When the elevator doors open on the lobby, Wesley stands at the front of a large group of Hill City employees. I take a step back as they all pile in and nod hello.
“Good morning, Ms. Blunt.” He nods back, smiling like we have a secret.
He’s so obvious it’s disgusting. And yet, I kind of love him for it.
I gasp audibly at the thought. Smother it, push it down below the surface. The feeling planted itself deep inside me last night and has grown and grown. But thatcannotbe what this is. It’s infatuation, affection run wild.
“Good morning, Mr. Chambers.” My head spins as the elevator takes us up. Everyone else chitchats with each other about their evenings and the day ahead, completely unaware of my internal panic. He leans a little closer.
“That color looks lovely on you,” he says quietly.
My eyes fall to my red dress. I smooth my hand over the blue blazer. “Thank you.”
Maybe it’s the dress. Or that song he played in the shower about sabotage that won’t leave my head. Maybe it’s this wild thing planted deep inside me. But I reach out toward him, keeping my hand down by my side, blindly searching until my fingers make contact with his skin. I hold on to his hand the whole way up.
Chapter 33: Wesley
I always knew that the work I was doing for Corrine was valuable, even if its primary purpose was—at first—punishment. But now that she doesn’t hate me the work feels even more important. It’s easy to assume that an executive works hard but until I was her assistant, until I saw it for myself, I had no idea. If I didn’t deliver her lunch she probably wouldn’t eat all day. If I didn’t pick up her dry cleaning she wouldn’t get out of the office on time to get it herself. And if she did make time for those things she’d have to work later, longer anyway.
She’s a sharp contrast to an executive like Richard. He comes in around ten, calling his morning “creative time,” and takes long lunches only an hour later with “clients” who never seem to have any contracts with us.
Emily was right. The administrative core really is the backbone of the office.
And now she trusts me enough to do things other than menial tasks, like leading the digital strategy for the Grimes account—with her supervision, of course. It’s what I came here for.
I’m like her and every other marketing associate in this office now, walking between offices, or in this case the kitchen with my eyes glued to my phone, texting, emailing, researching, drafting, designing. The ringing phones and discussion in the Pit are white noise to my work.
Shouldering open the kitchen door, I stop in front of the fridge. I don’t notice Corrine until I’m almost on top of her.
“Whoa.” I step back. My grin feels like it’s falling over the edge of my face.
She smirks. I think we’re both feeling a little high off last night, falling asleep together and then this morning waking up the same way. “You need to put your phone down, Wesley. You’re becoming a workaholic.”
I lean against the counter beside her. “Hmmmm...” I tap the phone against my lip and raise my eyes to the ceiling. “I wonder who I learned that from?”
She pokes me in the ribs and I glance to the doorway, listening for the sounds of footsteps in the quiet hallway outside.
“Sneak attack,” I whisper, kissing her. I can still feel her hands on me and hear the warm sound of her voice, like I’m back in her cold, dark bedroom. I’m desperate to feel her, hear her again.
For a second, her body goes rigid and she pulls away. But when I whisper, “Sorry. You’re right,” against her lips, she kisses me back and I wrap my arm around her. My heart trips over again and again and I don’t know if it’s the thrill ofthisor the way she slips her tongue past my teeth. Her hair feels like silk as I run my fingers through it. She rests her hand gently on my hip, underneath my blazer. The easy, comfortable way she touches me sends electric shocks through my body. She makes me want to stand here and kiss her, make out like teenagers, for a good hour or three.
But I pull away. And then go back in for more. I kiss her neck, nibble and suck gently at the skin. Her breath catches where my stubble tickles her and she pushes me away. My lips and hands and feet are numb. I am absolutely wild for her.
“You’re breaking the rules,” she says in a stern voice.
“I’m sorry.” We both know I don’t mean it.
That’s how Mark and Chris find us, smiling at each other in this private way, just a little too close for business. To her credit, Corrine is seamless in her transition from secret-hookup to My Boss, while my heart pounds so hard I feel light-headed. She turns to the salad she’d been in the middle of dressing, opening a drawer a few feet on her other side so that she can naturally step away from me.
I gape at them for a moment too long and then bend over my phone like the meaning of life is on the screen. Corrine doesn’t say a word to any of us as she walks out but I watch Mark’s lascivious grin as he tracks her through the room, his eyeballs taped to her ass. That’s the thing about a guy like Mark. He’s too caught up in his own ego to see what’s right in front of him.I’ve touched the ass that you’re staring at, I want to scream at him.I’ve literally kissed it and she will never be yours the way she is mine.
Chris and Mark laugh quietly as I shoot razor blades at the side of his face with my eyes. Mark opens the refrigerator door, pushing me aside with it as he does. I am halfway to the hallway when he asks, “How’s it going with that one, Chambers?”
I stop. My spine goes rigid for a quick moment when I think he’s asking aboutus. Taking a deep breath before turning around, I ask, “Sorry?”
He jerks his chin toward the door. “Blunt the Cu...” He smirks, holding up his hands in mock apology. “Sorry. Forgot you don’t like that word.”
Chris’s laugh sounds like a broken chain saw.
