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“How many?”
“Just two, before I came here.” She half-spun to face him, her face contorted with anger. “Let me go.”
“Why?” Ignoring the warning bells clanging in his brain, he gripped her chin. She was trembling faintly, from fury or nerves. Maybe both. “You never drink.”
“How do you know? You don’t know me. No one does.” She broke free of him and released a long, shaky sigh as if she were stunned she’d managed it. Most likely she didn’t realize he’d released her. “Just forget you saw me in here, okay, Des? Please.”
The plea in her voice struck deep inside him and he shut his eyes. Opening them, he let out a sigh of his own. “I can’t.” He pressed his thumb into the shallow indent in her chin. “Go find Cole. Bring him back here.”
“Oh God, I didn’t mean—”
“Just do it, Wendy.” He refused to allow himself to be swayed
by her appeal. “Now.”
Chapter Three
She did as she was told.
Finding Cole wasn’t difficult. He was always at the center of the biggest group, and tonight was no exception. Feeling like an ashamed child, she slipped between people, murmuring excuses, and tapped his shoulder. He turned, a smile creasing his attractive face. He wasn’t as tempting as Des, but— Oh God, Des.
Cole’s denim blue eyes sobered. “Wen? What’s up?”
“Des asked me to come get you. He’s in your office.”
“Uh, all right. Just let me—”
“He said it needed to be now.”
She looked down at her red patent leather heels, bought especially for tonight. Dammit, she’d ruined everything by getting a little tipsy and acting stupid. She never should’ve come. Not after she’d gone home and seen her mom asleep on the couch. Her bout of walking pneumonia was kicking her ass, and every time she got sick, Wendy worried she’d lose her like she’d lost her dad. It wasn’t the first time the weight of her life had crashed down on her shoulders, but now she’d probably end up unemployed.
“I’m sorry, Cole,” she added when Cole didn’t move.
“Hey, it’s okay. Let’s go see what the big boss man wants.” Hooking an arm around her shoulders, he gestured with his beer bottle to his crowd of sycophants. “We’ll be back soon. Office business, you know. Try not to get the cops called, ya hear?”
Laughter followed them as they slipped away from the masses and down the hall to the relative quiet near the back offices. That was why she’d escaped into Cole’s office in the first place. She’d only wanted to get back her composure. Then she’d found Des’s shirt. The smell of his aftershave had been all over the damn thing, and the collar had been wet from a recent shower. Before she’d even thought about it, her hand had been under her skirt, and God, she’d been so ready…
She knew better than to do something so crazy at work. If he’d just let her make it up to him, to them, she’d prove she hadn’t gone off the rails. Everyone was entitled to one sanity flight per year, right?
Cole opened his door and ushered her inside. The room was empty.
He frowned. “I thought you said Des wanted to see me here.”
“Yes. He told me to get you.“
Footsteps sounded behind them and she whirled, her eyes going wide as Des strode inside and shut the door. The alcohol was making her head a little fuzzy and nausea crept up her throat. Would they fire her?
Des flipped the lock in the doorknob as casually as if he locked the three of them in Cole’s office every day. “This won’t take long.”
“I didn’t mean—please, I swear I won’t do it again,“ she pleaded.
Cole set down his beer bottle with an audible clink. “Des, what’s this all about?”
“Go kneel behind the desk, Wendy. In front of Cole’s chair.”
She fumbled for one of her jingling earrings, fingers shaking. She’d just drank too much and was imagining this whole thing. “I—what?”
“You heard me.” Des gestured impatiently and something shimmery pink flashed in his hand. “Now.”
