Page 23 of The Desire

Just the sound of Tori’s voice has the tears starting to fall, and I can’t tell her why.

“That would be the arrogant asshole Remington complaining that I didn’t just fall at his feet and do as he commanded me to.” I try not to sniffle so she doesn’t know I’m crying, using my shirt to wipe the tears from my face.

“Do I need to come over there and sort the idiot out? What the hell happened?” This is why I love my best friend. She has no idea what happened but is on my side anyway.

“Oh, where do I start?” Dropping my head back, I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and just try to get myself a little calmer.

Rattling off everything that has happened to Tori, including reading her the contract Rem sent me, is exhausting. Meanwhile, she is constantly talking over the top of me with outrage at his stupidity.

“I’m so fucking frustrated and confused as to what to do,” I tell Tori as I sigh, getting to the end of everything. I needed to vent to her, and Tori’s voice comes screaming through my ear as she yells across the room to Nic.

“You can tell Remington that he is the biggest dickhead I know. An absolute twat!” She is just as mad at him as I was when I first read it.

“Right,” I agree with her comments.

“This is what you are going to do. Of course, I want you take the job for so many reasons. Number one is because you will be closer to me, less than ten minutes away at all times, and I miss you like crazy. Secondly, I know you, and there is no way you will leave poor little Blaise to battle through the next few months trying to find his place in this world. You are what he needs. Thirdly, because you can travel with us whenever we are on work trips, and Lord knows there is way too much testosterone on the plane on most trips. And lastly, the money will help you finally buy that house you have so desperately been saving for. But don’t you worry, Rem is going to pay for being so stupid. You tell him, if he wants you that desperately—which being a man who we both know is in complete free fall that he not only wants you but needs you—that you want double that amount. It’s two hundred thousand pounds or it’s no deal.”

“Tori! I can’t rip him off.” I scream so loud that if anyone was in the park, I’m sure they would have jumped with fright.

“You aren’t. Take it from me, he can afford it. That way when you walk away after twelve months, you can buy a home closer to the city and of far better quality than either of us ever dreamed of. I know it will be a hard year, especially living with an arrogant bosshole. But we both know you can put him in his place, and it will be worth it in the long run.”

“But what about my job? I doubt they will say, ‘Sure, take a year off so you can go live a life of luxury. We will keep your job open.’ No one is that important.” Picturing that conversation with my school principal in my head, I’m already dreading it.

“Lou, you have been around these guys long enough to know what happens. When they want something, they make it happen. That is the least of your problems. The only question you need to answer is, can you live with Remington for a year?” Tori doesn’t even understand the half of what she is asking me.

That’s my biggest worry.

How the hell am I going to live in the house with a man that, every time I see him, makes my heart skip a beat? I can’t breathe when he is too close to me and his cologne is wrapping around me. And him being the same man I lie in bed at night and masturbate to my memories of the night he fucked me into absolute sexual bliss.

I close my eyes and drop my head. What the hell am I going to do?

I whisper into the phone, “I don’t know, Tori, I just don’t know.” There is no confidence in my voice at all.

“Do you need me to come over? I can be there in a few minutes.”

I know the boys always talk about the brotherhood of male friends and having each other’s backs. Well, I can tell you that has nothing on a woman who feels she needs to protect her best friend. As angry as I am at Rem right now, and totally confused about my decision, I won’t inflict on him a full Tori rage.

“No… I’m okay. I’ve just got some thinking to do…” Lifting my head, I open my eyes and realize the sun is starting to lose its strength, and the cold air now registers with me since I have stopped ranting.

“I’m here if you need me. Just remember, you aren’t doing it for Rem if you choose to do this, it’s for Blaise and for you. Rem can go fuck himself.” With determination like that in her voice, I now understand why she has fit perfectly into their corporate world. I can just imagine her in a boardroom getting her point across. Pity I’m not even one tenth as strong as she is.

“Thanks, hun, but can you do me a favor?” And this is where we differ.

“Sure, anything.”

“Don’t talk to Rem about this. He has enough on his plate, and he doesn’t need Tornado Tori descending on him. I need to handle this one on my own. Okay?”

“Ughh, you are too kind. I’ll try, but I’m not promising anything. If he brings it up with me, it’s game on, asshole.”

“Tori.”

“Okay, my lips are sealed. But that doesn’t mean my hand won’t punch him in the arm the next time I see him.”

“Oh God.” I can’t help but laugh at the image of Tori facing up to Rem who is a full head taller than her. But then again, I wouldn’t put it past her.

“Now you need to get back to the house. It’s getting later, and Nic just showed me a text message from Rem. He’s worried about you.”

“No, he’s not, he’s just worried Blaise will wake up and I won’t be there.” I start to walk a few steps before realizing I’m going in the wrong direction. Turning around, I walk back toward Rem’s house, feeling a little self-conscious of being on my own in a place I don’t know.

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