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“So what?” I scoffed. “Truth or dare isn’t dumb. I think it’s fine, which is why I actually participated…unlike somebody,” my eyes burned into him. “I remember perfectly well what I said, and I don’t see a reason to be ashamed over hormones I felt in highschool. He’s an old man, my dad’s partner, and obviously I have no interest in him now.”
I swallowed hard, amazed by how easy it was for me to tell one lie right after another. I knew I had to cut things off quick before Drew had a chance to poke holes in anything I said.
But first, my fingers quickly fired off a reply.
Cat: Can’t wait.
I tossed my phone to the nightstand and quickly turned off my lamp before turning to give Drew a quick peck on the cheek.
“Goodnight,” I sighed as I rolled over to my own side of the bed, pulling the covers over me tight.
I wondered if this was a good time to consider how infrequently we had been having sex lately, which seemed like a bad sign for two people set to get married next June. Wasn’t it too early for our honeymoon phase to be over? We hadn’t even had a honeymoon yet, or the wedding for that matter. Was the lull in our sex life to blame for my renewed, uncontrollable sexual attraction to Jordan? Or was I only thinking about it now to excuse said attraction?
The questions overwhelmed me enough to make me eager for sleep. I dozed off quickly, and woke up to the relief of having the apartment all to myself. Drew always left early for the gym before going into the office. I often woke up just as early to join him or go for a run. But on that morning, I only seemed to have enough energy to devote to the thought of seeing Jordan again.
Seeing him had done more than just sent longings of a horny teenage girl intensity surging through me. It had also rolled back my age in a number of other ways, like my sudden need to obsess over what I wore and how I looked…for him. Had I slipped into some kind of time machine? Not even the hottest boys at my highschool had inspired this kind of silliness in me.
But like some kind of slave to the urge, I primped and preened in front of my bedroom mirror—smoothing down every last wrinkle and crease in my pencil skirt, pasting down every flyaway frizzy hair, and readjusting my push-up bra around my boobs to show the most possible amount of office-appropriate cleavage.
Finally, I was looking good and set off to Jordan’s office. My heart pounded as I walked in—particularly because I wasn’t sure if my father would be joining us that day.
“Here she is,” Jordan smiled as I walked in. He jumped straight into introducing me to his team of lawyers around the table, and from there we went straight into analyzing every last word and figure in the mountains of paperwork of legal drafts spread out on the table before us.
The quick start to the work, and the never ending piles of it that consumed the rest of the day, actually made it easier to forget that Jordan was in the room. I wasn’t some sex-crazed bimbo who only cared about men—even if we were talking about him. I had a brain and a career path I loved—which was about to take a huge turn if everything went according to plan. With a job to do, I was focused and happy. Ashford, smashford…I mocked in my head. If only I could figure out how to master that kind of thinking in the rest of my life.
But the hours waned on until there was nothing left for the lawyers to do until we had thoroughly reviewed everything along with their changes and suggestions. Given our tight proposed timeline and the need for perfection, Jordan and I didn’t even pause to question whether or not we’d be staying late to get it done. It was obvious and didn’t even need to be said out loud. We settled in for the night.
At one point, as the sexual tension was slowly, silently building in the room between us again now that we were alone, he tossed a menu into the middle of the table.
“That’s the menu from my favorite Chinese place around the corner. Look it over and tell me what you want. I’ll put in an order.”
“I don’t need to look over a menu for Chinese takeout,” I smirked. “I’m used to all nighters and I know my takeout all too well.”
His eyes met mine with a smile that slayed me inside. It was absurd how easily he could unravel me. I realized all at once that we’d be working alone together late into the night. No one else was around, including my father and my fiance…or anyone else we worked with. Working late nights always made me a little squirrely as it was, with any good looking guy. I quickly realized extra provisions would be needed to ensure I behaved.
“How about Indian?” I chirped suddenly. Indian food on a stomach full of coffee would guarantee that absolutely nothing sexual would be happening that night…no matter how bad either of us wanted it to as the hours went on. Insurance, I thought.
Two hours later, my eyes were starting to burn, and the sustenance from our Indian takeout was wearing off.
In fact, it almost instantly seemed to vanish as he circled around from behind and pointed over my shoulder, leaning in far too close and caging me in with his hot, muscular body.
“That figure is far too low,” he said with certainty.
I smiled wide, realizing he was right. “I’m never going to argue with more money.”
“Unless we’re the ones paying it out,” he countered.
God, he was smart and good at what he did. It only made him more irresistible, as if that was even possible.
“Shit, it’s almost midnight,” he hissed, glancing at the clock on the wall. “Don’t you need to call your fiance and let him know you’ll be late? You don’t want him to worry.”
“He’s not going to worry,” I snipped. “What about you? You don’t have some hot date waiting up for you?”
“No, which is how I like it,” he smirked. “I’ve seen too many men over the years get caught in that old conundrum of knowing they need and want to work later, but realize their wives will be pissed if they do. Those poor guys can’t win. They’re always letting someone down…if not their families, then their co-workers. And in both cases…they let down themselves.”
I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes. “Guys like my dad, you mean?”
He shook his head. “Mark was never like that. Hell, your mom dropped you off at the office when he was working late plenty of times. You liked hanging out with him while he worked. That’s why you are the way you are,” he teased.
