Page 90 of When Hearts Ignite

Hayley volunteers, “I’ll dig into any Voss and TransAmerica relationship.” She arches her brow at me, her lips tilting up in something I recognize…respect.

“I’ll take Townsend then. His son owes me a lunch, anyway,” Bradley murmurs from his seat, some color finally returning to his complexion.

“Fine. Get to work, then. Grace, you stay behind.” He doesn’t look up as he rummages through a few binders on the table.

I glance at the others, noting the quirked brows and once-overs from Hayley and Bradley and my face heats. After overhearing what people are saying about me and Steven in the bathroom today, I have no doubt what they’re thinking. Jamie smiles at me sympathetically as the group leaves the room, leaving Steven and me in the quiet space.

He finally stops fiddling with the pages, and looks up, the coldness in his gaze from moments earlier warming instantly, his eyes intense as he takes me in, like he didn’t just see me hours ago when he dropped me off at my apartment after our night spent in each other’s arms. He walks to the door and begins to close it.

“Please. Leave it open.” My pulse quickens, but I don’t want to be subjected to more murmurs and rumblings on my first day of work.

Steven’s brows furrow as his eyes skate over my face, as if cataloging every infinitesimal twitch and meaning behind my placid expression.

I force a smile. I’m fine.

He shakes his head. You’re not.

Slowly he approaches me, his steps light, and he pushes me toward the back of the room, out of sight of the bullpen and the windows. He steps up to me and tilts my head up.

“What’s wrong, darling?”

“Nothing.”

“Don’t lie to me. We’re doing this together, remember?” His hand comes up to my face and curls a lock of hair behind my ear.

I inhale his intoxicating scent, my body coming alive in his presence, and I sigh. “There are rumors about me in the office. I don’t want to add fuel to a fire.”

He stiffens, his eyes darting toward the open door again. “I’m not afraid. Are you? Your work speaks for itself.”

He takes my hands in his, his long digits softly caressing mine, sending shivers through my body. “We’re a team.”

His soft words, uttered in that smooth, whiskey voice of his, send heat throughout my body, warming it up from my inside. He steps away, respecting my need for space in this environment, his warm gaze never straying from my face.

My eyes mist. A team. Someone I can depend on to shoulder my burdens. I’m no longer alone. Rolling my lips inward, I sniffle to stem the impending tears threatening to break free. He furrows his brows even more.

“Darling?”

I shake my head. Fuck this, I don’t care about the idiots outside.

My hands travel to the back of his neck, and I pull his head down toward me and press my lips to his. He inhales sharply as I lick the seam of his smooth lips, slipping my tongue in and tasting him.

He takes control of the kiss, his hand traveling up my back and gripping the nape of my neck as he angles my head and deepens our connection. He groans and presses our bodies together, so that every hard plane of his chest and abs is pressed to my soft curves. I can feel the telltale bulge rubbing against my stomach and I whimper.

A faint sound of a phone ringing in the distance breaks through the swirling sensations and I reluctantly step away, but not before pressing another lingering kiss on his lips. With a smile, I walk out of the room, my head and shoulders held high, feeling his eyes tracking my every movement.

Steven

You sneaked off from work last night without telling me, you naughty girl.

I bite my bottom lip as I stare at his text message while waiting by the printer in the copy room for a few analyses I’m putting together for a meeting tomorrow. My stomach grumbles and I check the time. Seven p.m. I’ll swing by his office later to see what he wants to order for dinner.

Grace

I was late for dinner with my sister! Why, you miss me?

Steven

I more than miss you. I crave you. You’ve turned me into a monster.

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