The short dress was not the smartest decision tonight. For sneaking into the party uninvited, yes. For a road trip to nowhere, Pennsylvania, no.
But also—who knew Oliver could manhandle a woman like she’s no bigger than a doll?
I never saw him toss Margot over his shoulder like this. And she never talked about him having an iron grip like the hand clamped on my thigh.
Or the way being manhandled could make a girl feel things she absolutely doesnotwant to feel.
Primal instinctive reaction, I tell myself.
Nothing to do with Oliver.
Which is exactly what I hope my entire life gets back to soon.
Nothing to do with Oliver.
Directly, anyway.
But unfortunately, I don’t think that’s in my immediate future.
Because if I’m right and he’s running away—I’m screwed.
My job? My dream job?
The job I have now, working for a nonprofit that saves animal habitats?
Most of our operational costs are covered by a grant from the M2G Foundation.
A foundation that Oliver started almost as soon as he took the reins of the company as a PR stunt to immediately work on rehabilitating the corporation’s image.
If Oliver’s out, there’s very little chance the next CEO will continue to funnel profits into charitable causes like mine.
Because while Miles2Go’s reputation has turned around, stockholders are grumbling that there’s no profit. And there’s no profit because of the current focus on the public image, which I swear I only know because my boss was talking about it the other day.
I need my phone.
And there it is.
In his back pocket.
I reach for it, miss, and touch his ass.
His shoulders tighten beneath my stomach, and then once again, my world spins as he hefts me off his shoulder and sets me on the porch.
He eyes me, and another shiver races across my arms and down my spine.
“Don’t even think about it,” he mutters.
“About what?”
“You’ll get your phone back when I give you your phone back. Understand?”
I smile and nod despite the way I’m suddenly uncomfortably intrigued at how bossy he’s being. He was never bossy to Margot.Ever. “You’re in charge. Whatever you say.”
He sighs the heavy sigh of a man trying very hard to control his breathing.
Understandable.
We both know I’m lying.
