Page 54 of Bossy Wicked Prince
I have no idea what the fuck I’m doing.
I don’t even have to say it out loud. James sees the answer in my face and grimaces.
“Careful, Nate. There’s trouble down that road.”
“Don’t I know it,” I mutter.
18
CAT
“Hey, hello, earth to Cat!”
A manicured hand snaps its fingers in front of my face. I blink, realizing I’m sitting about two inches away from my computer screen, totally focused on the spreadsheet in front of me. I glance up to see Susie, the office manager, standing in front of my desk.
“Oh, hey,” I say sheepishly.
“It took you a whole minute to look up.” She laughs. “What are you working on so hard this late?”
“It’s not that late, it’s–— I glance down at my computer clock and gape. “It’s almost seven! I was so focused on this conference schedule, I didn’t even realize.”
“That can wait till tomorrow,” she says, waving her hand. “You should really get out of here.”
“I know it’s not urgent, but I wanted to wrap it up today.”
Susie raises her brows. “You’ve worked late for the past three days. Is Nate pushing you too hard? I know he’s focused on the acquisition with that Edmonton firm, but you deserve to have a life. I can talk to him if you need me to. I’m not scared of that scowl of his.”
I can’t help but laugh at that. “You might be the only one. Everyone else in the office is terrified of him.”
“Please. I’ve been working in this office since Nate Walsh was a teenager. I worked under his father, before he passed. Let’s just say, you can’t be scared of someone who used to come in to get his field trip permission slips signed.”
“Well, don’t worry. Nate didn’t ask me to stay late. I just wanted to get some extra work done.”
After everything in New York, I’ve been pushing myself extra hard at the office. I show up early to review my work from the day before. I make a to-do list for the day, the week, and the next month, and anything that I can push up, I do. Every day, I make sure I chat with a new coworker so I can understand what everyone in the office does.
I work like I want a bonus, a promotion, and a goddamn corner office.
Because I’ve got to prove to myself that I took this job for the money, andnotas an excuse to stay close to Nate.
Especially because our relationship has never been more awkward. Since we got back from New York, we’ve both been almost aggressively cordial. That is, whenever we can’t just avoid each other. Which isn’t easy to do, considering my desk is right outside his door.
“Well, don’t stay too late,” Susie says. “Pretty young girl like you must have better things to do than fill in a spreadsheet. Nate’s lucky to have you.”
“Luck is for slot machines,” I tell her. “I run on caffeine and a lack of respect for my own sleep schedule.”
She chuckles and shakes her head.
“I’ll leave soon,” I tell her, lying blatantly.
Susie walks toward the elevator, leaving me alone in the office, save for a few members of the janitorial staff. I sigh and lean back in my chair.
The truth is, I’ve been staying at the office late on purpose, every night that I can’t pick up an extra shift at Terrace or the shelter. I need to keep myself busy, because if I don’t, all I’ll do is obsess about Nate. It’s pathetic, really. He gives me one phenomenal orgasm looking out over a sparkling city, and suddenly I can’t stop thinking about him.
And dreaming about him.
Every night when I fall asleep, Nate does filthy things to me. Sex acts I’ve never even imagined before. All the while, he whispers in my ear, telling me what a good girl I’ve been and making me moan.
When I wake up, my panties are soaked.
