Page 118 of Inflame

“Going to be the shortest job of your lives,” I huff. “Now. I’m going to tell you my terms.” I put my hands on my hips. “Get Graham fucking Hoffman on the phone right now. He will verify who I am. Or—”

“Or what?” the short guard goads.

“Or you can take a sabbatical when I kick you both in the balls!”

A hand grips my elbow gently, pulling me back. I whirl around and swing my hand so fast before realizing what I am doing, smacking it into what feels like a concrete wall.

“Fuck!” I wail, holding my hand in pain and doubling over.

“Shit, Claire. You’re going to break your hand,” Nic gasps, holding me from crumbling to the floor. I peek up through my lashes and look at the semi-amused man standing over me, with redness blooming on the side of his face from where I must have hit him. Uh-oh.

Why does he have to wear a suit like he does? It is fitted and designer. I can feel the fabric on my skin and know that it cost a pretty penny. He is rugged yet classy. The combination is intoxicating on my senses.

It was hard leaving Nic this morning when he looked so cute curled up in his sheets and comforter, but I had to walk away before my heart started to get attached. It is totally my MO to jump from one failed relationship to the next. However, I am trying to regain some purpose back in my life, and with that mission comes personal sacrifice and much-needed reflection.

“How did you get in?” the taller guard asks, looking Nic over like he is a threat. “Who are you?”

“Your new boss,” Nic states coldly. “You both can meet me at the end of the day in my office. You are dismissed. Go back to your patrol until it is time to have our meeting.”

I straighten up and glare at their retreating forms. What assholes!

“Are you okay?” he asks me.

I fix the hem on my pastel pink skirt and smooth out my ivory silk blouse. I usually dress more boldly than I chose to this morning but being the first day on the job, I wanted to look more subdued. Polished.

“Yeah. I had it handled.”

His fingers graze over my palm. “I’m talking about the impact you made to your hand when you assaulted me.”

“Oh.” As the adrenaline wears off, I can feel the throbbing pain develop through my wrist. Shit. I hope I didn’t injure myself to the point I can’t do my lifting. Tomorrow is arms day. “I never assaulted you.”

His eyes come to life with humor. “Um, you most certainly did.”

“Hard to call it assault, when I’m the only one who got hurt.”

I bite my bottom lip and wince as Nic turns my wrist to examine it.

“Come with me,” he says, not even waiting for me to respond.

That is Nic Hoffman, though. He does whatever the hell he wants and just expects obedience. I’m not sure how he ever handled having a girlfriend in the past, but he knows his way around a woman’s body well enough to give me the impression he has had many. I just assume they were all formed from the same cookie cutter. Maybe he isn’t used to being around someone like me. Someone who has an opinion. Someone who likes to be independent and bold when necessary. I would like to think that I’m not just like everyone else. I’ve never been the girl to fit in with a crowd. I have accepted that I may just be different. And that is okay.

I walk with him to the elevator. At no point does he stop touching me in some aspect. It is friendly, at least at surface level. But when I think about all the naughty stuff we did last night in his bed, I can’t help but flush from just the memory. Can we be just friendly—especially when my body craves his touch?

I clear my head from lumping myself into any category even remotely resembling a relationship status. Nic and I haven’t really talked about those things before, so I’m fine keeping things casual, especially when my focus should be on launching a new career. Plus, I’m basically treating last night as a one-night stand. It was a hella good one-night stand, though, for the record. Despite it being an unplanned thing, it was by far the best sex I have ever had. Nic is an attentive lover and skilled at anticipating needs. I felt devoured. I just wonder if he was as fulfilled as I was. I didn’t reciprocate oral or even give him a hand job. Hell, I didn’t even get to touch him. Sheesh. I feel very much like a taker, rather than a giver.

Nic probably got his curiosity fixed and is satisfied at leaving things as friends, but are we even friends? It feels weird to even put a label on anything right now. Gah, I’m making things so complicated in my head that I’m starting to give myself a headache.

“I should inform HR that I was assaulted,” Nic says, stepping aside to allow me to enter the elevator car first.

I pivot and glare up at him. When his lips lift into a smirk, I sigh and roll my eyes. “Not this again.” I lean against the back wall, as he selects the floor he wants. “If I assaulted you, then you would at least have a mark.”

He chuckles. “So that is your definition? No mark equates to no assault?”

I shrug. “In your case, yes. If anything, your face assaulted my hand.”

He throws back his head and bursts out into laughter.

I narrow my eyes at him. “If I can’t do arms tomorrow at the gym, you are going to be responsible.”

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