Page 45 of Keep Your Friends Close and Your… Work Enemy Closer?

Trying my best to wiggle out of my dress, I huffed then sucked in my stomach as much as I could, the wet material clinging to me and making everything extra difficult.

Watching the rain hit the window, I paused for a minute to catch my breath and think. Damn it, there was nothing left to do but ask Jared for help.

But honestly, it wasn't a big deal. So my co-worker would see a bit of my back and maybe he'd know for sure that I wasn't wearing a bra. No biggie.

"Jared?" I called out.

I'd barely finished the last syllable of his name when he came walking out of the closet, pulling a shirt over his head, revealinga sculpted chest and abs that were... well, no other word came to mind except mouthwatering. Not to mention that happy trail that led down to the top of his gray sweatpants.

Oh, my fucking God.

That divine display disappeared in a flash as he yanked his shirt down while heading toward me. "What's up? What do you need?"

"My zipper," I said, a little breathless. "It's stuck."

His eyes danced with suppressed laughter. "Oh, really now. Your zipper's stuck and you need my help?"

"Could you just unzip my fucking dress?" I asked, turning away from him toward the window.

"Mm-hmm," he said with a chuckle. "Sure thing."

Watching his blurred reflection in the windowpane, I pulled my wet hair to the side, all of my senses heightened as he stepped closer, the air in the room thickening. What the fuck was happening?

His fingers brushed my bare skin as he gently tugged on the zipper. "It's stuck."

"No shit."

"No. Like really stuck."

"Great." I sighed. "Don't be afraid to do it really hard."

"That's what she said."

A laugh escaped me. "I'm serious. Yank it. Tug it. Rip it if you have to."

"So in other words, you like it rough?"

"Oh, my God. Stop."

"I'll stop if you stop."

"What does that even mean?"

"You know what it means."

"Will you just get the damn dress off me?"

His fingers on my back were driving me crazy, giving me chills and little tingles all over. And now I couldn't stop thinking about our dance earlier, how good it'd felt to be in his arms.

Fuck.This was ridiculous.

He yanked. He tugged. And then there was a ripping sound. Cool air hit my back... all the way down to my bare ass cheeks.

"Um, I take it you're not a fan of underwear," he said, his voice deeper than usual.

I clutched the remains of the dress tight to me and whirled on him. "It's a thong, Jared. You know, to avoid panty lines."

The way he was looking at me, his eyes all dark, his face so serious, made me melt a little inside. "Sorry about ruining your dress," he whispered.

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