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Had Dominic Lockwood just shown me mercy? What the hell was going on? I pinched my arm to make sure I hadn’t passed out at my desk and dreamed this. It hurt, and I was still right there in the same spot.
Once what he’d just said sank in, I felt a huge wave of relief wash over me. Excitement rolled through immediately after. I had a whole week to make this story what I hoped it could be. A week to get it perfect. I was so happy I could’ve kissed him.No, wrong thought.I was so happy I could’ve got up and danced?
With a sigh, I gave my screen another look. It was blurry and I had trouble focusing. I could keep bashing my head against the piece tonight and probably end up deleting everything I wrote tomorrow, or I could go home and get some rest. I had dinner with my parents on Sunday, but other than that, my weekend was wide open. I’d work on this every chance I got and maybe even get it finished before Friday.
I started gathering my things, but my purse caught on my chair as I stood and half my stuff spilled on the floor. I got on my knees, bending over as I scooped everything up and shoved it back in the bottomless black hole that was my purse. I saw things in that mess I hadn’t seen in what felt like years. For about the hundredth time, I lied to myself and said I’d clean my purse later.
When I got up from my knees, something made me look over my shoulder. I saw Dominic standing at his window, staring straight at me–straight at where I’d just been pointing my ass in his direction.
Jesus Christ.
Feeling awkward, I waved. He ignored my wave and walked back to his desk while I rushed to the elevator.
I tried my best to mutter angrily about how creepy him staring at me was as I waited for the doors to close. But I knew the truth. Being stared at like that was only creepy when I didn’t want to jump the guy’s bones. Knowing Dominic was lusting after me just made every nerve in my body light up like a freaking Christmas tree.
I pressed my thighs together, feeling uncomfortably turned on. Ireallywished I could just be annoyed with him. He was my boss, after all. A boss shouldn’t be leering at his employee’s ass. But then an employee probably shouldn’t be having regular dirty dreams about playing hide the sausage with her boss, either.
In a completely unrelated string of thoughts, I decided maybe I should invite Dominic to dinner Sunday.
12
DOMINIC
Her text came through on my watch while I was doing my morning run. Breathing heavy, I read the words and found myself smiling before I could stop it.
Darcy:Dinner with my parents tonight at 6. Be there. My dad’s sort of famous steaks and a romantic back patio for dessert.
I tapped the thumbs up button and continued running. I found myself pushing harder lately during my workouts. I’d nearly torn something in my shoulder last week and now I was running through an ache in my knee. I just couldn’t seem to push it hard enough to fully clear her from my mind. No matter how much I lifted or how fast I ran, Darcy was right fucking there.
I was gasping for air and clutching my knees when I finished. Sweat dripped from my chin in a steady drumbeat.
I was supposed to meet Marcus and Tristan for basketball in thirty minutes. I’d let the run go much longer than planned, but I also didn’t want to pass up basketball. The only time I ever seemed to be able to shut my brain off from work or Darcy seemed to be when I was physically past my limit. At first, it had worked. But these last few days it wasn’t enough anymore.
Images of Darcy bent over picking up her things in the office or the way she’d smiled when I offered to give her another week for her piece would pop into my brain. I grabbed a towel from my gym bag and wiped away some of my sweat as I headed for the courts.
Marcus and Tristan had already started warming up by the time I got there. We snagged a few guys from nearby and played our asses off until I was too tired to keep track of time. With the run and then the game, I finally got to a point of exhaustion where everything went black. I played and didn’t even remember if we won or how it went. I only knew I was tired as fuck and it felt good.
For a while, I’d been numb and wasn’t questioning everything I thought I knew about myself.
Marcus and Tristan sat with me on the bleachers to cool off after the game. Little touches of Winter were already starting to creep into Spring. With the sun dipping behind a sheet of clouds, I felt like I could’ve sat there all day enjoying the feeling of the sweat evaporating and cooling my skin.
“That was some shit,” Tristan said.
“Yeah, no kidding,” Marcus agreed.
“What was?” I asked.
“You,” Tristan said. “You played like a fucking God today. I’ve never seen you so in the zone.”
“Yeah, normally you’re pretty shit. But I was happy to pass you the ball every chance I got. What was that?”
I shrugged. I really didn’t remember more than a few bits and pieces. “I’ve just had a lot on my mind.”
“Like Darcy McClain?” Marcus asked.
I stiffened. So far, neither of them had called me on it, but I knew this was coming. They saw me that night at the bar when I knocked the asshole off his stool for making her uncomfortable. They probably had also noticed the way I avoided her when I was so busy riding everybody else’s ass at work.
“What about her?” I asked.
