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"You figure you'd have me wrapped around your little finger too easily, do you?" I said and grinned at her, feeling sad that we weren't going to go home together.
She shook her head and smiled. I think I detected a slight bit of regret in her eyes.
"If you change your mind, I'll be only too willing to forgo my ethical stance against office romance."
She laughed. "I thought you were the good brother who always followed the rules and asked permission."
"In most things, yes. In this, I'll throw caution to the wind. So if you decide you want a totally meaningless no-strings attached relationship based on pure mutual pleasure, you know where to find me."
"I do," she said, smiling, her green eyes crinkling in the corners. "But I won't."
"Damn," I said and snapped my fingers. "My offer stands. Take me up on it anytime."
"Well, I better go," she said when the waitress dropped the bill off. She reached into her bag to retrieve her wallet and I stopped her, my hand on hers.
"Don't worry about the bill," I said. "I made the offer. Let me get this."
"Thanks," she said and stood. "Sharon said you spend most of your time on the paper and so we likely won't see you around the office much."
"No," I said and dropped a few bills on the table. I pulled on my jacket. "I have to attend periodic meetings with my managers at the various offices of MBS, but I'm going to focus on getting the Chronicle up and running again. We'll still be in the same office building though."
"Hopefully, we won't run into each other very often."
"Don't say that," I said, opening the door for her. "We can be friendly. We should go out for a meal now and then, so I can see how you're doing and try my hand at seducing you again in the hopes you'll finally succumb."
She laughed. "It's better this way," she said and stuffed her hands in her sweater pockets. "Don't want to tempt each other."
"I've already been more than tempted."
She smiled and then turned away, walking down the street.
"Can I give you a ride home at least?" I called out.
"Not on your life," she said after turning around and walking backwards for a few feet. "You're not going to tempt me."
"Damn," I said and smiled. "A guy's gotta try."
Then she turned around and walked out of my life.
I got home about fifteen minutes later after parking my vehicle in the parking garage and stopping to pick up a package from the front desk. I really enjoyed my meal with Ella, and wished she wasn't my employee. I had a feeling that if she wasn't, we might be on our way upstairs.
I went to bed alone, my thoughts going to her in her tiny apartment, writing erotica late into the night with her group of women writers, and of course, it made it impossible to sleep without taking care of my raging erection. So instead of sleeping with her the way I had hoped the night would end, it ended instead with me alone in my bed, my cock in hand, wishing it was her.
Chapter Seventeen
Ella
I took the subway home and went to my apartment, regretting that I'd turned Josh down.
Still, it was for the best. He was way too gorgeous and way too powerful. There was no way we'd be on equal footing. I'd always be the poor little country mouse next to his city slicker mouse. I wouldn't fit in and so the most we could have would be a purely sexual relationship. As much as I would have liked to sleep with him, I knew it would be a mistake.
I thought about Jerkface and his sexretary and there was no way I was going to be that kind of woman.
Instead, I opened my cell and skyped with Steph.
ELLA: I just got home from supper with Josh. Best meatballs in the world. *Sigh*
In a moment, she responded.
