Page 16 of A Night of Indulgence and Sloth
Before I can respond, we walk through another set of doors and into a wall of warm, humid air. There’s a fucking pool on the premises.
“No way,” I whisper, in awe of the massive pool. I step closer to read the measurements written on the side. With a shallow end of four feet and a deep end of ten feet, this pool is perfect. There are two individual lanes sectioned off for swimming laps, but the rest of the pool is open.
Crouching down, I dip my hand into the cool water and sigh at the contrast to the muggy air. As sweat forms on my brow, all I want to do is dive in. When Calantha and I were at the farm, we worked every single day except for Wednesday afternoon. We had three short hours to enjoy ourselves, and we spent every one of them in the lake. Thankfully, we’d learned to swim before our parents died, but not all the kids were that lucky. We tried to teach those who wanted to learn and spent the rest of the time racing or splashing with each other. She’d fucking love this.
“Can I use it?” I stand and turn toward Aiden with every ounce of enthusiasm currently running through me. It ends up being a bit too forceful and my foot slips propelling me backwards.
Hands flailing, I try desperately to stop the inevitable. The last goddamn thing I need today is to go back to my desk looking like a drowned rat. Especially in front ofhim.
Just as I resign to my fate, preparing to sink below the cool surface of the water, warm hands wrap around mine, pulling me to safety.
The crisp scent of his cologne fills my senses as our eyes lock. We’re close. So close that I can feel the hard lines of his body pressing against mine, reminding me of our night together. He’s just as attractive in a business suit as he was in low slung jeans.
His gaze travels to my mouth, watching as I chew on my bottom lip, and I recall his words on Saturday night.Every time you bite that lip, I want to taste it myself.My stomach flutters at the memory, reminding me just how carefree I’d been.
But we’re no longer at a sex club. This is my boss. Fuck, it’s my first day at work. What the hell am I doing? Part of me thinks I should just cut my losses and resign, but I need the money.We need the money. It’s not just me I have to consider.
I clear my throat and attempt to step away, only to realize I have a pool at my back. He holds on to me a moment longer, seeming to press me more firmly against his body before his hands fall away and he retreats.
With the distance between us, my breathing returns to normal, even if my body doesn’t want to cooperate.
“As an employee of Exalta Solutions, you’ll have access to this pool whenever you wish.” The deep rumble of his words startles me until I realize what he’s said. Is he really not going to say anything about what just happened? Hell, do I even want him to? No, this situation is already a disaster. If he’s giving me an out, I’ll take it.
“Is it staff only?” I ask before I can think better of it.
“As long as she’s with you, your sister is more than welcome to use the facilities.”
My gaze darts from the pool back to him, shocked at his intuition. “How did you know?”
He smiles, his gray eyes darkening with lust and reminding me that he knows far more about me than I do about him. Instead of responding, he motions me toward a wall of glass overlooking the pool. Behind it stands an array of gym equipment with everything from free weights to a squat rack. There’s even a fresh juice station near the entrance. Holy shit.
“Through those doors you’ll find a sauna, and beyond the gym is a quiet studio for meditation or yoga, should that interest you. With your key card, you’ll have access to all of this. Please use it as often as you’d like.”
It all feels too good to be true, like a dream I’ll wake up from at any moment and this will all vanish. I pinch my arm for good measure, even though I know it’s silly. Aiden watches me, his eyebrow raised like he doesn’t know what I’m doing. But I don’t buy it.
He confirms my suspicions when he says, “There’s no need to harm yourself, Liliana. This is real.” He checks his watch, holding his hand out for me to move toward the lobby.
I follow along in silence, my thoughts spiraling in so many directions that I start to get dizzy. Today could not have been any more unexpected and still, despite the whole Aiden-is-Wes bomb, I can’t deny how I feel. Like I belong.
We wait for the elevator in silence. His gaze bores into me the entire time, like he can see into my very being. He doesn’t pry, and I don’t offer anything. Somehow, the silence isn’t awkward. It’s comfortable.
The door opens, and we make room for people to exit. Sharon waves, wishing us both a good night and that she hopes I’ll come back tomorrow. Then it’s just us, alone in the elevator.
We both move to press the button for the twenty-fifth floor, our hands brushing against one another, and it’s like déjà vu. Club Rapture. The bracelet.
My skin heats as a blush rises to my cheeks and lust fills my veins. I drop my hand, not even sure if either of us managed to press the button until the elevator starts moving. All I can think about is the feel of his fingers roaming over my body, plunging inside me. The way he and Fitz worked in tandem to bring me over the edge again and again.
I risk a glance toward him and instantly regret it. His gaze is scorching, like he holds the entire strength of the sun inside him, and I’m about to get burned. Just like Icarus. Aiden is my sun, and I won’t risk my position here regardless of how much I crave the way he makes me feel.
Resolve settles the lust in my gut and the elevator doors open, saving me further discomfort.
“Ah, Aiden. There you are. Do you have a moment?” Dean, the Director of Innovation, asks.
Aiden nods in response, and I hurry out of there before he can say anything more, tossing a quick, “Thanks for the tour,” over my shoulder.
I nearly ran back to my desk, desperate to get my things and get home to Calantha. She’s bound to have some ingenious idea of how to handle this, or she should, seeing as she’s the reason I’m in this mess. Alright, fine. So it’s not her fault. I’m just a hot mess all on my own.
“Lily. How was the tour?” Kaleb exits his office with a smile on his face, but it falls the moment his eyes meet mine. “What’s wrong?”
