Page 39 of Empowered
The only reason she didn’t put it away was because she enjoyed watching it buzz every ten seconds.
“A man could get quite frustrated with these games, Sarah.”
“Do you enjoy toying with me like this?”
“Don’t tell me you want things to remain strictly professional around us, proceed to grab my cock and ask me to fuck you, and then not have the decency to call me later so we could at least talk it out. Jesus, is this how you women feel half the time?”
Sarah chuckled and finally put her phone away. If Lucas wanted to make a real ass out of himself, he could come out here and do it.
But he never emerged from his office. Not even when Mr. Monroe finished his meeting and came out of his own office, Alisha trailing right behind him before breaking off to sit at the desk opposite Sarah’s.
“Is my wife here?” Damon Monroe asked his other assistant.
“In her office, sir.”
“Thank you.” Before he continued, he turned and said, “If Blackbourne finishes his work early, tell him I want to do lunch and discuss a few things.”
“Absolutely, sir.”
Alisha sighed the moment their boss was gone. “Don’t know how you do it, Sarah. I type and type and then…”
A flower courier waltzed into the office carrying a small bouquet of orange and red rose blossoms. He spotted the assistants sitting at their desks and instantly approached. Sarah recognized him. Local florist that Mr. Monroe used to send flowers to his wife and to his mother whenever the mood struck him.
She didn’t think twice about signing for them.No idea what the occasion is, and I don’t care.Alisha remained flummoxed as she lightly touched a dewy rose petal. “Be right back.” Sarah said to her fellow assistant. “I’ll take these to Mrs. Monroe.”
“Oh, no,” the courier said before taking his tablet back. “These are for you, Ms. Clayborn.”
She sat back down in her seat. “What?”
Alisha snatched the card from the bouquet. The moment Sarah realized who the flowers were from, she grabbed the card out of Alisha’s hand.
“Have a nice day, ladies.” The courier tipped his green hat and left the office.
“Who the hell are they from?” Alisha pulled the vase over and fluffed two of the blooms. “Red andorange?Who’s sending your flowers like these?”
Red for romantic, sexual love. Orange for desperate desire. Sarah knew who they were from, and Lucas knew thatsheknew they were from him. At least he didn’t sign the card with even his initials. Only three worlds were punctuated onto the tiny card.
No, notthosethree words.
“God. Damnit. Sarah.”
This was kinda fun. Make the man sweat and twist in his seat. Make him salivate over her from his tiny office in the corner of the corporate headquarters. Make himseethein frustration because he couldn’t have her whenever he wanted. Make him go so crazy that he finally gave her what she wanted.
Whatever that was.
“I’m guessing based on that smug-ass face that this is a good thing,” Alisha muttered.
“Jealous?”
“Ain’t nobody sending me flowers around here, in case you haven’t noticed.”
Sarah pocketed the card, smelled the flowers, and picked up the vase to carry over to the receptionist’s desk. Alisha followed her with a steady gaze.
“Your desk looks lonely,” Sarah said to the receptionist. She placed the vase of roses on the left corner of the desk, arranged it so it caught the right light from the windows behind them, and smiled at her coworker – who was in the middle of a confusing phone call. “There. That should brighten things up around here.”
“Hey, if you’ve got a crush on me,” the receptionist said with her quick wit, “you could just say so. I’m straight, but…”
“So am I, against my better judgment.” Sarah went back to her desk and checked her personal texts one last time.
