Page 17 of Dangerously Tempting

I bristle at his words, clutching my bag even tighter as I step around him to head up the stairs. “You don’t know me, and obviously I don’t know you so we can just go ahead and keep it that way. Good day to you.” I manage to keep my words steady, even as my heart pounds in my chest, and rush up the stairs.

By the time I reach the door to our offices, I can’t help but be a little disappointed that he didn’t even try to follow me and convince me otherwise.

Once the door falls closed behind me, I dig my phone out of the mess that is now my purse, thankful it didn’t disappear during my shit show, and speed dial Kat. She picks up on the second ring.

“What’s going on? You never call me this early in the day!” Just the sound of her voice has me relaxing a bit and my shoulders drop from my ears.

“You’re gonna love this,” I mutter with a long sigh as I make my way towards my office. I wait until I’ve closed the door behind me before I tell her everything that just happened and her laughter rings through the speaker, making me pull my phone away from my ear until she stops.

“Okay, you’ve got to admit this is freaking priceless. You’ve always had your nose up when it comes to blue-collared men, so it’s only fitting that one steals your heart without you even realizing it.”

“He didn’t steal my heart,” I say with a scoff as I round my desk, drop into my seat, pull my desk drawer open, dropping my pile of crud inside.

“Oh? Because you moped about him all fucking weekend. Twice. Two weekends in a row.”

“Bitch, I did not mope. I missed the skills he has with his mouth. And his cock. So sue me!”

She laughs again and I roll my eyes. “The multiple pints of Ben & Jerry’s say otherwise, so you keep telling yourself that, sweetheart. I’m sure I’ll be the first one you call when you pull your head out of your ass.”

“Jesus, why did I even call you?” I ask with a laugh. “I’m hanging up on you, I’ve gotta work.”

Her laughter fills the line again. “Fine! Love you! Bye, bitch!”

“Love you too, bitch,” I shoot back before hanging up and tossing my phone onto my heap of a purse, then kick the drawer closed. It’s gonna be a long fucking day, but at least I was able to purge a little before it starts. I interlace my fingers, stretching my arms out in front of me before shaking them out, rolling my neck, and then diving into work.

10

Jameson

Playlist: "Cosmic Love," Florence + The Machine

I don’t even have words for what just happened. I’ve been looking forward to seeing her since discovering the pen last week, and I used that to pull myself through the week of helping my dad get situated at home again.

I expected her to be a bit taken aback and surprised, but I didn’t expect to watch her walls slam down so hard, she barricaded herself behind them.

It’s far too quiet behind me, and I’m sure that every member of my crew heard at least part of the conversation through the propped open door. I rub a hand over my face, turning to go back inside and get back to work. I feel the weight of their eyes on me as I step through the door.

“Get back to work,” I say loudly enough that I know all of them can hear me, and move back over to what I was working on before the ruckus she caused on the stairs pulled my attention.

I didn’t expect it to be her when I stepped out. That seemed far too easy, to run into her that quickly after just returning to work. It seemed too good to be true.

Turns out it truly was.

I recognized her from her hair and stature almost immediately, and was almost giddy for that moment she’d finally look up and meet my eye. I thought she’d be excited, that her smile would light up her face and we’d laugh at the irony of how this played out.

Instead, she jumped to conclusions about me and the final nail in my coffin was the hard-hat on my head that I’d like to pitch across the room right about now in a fit of frustration. But I don’t. My guys talk shit enough as it is.

It’s only now, standing here analyzing the situation after the fact, that I realize she was already off kilter before I got there. Based on her cursing in the stairwell, she was already having a bad day before the mishap with her bag, and I try to use that as a band-aid for my bruised ego.

My short time with her told me exactly how tight of a grip she has on everything in her life, and she was juggling it when I stepped into her path. If it had been any other day, the outcome may have been different, but this is the one that presented itself, so here we are.

I sigh, pinching my nose, as I try to focus.

“Do you want to talk about it?” the crew member closest to me asks. Hank. He means well, but I’m just not having it right now so I shoot him a look to find him staring at me with concern.

“Do you want trash duty today?” I reply.

“No. Understood, boss,” he mumbles and immediately looks away, going back to what he was doing.

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