Page 32 of Devious Temptation
He’s been hot and cold, ordering me around with a tone suggesting his demands are too hard for me to handle. Yet, in moments like the one in his office earlier, the tenderness I remember him having shows itself, and a palpable heat reignites between us.
Am I being foolish?
Or does he feel it, too?
We haven’t spoken since that night. I tried reaching out to him, but my messages went unanswered. I even went as far as trying to message him on Iconic, only to find that he’d blocked me.
We didn't have any issues before the night he saw Rhys and me, but everything changed after that. Lawson sent me off into the world feeling like a woman. He changed my life.
Does he regret it?
Of course, he regrets it, Lucy. You were a child who came on to him. He said you couldn’t, and yet you did anyway. He probably resents you for forcing yourself on him.
My cheeks flush at the memory, and I can’t help but wonder if that’s how he feels—that I forced myself on him.
The adult Lunchable I ate earlier threatens to make an appearance all over my keyboard. Breathing deep through my nose and exhaling out my mouth, I nearly miss Lawson’s sharp exclamation.
“Fuck!”
Turning abruptly to see what’s wrong, I see him staring at his cell phone typing furiously on the screen with a frown.
“Lucy!” he hollers loud enough to make me jump even though I’m looking right at him.
Anxiety ripples through my body, and I scramble out of my seat, wondering what I could have possibly done wrong. “Yes, Mr. Morgan?”
Lawson scratches the back of his neck. I always thought it was an endearing habit, one Rhys picked up, and I always used to smile when they’d do it simultaneously.
“You’re free to go for the day. I’ll see you Monday morning,” he dismisses me without even glancing up from his phone.
It’s so quiet, the only thing I can hear is the sound of my blood rushing through my ears.
“Excuse me?” My eye twitches. “Look, I know I was late yesterday, but I had the morning scheduled off for months. I don’t make a habit of coming late and leaving early.”
“I’m letting you leave early for the weekend, and you’re complaining?” He finally jerks his head up toward me before nodding to my desk. “I’m serious. There’s nothing more for you to do today. Go home.” His words are audibly stressed, and I see panic growing in his gray eyes.
“No.” My tone is firm and resolute. “I still have to work on the reservations for the conference.”
“You can do it next week, Lucy,” Lawson nearly growls as he storms around the desk, gripping my elbow and leading me across the room. His fingers dig into my skin almost painfully.
“Lawson, let me go!” I whisper shout, yanking my arm out of his hold. Turning to face him, I narrow my eyes in a glare and wipe my faux side bangs out of my face with a huff. “What iswrongwith you?”
“Nothing. I have a work acquaintance coming in from New York. I’m leaving early. You might as well, too.”
“Work acquaintance?” I look at him skeptically. “Don’t you need me to send a car to the airport? Book a restaurant for dinner? Those are all part of my job, you know.”
“Oh, honey, if you have a good recommendation for dinner, we’ll take it,” a sultry, feminine alto rings out behind me. “Lawson may be a wonderful cook, but his taste in dining out leaves a lot to be desired.”
Lawson’s eyes snap above my head and widen, prompting me to turn around.
“Jules, how the hell did you get here so fast?” he asks as I take in the female who appeared out of thin air.
Julesis nearly as tall as he is, with a mass of sleek butter-blonde hair, a creamy, pristine complexion, and sparkling eyes that are neither blue nor green but a unique combination that takes my breath away. A chic, little black dress adorns her willowy frame, and I can’t help but notice she bears a slight resemblance to Charlotte.
She’s stunning, and the green little monster known as jealousy winds its slippery way up my rib cage to squeeze my heart.
Work acquaintance, my ass. Lawson obviously has a type.
“Darlin’, I messaged you as the car was pulling up to the curb. I wanted to see M.I.G.’s newest acquisition,” she croons, stepping forward to kiss his cheek.
