Page 37 of The Opposite Effect

Clara’s head rockets to the side when I instruct Diesel to tell my client I’ll be there when I’m good and ready. His hooded gaze bounces between Clara and me for numerous seconds, his face expressing the words his mouth fails to produce.I knew you’d be the first to break Inked’s no fraternization policy, Brax.

I glare at him, silently warning that the rules won’t be the only thing I’ll be breaking if he doesn’t leave. With a shit-eating grin, he cockily winks and exits my office, closing the door behind him.

I wait until I hear the stomping of his feet on the tiled floor before I turn my eyes to Clara. She continues rifling through the invoices on my desk, seemingly unmoved from our heart-stopping kiss. I stand motionless in my office, unsure whether I should take the slap to my ego like a man or kiss the living hell out of her again just to ensure she’s aware a kiss like the one we just shared could never be forgotten.

But even if she wants to pretend her flushed expression is from the warmth of a late May afternoon, she sure as hell can’t come up with a reason for the marks on her neck the stubble on my chin created, let alone her kiss-swollen lips. Although I have no right to admit this, I fucking love seeing her body marked because of me. If I weren’t concerned about my business and my crew, I’d strip her naked and mark every inch of her from the top of her disheveled locks to the tips of her expensive designer shoes, stopping only to pay careful attention to the needier regions of her body.

Shaking my head to remove the thoughts that could have me breaking another rule I swore I’d never break—fucking Clara on my desk like a bunny—I lock my eyes with her and ask, “We good?”

Clara licks her kiss-swollen lips before nodding.

“All right. I’ll be finished up here by ten. We’ll discuss this more then.”

I canceled my last two appointments three days ago when I discovered today was Clara’s birthday. Clara was so quiet about her upcoming birthday that if I weren’t in the process of working out how to have her signed at Inked as a full-time employee, I would have never discovered today is her twenty-sixth birthday. I have an inkling she was hoping the day would pass with no celebration. Although I’m not a fan of getting older, I’m all for celebrating life milestones, birthdays included.

Clara’s brows stitch as she stares at me in shock. “This?”

“Yeah,this.” I gesture my hand between us.

Her brows become lost in her blonde hair. “There’s nothis, Brax.” Her face looks stern, but her words are unsteady.

When she veers her confused gaze back to the documents in her hand, I curl my hand around her elbow. Unlike thirty seconds ago, she repels from my grasp instead of melting into it.

Here comes the pounding headache that’s been plaguing me for the past four months.

“I don’t know how many times I need to tell you, Brax.This…” she gestures her hand between us, “… isnevergoing to happen.” For the first time since I’ve known her, she keeps her voice sincere. Almost regretful.

I connect my eyes with her. “Well, I’ve got news for you, Princess.Thisis fucking happening.”

Her eyes narrow and glare into mine. I swear I can hear her teeth grinding together. “Why? Becausebeastsjust take what they want?” Her tone has reverted back to the bitchy sneer she hasn’t used in weeks.

I smirk while shaking my head. “No. It has nothing to do with that.”

“Then what is it?” She places her hand on her cocked hip.

“Because you’re loving this game of chase just as fucking much as I am.”

Clara’s pupils widen to the size of dinner plates as her cheeks go even pinker, but she remains as quiet as a graveyard at midnight, abundantly proving what I said is true.

I fucking knew it.

“So, as I said earlier, we’ll continue ourdiscussionat ten.”

I stride toward my office door, needing to exit before I kiss the shocked look right off her face.

CHAPTER TWELVE

On the night of her birthday, I wasn’t at all surprised to discover Clara had left Inked at precisely 9:55 p.m. You can’t be chased if you aren’t running. What I said to her that night wasn’t just to soften the blow my ego took from her blunt dismissal of me, it was to prove a point. I’d like to say my point was proven beyond a reasonable doubt when she failed to deny my accusation that she’s loving this game of chase we’ve been playing the last few months. Unfortunately, her denials came in hard and fast the following day. From her reaction, anyone would swear it wasmewho made the moves onherin my office that day.

I’m not going to lie, even playing in a game I swore I’d never field, my ego still got a little bitch-slapped. Not because I believed a single lie spilling from her lips, but because I’ve never had a woman blow me off the way Clara has. Call me conceited, but usually, I’d just flash a quick smirk to the woman I was interested in, and she’d be purring at my feet moments later.

I know half of my interest in Clara is because she will never be the type to kneel before me, so she’s a challenge any guy wouldlove to conquer. But the other half… I’m at a complete fucking loss. I seriously don’t know what is happening to me.

Now don’t get me wrong, Clara is no doubt beautiful. She’s one of the most ravishing women I’ve ever laid my eyes on, and the feisty girls have always been a lot of fun between the sheets. But this little game I’m playing with Clara feels different. It isn’t your standard game of cat and mouse. It’s… it’s… I don’t knowwhat the fuckit is.

It’s a fucking minefield I should be retreating from, not encroaching, but no matter how much I try to pull the pin, I can’t. Even though Clara denied having any interest in me, she still treats me in the same manner she did in the weeks leading to our kiss. She gives me lip, has no trouble putting me in my place, and if my whole flirting radar hasn’t completely blown off-kilter, she’s been laying down some solid groundwork on a bit of sexual flirting.

Every time she has entered my cubicle the last two weeks, I’ve had to fight the urge to pull her into my lap and resample her lips. Why? Because without fail, every time she’s in my eyesight, she has something in her mouth. Just watching her slowly chew on one of the chocolates the crew gave her for her birthday had my tongue dying to discover if her mouth took on the raspberry flavor.

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