Page 57 of His Temptation
That’s exactly why I’m going out tonight to meet this coworker and see if we hit it off.
I wash my hands and fix my hair before applying some thick eyeliner and red lipstick. Then I unbutton three buttons until a hint of my cleavage is popping out. I think Morgan will be satisfied with that.
When I walk out of the bathroom, Lincoln is sitting on the other side of his desk with his arms crossed over his chest.
His eyes go right to my chest and turn dark before they meet mine. “Have fun tonight, Kylie.”
I straighten my back and walk tall and proud out his door. “I will. I’m sure it will be exactly what I need.”
He releases a bitter laugh behind me, but I don’t pay it any attention. I walk out of the office and take the elevator down to the lobby, where Morgan is waiting.
She whistles when she sees me. “I knew you were hiding some serious assets under that blouse. Look at those things.”
“Are you coming on to me?” I giggle.
She links our arms together. “If I swung the other way, I’d definitely pick you.”
Nerves settle in my stomach as we walk to the bar. The closer we get, the more my urge to turn around and leave grows. Although I would love to have dinner with Benny, he has basketball practice tonight. That was a new development over the last week since his confidence had spiked. He decided to sign up for the basketball team at his new school.
We walk into the bar, and the mood instantly takes over. It’s dark and trendy with windows that offer a beautiful view of the city. Morgan finds two tables, where I spot Joey and Paris, who are surrounded by some other people around the office that I’ve seen but never talked to.
The waitress appears instantly, and Morgan orders us some cosmos.
Joey and Paris join us.
“Girl, look at you,” Joey says as his eyes drag down my body.
I smile awkwardly, not sure what to make of this new attention. “Hi, guys.”
Paris leans in and whispers, “I’m so jealous. Brendon is so hot.”
They laugh like we are all in on some kind of secret. I glance across the table, and a tall, handsome man with dirty-blond hair winks at me. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that it’s Brendon. Objectively, he is very good-looking. I’m flattered that he’s interested in me, but my body doesn’t react at all to his attention.
It’s nothing compared to the absolute inferno Lincoln creates from a simple look, let alone a graze of his lips against mine.
Crap. How am I going to get out of this? I was too busy living in my misery of being rejected by Lincoln to realize how stupid of an idea this was.
Brendon backs away from the other side of the table and walks around it while my mouth goes dry.
“Excuse me. Can I squeeze in here?” he asks Paris and Morgan while his eyes hold mine.
“Of course you can.” Morgan laughs.
“Hi.” He smiles down at me with bright white teeth and dimples. “I’m Brendon.”
He lifts his hand to shake mine. I place mine in his, and the contact does nothing. No spark. No tingles.
“Hi, Brendon. I’m Kylie.”
“I know who you are. I’ve seen you around the office.”
He leans forward, and I get a whiff of his cologne. I don’t like it. It’s too strong—and it’s not Lincoln’s.
For the next half hour, my eyes remain on the door as I try to think of a good excuse on how to get out of this evening. Brendon is pretty handsy and keeps whispering in my ear.
I wonder if I can tell everyone I’m going to take off after this round. That sounds nice and casual. I’ve heard that line in movies before. It seems to go over well. No one questions it. Okay, just a couple more sips, and I can leave.
When my eyes move to the door, my heart skips a beat. Lincoln is standing there with his hands in his pockets, eyes on me and then Brendon. He looks like he wants to murder someone right now.
