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I lean against my desk, waiting for someone to say something.
Anything at all would be nice.
Luke looks from me, to Liam, and back to me before throwing his hands up. “To quote my dear friend, Courtney… what in the name of Kim Kardashian’s surgically enhanced ass is going on here?”
Uh oh, it’s happening again. The verbal vomit is rising in me like a fountain, ready to explode.
Must say nothing, must play it cool, must pretend it never happened…
“We slept together!” I blurt.
Liam slaps a hand to his face. A literal facepalm.
Luke, on the other hand… Well, Luke Donovan doesn’t look like the type of guy who is often shocked. In fact, in the short time I’ve known him, I’ve pegged him to be calm, laid-back, and chill. Nothing like his straight-laced, buttoned-up brother.
But right now, he’s having a hard time picking his jaw up off the floor. Once again, his head swivels from me, to Liam, and back to me, then he repeats the entire action in double time. “Youslepttogether?”
Oh, dang. He thinks… he actually believes…
I really,reallyshouldn’t have said that.
“Nextto each other,” Liam corrects him tiredly. He shoots me a curious look, like he’s trying to work out what on earth I’m doing. The answer to which, I have no idea. My original plan was to pretend it never happened. “We sleptnextto each other.”
“In an airport hotel,” I add in a useless attempt to be helpful. “It was a tiny room. The floor was disgusting. Brown splotches, you know how it is.”
Luke’s eyes glitter as he looks at his brother. “You slept with our new employee. In a hotel.”
“For the thousandth time, notwithher,nextto her!” Liam’s voice is loud and forceful. He doesn’t necessarily sound angry, just adamant.
He’s a good leader, I bet. With a voice like that, I can see falling into line. Couple that with his powerful, smoldering stature and those intense eyes, and maybe I can kind of see what Vanessa sees…
Noooo, don’t go there, Annie!
“What do you think HR will have to say about this?” Luke continues, waggling his eyebrows. “Kinda makes Pantygate look like small potatoes, doesn’t it?”
“Pantygate?” I can’t help myself. What on earth happens in this office?
Aren’t tech companies meant to be full of overeager video-game-enthusiasts in Star Wars t-shirts? Or have I watched too many early 2000’s college movies?
“Oh, it’s a thrilling dispute about what underwear Liam wears to the office,” Luke says conversationally. Like we’re talking about the weather instead of my boss’s undergarments…
Nope. I’m not thinking about it.
Liam, predictably, has turned an unhealthy shade of puce, but Luke motors on. “Actually, you may be the one to enlighten us with the answer, Annie.”
He shoots me a knowing wink, and I relax a little. He’s making a joke, too. Maybe this will all be A-okay. A not-such-a-big-deal incident that we can forget with ease. I decide to join in, glad that we’re moving past the awkwardness. “No can do, I’m afraid. Mr. Donovan here went to bed fully clothed.”
Luke slaps his hand on his knee, laughing. “Of course he did.”
“This is no laughing matter,” Liam snaps.
“Re-lax, little bro.” Luke is clearly enjoying himself. He takes a swig of water and gestures for me to sit down. “We’re all just getting to know each other. Although it seems you two already know each other preeeeetty well.”
Liam ignores him, steeples his hands and looks at me seriously. “Miss Jacobs—”
“Annie,” I interject with a sunny smile.
Liam looks pained. “Annie,I do apologize for the most unfortunate start you’ve had here at Stay Inside the Lines. I also apologize for my brother, who doesn’t seem to know the difference between a corporate office and a frat house.”
