Probably because I saw her beauty, her frailty. I saw what she kept from everyone. The darkness that was intoxicating. So much that I wanted to drown in it and her.
In no way was that a good idea, but I couldn’t stop thinking about her or trying to figure her out.
I looked over and she was frozen, staring down at the contract in front of her, but not moving or blinking.
“Delilah?” I asked, a bit concerned. She’d never done that before.
Her eyes focused again, and she swallowed hard. “Yes?”
“Are you okay? You’ve been staring at the same contract for the last fifteen minutes, your hands hovering over the keys.” I couldn’t stop from smiling at her. It amused me, and I wondered if her mind was just as filled with me as mine was of her.
“I just need more coffee.”
“Your mind seemed preoccupied, not tired.” I pressed her, pushed her, wanting a reaction, to see what she tried so hard to hide.
“Don’t worry, Thorne, you weren’t starring in my preoccupation.”
The way her cheeks turned pink proved me right. She was lying. Whether embarrassment or arousal, I wasn’t sure. What I did know was I wasn’t the only one struggling, caught in this cage of an office.
A giggle floated in through the door and in walked a set of breasts, followed by Jennifer.
“Nathan, I was hoping you could help me.”
Her voice was like nails on a chalkboard, but I plastered a smile on my face anyway.
“I’m going to lunch,” Lila said as she stood.
Fuck!
My eyes were wide as I watched her grab her coat and practically run from the room.
Fuck, fuck!
“What can I help you with?” I asked, turning my attention back to Jennifer.
“Good, she’s gone,” Jennifer said as she blew out a breath.
“What?” I asked, a bit taken back.
“Well, she’d probably be a bitch and snitch on us.”
I furrowed my brow. “Excuse me?”
She reached out and ran her hand down my chest. “I was wondering if you’d like to come to dinner at my place tonight.”
Oh, that was what she meant.
Kick her out.
Go back to sleep.
They’re cock sleeves, nothing more.
I gave her as charismatic of a smile as I could muster. “I’m sorry, I can’t do dinner, but I can help you with your problem.”
Her smile faltered, but she nodded and showed me the paper in her hand. It was simple, just a misspelling that autocorrect probably switched.
“Maybe we could do dinner some other time?” she asked.
I shook my head. “I can’t risk losing this job.”
She nodded. “Thanks for your help.”
As soon as she was out the door, I reached up and ran my hands over my face. I didn’t want her. I didn’t want them. Not a single fucking one.
Liar.
I wasn’t counting Lila.
It felt like I had barely moved when there was a soft knock on the door. I looked up to find a stock of brunette hair attached to the youngest of my admirers—Kelly.
Jesus-fucking-Christ! Why were they always coming in, nonstop? Did they draw straws to see whose turn it was to try and seduce me, hoping one would succeed? Kelly was nearly half my age and didn’t know anything about the law. She was an office clerk, helping out with the little shit nobody had time for. There was no reason for her to come to us, or more specifically, me.
It was an even simpler matter than Jennifer arrived with.
“Oh, my God, you’re so right,” she said in fake surprise.
“Usually am.” I smiled at her.
“I was wondering, I mean, if you’re free, I’m having a party at my house this weekend. Consider this your invite.”
A party at a nineteen-year-old’s house? Yeah, right. I wasn’t going near that. I’d likely be arrested for aiding in the consumption of alcohol by underage teenagers.
“I’ll have to take a raincheck,” I said.
Seconds later, Lila returned. Immediately she glanced toward Kelly and then glared at me, obviously irritated by Kelly’s presence. She wasn’t the only one.
“Next time?”
“Maybe,” I said with a chuckle. It was never going to happen.
“Kelly, have you set up my appointment with the Sanders yet?” Lila asked, her tone clipped.
“Nope,” Kelly replied, completely oblivious to the authority of one of her superiors.
I watched Lila for her response, which was one of the coldest glares I’d ever seen.
“I asked you to set that up three hours ago.”
Kelly still hadn’t looked at her. “I’ll get to it,” Kelly said, much like an obstinate teenager she was.
“Well, I’d say if you have time to sit in here and talk, you have time to make the call you should have made three hours ago.”
Lila’s voice rose, trying to assert herself, but Kelly was exceptionally dense. That or so completely full of herself she thought that the earth revolved around her. As if she deserved my attention and could ignore Lila’s request simply because she breathed, because she was alive.
“Fine, I’ll go do it now.” Kelly finally relented. “I’ll be back.” She winked at me, and I rolled my eyes the second she was out the door.
“Better not be,” Lila said under her breath. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. “What? It’s your damn fault they’re in here all of the time. You could at least discourage their advances.”
“How is it my fault?” I asked. I knew the answer, but I liked watching her get flustered, liked watching her lose control.
“Your damn pheromones are drawing in the bees, and they’re pissing me off. You’re the best looking man in this office, and they all want you.”
Pheromones? Best looking?
She wants more. So do we.
I’ve abstained for three days, and I will continue.
Let go, and maybe you’ll understand.
“And you don’t?” I asked.
I got the response I was looking for. She blinked at me, stunned I’d even eluded to what happened. I watched as her face turned red.
I told you. She wants us.
You think I don’t know that? It doesn’t matter. I can’t.
She fidgeted and, without warning, picked her stapler up and threw it at me. It missed my head, but collided with the wall and burst into half a dozen pieces as well as leaving a dent in the wall.
