Page 45 of Devious Temptation
Is she talking about Lawson?
“Wow, Molls. That didn’t take long,” Jordanna, a middle-aged woman who works in her department, says.
“Of course, it didn’t. Rumor has it that Mr. Morgan has a thing for blue-eyed blondes,” Jennifer from Rentals whispers.
My fingers drum along the granite countertop while I decide on a selection of granola bars. Grabbing one to read the label, my attention pulls back to Molly’s gaggle of geese.
“I asked if he was interested in getting dinner this weekend. Told him that I could use the card to make myself all pretty for a night on the town,” Molly lilts with a laugh like it’s already a sure thing.
Don’t say a word, Lucy. Don’t say a word.
“Oh, Lucy? Will you be a dear and clear Mr. Morgan’s schedule for Friday evening?”
My left eye twitches, fingers clenching around the granola bar. Slowly, I turn to see her grinning at me like the cat that got the cream.
“Better yet. You should probably make sure Monday morning is slow, too.” She laughs.
I think of one of my mother’s favorite quotes from Ralph Waldo Emerson,“For every minute you remain angry, you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind.”
I can sacrifice sixty seconds to put this cow in her place.
Lawson
“Lucy, are you com—” My words die in my throat when she’s not at her desk.
Checking my watch, I see there are only about two minutes before my conference call with New York. Usually, Lucy is ready before I am.
“There’s about to be a catfight in the break room,” a guy announces as he heads back to his cubicle. “Molly is on one again today.”
“Is it Lucy? She looked like she wanted to rip out Molly’s hair earlier,” a woman whispers.
Before my brain catches up, my feet are already taking me toward the break room.
Molly’s voice filters from the open door halfway down the hall as I round the corner. “...probably make sure Monday morning is slow, too.”
I make it three steps before I hear Lucy. “You’re kiddingyourself if you think he would ever be interested inyou. He might have gotten you a gift card to say thank you, even though it wasmewho did all the planning for the party, like I always do, but I assure you, he’s just being nice because Lawson’s a nice guy like that. He probably got something for everyone on the committee. Trust me, you aren’t special.”
I stop just outside the room. Lucy sounds like she’s trying to convince herself just as much as anyone else of what she’s saying, her tone dripping with irritation and condescension. “And for the record, he is still very muchmarried.So unless you want to be a homewrecker, I’d back off.”
I grin. She sounds jealous, and I can’t help the way it makes my heart skip a beat at the way she publicly claims me through the guise of my sham of a marriage. Lucy knows damn well there’s nothing but a piece of paper between Charlotte and me anymore.
“He doesn’t wear a wedding ring. I heard they’re separated, and hiswifelives in Florida now,” Molly snaps back.
Deciding this has gone far enough, I enter the room and nearly run right into Lucy, who is just inside the door. Molly’s eyes widen, and everyone in the room looks between the three of us like we’re acting out a real-life soap opera.
“What’s going on in here?” I demand more authoritatively than I’ve ever spoken in this office.
Lucy’s body stiffens, while Molly’s mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water. “Mr. Morgan… I…”
“My personal life isn’t to be a topic of discussion in the office, do you understand?” I direct the question at her but meet everyone else’s eyes as well. “Now, all of you need to get back to work and stop using company time to discuss your personal lives.”
They all jump to their feet as I lower my voice for only Lucy to hear. “Let’s go. I’m about to be late for my meeting.”
She whirls around, refusing to meet my gaze as we return to my office, her heels clicking against the floor with angry clacks. She swipes her notepad off her desk and rips the wrapper off the granola bar before shoving half the thing in her mouth like a rabid animal.
Instantly, I wonder how much of me she can fit down her throat before my length makes her gag. How much she can handle before tears stream from her eyes and she has to tap out. How her hair would feel wrapped around my fist as I fuck her fa?—
No. She’s too precious to do such devious things to.
