“Trust me.”
“Fine.But no hanky-panky at the office.”I don’t know why I’m going along with this.
He nods.“Deal.”
“Also,” he adds, “no more pranks.”
I blink at him in surprise.“Seriously?You’re giving up your favorite hobby?”
“I can think of better ways to annoy you now,” he says with that wicked grin.
I can’t help but tease him.“Aw, poor Caleb.No more wrapping my desk in princess paper?”
In one fluid motion, he rolls us over, pinning me beneath him on the bed.
“Fine,” I say breathlessly, my hands fisting in his hair as I try to catch my breath from the sudden shift.“But no exclusivity.”
His grip on my waist tightens immediately, fingers pressing into my skin hard enough to bruise.“Do you have someone in mind?”The question comes out rougher than I think he intended, and something vindictive in me purrs at the reaction.
“I could,” I taunt, watching his eyes darken dangerously.“And it wouldn’t be your problem, would it?”
Silence stretches between us, thick with tension.His jaw ticks, and I can feel the coiled restraint in his body.
“Fine,” he says finally, the word clipped.
Then he’s kissing me again, desperate and possessive, like he’s trying to erase the very idea of me with anyone else.His mouth moves against mine with an urgency that completely contradicts our casual arrangement.When he finally pulls away, we’re both breathing hard, and his hand is inching down the curve of my ass.From the look in his eyes, he’s got plans for another round, and for the first time, I feel completely free as I pounce on him.
* * *
The next morningis filled with a rush of deadlines and the big board presentation, which is due in less than 48 hours, so I don’t get a minute to myself, much less to think about the new chaotic relationship agreement Caleb and I have just entered.
“Joshua, can you pull up the budget breakdown for the heritage craftsmanship section?”I call out, eyes glued to my computer screen where I’m frantically cross-referencing vendor contracts.Caleb barely glances up from his laptop, where he’s building the visual presentation slides.
“Already on it,” he replies, his fingers flying across his keyboard.“Just sent it to both of you.”I open the email and scan the numbers.Everything looks good.
The three of us work in focused silence after that, the only sounds being the clicking of keyboards and the occasional rustle of papers.Every few minutes, one of us fires off a quick question or confirmation, but there’s no time for anything else.The presentation materials are scattered across our desks like a paper explosion—contracts, photos, budget sheets, timeline charts.
“I’m going to step up to the roof for a smoke,” Joshua announces, stretching in his chair as lunch rolls around.“Five minutes, then back to the grind.”He grabs his jacket and heads out.
A few minutes after he leaves, my stomach growls loudly enough for Caleb to look up from his laptop.“I’m going to grab lunch from the bodega,” I announce, pushing back from my desk.“Anyone want anything?”
“Bring me back one of those turkey sandwiches if they have them,” Caleb says instantly.
I hold out my hand expectantly.“Pay up.”
He finally looks up, that lazy grin playing at the corners of his mouth.“After how hard I worked last night, I think I’ve earned a free lunch.”
What?
I glower at him.“Don’t even think abo?—”
“I worked very, very hard.”His voice drops to that low rumble that makes my stomach flip.“All night long.Multiple times, if I recall correctly.”His eyes travel slowly down my body before meeting mine again.“I’d say I’ve earned some...compensation.”
He can’t be serious.
“Caleb!”Flora pulls away from her desk, looking concerned.“You came back here after the meeting?Sweetie, you should have gone home.”
Steven spins around in his chair, equally worried.“Did something go wrong?What were you doing multiple times?”
