AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Does it clear your head?”
He grunts and presses the weights in the air again.
“I’ll take that as a yes. Do you split by body parts?”
“Stop talking, Thompson,” he grits out.
“I’ll just stand here, then. Like a piece of wallpaper. Or a plant maybe. Two degrees from Columbia, but you want me to hold your towel. What luck.”
He drops the weights on the floor and sits up. His gaze runs up my legs, before his expression shutters, even as his sides heave and sweat runs down his hairline. “Yes. A plant. Exactly. In fact, I would love if you were even less lifelike than a plant. Maybe a chair?”
My mouth drops open. Foolish hurt lances through me. I should know this feeling by now. “You’re joking.” He’s such an ass. Apologizing one minute and then putting me down the next. The stray dog analogy fits. “Afraid that bringing me a coffee might mean I like you?”
His expression hardens. “Let me be clear about something.” He stands, rising over me, smelling like sweat and man. “We are not friends.” He gestures between us. “This is not a buddy cop movie. I am not going to suddenly change and become a nice guy.”
He’s too close. I so badly want to take a step back, but I tip my chin up instead. “I know you’re not a nice person. Believe me, I’ve seen it in action.” His eyes flash. You asked for it.
“I’m glad we’re clear. Anything else?”
“Nope. I’ll just stand here and hold this towel for you, since it’s so heavy.” I keep my voice sweet, and he glowers. “In fact, can I play some music while you work out? It would help me be more chair-like.”
He growls and sits back down on the bench. I pull out my phone and put on some singer-songwriter music I know will annoy him. I can practically hear him rolling his eyes as he lifts. I keep my back to him, refusing to watch those muscles flex and roll under his shirt. The music was a mistake though, because now I want to sing.
I sing in the shower, when I’m alone in the park, at karaoke night. Basically wherever I can get away with it. I love it, and I’m a decent singer, but Jonah doesn’t know that and I don’t want him to. I don’t want to reveal that secret, joyful part of me, so I hum faintly under my breath and sway a little.
A thump of a weight on the floor makes me jump. Jonah is glowering at me, a dark, sweat-slicked god. He pulls his shirt up to wipe his face, and I gulp.
“Here.” I thrust the towel in his face. “Spare me the sight, please.”
Endorphins do not make Jonah Crown any more pleasant, because in response, he strips his shirt off. Again. I keep my eyes carefully on his face. His cheekbone to be exact.
He takes the towel and spends an indecent amount of time rubbing himself down. I hold myself stock-still at his side, even as heat rushes through me. You like the bad boys. Heaven help me. I must, because even with Jonah telling me he’d prefer if I were a chair, I still want to jump him.
He leaves to shower, and I settle in at my desk downstairs. I can get through this. I take deep breaths. The man might think I’m lower than dirt, but I can still survive. I’ve survived worse, after all. My mom leaving, all the shifts I worked as a waitress in grad school, especially the overnight ones at the diner near Columbia, and my very public breakup with Eric. I click into a blank document and keep working on my article for later. I stab out the letters as I type. I’m fiddling with the photo of Jonah on my phone, editing his skin, even though he barely needs it, when he appears next to me. Just like yesterday, when he tried to scare me. I was looking for an employee handbook, though not ten minutes earlier, I’d been going through all the emails saved on the system.
He’s such an ass. Letting me in and then keeping me at a distance. Why does it matter? Because I want him. I liked how he teased me in the office last week, all his focus on me, murmuring insults against my skin. And what does that say about me? I liked who I was with him. Even if I hate that he was using desire to unsettle me.
With Eric and his friends, I faded into the background. With Jonah, that would be impossible. He meets me as an equal. Even when he’s demanding things from me, he acts like I’m someone to be feared, respected. Something Eric never did.
Except when Jonah pushes me away. Every time I get too close, Jonah reminds me of my place.
I’m distracted and flushed the rest of the day. Every time Jonah asks me to do something, I try to keep our contact to a minimum. I can’t stop lusting after him, and it’s ruining my brain.
I text Luz and Adriana while I wait for Jonah to get off the phone.
Callie
I can’t stop wanting my boss, you guys. This is going to break me.
Luz
Help is on the way! I’m setting you up with a new resident. Sam. I’ll text you his number.
Callie
What’s he like?
Please say mean, dark-haired and hot as hell.
