Page 9 of Drilling Deep

“Just want to make sure we cover the basics.”

Titan and I spend the next few hours setting up the computer and downloading the appropriate software to get him started. I explain the process for transferring information from paper to a digital copy and have him do a few on his own while I watch.

I can tell he’s agitated from sitting in an office chair all morning. He obviously doesn’t come in here often, so that must mean he’s out getting his hands dirty with the other men in his crew. Titan’s left foot taps up and down, making his leg shake, which in turn, rattles the desk.

“How about we take a break?” I offer. “Even stuffy office workers get a lunch break every day.”

Titan nods, standing from his seat. I do the same, making my way around the desk to get to the door. My hip snags on the corner of the desk, and I hiss at the sharp pain. A millisecond later, I hear something shatter on the floor behind me.

Wincing, I turn and see a coffee mug that was filled with pens lying on the floor in about a hundred pieces. Pens are strewn about, as well as shards of ceramic.

“Shoot,” I say under my breath, bending over to try and clean up my mess. When I kneel, my foot slips beneath me, ramming into one of the boxes filled with paper. I crunch the side in, and an avalanche of paper spills onto the floor. “Oh, god. I’m sorry,” I rush to say.

On my hands and knees, I gather the pens, put them off to the side, and start on the papers. I’ll have to find a broom for the broken mug, but I can clean this part up first.

“Stop,” Titan barks at me.

I freeze, my heart thudding painfully in my chest. Is he mad? My father would be.“Sorry,” I stutter. “I’ll just–”

“Leave it,” he says, his tone final.

Tears prick my eyes, but I use every last ounce of strength inside me to hold them back. Crying on the first day of my new job? Not the kind of impression I want to make.

I carefully stand from my position on the floor, dusting off my knees before staring at my feet. What do I even say to him? “I need a bathroom break,” I squeak seconds before peeling out of the office and straight to the washrooms.

I’m unsure what else could go wrong today, but I’m certainly not excited to find out.

5

TITAN

That was a complete disaster.

I’m not even sure what happened. One second I was worried about her hurting herself on the desk, and then she was bending over, showing me her round, juicy ass in her skinny jeans, hugging every goddamn curve on her body.

Worry gave way to lust and anger when she apologized again for something that was an accident. It wasn’t anger directed at her, but anger directed at whoever made her automatic reflex to apologize for everything—even her own pain.

That’s no excuse for my harsh tone, especially after things were going so smoothly this morning. Well, not the first part of the morning. But Cora and I found our rhythm with the files and learning new information about the computer.

Then she nudged my mug off the desk, which set off a chain reaction ending in Cora holding back tears. Fuck, seeing her bright green eyes clouded over with sadness and hurt was almost too much to bear.

I did that to her. I scared her.

I choke on the tightness in my throat, hating the thought of the too-sweet, too-innocent little Cora cowering away from me.

“Jesus,” I grunt, rubbing the heel of my hand over my heart. It aches at the thought of Cora being scared of anything or anyone.

I have to fix this somehow. First things first, however. I need to clean up the broken mug so Cora doesn’t cut herself on the sharp edges. I can’t explain the need for her to be safe, for me to be the one who protects her from the whole damn world.

It’s an unfamiliar feeling, like everything else the enchanting woman brings out in me. I can’t protect anyone, though. I couldn’t do anything to save my family, and I don’t want to ever put anyone in a position to rely on me. Or vice versa. I don’t need anything from anyone.

I can’t hurt or disappoint anyone if they don’t get close enough. It’s best for me and the rest of the world if I prowl around, frowning and barking orders.

After sweeping up the ceramic shards and re-stacking the papers, I gather the pens and toss them into the junk drawer of the desk. They’re all junk drawers, but that doesn’t matter.

Looking at my phone, I see that Cora has been gone for a bit too long. I want to give her space, but I also don’t like the thought of her wandering around the ship alone. I swear I’m not some chauvinistic asshole. I’m just… I don’t fucking know. Suddenly obsessed with the blonde-haired, green-eyed goddess who fell into my arms and branded herself onto my very soul.

Maybe I need a vacation after all. Usually, I only leave the rig when I’m forced to. I suppose being cooped up for so long might mess with my mind. A nice vacation after Cora leaves at the end of the month. That sounds relaxing.

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