Page 10 of Sweet Venom

"Hey, did you order a shit ton of pizza?" Hector asks from where he stands beside me, holding the dead end of the crown molding I'm currently shooting nails into. Following his line of sight to the front door, I see a delivery man with what appears to be twenty fucking pizzas.

"You got that end or what?" I ask as my arms begin to tingle from the blood rushing back through them as they fall to my sides. I've hung about all the crown molding I care to hang for a lifetime.

"Yeah, I got this. You better have ordered me a deluxe with extra meat."

I quickly go down the scaffolding before anyone else can meet the delivery man. I'm positive Mark didn't order this food. One, he's cheap, but two, I guarantee Vi still feels shitty about not being here for the past week. As I reach the kid, I take the stack off his hands and place the pizzas on the reception desk before pulling a twenty out to tip him.

He holds up his hands in defense as he starts to step back and says, "The tip has already been covered, and there were specific instructions to ensure I didn't take one upon arrival."

I can't help but shake my head. Vivian continues to surprise me. The first two weeks I watched her, I had her pegged wrong. It wasn't until I decided to use her that I discovered her cocky, rich bitch attitude was armor. Without another word, the kid is out the door, and I'm picking up the pizzas, eager to drop them off in her office and have that talk she promised me earlier.

Her office still needs to be completed. It's literally a room with a door, a window with one-way glass, and four walls. Some of the furniture she ordered has started to arrive, so she has some essentials. Reaching her door, I notice it's cracked, and I kick it open with my boot, foregoing a knock since my hands are full.

"Pizza is here," I say, announcing my presence.

Her big brown eyes flash up from her computer screen, and she's out of her chair before I have time to set them on the desk. I'm just setting them down when she pulls the top box off. Placing it on her desk, she flips open the lid and says, "Yes," as she takes a slice and devours it. "Mmm, so good," she groans as her eyes roll back. I'm momentarily transfixed by her utter happiness and fulfillment from a slice of pizza until her eyes snap open, and she says, "The rest are for the crew. Make sure they get them." Without another word, she returns to her seat.

I bite my lip to hold back the smart-ass remark on the tip of my tongue and exit her office. A few steps from her door, there's a folding table that Mark used on day one to go over blueprints, but it has now quickly become a catch-all. Setting the pizzas down, I bring my fingers to my mouth and whistle loudly, grabbing everyone's attention. "Come and get it, boys. Vi bought pizzas."

The sounds of tool bags dropping and saws shutting down filter through the air, and I take my leave, returning to Vi's office. Entering the room, I close the door behind me, announcing my presence as I walk over to her desk and grab a slice of her pizza for myself. When I flip the lid, I notice she's already eaten three slices.

"Hungry?" I question sarcastically.

Leaning back in her chair, she takes the last bite of her pizza in hand and says, "Let's just say I didn't have the greatest access to food this week."

My jaw instinctively clenches from her riddled admission, and I angrily force down the bite I just took before throwing the remainder of the slice back in the box. "Vivian, you’re going to need to give me more than that. You don't show up for a week, you've clearly lost weight, and you look like shit, not to mention your attitude. What the hell is going on?"

"Wow, please tell me how you really feel." She rests her elbows on her desk before adding, "Look, Tate, I know we've had this sibling-type relationship where you've come to my rescue, saving me from potential threats, but I'm twenty-five years old. I'm a big girl who is very much capable of handling herself. I promise you I am not some damsel in distress, and I sure as hell don't require or deserve a knight in shining armor."

I give her the best, unfazed sober expression I can muster as I try to remain unaffected by her words. She's friend-zoning me, and a few months ago, that would have been fine. But now, the stakes are too high, and I’ve changed my mind about what I want from Vivian Fiori.

In two steps, I reach her desk, put my fists down, and lean in, ensuring I have her full attention when I say, "Look, Vi, you and I know damn well I'm not your brother. You have your limits, and I have mine, and I'll be damned if you're not pushing every one of them—"

Before I can finish giving her a piece of my mind and probably pushing her for more than she's ready to admit to, Mark pops his head in. "Fiori, I need you upstairs. One of the units you ordered was delivered, and it's not to spec, but I think Hector can frame it out and make it how you were expecting."

My eyes have not moved from hers and vice versa when she cocks a brow and says, "Yeah, we're done here anyway."

After closing her laptop, she stands, grabs her phone, and exits the room. If she weren't the object of my obsession, I'd be pissed by her little show of obstinance, but because I know it's her way of avoiding her feelings, I'll let it go. However, the conversation is far from over. Letting her think she's won the upper hand now will only help me later. She wants to be in charge, and when she thinks she holds the power, that's when I'll make my move. It's how I breached her stubborn walls, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't thrive on a good challenge. She'll cave. Of that, I'm sure.

* * *

"Fuck, Vi. Get off of that. I'll help you."

It's 5 pm, and I'm just rounding the corner to the reception area when I see she's placed a bucket on top of a crate to try and reach one of the upper shelves on a unit that was installed yesterday. She startles and nearly falls, grabbing onto the shelves for support. I reach her in three long strides, quickly bracing my hands on the back of her thighs to hold her in place.

"I was fine until you walked in." The irritation in her voice is still there. I thought by now she'd be over our spat from earlier. Vi is not one to drag things out.

"I'm just trying to help." I bite out. Looking up, I can see the rise and fall of her chest distinctly as the adrenaline rush from almost falling courses through her veins. Attempting to capitalize on the weakness that comes after the high, I say, "Get on my shoulders. I'll give you a boost."

She takes a second to collect herself before agreeing. "Yeah, okay."

I slide my hands around her toned thighs, admiring the feel under my hungry palms as I guide her back and push my head through the apex of her legs. Vi's favorite workouts are lower body. The woman is constantly doing squats, deadlifts, and weighted lunges. I understand why she wants this place. The shit some women wear to work out may as well be lingerie. Vi's fucking spandex leggings fit like a second skin, highlighting the delicious swell of her perfect ass and the weight of her cheeks. Fuck. I have to pull my head out of the gutter before I get a boner in the middle of the job site. Trying to distract myself, I ask, "What's up there, anyway?"

"My phone." She answers in a normal octave—the first I've received all day.

"Your phone? Why would your phone be up there?"

"Earlier, Hector had me get on a ladder so we could determine the height I needed for the sliding ladder I decided to have added. I must have set it down while I was up there, because when I ping it from my smartwatch, I hear it up here. Can you stand on your tippy toes?" I push up a little, bracing myself on the unit as her thighs clench around my head, gripping me as she reaches for height and depth. I can't help but close my eyes and internally groan. There's no stopping it. I can feel my dick growing in my pants.

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