Page 57 of Toxic

“Well, Mike, it’s been a long drive, and my partner here,” I motioned to Billie, “is really tired. Would you mind if we waited inside so she can rest for a few moments?”

Mike focused on Billie and I kicked the side of her calf with the toe of my boot.

She startled a little then pasted on a sultry smile. Jesus. If she smiled like that at me I’d give her anything she wanted. “I’d like to just sit in the quiet for a minute or two,” she said, dropping her tone down a bit so it was a little huskier than normal.

I shifted because of the raging hard-on she’d just induced. Fuck. I was going to be dreaming about that voice for a while.

“Sorry,” Mike said, giving her a polite smile. “I’m afraid that’s not possible.”

I narrowed my eyes. What red-blooded man would have just ignored the obvious flirting vibes she’d just sent his way? His eyes locked back on me and then I realized.

Billie seemed to come to the same realization as me right about the same time because she was biting her lips to keep from laughing.

Thankfully, Mike was too focused on me to notice her. I put my hands on the top of his desk and leaned forward. His eyestraced the veins in my forearms as my muscles flexed to adapt to the shift in my weight. “Look. I don’t want to get you in trouble,” I said in a low tone, my voice getting raspier with each word. “But she’s a bit of a prima donna. And if my boss doesn’t think I bent over backward to accommodate her, it’ll be my ass.” I rolled my eyes and jerked my head toward Billie.

Her mouth dropped open and she glared at me.

Mike’s lips twitched. “I know how that is.”

“Wha-”

“Any chance you could help me out?”

He considered it, then nodded. “Go ahead. There’s a little lobby beyond those doors. It’s right outside of Mr. Finch’s office.”

“Thanks, Mike,” I told him, flashing him another smile as I put a hand on Billie’s lower back and guided her forward.

“Oh, my God,” she hissed at me as soon as we were in the lobby. “You just can’t help yourself,” she said, shaking her head, but she was trying to hold back a grin.

“What?” I asked. “You’re not going to call me a fuck boy for flirting with that guy?” I folded my arms over my chest.

She arched a brow. “Any chance of you fucking that man?”

“No. Don’t have any issues with it, just not my thing.”

“Then no.”

“Hypocrite,” I tossed at her.

She glared at me. “That first girl couldn’t take her eyes off you long enough to even acknowledge me,” she pointed out.

“That’s notmyfault.”

“No. But you encouraging it is,” she pointed out.

“I’m trying to break into a fucking office building,” I told her with a chuckle as I pulled a couple paperclips out of my wallet. I straightened them, then shoved them into the lock the way Isla had shown me. “I’m not exactly going to encourage the womanI’m trying to get something from to notice the other woman in the room.”

“Hmmm,” she said as she watched me work.

There was a whole lot of judgement in that noise. “What does hmmm mean?” I growled as I worked on the lock.

“You introduced me to Mike.”

“Yeah, because I assumed he’d pop a boner for you and give us anything we wanted.”

“Jesus, Toxic,” she said, sounding mortified.

I glanced up at her. “Just telling you right now, you do that throaty little purr for me and I’ll-” The lock turned and the door swung open.

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