Page 44 of Hate Notes

Orion studied me, brow creasing as he took in the emotion in my expression.

Without warning, he raised his big hands and cupped my face, bringing his mouth down on mine in a searing kiss.

I gasped, clutching his biceps as weeks of suppressed attraction combusted between us. His tongue swept into my mouth and I met it with my own, desire pulsing through me like a living current.

When we finally broke apart, breathing hard, Orion rested his forehead against mine.

"Dinner was a mistake," he said roughly. "Because I should have known I would need to do that after spending the evening with you.”

“Need to?” I asked, voice low and breathy.

“You do something to me, Ember. Something we should both avoid going forward. This is inappropriate. I’m your boss. You’re my employee.”

"Completely inappropriate," I agreed, sliding my hands up his chest.

Orion groaned as he pulled my hips flush against his. I felt the shockingly large and firm shape of his arousal against my belly.

"The worst idea ever," I panted, rising up on my toes to nip at his bottom lip.

Then we were kissing again, hot and urgent, professionalism be damned. We barely made it through my front door before clothes started coming off.

A loud, judgmental meow made us break apart. Catman glared from the couch, clearly unimpressed with our life choices.

We looked at each other, disheveled and buzzing with unfulfilled lust. Orion cleared his throat and stepped back, looking like it physically pained him to do so.

"I should go," he said, voice gravelly. "We really can't...this is a bad idea."

"The worst," I agreed, straightening my dress with shaking hands. "Totally unprofessional."

"Right. Yes. So I'll just...see you tomorrow, Miss Hartwell."

"Can't wait, Mr. Foster," I managed weakly.

The second the door closed behind him, I slumped against it.

Catman sauntered over and head-butted my ankle, clearly communicating "I told you so."

I sighed and looked down at him. "Don't gloat."

Except I was conflicted for all the wrong reasons. I didn't particularly care about workplace etiquette and the boss-employee relationship. Hell, every corporate office I'd everworked in had practically been an orgy behind the scenes where everyone slept with everyone, HR be damned.

It wasn't that.

It was the fact that I actually liked this job. I liked being good at it. I liked some of the people I was very slowly getting to know at Foster Real Estate, even if they did live under a cloud of constant terror because Orion needed to loosen up. I even enjoyed the tension and back-and-forth I had with Orion at work.

It was all a thrill, both sexually and professionally, even if those two worlds were absolutely not supposed to collide.

And maybe worse of all was the fact that I only worked for Orion because I had been sent to sabotage him by his business rival. My parents had always said my impulsive nature would get me into real trouble one day. I hated it when they were right.

I ran my palms down my face and groaned. "Catman, I'm like a double agent. He's going to hate me if he ever finds out."

Instead of meowing sympathetically, Catman gave me a know-it-all style of meow.

"But I could always come clean and apologize. Explain that I didn't know I'd end up kind of liking him. I mean, the internet told me he was an evil villain. That counts for something, right?"

Catman's response was to flash his butthole and retreat, whatever that meant.

I sighed again. I could almost hear my mother's voice: "Honesty is always the best policy, Ember.” But then again, she also told me the “celery only diet” was a real thing and provided all the nutrients a growing body could need.

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