I stepped back. He followed me in as I went back to my suitcases and kept packing. This time, I was less furious and actually folded my clothes. "I'd like to apologize for last night," Luke said. I paused, a half folded pair of slacks in my hands. "Oh." Luke chuckled. "I'm not sorry that it happened, but I do feel bad given the circumstances." "I don't understand," I said, retrunig to folding the pants. "There are some… complications in my life. Last night was a pleasant respite. Though, I should not have dragged you into it." "Trust me, you're not the only one that needed a respite last night." Luke laughed lightly. He shook his head and sat on the edge of the bed, just inches from where I was packing. "I do apologize for my part in making things awkward for you," he added. "Your part?" I asked, creasing my brow. I lifted my eyes from my clothes and met Luke's. He gazed at me softly, warmly. There was compassion in his expression. My stomach fluttered and twisted. I smiled weakly and took a step back. We'd just agreed the night before was meaningless. I couldn't let myself swoon over him! "My sister, Fiona, she filled me in on a few things. She didn't give me the details, but I gather your ex-fiance was unfaithful, and she was involved," Luke explained. I looked at my feet and nodded. All the flutters and giddiness vanished from my stomach. It grew heavy, sinking like a stone. "I can't apologize for her. However, I do not condone what she did, and I'm sorry that you got dragged into this," he continued. "Well, I appreciate you coming to tell me that. Although, I'm not sure it is as meaningful coming from you. She did admit to me that she knew Aaron was engaged," I muttered. "Yes, she mentioned that. Like I said, I can't apologize for her. Hopefully, you don't feel that her relation to me is going to interfere with us." "Us?" I asked. I shook my head. "Thank you for coming to talk to me and clear the air. I appreciate what you've done for me, with the job offer and everything," I stepped back to my suitcases and kept packing. "Are you going somewhere?" Luke asked, his eyes following my hands. "I can't stay here. This place it just… bad luck for me," I muttered. "Where will you go? I believe you said the house you had with your fiance didn't work out," he said. Luke reached out and put his hand over the shirt I was folding. I pulled my hands back to avoid contact. Sighing, I rubbed my palm against my forehead. "I don't know. I'm thinking of going back to my mom's," I admitted, squinting my eyes shut tighter. The thought of that was almost too much to speak aloud. "The development we're working on has some empty homes. Would you be interested in investing in one for yourself?" Scoffing, I pulled the shirt from Luke and began refolding it. "I don't have that kind of money lying around." I twisted the shirt around and around on my hands, completely forgetting how to actually fold a shirt. Luke seemed intent on me staying. I knew people were clamoring for those houses. It was a very high-end development. Even if by some miracle I'd saved enough to buy a house while in college, it wouldn't be one in that development! "I had my own house built there. The perfect way to design a prototype for buyers to step inside and get a feel for. There's a guesthouse on the property. You can stay there," he offered. I arched an eyebrow at Luke. What was it he was after? He'd said the night we shared together was just respite. Now he was offering me a place to stay? That didn't add up. "It isn't that far away. A company car can drive you two and from the hotel," he continued. "Why would I need a car to drive me to and from the hotel?" I asked, creasing my brow. "Do you have your own car?" Luke countered, giving me a half smile. "No…" "Then how else will you get here and back for work?" he asked. "I…" Again, I dropped the clothes I was holding. I turned away from Luke and walked across the room, keeping my back to him as I faced the TV on the wall. Sighing, I put my hands on my hips and bowed my head. "You're not firing me?" I asked. "What!?" I glanced back at Luke. He was standing, now. His lips were turned down in a frown. "Is that why you're packing? You thought I'd fire you?" "Sort of," I said with a shrug. "Why would I fire you?" "I'm your subordinate, and we slept together. Not to mention, I sort of freaked out in the office today, at your sister," I said. Turning around, I studied Luke's face. He was smirking, an amused flicker in his eyes. "Have you been torturing yourself with this all day?" "Yeah, I have." I bit my lower lip and cast my eyes to the floor. Luke chuckled and shook his head. "If you were concerned about your job, you should have come to me." "You mean, after I yelled at your sister or crashed into you in the elevator?