Page 100 of The Passion

Taking a seat at my desk, I can hear Harper’s voice talking to me before she dumps her bag on her desk and walks in to see me.

“Here, drink this. I told them to make it strong. Because if your head feels like mine after yesterday, it’s going to be a long day.” She places the coffee in front of me and walks to the side to kiss me on the cheek and give me a side hug. Even she is in on this new coffee trend for me.

As she is walking back to sit down, she stops and looks at me. She turns her head to the side and pretends to study me.

“What?” I panic that I have smudged my lipstick when I kissed Flynn, or my hair is falling from its tight bun on my head.

“Why aren’t you scowling?” She is looking at me with genuine worry.

“I don’t scowl all the time.” I take a sip of my coffee and shake my head at the strength of it. “What the hell did you ask for this morning, rocket fuel?”

“Ummm, yes, you do, and don’t try and change the subject. It’s the sex, isn’t it?” She props her hands on her hips. “I knew it would be good. Damn it, you need to hook me up with his hot brother. I wouldn’t mind having my world rocked by the other Taylor brother.”

“Harper, I love you dearly, but two things. One, I am not talking to you about my sex life, and two, I’ve told you before, Forrest is off limits.” Leaning back into my chair, I take a smaller sip of the power coffee this time and feel my body zing the moment it passes my lips. Two coffees in such a short space of time is not good.

Pouting and picking up her coffee, she slumps into the chair.

“You’re no fun.” She gulps her coffee, and watching her nearly spit it back out makes me giggle. “Fuck, I didn’t mean that strong. I need to stop flirting with the barista, because this friends-with-benefits coffee arrangement’s going to kill me if he takes what I say so literally.”

“Wait, what, are you sleeping with the barista?” I’m surprised if it’s who I think she means, because he would be twenty-five if I rounded his age up.

“No, God no. I walk in and he has my cups ready to go, mouths the words‘usual’to me so I don’t have to line up. I flirt with him as I pick them up, even gave him a kiss on the cheek once. And then we do it all again the next day.”

I shake my head at her because I can just picture it. This poor guy has no chance, but he’s trying anyway.

“All jokes aside, though, you look happy, and not the fake kind we plaster on at every one of the kiss-someone’s-ass dinners we must go to. But genuinely happy.” Her voice is softer, and this is my friend not my assistant speaking. “He’s good for you.”

“He’s not who I ever dreamed about. He’s brash and cocky, a child on occasions, but he is also so attentive and protective of me. He cares with everything he has, with a hidden softness he doesn’t let anyone else see, and I know he loves me because I feel it every time he looks at me.” I put down the coffee in my hand because there is no way I can drink that and not be climbing the walls. “And of course, it doesn’t hurt that he’s sexy as fuck.”

Both of us burst out laughing, and that is not what a normal Monday morning in my life is ever like.

“Knew it, he’s a fucking sex god, isn’t he.” She smacks her hand on the side of the chair.

“Harper!” I roll my eyes, but on the inside, I’m doing a happy dance because she is spot on the money.

We settle into talking about a few work things that are on the agenda today when I hear my father’s huffing before he even enters my office.

There is no issue with reading his face today. He is worked up and angry.

“Out,” my father growls at Harper as he glares at me.

“She can stay, there is nothing I hide from her.” I try to keep my composure. Flynn’s words are echoing in my head. “You hold the power.”I level him with a controlled stare. “But you might want to close the door if you want to speak to me in private.” I’m going to treat him just like any of my other staff. I don’t answer to him anymore, not here, not ever.

“Leave now!” he bellows. “I’m still the boss here.”

Giving her a little nod, she stands and mumbles on the way out but loud enough he can hear it, “Not for long.”

She doesn’t need to be on the end of my father’s wrath, that pleasure stays with me.

Casually, I clasp my hands on my desk. “What can I do for you, Father?” Not that he deserves that title, but it just slips out like second nature.

“You disgust me, and I don’t even want to look at you.” I can tell he is trying to hold it together, and I’m not used to seeing him unhinged like this.

But the startling thing is, not so long ago, those words would have cut me to the core. Yet today, they just wash over me because the feeling is mutual with my disgust for him.

“Then why are you in my office?” That just annoys him further because I’m not cowering to him.

“You think you are so smart, playing your little pathetic games. Well, they won’t get you what you want, let me assure you.” His hands are now on the front of my desk as he leans toward me.

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