In no way was that a good idea, but I couldn’t stop thinking about her or trying to figure her out.
I looked over and she was frozen, staring down at the contract in front of her, but not moving or blinking.
“Delilah?” I asked, a bit concerned. She’d never done that before.
Her eyes focused again, and she swallowed hard. “Yes?”
“Are you okay? You’ve been staring at the same contract for the last fifteen minutes, your hands hovering over the keys.” I couldn’t stop from smiling at her. It amused me, and I wondered if her mind was just as filled with me as mine was of her.
“I just need more coffee.”
“Your mind seemed preoccupied, not tired.” I pressed her, pushed her, wanting a reaction, to see what she tried so hard to hide.
“Don’t worry, Thorne, you weren’t starring in my preoccupation.”
The way her cheeks turned pink proved me right. She was lying. Whether embarrassment or arousal, I wasn’t sure. What I did know was I wasn’t the only one struggling, caught in this cage of an office.
A giggle floated in through the door and in walked a set of breasts, followed by Jennifer.
“Nathan, I was hoping you could help me.”
Her voice was like nails on a chalkboard, but I plastered a smile on my face anyway.
“I’m going to lunch,” Lila said as she stood.
Fuck!
My eyes were wide as I watched her grab her coat and practically run from the room.
Fuck, fuck!
“What can I help you with?” I asked, turning my attention back to Jennifer.
“Good, she’s gone,” Jennifer said as she blew out a breath.
“What?” I asked, a bit taken back.
“Well, she’d probably be a bitch and snitch on us.”
I furrowed my brow. “Excuse me?”
She reached out and ran her hand down my chest. “I was wondering if you’d like to come to dinner at my place tonight.”
Oh, that was what she meant.
Kick her out.
Go back to sleep.
They’re cock sleeves, nothing more.
I gave her as charismatic of a smile as I could muster. “I’m sorry, I can’t do dinner, but I can help you with your problem.”
Her smile faltered, but she nodded and showed me the paper in her hand. It was simple, just a misspelling that autocorrect probably switched.
“Maybe we could do dinner some other time?” she asked.
I shook my head. “I can’t risk losing this job.”
She nodded. “Thanks for your help.”
As soon as she was out the door, I reached up and ran my hands over my face. I didn’t want her. I didn’t want them. Not a single fucking one.
Liar.
I wasn’t counting Lila.
It felt like I had barely moved when there was a soft knock on the door. I looked up to find a stock of brunette hair attached to the youngest of my admirers—Kelly.
Jesus-fucking-Christ! Why were they always coming in, nonstop? Did they draw straws to see whose turn it was to try and seduce me, hoping one would succeed? Kelly was nearly half my age and didn’t know anything about the law. She was an office clerk, helping out with the little shit nobody had time for. There was no reason for her to come to us, or more specifically, me.
It was an even simpler matter than Jennifer arrived with.
“Oh, my God, you’re so right,” she said in fake surprise.
“Usually am.” I smiled at her.
“I was wondering, I mean, if you’re free, I’m having a party at my house this weekend. Consider this your invite.”
A party at a nineteen-year-old’s house? Yeah, right. I wasn’t going near that. I’d likely be arrested for aiding in the consumption of alcohol by underage teenagers.
“I’ll have to take a raincheck,” I said.
Seconds later, Lila returned. Immediately she glanced toward Kelly and then glared at me, obviously irritated by Kelly’s presence. She wasn’t the only one.
“Next time?”
“Maybe,” I said with a chuckle. It was never going to happen.
“Kelly, have you set up my appointment with the Sanders yet?” Lila asked, her tone clipped.
“Nope,” Kelly replied, completely oblivious to the authority of one of her superiors.
I watched Lila for her response, which was one of the coldest glares I’d ever seen.
“I asked you to set that up three hours ago.”
Kelly still hadn’t looked at her. “I’ll get to it,” Kelly said, much like an obstinate teenager she was.
“Well, I’d say if you have time to sit in here and talk, you have time to make the call you should have made three hours ago.”
Lila’s voice rose, trying to assert herself, but Kelly was exceptionally dense. That or so completely full of herself she thought that the earth revolved around her. As if she deserved my attention and could ignore Lila’s request simply because she breathed, because she was alive.
“Fine, I’ll go do it now.” Kelly finally relented. “I’ll be back.” She winked at me, and I rolled my eyes the second she was out the door.
“Better not be,” Lila said under her breath. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. “What? It’s your damn fault they’re in here all of the time. You could at least discourage their advances.”
“How is it my fault?” I asked. I knew the answer, but I liked watching her get flustered, liked watching her lose control.
“Your damn pheromones are drawing in the bees, and they’re pissing me off. You’re the best looking man in this office, and they all want you.”
Pheromones? Best looking?
She wants more. So do we.
I’ve abstained for three days, and I will continue.
Let go, and maybe you’ll understand.
“And you don’t?” I asked.
I got the response I was looking for. She blinked at me, stunned I’d even eluded to what happened. I watched as her face turned red.
I told you. She wants us.
You think I don’t know that? It doesn’t matter. I can’t.
She fidgeted and, without warning, picked her stapler up and threw it at me. It missed my head, but collided with the wall and burst into half a dozen pieces as well as leaving a dent in the wall.
