Page 64 of By His Rule

“Yes, thank you, Maurice. It’s been great. How about you?”

“Can’t complain, young man. Can’t complain. What are your plans tonight then? Anything I should be jealous of?”

I smile at him.

“I’ve got a date.”

“Another one?” he balks. “How many are you going to turn down before you find the one?”

“Maurice.” I laugh. “I’m not looking for the one, you know that.”

He shakes his head. “You’ve got it all wrong, kid. Women are great, sure. But the woman. Sheesh.” He smiles, obviously thinking about his wife. “You’ll know about it. And when you do, you do not let her go for anything. You got that?”

“I’ll see what I can do. You on all night?”

“You know it.”

“I’ll see you later then. Gotta go clean up.” I wink and he groans, shaking his head at my antics.

Secretly, he loves it. He’s living vicariously through me; I know he is.

The second the elevator doors open and I spill out into my private entrance, I begin undressing.

By the time I’m in my bedroom, only my boxers remain, and after tugging on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, I make my way to my home gym, press play on my favorite playlist, and hit the treadmill.

Putting the speed up as fast as I can cope with, my feet pound against the belt and my heart begins to race.

I try to empty my mind and focus on the movements of my body, of the beat of the music thumping through the room, but I can’t get there.

Instead, my head is full of the day’s events.

No. Not just the day’s events.

It’s full of one person who was a part of them.

Long curly hair. Purple stilettoes. Gray pencil skirt and a mouth that never ceases to amaze me.

Fuck.

I squeeze my eyes closed as I push myself to the max and try to remember who I’m meeting tonight.

Fuck if I can remember her name or anything about her.

We met at an event the other week, and seeing as she didn’t annoy the shit out of me from the get-go, I agreed to go out with her. Something that I’m now second-guessing. And I never fucking do that.

Slamming my palm down on the stop button, I jump off and bend over, resting my hands on my knees.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

I’ve got a date with a hot woman. A night that will no doubt end in pleasure, and all I can think about is walking into work tomorrow and seeing if Lorelei beats me in so she can tidy her desk.

She won’t. She’s too fucking stubborn to do that. But I still can’t help wondering. Waiting.

“Fuck’s sake.”

Killing the music, I march out of my gym in favor of the shower.

“Get your head in the fucking game, Kian.”

---