7
Savannah
Ican resist Alex Devlin. I can resist Alex Devlin. I can resist Alex Devlin.
Doesn’t matter how many times I repeat these words in my head, I don’t believe them.
The short walk to the pool the next morning has dread building in my gut. I’m walking to my doom. If doom comes in the form of a gorgeous man whom I’m finding it harder and harder to resist.
Just knowing I would be seeing him this morning, in nothing more than those tight shorts he wears to swim in, had me up all night tossing and turning.
I whisper my chant under my breath a few more times as I quickly change into my bathing suit. Then, in a rare attempt at maintaining some dignity, I wrap my towel around my waist and secure it tightly. I don’t normally care about walking out on the deck in just my bathing suit; after all, I’m there to swim. But I don’t trust my body not to betray me and reveal just how aroused I was last night, even if it was only in my dreams.
Thankfully, fate is on my side and when I get to the edge of the water, Alex is already in the water, down at the other end of the pool, about to execute a perfect flip-turn. I manage to get my swim cap, goggles, and ear plugs on before he reaches me, and I quickly hop in and push off the wall. I’m anxious to maintain some distance between us for as long as I can.
I should have known he wouldn’t let it be that easy for me. When I finish my warm-up set, he’s waiting for me. His muscled arm rests on the edge of the water casually, and he’s got a relaxed grin on his face.
“Hello, Savannah.”
His voice is like warm honey melting over me. How does he inject so much lustful promise into those two words?
“Alex,” I reply curtly, keeping myself low in the water so he can’t see my nipples pebble at the very sound of his voice.
“Sleep well?”
Heat rushes to my face.How did he know?
“Fine, thanks.” If I keep my answers brief, surely, he’ll get the hint. Oh, who am I kidding? Alex doesn’t seem to be the type to back down. But then he does something to prove me wrong. As if he can sense how flustered I am around him, he simply flashes me his perfect smile.
“Have a good swim, love.”
With a wink, Alex pushes off the wall and is gone.
“Fuck,” I sigh, and sag against the wall. My heart is racing, and I haven’t even started my workout.
If anything, his more subtle approach today is a bigger turn on than his blatant flirting from our previous encounters. Even though he wasn’t nearly as forward with his seduction as I had prepared myself for, my body still tingles all over from our brief conversation. And make no mistake, I can acknowledge he is out to seduce me. The question is, how long can I maintain my defenses before he succeeds? And then where will I be, after I give in to him. Is the risk of losing my contract with DC Group worth the temptation of a night of scorching hot sex? Because I’m fairly confident that’s all he’s after.
And I want it. I want him.
This is not good.
Not good at all.
Things don’t get any easier as the days go by and I have to see Alex not just at the pool, but also at work. Seeing him stride around the office in a suit, or better yet, a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to show off his forearms, is pure torture. I’m pretty sure I could use a bib for how often I have to check for drool. I’ve tried different avoidance tactics, like keeping my head buried in my work when he walks by or taking the stairs if he’s waiting for the elevator.
But that only accomplished one thing. A renewed commitment to cross-training because good grief, my cardio endurance cannot handle all those stairs day after day.
He’s got a knack for always being around. And he hasn’t stopped with the flirting and innuendos. If I wasn’t so damned drawn to him, I’m sure I would find it offensive rather than charming. Instead, it’s all I can do to try and remember all the reasons why I can’t go there with him. I need this job, and giving in to temptation with Alex would most likely ruin my chances of seeing it through to completion. After all, once he gets what he wants — me, in his bed — he’ll probably turn tail and run in the opposite direction as fast as he can.
At least the work part of my day is going well. And by well, I mean productive. I’ve unearthed a few suspicious anomalies in the invoices and expense reports from Fortune, and I’m certainly developing my initial thoughts on what’s going on. But I can’t go to Brayden and Alex until I’m sure about what I’ve found. Because if I’m right, someone is in a whole heap of trouble.
After several particularly engrossing hours spent reviewing the last month’s financials, and comparing them to the same documents from Fable, I stand and stretch. My body is screaming at me, so I take a minute to work out the inevitable kinks in my neck that come from peering over reports for hours and hours. An embarrassing rumble from my stomach reminds me that I haven’t eaten since much earlier this morning. I saw Brayden put a box of donuts in the small kitchen area, and right now an apple fritter is calling my name.
One sip of my perfectly blended coffee is all I get before the simple task of getting a cup of coffee and a donut becomes too much for my clumsy self. When I turn to head back to my desk, my foot catches on the leg of a chair. The ensuing stumble isn’t that bad; I’m actually quite proud of how I managed to catch myself. No, it’s the hot coffee spilled down the front of my white sweater that has me groaning aloud.Why the fuck did I wear white?That’s a lesson I need to learn.
“Shit, shit, shit.”
I pull my damp sweater away from my body before the coffee can seep in anymore.
