Page 54 of Keep Your Friends Close and Your… Work Enemy Closer?

Forcefully, I turned my chair away. "We should get going."

"Yeah," Jared said, his voice low and husky. "We should."

While I cleared my desk and gathered my stuff, Jared put his clothes back on, and I had to admit, I snuck a few peeks as he did so. More than a few peeks.

"Oh, sorry, Dee," Jared said, once he was dressed. "I should have offered to let you take a picture before I was fully clothed again."

"Haha, like I need a picture ofthat."

"You think you're sly, but I saw you checking me out all night."

"I did no such thing," I huffed, grabbing my bag and stalking off toward the exit.

His laughter followed me, still ringing in my ears as we rode down in the elevator together and walked through the empty lobby.

Outside, a black SUV was waiting for us. "What's this?" I asked.

"Oh, just another gift card I had."

"A gift card for a car service?"

He opened the door for me. "Yep."

Settling in, I clasped my seat belt. "And why do you have all these gift cards?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I cleaned out my junk drawer recently and found a bunch."

Something seemed off about it, but I didn't have time to question him further because the driver needed my address and then proceeded to talk our ears off.

Even though we were in a large SUV, Jared seemed cramped, spreading himself out and taking up so much space, his leg brushed up against me with every bump and turn, which didn't help the low-key horniness that'd been simmering inside me all night.

Maybe it was all in my head, but there was a strange physical tension between us now that hadn't been there before. And by the time I got out of the car, I was ready to explode, mortified that I was suddenly feeling this way.

All I needed was a little time alone to take care of myself, and then I was sure the feeling would pass. It had to. Because the last thing in this world I needed was an attraction for Jared.

Fourteen

Max

The back of Dee's head was damn cute. I'd been staring at it for almost two and a half hours, partially annoyed that I hadn't been able to snag the seat next to her. But of course, she'd sit next to her best friend in the office, Mona, and not me during the long bus ride to our retreat in the Catskills.

We were almost there if the scenery outside my window was any indication. It'd been a fascinating drive, watching the city slowly disappear to eventually be replaced by dense forests and winding rivers.

I needed to get out in nature more. I couldn't even remember the last time I'd done something like this. Maybe not since childhood.

Chris, a new guy in graphic design who sat next to me, took out his earbuds and whistled at the sight of one particularly beautiful sunlit valley that we were passing.

"Wow," he said. "You don't see that every day."

"Sure don't." It really was stunning.

"Bet you're glad you're not sick anymore and could make it."

Yeah, after my late night with Dee, I'd lied and called out sick the rest of the week, pushing forward that much needed trip to Paris as Max Sterling. I'd arrived back home yesterday, just in time to unpack then repack for this weekend.

Glancing at Dee for about the millionth time, I forced my gaze back to the view out the window. "Yep, wouldn't miss this."

I would have moved mountains to make this work. Because of one petite little blonde that had gotten into my head, under my skin, and even made it into my dreams. Every fucking night. The woman was haunting me, consuming my thoughts all day, then invading my consciousness each night.

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