Page 63 of Monsters

“Whoa!” David laughed. “What kind of man lets a woman walk to her door alone in the dark?”

The relief I felt earlier dissolved in a heartbeat. “Don’t be silly,” I said, watching him round the back of the car. “It’s ten steps.” It was too late, he was already by my side, his hand returning to the small of my back and guiding me to the stairs.

“Gem…” he started, “… you’re so headstrong. And while that’s a trait welcomed in business and dealing with difficult clients, you don’t always have to be in your private life.”

It was a gentle reprimand, one I didn’t need given his transparent intentions. Instead of correcting his chauvinistic interpretation of my life, I bit my tongue and took to the stairs, stomping on each in frustration. When I reached the foyer door, I turned to him feigning a smile.

“Right, so I’m safe and sound. Not a scratch on me.”

David shook his head in amusement. “You did so well tonight,” he started again.

“Thank you. Again.”

“I’m very fortunate to have staff on the same page as me.”

“You know—”

“And in saying that, I did promise you a promotion.” David took a step closer forcing me back until I hit the wall. “And I’m pleased to say that the way you dealt with Rufus tonight, you only reminded me of how deserving you are of this.”

I inhaled sharply. This was the moment I dreaded. The moment David hung my promotion like a dangling carrot, yet keeping it so far out of reach and only accessible if I played ball with him romantically.

He took my hand in his. “And granted, you have seemed rather… distracted of late, but nonetheless, I know you are the woman for the job.” David closed the space between us, his free hand snaking around my neck while his lips came crashing down onto mine. My hand splayed on his chest, pushing hard but he wouldn’t budge. He wanted to take what he could get in the short window of opportunity. As I tried to twist my face away from his, David held tight, my bare back scratching against the brick wall. My protests were muffled, his tongue forcing entry. I did the only thing I could. I bit down. Hard.

With a wail, David retreated. Taking a step back, he sucked his tongue grimacing against the pain. His eyes, however, told a different story. He was pissed. Just as I expected.

“Was that really necessary?” he asked, bitterly.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing, David?” I spat angrily, ensuring my dress was still in place.

He had the audacity to look surprised. “Don’t tell me you didn’t want the same.”

“Are you crazy? I have a boyfriend,” I lied.

Well, as of this morning I did. But he didn’t know that.

“Gem, do you think I’m stupid?” The patronizing tone of his voice had my hand itching to slap him. “I know all about Peter.” A small smile played on his lips, and I felt a sucker punch to the gut.

“What do you mean you know?” I barely managed.

“I know that his business trips haven’t exactly been all about business.”

I folded my arms in defiance. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t play coy, Gem. I’ve seen the photos.”

He watched for my reaction, and I could feel my cheeks heating with rage. Before I had the chance to spew any hate, David held up his hand up to stop me.

“Before you start, I only looked because you were acting unlike your regular self. For the last week you’ve been jittery, stressed and distant. I had to know if you were okay and what was causing this reaction. And now I know. Peter was never right for you anyway, Gem.” David took a step closer, his eyes cajoling. “You need someone who understands you. Who enjoys the same things as you.” His knuckles grazed my cheeks, but I jerked my head away.

“You’re my boss, David. Was this whole promotion promise just a way of trying to get me into bed?”

He looked humored. I don’t know what the hell he found so funny about the situation. “No. But my decision still isn’t final.”

I inhaled deeply and took a step around him. “And there it is. You know what? I really don’t need the promotion if this is the way you’re going about it. I take my position at the gallery seriously, David. Promising a promotion and then ripping it away when I refuse to have sex with you is not the type of company I want to work for.”

“So, what are you saying? You don’t want the promotion?”

“What I’m saying is, I’m not a whore! You can’t buy or bribe me, David.”

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