Page 79 of Touch Me

My blood whooshes past my ears as my heart rate increases. “Yes, of course. I just resubmitted my article on Stella Karr to Chloe and—”

“To Chloe?” I can see his face redden slightly. “Why didn’t you send it to me?”

“Well, she emailed me after I submitted my first article. She said her boss loved the content and layout. So I figured I would send her the updated version.”

“So you cut out the middleman?” He stands and walks slowly around the back of my chair. “I see.”

I kept my position facing forward but in my head is a monotone narrator’s voice,Oh, little Rosy Maple Moth has really fucked up now.

“No, of course not.” I backtrack. “We just already had a line of communication open so—”

“So you thought you had a better shot going directly to the top?”

“No, I—”

“Let’s get one thing clear, Miss Sinclair.” He leans down and brushes the hair off my neck to whisper in my ear. “I make the decisions around here. I launch careers. If you want anything big to happen, you go through me.”

I lean slightly away and dry my sweaty hands on my thighs. Mark takes his finger and traces a line from my ear down my neck—there’s a faint clicking in the background, and I try to focus on something other than the fact that this man has his hands on me, and I’m still sitting here, caught in his web.

Do Rosy Maple Moths spit venom or have giant retractable claws or something?

The clicking gets closer.

“Cassie? There you are.” Chloe saunters in the room. “I was looking for you.”

Oh thank god,batshit crazy Tinkerbell and her Pavlov cube have come to my rescue.

Mark immediately steps back to put some distance between us.

“Hi, Chloe.” I stand and fix my hair and swipe my hand down my neck, trying to erase the disgusted feeling coursing through my body.

“I got your updated article. It’s perfect. I showed Mr. Hanley, and he’d like to offer you the exclusive on the gallery opening next month.”

“Wow. That’s amazing. Thank you so much.” I glance back at Mark as I walk to the door. His jaw is tightly clenching, and he’s vibrating with silent rage.

Suddenly, a Peregrine Falcon swoops down and snatches the Huntsman Spider out of his web, mid-attack, and swallows him whole. Such an egregious display of the ruthlessness of nature.

“Why don’t we go to lunch and discuss the details.”

“That sounds great.”

“Oh, I almost forgot.”

She bounces over to Mark, stretches up to her tiptoes, and whispers something in his ear. He never takes his eyes off me. Jaw still clenched, eyes boring a hole through me. Chloe pulls back and stands in front of him, waiting for a reaction, like a child waiting for praise. He breaks eye contact, looks at her, and smiles.

“I’ll call you later,” Mark says as he grabs her hips to draw her close and kisses her cheek.

Click

Gross. Pavlov is probably turning over in his grave.

* * *

I quickly changeout of my work clothes and rush up the stairs to tell Jace about my article being selected. He isn’t in the gym so he must be in the darkroom. I burst through the door and see Jace holding up a picture with tweezers as it drips dry.

“Cassie, the red light. It means don’t enter. You shouldn't be in here.”

“Oh no. I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. I just wanted to tell you about...” I freeze, looking around, confused.

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