She smooths her skirt once more and then moves to her hair, as if I’d wrecked it. Unfortunately, I never even got the chance.
I straighten my tie and do my best impression of someone who hasn’t just eaten out his assistant—and is now pissed off because neither of us got to even finish.
Adrian’s voice is icy. “My office.Now.”
He walks off without waiting for a reply.
I follow, hands in my pockets. I’m not nervous, not really—I’ve known Adrian since college, and we’ve had more screaming matches than most married couples. But something in his face tells me this is not the usual. He’s been going through something, and hopefully, he’s finally ready to actually talk about it.
I step into his office and immediately shiver. “Why do you crank the a/c so low in this place? Because you’re so cold-hearted?”
He glares at me and closes the door behind us, then sits at his desk, fingers steepled. Obviously, he’s not in a laughing mood. “Do you know why I called you in here?” he asks, eyes never leaving mine.
“Because you missed me?” I laugh, but his expression doesn’t shift.
He’s silent, long enough to make it uncomfortable.
“Look,” I sigh, now actually fucking annoyed, “If this is about the quarterly rental statements, I’ll get the numbers in by tomorrow?—”
His jaw clenches. “It’s abouther.”
I tilt my head, intrigued by the indirect use of her name. “You mean… Maddy? You do know she has a name, right?”
He doesn’t say anything for a full minute, just stares at the skyline.
Finally, he turns back to me. “I lost control with her yesterday.”
The words land like a punch, but I don’t fully understand what he’s trying to tell me. So, I stare at him, searching for a clue. How could Adrian have possibly lost control?
“What are you trying to say?” I make a face. “Did you hit her? Threaten to fire her? I’m confused.”
He shakes his head, his cheeks turning a shade of crimson. “It was unprofessional. It was reckless. It’s never happened before. She’s just… so fuckinghot.” There’s a crack in his armor I’ve never seen, and I suddenly understand.
“She’s not like the others,” he says, before I can clarify. “She makes me… not myself. I had sex with her.” He meets my gaze. “In my office.”
I want to laugh, but it catches in my throat. I realize it’s probably smarter to just fess up at this point.
“I get it,” I say carefully.
He scoffs. “Do you? Because I don’t think?—”
“I slept with Maddy, too,” I cut him off.
He blinks, jaw tightening. “What?”
I stand my ground. “Before she started working here. We had a one-night stand. Then again.Recently.”
He closes his eyes, lets out a slow breath, like he’s trying not to lose it. “You’re fucking kidding me.”
I shrug. “Sorry to break it to you, but no. But it’s not that big of a deal. We’re both adults, it was consensual, and she’s great at her job. End of story.” I’m not going to be a jealous asshole, even if the thought of Adrian fucking her makes me a little angry.
I’m not against sharing. It’s actually kind of hot.
But Adrian… clearly disagrees.
He stands, fists clenched on the desk. “Not that big of a deal? You—fuck. You have no idea what you’ve done.” His voice wavers, and I can’t tell if he’s pissed or hurt.
“Adrian…”
