Page 23 of He Falls First

A fierce resolve wells up in me. This deal with Hendrix is my chance to break that cycle. To take control and finally get what I deserve from a relationship.

“Feeling better?” I ask the girl, who now looks slightly more composed.

“Definitely,” she answers, smiling gratefully. “I have you to thank for it.”

“Anytime,” I say, giving her a reassuring pat on the back before turning and slipping into a stall. As I do, I pull out my phone and select Hendrix’s number.

He answers on the second ring, his rich voice sending a little thrill through me. “Elizabeth. I assume you’re calling because you signed the contract?”

“Actually, I haven’t signed it yet,” I say, feeling a surge of courage. “There are more terms we need to discuss before I do.”

“Like what?” he asks, his voice cautious.

“Physical touch,” I blurt out, immediately feeling a flush rise in my cheeks. “We failed to go over the details of that.”

Silence. I swear I can hear him breathing.

“Hendrix?” I say.

At the same time, he breathes out, “Touch?”

My brain puts the words together. Yes. Touch Hendrix.

God. I’m turning into a cavewoman over this man.

“Specifically, we failed to define appropriate physical contact.” My face burns, but I forge ahead. “If I’m going to do this, we need ground rules on that.”

More silence. Then, “I see. You raise a valid point.” His voice drops an octave lower. “Perhaps we should discuss this further.”

A delicious shiver goes through me at his tone. Oh, yes. We have much to discuss. And I have a feeling things are about to get interesting.

“Tomorrow, then,” I say evenly, even as anxiety courses through me.

No more crying in public bathrooms for me. Ever. It’s time to take control.

Chapter 9

Hendrix

The fluorescent lights glare down like an interrogation spotlight as I sit across from Elizabeth at the Nexus Tech Solutions office. Matt’s just sauntered in, a smirk playing on his lips because he knows this meeting will be hell for me—and he doesn’t even know the half of it.

“Let’s get down to business, shall we?” He gestures to the contract laid out on the sleek glass table. “Elizabeth called this meeting to discuss the—ahem—physical aspects of your arrangement before signing.”

My god. Is the man going to keep his cool, or do we need an HR rep in here to remind him to handle this with more maturity than a seventh grader in sex ed?

“Right,” I say, my stoic demeanor cracking just slightly as I glance at Elizabeth. Her cheeks flush a delicate shade of pink.

“Right,” she repeats, clearing her throat. “I mean, if we’re going to pretend to be engaged, there might be some expectations for, you know, physical affection.”

Okay, so maybe Matt’s not the only one at risk of losing his cool here. The air in the room thickens, and I struggle to maintain my composure. It’s an impossible task, really, given the conflicting emotions swirling within me. I want to keep things strictly professional with Elizabeth, but the thought of getting to touch her, even in the most innocent of ways, sends a thrill right down to my dick.

She’s the one who demanded a renegotiation of terms, and I can’t help but admire her resolve. She doesn’t make anything easy, and that only makes me respect her more. I think back to last night when her name flashed across my phone screen. My mouth watered at the sight.

“Yes, well.” I clear my throat. “I suppose some degree of affection will be expected.” It takes great effort to keep my tone clipped and businesslike, as if negotiating a commonplace contract.

My heart is a traitor. It trips over itself every damn time I look at her.

With her chestnut waves and delicate features that soften when she smiles, this woman has managed to slip past my defenses. Try as I might, I cannot deny my attraction. But I’ll be damned if I let it show.

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