Free Jealous in July (Spring River Valley Book 7) by Clarice Wynter Page B

because you’ve been pretty busy, but I really like you and I think we should go out, just you and me, for dinner or drinks or something and get to know each other a little better. What do you say?
    It all came out perfectly, except she hadn’t made a sound. Some other voice in her head overrode her long-rehearsed question and asked her how it felt to wake up this morning in Chase’s arms.
    A wave of intense guilt passed over her. How could she do this to Chase after the way he’d looked at her last night? After the way he’d made her feel?
    “Brenda? You look a little pale. Are you all right?”
    She studied his eyes, the sexy denim blue that she’d thought was so perfect until she’d stared into Chase’s light brown ones. “There’s nothing between us, is there?” Those words, which she’d meant to keep private, came out easily enough. She gasped and covered her mouth with trembling fingers.
    Like a deer in the headlights, Riley froze. She’d heard the expression so many times, but she’d never actually seen it.
    “Uhmmmm….”
    “ I’m sorry. I made that sound like a question, and it really wasn’t. There’s nothing between us, and there never was.”
    “Did I miss something?”
    “Yes, you missed a lot, but it’s not your fault.” She stabbed the resume button on the elevator panel, and the car began moving again.
    Riley opened his mouth to say something , and Brenda held up a hand. “This conversation never happened.”
    “Okay.” That seemed to satisfy him , and he concentrated his stare back on his half-forgotten file. The next three seconds lasted an eternity, and by the time the elevator door finally opened, Brenda was prepared to climb through the emergency hatch in the roof to escape her own foolishness.
    It was over with Riley. Ha! As if it had ever been anything in the first place. How do you end a relationship that never existed? Now, all she had to do was figure out how to—
    “Chase.”
    He stood in the open doorway, his expression as heavy as a lead balloon. “There you two are. Mason just called an emergency personnel meeting in the conference room. Everyone is to report there, stat.”
    “What’s up?” Riley asked, seemingly oblivious to the death stare Chase had leveled at him.
    Brenda wanted to faint. If she didn’t get Chase alone and fix this horrible mess, her head would explode.
    “There’s been an incident,” Chase said, his voice flat.
    “An incident ?” Riley tucked his folder under his arm and exited the elevator. “That sounds dire. Is everyone okay?”
    “It’s a serious personnel issue. That’s all I can say.”
    Riley raised a brow and hurried off with nothing more than a curious glance at Brenda. She sighed as soon as he disappeared around the corner of the corridor. “Chase, can we talk for a second?”
    “We have to go to the conference room.”
    “Oh…that wasn’t just to get rid of Riley?”
    He scowled. “I wouldn’t do that. No, Mason wants everyone in there right now. We can talk later. If you want.” He turned on his heel and walked away, leaving her heart lurching in her chest. Fixing this mistake was going to be a lot harder than she thought.

Chapter Nine
     
     
    Chase hated the hollow feeling in his gut that had sprung up the moment the elevator door opened on Brenda and Riley. Clearly they’d been having a private conversation in the stopped car, probably the one he’d been dreading would take place sooner or later.
    Despite the overwhelming urge to do something he’d later regret, he maintained a steady, professional pace on his way to the conference room. The familiar scent of her perfume told him Brenda was following him , though not hurrying to catch up. When he entered the already packed room, he made his way to the front where Mason Esterhause stood with Danielle Lennox. Dani carried a stack of hastily copied information packets, addendums to the company employee handbook, which had been revised on the fly less than an