Page 59 of Only For Him

He would tell me it’s all right, but it’s not.

Nothing about this is right.

“The tracks?”

“From our conversation,” Nate speaks, and when I look up his eyes are on me but only for a fraction of a second. The moment my gaze narrows, he looks downward, focusing on his shoes instead.

My vitriol has nowhere to hide.

“And the numbers in the books, the ones that were off and you planted. They’re in the report.”

“It has to be her.”

My body sags into the chair. “Get out,” I whisper as something else takes hold of me. Something I don’t care to admit. “Get out, Nate.” When I glance up to scream at him, I realize he’s already gone. He left quietly. Smart man I suppose, given I was prepared to throw anything I could find at him.

“Declan? Are you there?” Carter questions.

“I’m here.”

“We’re coming, all right? We’ll be there soon.”

I can’t explain why, but hearing Carter tell me that breaks something inside of me.

“Are you sure?” I ask him and then I think maybe he would misunderstand and think I’m referencing him coming down here to The Club, but before I can clarify he tells me.

“It’s her, Declan. We need to take care of this.”

To take care of it …my blood chills. I’m quick to end the call, before the emotions swarm and make me a weaker man.

BRAELYNN

Every day is the same now, a tempting lullaby. The red door that used to haunt my every thought now leads to my sanctuary.

When I get in, with my purse tucked under my arm and my heels clicking as I go, I stride straight to the office like I always do. Every step brings a new heat, the sweet dull ache reminding me of yesterday.

Declan Cross is insatiable. It does something to me. If nothing else, he wants me. And I crave that from him. Perhaps that’s what it’s like to be in this kind of relationship. This pining to please him and be pleased by him is addictive. I don’t know what the future holds when it comes to men like Declan, but I do know that he can’t get enough of me nor I him.

We’ll take it one day at a time. That’s what I tell myself. That’s what anyone else would do. My footsteps still seem to echo from the iron stairs as I approach Declan’s door toward the end of the hall. I’ll never forget the first time I had to come down here. I knew the power Declan had over me from the first moment our eyes met.

I’m beginning to think that power dynamic will always be the same. Even if the rest of the world goes to shit, the way I feel when Declan looks into my eyes won’t go away.

It’s an uncertain feeling that overwhelms me at that thought, because I desperately want it to be true, and that’s a dangerous thing. I let my shoulders relax and reach for the door. Time to balance the books, or bend over the desk, or sit in his lap and kiss him. Anything could happen tonight, and part of me is excited for that.

Only the door doesn’t open for me. I shake the handle a second time. It’s locked.

That’s strange. For the three weeks I’ve been working, it’s always unlocked. Last week he told me to enter without even knocking.

Balling my hand, I knock on the door with uncertainty. There’s a pitter-patter in my chest and I ignore it.

“Declan?” I call his name. No one answers.

After a moment, I take my phone from my purse and open a new message.

Braelynn: I’m at the office, are you in there?

Leaning against the wall by his door, I wait. Peering down to my right and then my left. I check my phone and social media … taking up time. After a few minutes, no new messages appear and I decide to send another one.

Braelynn: No one’s here to let me in. Should I go home or do you want me to stay? I could wait upstairs at the bar if you’d like?

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