Undone

UNDONE Christina Lee Copyright © 2023 by Christina Lee All rights reserved. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without prior written permission by the author(s), except where permitted by law. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. All products and/or brand names mentioned are registered trademarks of their respective holders/companies. Published by Christina Lee in the United States of America Cover Art by Black Jazz Design Photography by Xram Ragde Professional Beta Read by Karen Meeus and Charity VanHuss Edited by Keren Reed Proofread by Abbie Nicole, Judy’s Proofreading, and Lyrical Lines Contents Blurb Prologue Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Epilogue Afterword Other Books by Christina Lee About the Author Blurb Shae Shanahan has no idea how to sew a button or steam a shirt. How he ends up as the assistant to the famous wardrobe stylist Rowan Abernathy is beyond him. But his need for stable employment in an expensive city is as dire as Rowan’s need for an assistant to actually stick around. Or maybe an assistant he can order around and mold to his ridiculous standards. So much so that Shae has threatened to quit dozens of times—at least in his head. Is maiming your boss with a satin hanger a crime? Rowan might be an expert when it comes to selecting the perfect looks for his celebrity clients, but his love life is as much a disaster as his desk. He needs Shae to organize his schedule but keeps him at arm’s length regarding anything personal. When the cracks begin to show and Shae sees the generous, vulnerable man beneath the arrogant, sarcastic exterior, it makes him beyond curious to know more. When a fake kiss leads to even hotter encounters, they have trouble keeping their relationship strictly professional. Shae sees just how gentle the man can be and feels cared for when it’s only the two of them. But Rowan’s defenses are hard to break, and he makes his boundaries more than clear. When Shae finally has enough and needs to protect his own heart—and his sanity—will Rowan finally see what’s been right in front of him all along? Prologue I stepped off the elevator on the fifth floor of the WKTV building, and security pointed me down a long hallway. The carpet and walls looked a bit dated despite the flashy lobby and iconic sign out front of the Midtown Manhattan location. This building had history, and I tried to temper my nerves as I basked in this opportunity. “Mr. Abernathy?” I lightly rapped my knuckles on the open door. “That makes me sound too much like my father.” He waved his hand without looking up from his laptop. “Rowan works just fine.” I’d been told he was the son of the famous designer with the same last name. Not that I knew anything about fashion, but I’d done my research, and the internet did not do this man justice. He was by far one of the most beautiful men I’d ever laid eyes on, with his pouty lips and perfectly arranged sun-kissed hair and strong shoulders that fit his bold presence, even in a seated position. “And who are you?” When our eyes met, I blinked at him. Rowan had made his name as a top wardrobe stylist in the business, and for some reason, he was suddenly in need of an assistant on short notice. “I’m here from the temp agency?” My voice was sort of squeaky. “My name is Shae Shanahan.” “Well, that’s a mouthful.” He impatiently waved me in again, then looked me up and down, apparently assessing the outfit I’d carefully chosen that morning. When he wrinkled his nose, I deflated. I didn’t have any fancy clothes, so I’d picked through clearance pieces at the department store. It was the middle of September and sweltering hot, so I could’ve done without the extra layers, but my roommate, Casey, had insisted that a casual suit would work better than the khakis and polo shirt I’d worn for corporate-leaning temp jobs. The polyester suit jacket I’d settled on seemed too shiny now—or was it my choice of a paisley shirt that was bothering my prospective employer? Though the jacket pretty much hid it. But maybe Rowan, the fashionista, hadn’t looked in the mirror that morning because I was pretty sure his patterned shirt did not go with his plaid pants. Or maybe it did. What the hell did I know? “Do you have any experience in the design industry?” I had been in the city for all of a year and had worked plenty of temp jobs by now, but mainly as a receptionist and data-entry clerk. “I’ve assisted in a few different offices in Midtown and on Wall Street,” I replied, trying to make it sound enticing while keeping it vague. “I’ll take that as a no.” He shut his eyes and mumbled something under his breath that sounded a lot like fuck my life. “I assume you’re good with organization?” “I am.” I stood straighter because if I had anything going for me, it was that. I knew how to categorize files and create Excel spreadsheets with the best of them. He stood and went to store something in a cabinet across the room, and for the first time, I noted how tall and lean he was. But not thin, exactly. Statuesque. “And you wouldn’t