Page 79 of Playing Flirty

Shaun and Neema got swept up by one of our colleagues, and William slipped an arm around me as if that was where it belonged. I looked up at him, taken aback by his touch but yearning for it, nonetheless.

His eyes raked along my body, and he leaned down until his lips grazed the shell of my ear. “I like this costume, so do be sure to keep it.”

My cheeks flushed again, and my leather pants felt impossibly tighter.

I led William upstairs, pleased to see everyone having a good time, and even more pleased at the superhero-themed banners and giant cutouts hanging prominently around the area. They were probably intended for carnivals and children’s parties, but it worked.

William’s grip loosened until my hand fell into the crease of his elbow. I kept staring at him, confused about how any of this was happening. Every now and again, I questioned my reality and was stuck wondering.

What was William doing with me as my plus-one at a work party?

What did we do in his kitchen yesterday?

Should I tell Neema?

Should I tell Shaun?

If I killed Jeffrey Markham, who would help me hide the body?

I could, at least, answer the last question.

As if reading my mind, William glanced down, catching me in my William-obsessed thoughts. His eyes were playful. I didn’t know what outrageous thing he’d think of saying or doing this time, but I knew it was coming. Leaning down, he whispered in my ear, his breath making me lose my senses for a moment.

“Sorry, what?” I blinked. Between the music and the way he made my brain turn off, I hadn’t heard a word he had said.

He smiled, letting me know he was onto me. “Would you like something to eat or drink?”

I accidentally tutted with disappointment at the sheer normalcy of the question.

William’s mouth turned up in a smirk. “You see, the problem is I am starving. Starving and dehydrated because I haven’t been able to use my kitchen. It doesn’t feel right without you in it.”

There it was. He never disappointed.

I was like a cat with the clink of a tuna can. My head shot up, and I’m sure my fake feline ears twitched.

“That’s not going to work for me.” I bit down on my lip, trying to stop myself from saying these things. William had a way of drawing it out of me, but he wasn’t the only one who could play this game. I ran my gaze over his body, starting at his head and moving down his suit before rising back to his eyes. “You have a body I need you to maintain. I guess I’ll have to come over.”

“Please.” He whispered only the one word, begging, and once again won our game.

“Rose, is that you?” Mervyn from reception lifted his Zorro (not really a superhero or a villain) mask. “It’s me, Mervyn.”

I nodded and shouted over the music, “Yeah! Hey, Mervyn!”

He turned to William. “Oh, Patrick! It’s nice to see you again.”

My body collapsed in on itself.

Mortified. There wasn’t another word for it. If the ground were kind enough, it would open and swallow me whole—or even in bits, I wasn’t picky. Either way, it would save me from having to explain this situation.

A sigh escaped me as I thought of Patrick being Patrick. He’d always come to my work parties ready to leave a good impression on everyone and everything. Every year, without fail, he found a new client too. He took networking very seriously.

I was too afraid to look at William. I needed to say something.

“Hi, Mervyn,” William responded in a jovial tone I didn’t recognize. “It’s so great to see you. Please excuse me. I won’t be shaking your hand. I’ve picked my nose.”

Mervyn, like any regular person, laughed politely and made an excuse to leave while my hand shot up to my mouth, covering my squeal of laughter.

“William!” I shrieked.

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