Henderson lifts one shoulder before casually dropping it. "She said she'd see. She wasn't sure if the part was something blabbidy blah. Either way, she wouldn't commit. The only thing I could get her to commit to was coming up and checking us out."
"You have to convince her. Turn on your charm."
"Charm is more Grayson's game." Henderson rolls his eyes. "If you're bringing me in as the schmoozing closer, you know you're already screwed."
Grayson does have tons more overt charm than Henderson does. Henderson is more subtle in what makes him endearing and engaging. "So then why did they send you in to meet with me?"
"I wasn't meeting with you. I was meeting with Tawny Shane, who was much less valuable. But also, we were screwed. Trust me, I'm no one's first choice." He's looking down at his computer, barely paying attention to me. My mom is probably right. I'm only good at two things, and singing is the distant second.
"Yet somehow, we're both the ones who screwed."
Henderson's head whips up, his eyes blazing. "Shhh! You can't say that here." He's up on his feet, meeting me in front of his desk.
"What, about us screwing? How else should I say it? That we had a raucous and energetic night of acrobatic lovemaking?"
His finger presses against my lips, trying to silence the words coming out. "Tabitha," he hisses, his voice low and feral. "Stop saying that. I don't want anyone to hear."
Never one to follow directions, I lean in, whispering in his ear, "What? You don't want them to know that behind this grumpy exterior, how very skilled you are in the bedroom? That you had me screaming in ecstasy, and that every night I dream about the next time you touch me?" I lean back so I can look him in the eye.
His hands are clamped on my arms, as if holding me tightly will stop me from saying these things. "Every night?"
I give him a slow nod with a sly grin to match. "Every night."
Henderson closes his eyes, his body sagging into mine. "What've you done to me? I need to be focused on this show. On pulling our fat out of the fire, and all I can think about is how to spend time with you. To see you again. To touch you again. You can't say things like that to me because I'll never get my job done now."
"Why not?" I tease.
"Because if I'm not actually carrying you off into the bedroom, I'll be thinking about what I will do to you once we're in there."
I whisper softly in his ear, "That sounds promising."
That's all it takes to bring his lips crashing to mine. His grip releases on my arms as his hands slide around my back and down my bottom. He lifts me up, and I oblige, wrapping my legs around his waist.
In this moment, this is what I need. To feel whole. To feel accomplished. To feel … something. I need him.
Chapter 34: Henderson
Ineed her. I need all of her. Right here. Right now. In my office.
It doesn't matter. I can't go one single minute longer without tasting her, feeling her, consuming her. I break away for only as long as it takes me to lock the door. There's a good chance I've absolutely lost my mind. Not only am I about to have sex with someone at work, but it's literallyat work.
No. I need to stop this. But I don't think I can. I don't want to.
"Henderson, wait—" Tabitha puts her hand on my chest, pushing me away slightly. Her hair is messy from my hands, and neither of us is wearing a shirt.
"Right. I don't have anything with me." Of course not. There's never been a need for me to have a condom on me at work.
"No, it's … I don't think we should do this. Not here."
It's like she's dumping a bucket of ice cold water over me. Ice cold water that I'm in desperate need of.
"I want to," she continues. "Trust me, Ireallywant to. And I can't promise that I won't jump your bones a little later. It's just … well, my mom."
If that's not a boner killer, I don't know what is. "What's your mum got to do with us having sex?"
I'm not even sure I want to know the answer to that question.Shudder.
Tabitha pulls her shirt on and perches on the edge of my desk. I think I'm going to need her to drop another bucket of cold water on me. Hastily, I yank my shirt over my head.
