Page 5 of Rival Desires

Holy Fuck.

THREE

Cory

I tapped my fingers to an imaginary beat on the leather steering wheel, my gaze drifting yet again to the passenger seat as I sat through another red light. The echo of last night still lingered, a haunting silhouette of tousled curls, bare golden shoulders, and the enticing curve of a thigh peeking through the slit of a glittering dress.

I scrunched my eyes shut, attempting to exorcise the memory of her body molded against mine in the hushed privacy of my car. The way she confidently led my hand up her leg, her nails dancing lightly over my knuckles before?—

A blaring horn snapped me out of my daydream. I muttered a curse under my breath and floored the gas just as the light blinked back to red. This was absurd. I couldn’t shake the replay of every steamy moment from that enchanting masquerade ball. I couldn’t stop obsessing over her.

The secretive woman without a name.

I’d spent the whole freakin’ weekend racking my brain for any clue about who she was. Did she drop a hint about her friends? Her job? But all those heated chats just swirled together in my head, boiling down to the rush of her fingers tracing my thigh and the flutter of her lips on my neck.

Useless. Even now, I could still feel the heat of desire crackling beneath my skin.

Way to go, McCrae. Pining over a woman like a lovesick puppy, and you didn’t even snag her name. Or her number. Or anything!

I smacked my head against the headrest in sheer frustration. This was the first woman I’d really clicked with in god knows how long, and my bumbling self had totally botched any chance of seeing her again.

“Real smooth, Romeo,” I mumbled.

Twenty minutes later, I swaggered through the sparkling lobby of Gracen & McCrae, “Good morning, Mr. McCrae” echoing behind me like a broken record. I tossed out crisp greetings, sidestepping small talk like a pro. The sooner I dove headfirst into work, the sooner I could drown my distraction in spreadsheets and game plans.

As I approached my office, I sensed a presence beside me. Glancing over, I did a double take. Jules, Fury’s assistant, was keeping pace with me, her stride as smooth as melted butter.

“Jules,” I said, trying to sound casual. “What’s the deal?”

She shot me a sly grin, her eyes scanning me from head to toe. “Well, well, well, Mr. McCrae. You’re looking mighty fine this morning. Glowing, even. Nice weekend?”

A flush crept up my neck, and I fought the urge to tug at my tie. Was I really that obvious? Did I have a neon sign above my head flashing “love-struck”?

“Ah, you know, just the usual,” I replied with a careless shrug. “Fury’s waiting for me, right?”

“Uh-huh, in his lair,” she purred. “Don’t let me hold you up.”

With a wink, she sashayed away, leaving a trail of rose perfume behind her. I stood there, staring after her, slightly stunned. Since when did Jules Vortak bat her lashes at me? In five years, we’d exchanged maybe a dozen words not related to work. Now she was giving me the once-over.

My steamy rendezvous Saturday was etched all over my face for the world to see. Fury was going to have a field day with this.

After depositing my bag in my office, I stumbled upon my partner lounging behind his mammoth oak desk, feet perched nonchalantly on a precarious stack of files. He welcomed me with a rakish grin.

“Well, look who’s doing the walk of shame this morning,” Fury chortled.

I blinked, taken aback. “Uh, sorry, what?”

“You heard me.” He cackled at my bewildered expression. “Jules just filled me in on how she caught you blushing like a schoolgirl with a crush in the hallway. Judging by the goofy look on your face, she figured you’d had one hell of a weekend. Is there anything you’d like to share with the class, McCrae?”

With a groan, I plonked myself down in the chair opposite him and raked both hands through my hair. So much for keeping my secret entanglement under wraps.

“Oh, come on, don’t be like that,” Fury cajoled. “I’m not asking for specifics here. Just tell me whether our little boy is finally becoming a man out there.”

His grin morphed into a sly smirk, and a dark eyebrow arched with mischief. Despite my reddening cheeks, I chuckled.

“Alright, alright, you win. Something...went down this weekend.”

Fury whistled low and swiveled his chair to face me. “Spill it.”

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