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Chuckling again, Luke let out a long, humorous sigh. "I already told you that I don't agree with my sister. As for the rest, I didn't hire you because I thought you were cute. And I didn't sleep with you because you worked for me." "But I made such a big scene, embarrassed the company," I muttered, keeping my eyes down. "You're not the first, and probably not the last, to have a bad day at the office. As it is, I hired you because of the work you did in college. Your designs on sustainable housing," he explained. "They were the best sustainable and affordable home designs from a college level architect I'd seen in a long time." My cheeks warmed, and I clasped my hands behind my back. "Thanks," I muttered. "Not to mention, Hannah gave you a stellar recommendation from your interview with her," he said, smiling. "I just… I feel like an idiot after everything that has happened over the past twenty-four hours. I'm not sure I can face all this." I put my arms out to the sides in an exaggerated shrug. "You're not the only one," Luke confessed, his smile faltering. "Can we… are we going to be able to work together after what happened?" I asked. Luke shrugged one shoulder. "I'm willing to give it a shot." I nodded and looked around the hotel room. Every time I saw Luke standing next to the bed, all I could think of was the night before. How he'd taken control and shown me a side of myself I hadn't known existed. My heart raced, and I looked away quickly. I thought he'd be able to hear my heartbeat. I still didn't know whether he'd known I was his new employee or not. Part of me wanted to ask. What was I going to do? He wasn't firing me. The exact opposite, he was looking for reasons to get me to stay. Including offering me a place to live, temporarily. I had ignored the fact that he chose a place close to his own residence. There was a chance that I could get past the awkwardness of the night we spent together. It was a really good job, my dream job, and I wanted it! But I wasn't about to have him pity me. "Even if we could work together, I don't want your charity or pity. You don't need to offer me a place to stay or a company car for transportation," I said, moving my hands to my hips. "It isn't pity, trust me," Luke said huskily, his eyes looking me up and down. I swallowed hard and wrapped my arms around my stomach, like that could protect me from his penetrating gaze. "And it isn't charity. You're an employee of my firm. You just relocated to the city. Part of my job is to make sure my employees have the right accommodations for relocation, until they can get on their feet," he told me. "So… you're saying that you'd offer any employee your personal guest house as a temporary place to stay?" I asked, smiling coyly. Luke smirked. "Well, maybe not every employee. Still, if you don't want to stay in this hotel, I can set you up somewhere else. The company will pay for it." "No. You don't have to do that." I shook my head. "Cat, please. I'm giving you an opportunity to stay and keep this job. Don't turn away from it so quickly," he said, his voice becoming more serious. "Okay, okay. At least, let me pay rent?" I asked. "If that will make you more comfortable, yes, you can pay me rent," Luke said grinning playfully. My stomach twisted, and I wondered what he would consider an appropriate "fee." "Well, if I'm going to keep this job, I should probably get back to work right?" I asked, trying to keep things as professional as possible. Luke shrugged. "Or, you could take the day off. We can go out to the development, and you can get settled in." "Luke, I intend to earn my keep," I said, shaking my head. "I understand that. I also understand that you've been through a lot in the past two days. I'd rather have you take the day off to refresh. You can come back to work tomorrow when you're more focused," he explained. "That sounds… well, it sounds more like an order," I admitted. Luke chuckled lightly. "It isn't an order. However, it is a personal request. I'm not asking as your boss. I'm telling you as a potential friend to give yourself time to recover from what you've been through before tackling work." When he phrased it like that, it sounded pretty good. I wanted to take a long, warm bath, relax in a place I could call home, even if temporarily, and really think about how much my life had changed. "Okay," I agreed. Luke nodded. I quickly finished packing, and then, he grabbed my packed bags and pulled them off the bed. "Let's go." He went to the door and pushed it open, pressing his back against it to prop it open. He nodded for me to go through the door. Smiling, I shook my head and went past him. The doorway was narrow and my shoulder brushed against Luke's chest. I gasped and looked away from him quickly, my cheeks turning crimson.