Page 54 of Caught in the Middle

Chapter Seventeen

Lucy didn't want to be late to her meeting with Joey, but as she sat on the chaise lounge in the dressing room, she couldn't bring herself to go down the stairs.

It was crazy that when she arrived here yesterday, she was scared shitless that she was on her way to her death. But since the dinner, the thought of him killing her hadn't ran through her mind once.

Now, she was scared that he might... have regretted sleeping with her?

Maybe, after meeting her properly, he realises that there is no way she is anywhere near as pretty as the other girls. Like, not even on the same page. And he'll let her go?

Oh, the shame.

She forced herself up from the sofa, and made her way down the stairs. In the cold light of day, the view from the top was just as breath-taking - even though the chandelier wasn't lit up, there was no denying its imposing beauty.

She turned right at the bottom of the staircase, and hovered outside the door that Rachel had said was his office.

Did she knock? Wait to be called in?

Jesus, where was the bloody butler when you needed him?

After a moment of hovering outside, getting subtle looks of pity from the butlers and maids, Lucy timidly knocked on the door.

'Enter,' a strong, authoritative voice boomed from the inside.

Her knees turned to jelly. Hearing his voice brought it back to her. That was the same tone she'd heard in her ear last night, aggressively telling her to take his -

The door swung open whilst she was still daydreaming about the events of the evening prior. And there he was.

Goddamn Joey Leonardo.

His jaw length hair had been combed back, leaving nothing to hide his strong bone structure. He'd swapped the suit for a tight fitting turtle neck, which hugged his bulging pecs, and clung to his biceps, which Lucy had clung onto for dear life in the early hours of this morning, as she begged him to give it to her harder.

'Well, hello,' he purred, his green eyes glinting mischeviously as they went straight down to her chest. 'Come in.'

Lucy was so turned on by just his appearance that she felt dizzy.

Joey held the door open for her, leaving her just enough to room to squeeze past his muscular figure hugging the door frame.

'Take a seat,' he said, gesturing to the plush, leather seat opposite a large oak desk.

His office was decorated in a similar decor to his bedroom. Dark wood, plush purple velvet - a true man’s office. As she sank down into the chair, she wondered what kind of secretive business deals had happened in here.

She wondered if Oliver had even been in here.

'So,' he smirked, as he sat on the chair behind his desk, 'did you have a fun evening?'

Lucy's eyes fell to the floor as she tried not to squirm. Of course, he already knew the answer to his own question.

'Yes, I had a lovely time, thank you.'

As his smirk grew into a knowing grin, he leaned back on his chair, twiddling with a very expensive looking pen. 'I did too,' he said softly, in that same voice he used to lure her closer over the candle light.

Lucy took a deep breath. She couldn't believe that he could make her feel so... tingly, for want of a better word to describe the way she was feeling, just by... being Joey Leonardo.

'Unfortunately I do not have much time to chat, sweetheart. But I just called you down to ask - have you made your decision?'

'Decision about what?'

Joey frowned. 'Whether or not you will take up my offer to take care of you.'

---