Page 70 of A Simple Reminder

There’s something in his possessiveness—something dark, demanding, and undeniably more. It pulls at a part of me I didn’t even know was there, igniting a fire that’s equal parts thrilling and terrifying.

“I’ll decide when and how you get to come,” he continues, his voice even lower, dripping with authority and barely contained hunger. “Understood?”

I nod, stunned into silence, my breath catching in my throat. He rises slowly, the scrape of his chair against the floor slicing through the thick tension. The sound of his steady footsteps fills the room as he circles the desk, and my pulse pounds harder with every step.

The door opens with a soft click.

“What do you want Jared?” Liam opens the door and his voice sounds irritated, just as I feel.I hate Jared.

“Can we sit down?” Jared asks. The door shuts behind them, and I immediately hear footsteps tapping against the wood floor.

I hold my breath, nerves tingling under my skin as the tension coils tighter, both from the anticipation of being discovered by Jared and the frustration of being interrupted.

Liam sinks into his chair behind the desk, his movements slow, deliberate. His gaze locks onto mine, and then, with maddening arrogance, he licks his lips. The sight sends a fresh wave of heat coursing through me. It feels so filthy, knowing my juices are still on his tongue.

“Are you going to speak?” Liam's voice is harsh, the impatience practically dripping from his tone.

“Yes, uh… I, um…” Jared stutters, clearly thrown off by Liam’s sudden intensity.

“Stop stuttering and speak, Jared,” Liam snaps, his tone cold. “I don’t have time for this.”

I smack my hand over my mouth, stifling the laughter bubbling up inside me. He deserves this.

I hear how Jared shifts awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable under the weight of Liam's glare. “I-I was just thinking about the presentation. What I said and–”

Liam leans forward, a hard expression painted on his face. “I should fire you, you know that.”

Jared freezes. The tension in the room skyrockets, and I can practically feel the satisfaction rolling off Liam.

I don’t want him to fire Jared. I don’t want to be the reason someone loses their job, even though Jared is an absolute asshole and would be his own downfall. Still, that guilt would weigh on me, and I don’t want it. The best thing to do is finish this job and then never see each other again. Ever.

“When I say it out loud, it makes a lot of sense,” Liam continues, ignoring the tension building in the room. My hand instinctively grabs his leg under the desk, a silent plea. But he doesn’t seem to feel it—or maybe he does and just doesn’t care.

“Why would I keep a sleazy person who leeches off others and takes credit for their ideas? I don’t want you?—”

My nails dig into his thigh, desperate for him to stop. He tenses, his jaw clenching as a sharp ‘fuck’escapes his lips. He looks down at me with hard, unapologetic eyes, and I shake my head, mouthing,don’t fire him. His eyes widen slightly as the air shifts between us. The vast storm behind his eyes calms slightly before he takes a deep breath, struggling to reel in his anger.

“You know what, Jared? I’m going to give you one more chance. Just one.” Liam's voice is cold, measured. “But hear me clearly—if you mess up again, you’re gone. If you put a pencil in the wrong spot, you’re gone. If you speak when not spoken to, you’re gone. And when I say gone, I mean I will ruin your reputation. I will make sure no one in this industry will touch you with a ten-foot pole.That’sthe power I have. Do you understand me?”

Jared stammers out a quick, “Y-yes, of course. I’m sorry.”

“Good. Now get out and change your shirt. You look like a joke.” Liam leans back in his chair, his voice smooth but laced with impatience. “I was in the middle of my lunch, and you interrupted it.”

His lunch.

Heat rushes up my neck as the implication slams into me like a freight train. My thighs clench instinctively at the memory of his hands gripping them.

Jared hesitates for a split second but says nothing and quickly scurries out of the office.

The door clicks shut, and Liam’s eyes immediately darken as they lock onto mine, the room filling with the unspoken sexual tension that had been simmering before Jared’s rude interruption.

“Your lunch?” I ask, my voice barely steady, though I try to keep my expression neutral.

A lazy smirk spreads across his lips, dangerous and wicked. “Yeah,” he murmurs, his gaze dragging down my body like a slow, deliberate caress. “If Jared hadn’t interrupted me, I’d be enjoying my meal.”

My mouth opens, but no words come out. It’s the way his eyes darken, the way his voice dips to that dangerous, velvety tone that makes my stomach flip instead.

He doesn’t miss it. Of course, he doesn’t. He never misses a thing when it comes to me.

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