“Are you sleeping with him?” I blurt out.
Real smooth, Ash.
“Excuse me?”
Well, there’s no backing down now. I guess I have to finish what I started.
“Are. You. Sleeping. With. Craig?” I emphasize each word.
“That’s none of your damn business.”
I take a half step toward her, but she doesn’t back up. She keeps those heels planted firmly on the floor. I lean in closer, making sure not to touch her.
“Oh, but it is. He writes for us. I’m your boss. I need to know about any relationships between my employees.”
She scoffs. “You don’t need to know shit, Ashton. You’re jealous.”
“Of Craig?” I sputter. “You know why guys like that are so arrogant? Why they walk around thinking everyone else is beneath them? Because they’re insecure. They prey on those they deem weaker. They make examples out of them.”
“I amnotweak.”
“I know,” I say softer now. “That’s how I know you’re not really into him.”
“Fuck you,” she yells. “You’re the one who walked into my house and touched me just to prove a point, then left like nothing happened.”
“Oh, yeah?” I let out a dry laugh. “So you’re the only one allowed to leave, right?”
“Shut up.”
I ignore her. “Silly me. I forgot.You’rethe only one allowed to walk away after turning someone’s world on its fucking axis.”
“I didn’t?—”
“You did.”
Her gaze flickers back and forth, searching for the lie on my face, but she won’t find it. The only person lying here is her. She’s lying to me and to herself.
She opens and closes her mouth, but nothing comes out, andthen suddenly she leans in toward me. I follow her movements, unsure of who makes contact first, but before I can think better of it, our lips press together and she’s kissing the life out of me. Her tongue nudges past my lips and tangles with mine. When she brings her hands up, the papers she was holding float down to the floor, and she grabs the back of my hair, pushing me forward to deepen the kiss. I bite her lip in retaliation, making her gasp. When I instinctually begin to walk her back toward the wall, I see her hand move down out of the corner of my eye. That’s when I realize she’s grabbing onto mine to bring it between her legs. I instantly freeze, reality crashing down on me like a bucket of ice water.
She doesn’t care. This is all a game to her.
She thinks I’ll make her come again and we can forget why I’m really angry. Sorry, not going down that road again. Not until she gives me answers.
I break the kiss, cursing and pulling at my hair as I remove myself from her grasp. “Fuck.”
I pace back and forth behind my desk a few times before settling back in front of her. Close, but not too close.
“Why?” I ask her. There’s nothing but confusion swirling in those crystal eyes.
“Why did you tell me all that shit if you were going to disappear?” I clarify. “Why did you tell me to make you forget? Why did you tell me that you?—”
“Don’t.” She pushes herself up from the wall and straightens her skirt, smoothing it with her hands.
“Then tell me why.”
“I thought youknew!” she cries out.
My brows furrow, and now it’s my turn to be confused.
