Page 67 of Keep Your Friends Close and Your… Work Enemy Closer?

Done with being temporarily sightless, I whipped off my bandana, immediately connecting with Mona's knowing stare. I shot her a look, but even I knew it had no heat.

Jared's hands left my body, and I ignored the sense of loss it gave me, instead focusing on my fellow workmates who thank fuck weren't paying us any attention, too caught up in their own tasks.

Ranger Jim blew a whistle, making me jump a little.

"Who the hell gave that man a whistle?" Jared muttered beside me.

"Great job, Insight Inkers!" he said, his voice ringing out in the otherwise quiet clearing. "We're off to a really great start today. Are we ready for the next thing?"

A few people said yes, but Ranger Jim wasn't happy with that.

"Oh, no, team. We need way more enthusiasm than that. Let me get a big yes on the count of three. One, two, three... Yes!"

More people joined in this time, and he was finally satisfied, beaming at us all.

"And our next task is something I'm sure you've all heard of before. A trust fall."

Groaning inwardly, I didn't think I trusted anyone enough to just fall straight back into their arms. When would this fucking torture end?

"Next time I see Max Sterling, boy, am I going to give him a piece of my mind," I said to Jared.

Jared glanced at me, unsuccessfully stifling a smile. "What doeshehave to do with any of this?"

"Well, I'm sure this was all his idea. It's just the kind of bullshit thing he'd push."

"Maybe he had no clue this was even happening," Jared argued.

"Why would you think that?"

"This has Veronica written all over it, don't you think? Or Nina in HR. Both of whom are conveniently not here."

It was interesting that he brought up Nina, the only person at Insight Ink who knew who I really was and agreed to keep my true name and identity hidden. Actually, she was an old acquaintance from college who'd helped me hatch this scheme one night when we'd run into each other at a happy hour.

"Now," Ranger Jim interrupted our discussion, "I need you all to change partners. Change. Partners." He looked pointedly at the two of us, the chipper bastard.

Not that it mattered really. Because despite the kiss we'd just shared and the feeling of ease I'd had during my blindfolded walk, I still didn't want to do a trust fall with Jared. Or anyone.

Maybe it was time to use the bathroom?

But there was no escaping this task, Mona coming up behind me and playfully pushing Jared aside. "Step aside, lover boy," she joked. "I was here first."

Great. Mona was even smaller than me. How was she going to catch me?

Jim encouraged us all to "give it a go," and I tried, I really did, but it was impossible to let my body just fall back like that. I kept stopping myself, bending, contorting, taking big steps, with every single co-worker that tried.

I did end up being really good at catching people, however. There was an art, a timing, to it that I hadn't anticipated, but working together—fucking teamwork—I didn't drop a single soul, even some much bigger guys.

Of course, I just had to keep an eye on Jared, my gaze always drawn to him, my senses tuned to his every movement. God, it was annoying.

But that kiss. I couldn't get it out of my head, how fucking good it was, how safe and secure I'd felt wrapped up in his large body, how much I wanted more.

It was his turn to catch me, but even then, I couldn't let myself go, much to Ranger Jim's dismay, who stood in front of me, doing his best to encourage me.

"You got this, Dee," Jim said.

Hearinghimcall me Dee rubbed me the wrong way. After umpteen tries, the man finally gave up.

I knew he wanted to ask who hurt me, but I honestly had no clue. No one really had. It was just an innate distrust I had in people in general. Or maybe it was growing up in the two-faced, backstabbing world of uber-wealthy society.

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