Love Me Dear (Love Me Book 3)

Chapter 2

Trinity was confused by his reluctance to tell her. She had traveled with him in the past plenty of times. Perhaps he had heard the rumor.

"Look, if this is about the rumors, they're nothing, and it doesn't matter," Trinity said without thinking.

"What rumors?" he asked, his head jerking up as he looked at her.

Trinity bit her lip as she realized her mistake. "Nothing, it doesn't matter. I can go to Denver; there shouldn't be any problems."

"Trinity," he softly warned her.

She pinched the bridge of her nose as she cursed herself. She normally wasn't so careless.

"I overheard some employees talking, and they mentioned the idea of us..." she couldn't finish the statement. "Anyway, I thought that you might have heard about it and might be hesitant to take me because of it."

He sat back, obviously amused by the rumor. "People think that we are having an affair?" he clarified.

Trinity nodded. "Yes, but they also think I could be having an affair with Josiah as well." She had been relieved that he had been amused but as soon as she mentioned Josiah, he became angry.

"Josiah?" he asked

Trinity nodded again, watching as he stood and started to pace.

"It doesn't matter, does it. I mean, it's not true, and besides, Rita will be going with us." She sat up watching him pace.

"No, she won't, her husband is having shoulder surgery that week. Since Josiah and I were going to both be out, she thought it was a good time to schedule it." He stopped pacing and ran his hand over his mouth and jaw.

"It's fine, Levi." Trinity tried to assure him once more as she swallowed through the sudden lump in her throat.

"I'm not so sure it is fine, Trinity," he said.

"What does that mean? Why wouldn't it be fine?" she asked, confused by his tone. There was a hidden meaning in it.

He ignored her as he walked over and picked up his hat, rolling it between his fingers. "When you first noticed me a few minutes ago, I saw fear in your eyes. What was that all about?" he asked softly.

Damn, she had hoped he hadn't noticed. "I'm alone in an office building, and you startled me." She gave him her best 'isn't that obvious' look.

Levi tilted his head and studied her once more. "Perhaps you're right. I should arrange for some self-defense classes."

Trinity wasn't sure about a self-defense class, but she was relieved that he had bought her excuse because she didn't want to tell anyone, least of all him, about her ex-husband.

"I'll have Shana text you the details about the trip," he said after a few moments, changing the subject.

Great, Shana, Trinity thought. That would add fuel to the fire. However, she let none of these thoughts show as she watched him leave.

Once he was gone, she fell back into her chair.

Something had changed with their conversation, but she wasn't sure what it was or how to change it back.

*******

Levi slowly walked down the hall, entering his office and closing his door behind him as he threw his hat on the long sofa against the wall by the door. He ran his hand through his hair in frustration as he walked towards the window.

Trinity had always been confident and cool, not emotionless, but reserved. Now she reminded him of a skittish foal that was anxiously watching those around it. Waiting to bolt should the need arise, and it was unlike her.

There was already enough tension between them. Levi had noticed it at the previous night's party, thinking that maybe she had picked up on his feelings for her, so he had been relieved that it was a rumor that had caused the unusual behavior.

Plus, the rumor meant that the idea of the two of them in a relationship wasn't as unbelievable to others as he had thought it might be.

Now that he knew what had caused the change in Trinity, it begged the question, was she attracted to either him or Josiah. If he had to guess, before this evening, he would say that she had never thought of either him or Josiah in a romantic way, but now that may not be the case.

The real question was which one of them was she attracted to? The idea that it might be Josiah made his gut turn.

Levi hadn't wanted to take her on the trip to Denver before, but with their current unsettled state, he was even more against it.