Page 39 of Hard Limits

“Okay.” Meera sucked the pen. Did she even realise she was doing it? Brax only just managed to stop himself from groaning out loud. “Is there anything else you need?” she asked.

He almost invited her to be the tenth guest at the dinner party, but that would be a bad idea. Terrible. Truly dumb. He absolutely couldn’t do that.

“We can discuss the rest over lunch.”

“Lunch?” Her eyes widened, those thick lashes blinking in surprise. “With you?”

“Now that we have a camera in here, there’s no reason not to make an attempt at social niceties, is there?”

If Meera was smart, she’d say yes, there was every reason not to spend a moment longer in Brax’s company than was strictly necessary. Did she feel it? The pull? As if she were the sun and he were a doomed planet orbiting closer and closer, on a collision course for a fiery end?

“Uh, no. No, I guess there isn’t. I’ll see you at two thirty, Mr. Vale.”

Fuck, this woman was going to turn his life upside down.

CHAPTER 15

THE ASSISTANT

“What’s this?”

Charlotte tiptoed into my office carrying a cupcake on a plate. The cupcake had two candles stuck into the middle, and Selena was behind her, holding out an individual-sized bottle of champagne. I’d turned twenty-six three days ago, but I hadn’t told a soul.

“I know Brax said no parties in here, but it’s your two-month anniversary, and none of us thought you’d make it this far, so…”

“Except me!” Selena squeaked, putting the bottle down on my desk. “I won the pool for the very first time.”

The pool? I’d forgotten about the freaking pool. I quickly moved the bottle to a coaster and stood.

“You all thought I’d quit that soon?”

“Well, yes.” Charlotte nodded. “After you accused Brax of driving a penis extension, I bet on three days.”

A gasp escaped. “You heard about that?”

“Tawny’s brother works in the coffee bar where it happened. And you’re still here, so I guess Brax didn’t hold it against you.”

Selena got a dreamy look in her eyes. “He could hold it against me any day.”

“Shhhh!” I told her.

“Relax, the door’s closed. Coraya’s sister has a friend who did the deed with him in college—they both went to Georgetown—and she says he has nothing to be ashamed of in the showers.”

I really didn’t need to hear any of this. “So, thanks for the cake and the champagne, but I have emails to finish.”

“Me too,” Charlotte said, and pushed the plate into my hands. “Happy work anniversary!”

“Are you working downstairs tonight?” Selena asked her, and my eyes bugged.

“Downstairs?” Was she moonlighting as a server or something? “In the restaurant?”

“No, down-downstairs.” She pointed with a finger. “That’s where I started, but then I met a guy I liked, and I figured I should get a more respectable job and, you know, do the monogamy thing, so Brax found me a role here in the office.”

I stared at Charlotte in a whole new light. It was obvious she was pretty, but she worked downstairs? She wasn’t joking?

“Your face.” She began laughing. “Don’t look so shocked. The guy dumped me for a cheerleader from UCLA, and I missed all the fun I used to have. So now I fill in on the weekends.”

“I…I…”

---