Page 13 of Crave Me

His face returns to his laptop, ignoring me. The asshole. I stand up and exit his office, walking to the end of the long second-story hallway to Blaire’s office. I give the door two raps with my knuckles and walk right in. Her back is to me, body bent over, adjusting a pair of boots that come to her ankles. The fabric of her dress stretches taut over her perky ass and my dick instantly comes to life. I grind my palm against it, shifting it inmy pants to a more comfortable position since the fucker likes to stay rock hard in this terror’s presence. I stand frozen in my spot, leaning against her doorway, watching her, and it’s only a moment before she stands, adjusting her dress.

“Come i- Ohmygod!” Her hand flies to her chest and she stumbles backward. I take a step forward, my hand extended as if to grab her and prevent her from falling. I quickly drop it back at my side, unsure why the fuck I care if I scared her or not.

“Dallas. What the hell?”

“I knocked.”

“But just walking into my office, without permission, negates the knock. Did anyone teach you etiquette?”

“You clearly haven’t met me if you need an answer to that question.”

I walk around her desk and take a seat in her office chair, rocking in it slightly. Yep. Mine is definitely better.

“What are you doing, Dallas?”

“Seems that you’re stuck with me for the day, princess. Sawyer just informed me I’m to shadow you. See all the wondrous and glorious things you do for the distillery,” I tell her as I wave my hands around with a flourish. “He seems to think you’re spreading pixie dust and rainbows around and I plan to inform him that it’s more of a virus, killing us slowly from the inside out.”

Her face pales and she shifts on her feet. My heart rate accelerates as I anticipate her retort but I’m shocked when it doesn’t come.

“Have I . . .” She pauses to clear her throat, emotion clogging her voice. “Have I done something wrong? Could I lose my job?”

I straighten in the chair, my hands gripping the armrests. The girl standing in front of my parents’ bar is back, her confidence faltering, and right now she seems extremely insecure and worried. I shrug my shoulders.

“Depends on who you ask.” I let a beat of silence pass between us and watch Blaire’s unease before continuing. “He wants me to shadow you so I can see what an asset you are.”

The color comes back to her face and her shoulders relax.

“Ahh. Well, that makes more sense. Because you see me and my position as unnecessary and causing more harm than good.”

There she is. Her hands rest on her hips. Fuck if I don’t want to grip them, leave finger bruises on them from how hard I hold her still while I fuck the brat out of her.

“Correct. So, if you don’t mind, let’s get on with proving me right.”

“Happily. Right now, we’re going to meet a small group for a tour, followed by a flight tasting. Try not to scare anyone away with that ogre persona of yours.”

I watch her walk to the door, wide hips swaying, her fiery red hair wavy and draped to her mid-back. My dick throbs, reminding me that it wants attention and only wants it from the spitfire in front of me. I stand, following her to the door before pausing to spit out my gum in the trash can. Her latte is tossed inside, the contents spilling out into the plastic bag. Hmm. So she doesn’t like pumpkin spice. I picked up on her slight wince when she took a sip of it outside, and sick satisfaction fills me, seeing that she threw out Cole’s morning gift. The idiot.

“Are you coming or are you going to ask it out on a date?” Her voice snaps me out of my thoughts.

“Cheeky. Lead the way, princess.”

She gives me a dramatic eye roll before walking ahead of me, leading us to meet her first group of the day. We reach the large bay windows that line the entirety of the front of our office building before she pulls open one of the doors.

Fuck my life, because waiting for us is a group of six people, all in matching obnoxious Christmas sweaters, looking as out of place as a fuckin’ snowman on the beach. Goddamn tourists.Who vacations to Washington State in the middle of December? Besides going to Leavenworth for a Bavarian Christmas, there’s no damn point—unless freezing to death is your personal brand of torture.

“Good morning! Welcome to Aspen Ridge Distillery. My name is Blaire, and lucky for all of you today, I have a special guest accompanying us. This is Dallas Hayes, heir to this incredible company.”

A bunch of oohs and aahs escape our festive guests and I give them a head nod, trying to embrace my inner Sawyer and be somewhat professional.

“Let’s start with your names, who would like to go first?”

A shorter woman in the front raises her hand wildly and Blaire nods to her, motioning for her to go ahead.

“Well, I’m Sharon, this is my husband Aaron, my sister Erin, and her wife Karen. These two here are our friends Robby and Bobby. It’s a delight to be here!”

Of fucking course that’s their goddamn names. What in the hillbilly kind of shit did I just walk into? Blaire simply smiles brightly at them like it’s just another day in the twilight zone and this is the most normal shit ever.

“It’s nice to meet you all, we’re happy to have you here with us this morning. If you’ll all follow me, we’ll head to the rickyard first.”

---