When Lydia didn’t return in time for lunch to arrive at twelve sharp, Jia sighed and decided to put it out of her mind. She was a professional at being anxious, but this was something that was too hopeless even for her. Worrying about it would only remind her with increasing urgency that rumors were bound to tear all over Pandora Lights about her burgeoning relationship with the CEO, and she was simply not equipped to deal with such a personal issue.Not when the paperwork was piling and it was all she could do to keep it manageable while working at top speed.So she shelved that fight for a later time and escorted the caterer to Atlas’s inner office. With a knock and a gentle call, she let herself in and directed the man to the table by the wall before escorting him back out.After a few kind words of gratitude and some exchanging of pleasantries, she saw the caterer off and closed the glass doors behind him. With a sigh, she turned ar

 "I have to go somewhere," she told Atlas when she returned to the office. He had been waiting for her with a smile, half-sitting back on her desk with those eyes that were so blue that her resolve had nearly crumbled in the first instant. But Daniel's words were still burning in her mind hours later, and this was something she had to do."I'll take you there."She smiled back but shook her head. "It's personal. I need to go alone."At his silence, she paused to wonder if she had been too cold. She hadn't meant to be, and she was sure that none of her anxiety had slipped out in her tone, but maybe the words themselves had been too brusque. She came closer and stopped only when she stood directly in front of him, nearly touching his knees."But I'll see you in the morning if you like," she added. "If you still want to pick me up?"Maybe he wouldn't want to, a voice whispered in the back of her mind. She tried to stamp it out since there was no

He'd made an oversight, Atlas had realized when he picked up the twins. He should have brought a bigger car, one with four doors and a real backseat so that Jia didn't have to pull her seat forward for them to climb in. It was hard to keep the necessary concessions at the forefront of his mind, though, when Jia alone occupied his thoughts every idle moment. But these things took practice, and he was sure he would get accustomed to her siblings with time.They didn't complain about the cramped transportation, however, and Jason (though his elder sister called him by another name - Jisu?) kept up an animated conversation throughout the whole half hour ride back to Manhattan. The girl, Jeannie, was far quieter, but Atlas knew better than to think it was out of any sort of shyness. More than once, he caught her venomous stare in the rear view mirror, and he had to wonder again what it was that he had done to make her so hostile.He was an only child so he couldn't claim to

Jia understood. Lydia's deception had been far from malicious. If anything, it was proof that she was still looking out for her, contrary to Jia's worries all this past week that the other woman hated her. And maybe it was also true that Lydia had borne the burnt of the burden of the legwork for a while because she was uncomfortable being in the same office space as her, but she'd flat out admitted to concealing the truth from Jia in order to spare her feelings. Sure, she hadn't said it in so many words, but..."Thank you."The blonde pursed her lips and looked uncomfortable for a second, but in short order, she sighed and shook her head. "It's fine. Just...you've got to think a little more before you act. When it comes to something as big as Pandora Lights, you're talking about celebrities and up-and-coming stars and all the money that goes with it. That's billions of dollars exchanging hands per year. You've got to..." She shook her head again, but this time it was m

 "So where do you want to start?"Jia closed her eyes as Atlas ran his fingers down the side of her face, the calluses following the dip of her cheek and down to her chin. She sighed. "Are we - dating?"It was a clumsy way to begin a talk so important, and she knew it. But it was better than nothing, and at least he looked amused rather than disappointed at her lack of eloquence. A smile quirked at the corners of his mouth as he took a lock of her dark hair between his fingers and raised it to his lips. He pressed a kiss to it, keeping his eyes on her face all the while, and she became even more acutely aware that she was still straddling his lap."I'd say that we are. I wish I'd been more plain about it if you've been doubting it so much.""No, it's not that," she hurried to say. "I just...wanted to be sure. Might as well.""Mm.""How serious is it?""How serious do you want it to be?"She took one hand off his shoulder a