“Insinuate that again and I will fucking ruin you,” I hiss, pinning him with a vicious glare. “Our personal relationship has nothing to do with our business relationship.” That’s not entirely true, I’m well aware Victoria wouldn’t be so invested in my success if she didn’t like me,but she’d still give her all to help me. That’s exactly what she did before we ever touched each other.
“You’re admitting you have a personal relationship with her?”
“I’m admitting nothing.” But she better get over her bullshit of trying to keep us a secret fast, because it’s not fucking working, and because I’m already sick of it.
Why the fuck wouldn’t she want the world to know she’s dating me?Iwant the world to know I’m dating her. Mainly to scare away anyone else who has designs on my Victoria.
I get her worry that people will think she fucked her way up the ladder, but that’s mitigatable.
“It’s still obvious.”
“If you say so.”
“Itis,”Elio insists.
“Alright.”
“God, how does she—or anyone—fucking tolerate you?”
A deprecating smile touches my lips. “Most people don’t. As for her?” I suppose the orgasms I gave her wouldn’t hurt, but before that… “I guess she saw potential in me.” When nobody else did, including myself.
We drink in silence for a while. Then, we order another round.
“Is there a world in which we can actually work together?” Elio asks. “I don’t like you, but I could learn from you.”
I consider him through narrowed eyes. He’s a better man than me for admitting as much. Maybe I can learn from him, too. “Ask me after another round.”
We have several more rounds, mixed in with mundane conversation and casual F1 gossip… which turns out to be surprisingly pleasant.
By the fifth round, it’s late, he’s halfway to drunk while I’m mildly buzzed, andthat’swhen he asks me again.
It could be the alcohol. It could be me trying to be less of a shit human being.
Whatever the reason, I say, “Yeah, there’s a world where we can work together. We’re living in it right now.”
I wake up early the next morning, hit the local gym I favor for a workout with Gio, and finally unblock and call my manager. I’m amazed he hasn’t dropped me considering I ghosted him for alongtime, but he’s happy to hear from me. I pass on my openness to PR—albeitreluctantopenness—and listen to him drone on about image and strategies, but hang up on him when he suggests I do an underwear photoshoot for a second-rate magazine.
By the time I get to HQ, I’m reasonably content with my start to the day. Thingsreallystart looking up when I pass Victoria in a hallway. I’m heading to our in-house gym to work on neck strength and play around with a lightboard; she’s presumably heading somewhere to join the nerd army.
We’re in the hallway with the maintenance room. The one that she tried to hide from me in.
It takes a split second for me to make a ridiculously reckless decision that will make both of us late. Good thing I’m early, and I don’t care about delaying her entrance to the analyst’s cave.
I grab her arm, wrench open the door to the cursed room, and tug her inside. Automatic lights switch on as the door slams shut behind her; I swallow her gasp in a scorching kiss. She’s stiff for only a few beats before she melts into me, body softening against mine and hands sliding around my shoulders.
I’ve had a hard time thinking about anything other than her since the night I had her in my bed. Getting to touch her,tasteher again makes me lose my grip on rationality.
“You didn’t text me last night,” I growl into her mouth, nipping her bottom lip in reprimand. I sent her a tipsy text at around 11pm, telling her that she would be proud if she saw how I was getting along with Elio.
She tugs on my hair in response, andfuck, my cock is going to punch a hole through my pants if I don’t get inside her in the next two minutes.
“I was busy,” she gasps when I fist her hair and tug her head back.
Too busy for me? Unacceptable. I am more than happy to remind her why I should come as top priority to her.
“What’s so important that you can’t fuckingtext me back?” I demand. I’ve never cared about something as insignificant as texting before, but everything’s different with her. I need to know I live in her thoughts rent-free as often as she lives in mine.
“Getting you on a podium,” she breathes. “Getting my algorithm—”
