Page 27 of Release Me

“How do you think?” She tosses a bag of carrots onto the counter. “He sits two rows over and she comes in to visit him all the time. Walks right past my desk too. Doesn’t even bother to go another way. And theneveryonenotices. I can feel them watching me to see how I’m going to react. And I’m pretty sure he hooked up with her before we broke up.”

“That sucks. I’m sorry.” If I had to see Tasha and her new conquest every day, I think I’d have been arrested by now. As it is, I left my entire city to get away.

Her eyes glisten. “It really does.”

“I guess they have those office dating rules for a reason.”

“Those are for managers and subordinates. I don’t reportto David.” She bites down hard on a raw carrot and the sound of her crunching is the only noise for a long moment.

“Still … it’d be a lot easier if he didn’t work in your office.”

“I’m never dating anyone from work again,ever,” she declares through a nervous laugh. “It’s like high school—people gossiping about how David cheated on me and wondering if I had a clue. Don’t they grow out of that?”

I ease off the couch. “No, a lot of them don’t. And they get worse as their lives get more boring. Sitting in those cubicles all day? Pretty fucking boring. They can’t keep their mouths shut.”

“Please. This coming from the guy who told everyone he messed around withthreewomen last Friday night? Yeah, that’s right. I heard about it.” There’s no missing the disgust on her face.

“I didn’t tell anyone about anything. Thank your brother for that.”

“So, your big ego doesn’t need stroking like Connor’s?”

“My bigegois not what needs stroking.” Her jaw drops, and I smirk. She walked right into that. “But I never talked about it. It’s none of anyone’s business who I’m with or what I do with them.”

“Unless they’re unfortunate enough to share a wall with you,” she says dryly.

“Hey, you questioned my skill. I had to prove you wrong.”

She rolls her eyes.

“Fine. I was drunk. It wasn’t one of my finer moments,” I concede.

“That was all an act for me? How sweet,” she croons in a mocking tone.

I’m not going to be able to convince her that I’m actually a decent guy. And I’m tired. “Don’t worry, your ex and front desk girl won’t last long. I give them a month.”

I say it to give her hope—that it won’t be thrown in her faceevery day for too much longer—but her crestfallen expression tells me I haven’t helped much.

“Glad he threw away a year and a half with me for something meaningless.”

“I didn’t mean it like that.”Shit.

Her lips purse. “It’s okay.” There’s a long pause. “So, what do I do now? How do I keep going to work every day and stop caring?” She peers up at me, a rare vulnerable expression on her face, her eyes begging for an answer.

Her mouth isn’t very wide, but her lips are plump. Lipstick free. Soft. What would they feel like wrapped around my dick? What would they look like, parted as she moans? What would she do if I leaned down and kissed them right now? I haven’t kissed anyone besides Tasha in over four years. I haven’t felt any urge to.

Until now.

Too bad Ryan can only barely tolerate me. But she’s vulnerable, which is why I need to leave, stat. I don’t want to bethat guy.

I finish off my beer and dump the empty into the case. “Your brother was right. Find someone to fuck until the pain dulls or you get back together with that loser who you’re too good for.”

She hesitates. “Is that what you’re doing?”

“Trying. But I need someone who can tell their right from their left.” I should hit up that lioness server at Sin. If they’ll let me back in.

She chuckles, and her focus drifts to my mouth before averting quickly. “Good luck with your search. Maybe you’ll find her in Alaska.”

“Maybe.” Just a stone’s throw away in a nearby cabin, as Connor promises. Easy. Not as easy as it would be to have Ryan, on the other side of my wall. “Too bad my roommate is such a shrew. I wouldn’t have to go so far.”

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