Page 5 of Bastard In A Suit, Vol. 3

Chapter 3

Dukeand I step into the hallway of the penthouse office we now share and walk into the room, not quite hand in hand, but close enough that the scent of his cologne distracts me. His—our—office brings back memories that make me blush. My bare ass on his desk…

He goes straight to that desk, shifts around some paperwork, and then calls down to reception to access his messages. I poke around in my corner of space, and fire up the company-issued laptop. I’m asked for my password as soon as the screen comes to life.

I try to tune out Duke’s voice, but his tone has hardened. His answers are curt, professional.

He hangs up and coughs, as though trying to catch my attention. I spin around in my wheely chair and grin. “Duty calls?”

“Unfortunately.” He points to my computer. “Do you have everything you need?”

I shrug. There isn’t much I can do. Now that the MicroTracker and its software will be handed over to the police, my role at Kingston Industries—regardless of how fake—has been rendered redundant. “I’m probably just going to track down Forrest.”

He nods. “Good. I’m in meetings all day.”

“Great.”

There’s an awkward beat of silence while neither of us moves. Am I supposed to stand and kiss him goodbye? Salute? He stuffs paperwork into a leather briefcase. At the door, he pauses. “You look good here, Hailey,” he says. “You belong.”

His eyes burn with sentiments I can’t read and my heart skips a beat. He leaves before I can respond.

My chest swells with ridiculous happiness, ballooning with the hope that maybe, just maybe, there is more to this than just sex. But the light headedness of my fantasy fades fast in anticipation of the difficult conversation with Forrest ahead.

I quickly check my emails, scrolling through corporate policy reminders and an update on the upcoming company mixer, before slamming my laptop shut. Procrastination isn’t my style, and prolonging the talk with Forrest isn’t doing anyone any good.

Casting a backward glance at the office, my gaze once again lingers on the surface of Duke’s desk and a thrill zig zags up my spine. If I’m going to continue working at Kingston Industries, I’ll have to convince Duke of my own space. I suspect in here I’ll be far too distracted to do much more than reminisce about his tongue between my thighs.

Get a grip, Hailey.

I flick off the lights and head to the elevator, mentally preparing as the car lowers to the third floor. This time as I walk through the maze of cubicles, I hold my head high, even try to make eye contact. A few employees smile, but most are too busy to notice the effort.

Forrest looks up from his laptop when I walk in the room. There’s no spark in his eyes, and his ever-present smile wiped clean. I can tell he hasn’t slept. Instant guilt trips along my spine.

“I thought we were going to meet at the police station,” he says.

He stands, gathering his keys and wallet, ready to lurch. His movements are tense, distracted. Shit. Things are about to get worse and I hate that I can’t deliver more positive news.

“Forrest…”I say. “Sit for a minute.”

He freezes, shoulders tight. He shakes his head. “We have to get Jake.”

My heart aches. “We know where Jake is.”

He sighs with exasperation. “You know what I mean, Hailey. We need to go see him again.”

My chest tightens. “Again?”

Forrest looks down at his feet and kicks at something on the floor. His pants are wrinkled, and I notice his tie isn’t knotted quite right. “I know I said we’d wait, but I couldn’t. It was eating me up inside. I couldn’t sleep, couldn’t think. So, I went to see him at the jail last night.”

“Oh, Forrest…” I slump down in my chair. “We need to talk.”

He perches on the edge of my desk and leans forward. His eyes burn with determination, passion. “He’s innocent,” he says. “Jake says he was framed, and I believe him.” His eyes go wide. “You believe it too, right?”

His voice is filled with a conviction I can’t match, and that only deepens my anxiety.

I swallow. Forrest catches on to my hesitation and his face twists with disgust. “Hailey? Come on. You can’t possibly think he did this. He loved Marissa.”

“People in love do terrible things all the time,” I say softly.