Page 13 of Whispers in the Dark

Someone shoved a beer in my hand and while I held it, I didn’t drink it. It just didn’t feel right drinking at the office. Eventually, I set the bottle down on a counter and grabbed a canned water, placing it into a coozie so no one really knew what I had.

I busied myself checking the dessert votes and it looked like the “gross” desserts were running close to one another. We might even have a multi-way tie.

The caterers were keeping a close eye on the food and made sure nothing ran out.

Colin caught my eye and I nodded, signaling he needed to make an announcement about the dessert voting. We would give another forty-five minutes for votes and then we would need to tally who had the most dollars in the cup.

We had a few stations set up around the office where themed games could be played for prizes. Andi was manning one, I had recruited a few other people from HR to man the other stations. I walked around the office, making rounds, and checking to see if anyone needed supplies for the games. I was pleased to overhear chatter from people saying they were having a good time.

I passed people walking through the room with the carved pumpkins, I saw a small group sitting at cubes, talking among themselves and drinking wine. I saw a couple of others… alone… and continuing to work. That made me think of Adrian, but I pushed the thought out of my head and went back into the break room where a conga line had started. Good lord.

Dessert voting closed, votes were tallied, and it was time to announce the dessert winners, as well as the pumpkin carving winners.

Colin, Andi, and I organized the winners, runners up, and the prizes, reconfirming results to make sure we had everything correct before we started. I heard some low murmurs in the room and it caught my attention. Looking up, I immediately saw why people were talking.

Adrian Benedict was standing in the back corner of the room with a beer in his hand.

9.Adrian

Imade it downstairs where everyone at Benedict Technologies was congregating, and the large crowd of people almost made me turn around and leave. In year’s past, I had funded various parties throughout but I had obviously never attended one. Bea had tried to convince me numerous times to join her at one, but I had gracefully declined.

Being around a lot of people was not my scene. I hated the loud chattering from conversations and the looks I would get when I made a beeline for the shadows. On occasion, when I’d had to go to events, the women would flock to me and I didn’t relish the rejection I would have to give them.

So why am I down here?

That was the million dollar question, but the answer was clear. As I made my way inside and went straight to the back, only stopping to grab a beer along the way. I never took my eyes off of a certain brunette, though. Brynn Davis. The woman was going to be the death of me.

If you’re not the death of her first.

I ignored the voice in my head that constantly felt the need to point out my sins. I knew who I was, even if no one else in this room did. The constant pressure I was under to hide that dirtyand evil part of myself was like a noose and one that seemed to grow tighter around my neck with each minute I spent watching the current object of my desire. An object. Was Brynn simply a warm body put in my path? The quick answer was yes, but the accurate one was a resounding no.

Something about the damned siren called to me, and a part that was hidden deep inside. A part I hadn’t even acknowledged since Aria. I used to try my best to protect her from the monsters of the world, but I couldn’t save her from the one she most needed protection from. It was a double-edged sword and one that still cut me so many years later.

No, I was here because Brynn tempted me, and not just since our first encounter. Earlier, she had been in my office in the exact same costume she had on now. While she had pranced around me with that ridiculous tail, she had no idea the visuals she was providing. Or the inspiration. She might think the Cheshire Cat was harmless, but I had a drawer full of tails at Lotus, and any one of them would look great on her.

I was hard just thinking about coating the metal bulb with her cream, then sliding it into her perfectly rounded ass. I would put it in place, then direct her to crawl in front of me. That type of play wasn’t my usual kind, but she could make anything worth my while. The woman was a temptress, and curiosity over her, the costume, and the type of event she would throw had me down here drawing confused looks from those that I employed.

I tipped my beer can back and took a large swig from it. The moment she detected my presence, my entire body stiffened. She stared at me for several long seconds before flashing one of those mega-watt smiles at me that she evidently shared with others as well. I could see the way that numerous men watched her, their own slacks displaying their interest in her. The very thought of any of them daring to even consider touching her had me...

I couldn’t even finish my own thought because I saw Brynn coming over to me, and she wasn’t alone. I quickly finished the rest of the can of beer and tossed it in the nearby trash can when she finally made it over to me.

“I’m glad you decided to come down and party with us. I?—”

“I’m not staying,” I interrupted before she could say more.

“It’s nice to finally meet you,” the brunette said, as she extended out her hand. “I’m Andi?—”

“I know who you are, Miss Lowe,” I interjected, cutting her off as well. “The party looks to be a success.” I knew Brynn would likely launch into dialogue, so I quickly added, “I had only meant to stop in for a few minutes. I need to leave.”

“But you can’t, Mr. Benedict,” Brynn said. I turned an arched a brow at her, but before I could ask why, she continued. “You’re just in time for the dessert judging contest.”

“Dessert contest?”

Andi then started to speak for Brynn, quickly explaining that there were a number of desserts to be judged, and the winner would be chosen by whoever had the most dollars. “You really should cast a vote, Mr. Benedict. After all, BT is doubling the donations.”

I did briefly remember Brynn asking me which social cause I wanted to donate to. It was always the same, and that group was the Bay Area Sexual and Human Trafficking Coalition. The place was near and dear to me because they worked to save the many men, women, and especially children who were trafficked for one nefarious reason or another. They provided awareness of the epidemic, as well as resources to combat it. They even provided additional care to those rescued, including housing, clothing, counseling, and drug rehab.

“I don’t know. I really need to?—”

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