Page 26 of Ruined Promises

Hadley:You’re welcome. ;)

Brynn:Please don’t hate us.

Brynn:For the record, I didn’t agree with this.

Hadley:Yes, you did. Stop lying.

Me:I’m confused. Anyone care to explain?

Hadley:You’ll see.

Me:What does that even mean?

I’ve been staring at my phone for the last ten minutes, confused by the cryptic texts coming from the two of them.

“Lexi?” The voice of our new administrative assistant at the front desk comes over the speakerphone of my desk.

“Yes, Sarah,” I respond, picking up the phone and balancing it on my shoulder.

“I have a Mr.…” she begins, followed by a muffled voice. “A Mr. Cal Murphy here to see you.”

Cal? What’s he doing here?

“Would you like me to send him back to your office?” she politely asks.

“Oh, sorry, yes, that would be fine. He knows the way.” I hang up and push back from my desk and walk to meet Cal. Does this have to do with that text from the girls?

I see Cal walking toward me, and I meet him halfway.

“Hey, what are you doing here?”

Cal leans down to my ear and whispers, “Just go with it.”

I pull back, confused yet again.Is anyone going to fill me in?“Just go with—”

Before I have a chance to finish my question, Cal leans down, palming my cheeks, and covers my mouth with his.

I start to push away with my hands on his chest. What the fuck is happening? But he grips my hips, holding me to him.

When we finally break apart, I am so stunned that I’m speechless.What the hell was that?

Cal brushes the hair out of my face and kisses my cheek. When he pulls back, I feel his breath in my ear. “You know he’s watching, right?”

“What,” I gasp.

From the corner of my eye, I see Ben staring at us. His jaw is tense, a line furrowed between his brows. I want to smooth that crease away, but he is the one who set the boundaries.

Then it hits me. Understanding crosses my features, and Cal tips my chin, pinching it between his thumb and forefinger. “Now you get it.”

He smirks, and I narrow my eyes. The girls may have gone a little too far this time.

“He’s still staring, so ready for the big finale?” I’m scared even to see what that is, but I tilt my head to the side.

“Sure, why not.”

He fuses his mouth to mine. I feel his calloused hands on the back of my neck, holding me close, before tipping me back in one of those famous return-from-overseas military kisses, although this is not downtown, this is in the middle of my office, and he is not my lost love, he is just a friend. In a second of panic, I place my hands on his shoulder to keep me from falling backward. To the untrained eye, aka anyone who is not in on this plan, it looks like two lovers happy to see each other.

When Cal’s tongue glides over my lips, seeking permission, I gasp, and he takes advantage, exploring my mouth with his tongue.