CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

Claire's POV

As I watched Lucas leave my office, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. The way he frowned, the tense set of his shoulders...was he jealous of Eddie?

I shook my head, trying to push the thought aside. Lucas trusted me. He knew how much I loved him. There was no reason for him to feel threatened.

Right?

Sighing, I gathered up my files and headed for the conference room, determined to focus on the task at hand. But even as I arranged my notes and samples, my mind kept drifting back to Lucas's pinched expression.

The sound of the door opening jolted me out of my musings. I looked up, pasting on a bright smile as Eddie Spencer strolled in, all easy confidence and megawatt charm.

"Claire Blakes ," he drawled, crossing the room to pull me into a hug. "As I live and breathe. You haven't aged a day, you know that?"

I laughed, returning his embrace. "Eddie Spencer, silver-tongued devil. You always were a smooth talker."

He grinned as he pulled back, holding me at