I bite my tongue to keep from snapping at her, or worse digging my claws into her arm as I untangle us, passing her off with a small wave and fake smile.
The minute she is out the door I turn around, only to come face to face with a broad chest, mere inches from my nose. I come up short before I slam into him and look up, and up and up, into Wade’s snarling face.
He doesn’t say a word as I step back a step, just lifts his hand palm up and waits, the other hand coming up to sit on his hip. I wait another few seconds to see if he will start tapping his foot with impatience, but he just makes a deep rumbly noise that a little too closely mimics a bear.
I reach behind my back and tug the knife from my waistband, dropping it delicately into his waiting palm, He glowers at me, curling his hand around the sheathed blade and turning on his heel to march back to his post outside my office.
I follow him to the office door, noting as I walk through that he’s inspecting the knife for damage. I’m rolling my eyes as I tug the door closed behind me, only to be greeted by Colton sitting behind my desk, feet propped up and hands threaded behind his head.
“Did you get a promotion I don’t know about?” I stand to the side of the desk, feeling my heartbeat kick up a few beats as he straightens up and meets my eyes.
“I wouldn’t dream of it. I like being under you too much,” he grins, and I feel my cheeks heat at the memory of my thighs wrapped around his head as I rode his face.Should have let him suffocate.
I don’t say anything, better not to risk it when I’m unsure what poison will flow out. I wait as he drops his legs off the desk and saunters over to me, a new spring in his step that feels at odds with his demeanor of late. He’s been careful around me, looking for signs of affection or hatred I can’t be sure, so I’ve given him neither.
“Did everything get sorted out with Vanessa’s car?” he asks, the smile a little too bright for discussing vandalism.
“Yes, it’s fine,” I reply, keeping my hands languid by my side to stop from fidgeting.
“Can’t imagine why someone would do that to her car, especially since she said it didn’t look like anything was taken,” he says, meandering towards the door on my office, brushing past me but careful not to touch me. But I can still feel him, the phantom stroke across my cheek seared into my skin.
“Very odd indeed, couldn’t have happened to someone nicer. Please do see that she has a temporary vehicle all set up and bring me all the repair paperwork when it’s ready,” I clip out, sitting behind my newly vacated desk and shifting around to get comfortable.
“Absolutely. And Harper?” he stops at the door, turning towards me as he presses down on the handle, the déjà vu of our first meeting making my breath catch. “You have glass in your hair.”
37
HARPER
“Do you know why I like to work out in the morning before work, Sadie?” I ask, fingers gripping the door frame to her tiny bathroom as I watch her style one dark curl, twirling it around her finger before she flicks it over her shoulder, already in search of the next section.
“Hmmm, because you’re a masochist?” She grins, not bothering to look over at me.
“Because it helps me relax, so I’m pleasant to everyone.”
Now she does turn towards me, the last curl cascading down her back as she turns the curler off and grabs for the brush before she answers.
I swear to God, if she starts using the brush as a microphone, I will lose it.
“This is you relaxed?” she pauses, waving the brush at me. “And pleasant?”
“No, because I’m here instead of working out,” I grumble, hand tightening around the frame until my knuckles turn white.
“It wouldn’t have anything to do with the blond doofus that has been camped out atCirquethe last two weeks because Iwon’t return his outside access to the gym, would it?” she asks, tone a little sharper in the accusation as she slips under my arm to rummage through her piles of clothes stacked around the apartment.
“I thought you weretooevolvedto hold a grudge?” I avoid the question, looking around her cramped space, wondering how she finds anything.
“Turns out, I’m actually not that evolved,” she scoffs, shrugging on a fluffy pink sweater that looks like she skinned a Muppet before sitting at her vanity to sort through the various makeup bottles and brushes that clutter the space.
“We are going to be late,” I deadpan, folding my arms over the pressed black pantsuit I have on. Unlike Sadie, who sets seventeen alarms just to snooze every single one, I’ve been awake for two hours and ready to go for one.
Sadie looks at me through the mirror as she contorts her face to sweep mascara through her lashes, batting her eyes dramatically at me, “No we won’t, relax.”
I did not relax. And we were late.
“Now I’m behind. I don’t have coffee and I had to hear about the difficulties of getting the perfect winged eyeliner,” I grumble as I shuffle into my office, bags in tow that I unceremoniously plop into the corner behind my desk.“Did you know that the perfect wing is actually really simple?”I mock Sadie’s high pitched cheery tone as I drop into my office chair and bury my face in my hands, preparing myself for the barrage of emails that will greet me.
The door to my bathroom suddenly opens, making me jolt in my seat as I’m hit with a gust of steam and humidity. I stand immediately, ready to throw whatever I can get my hands on.
