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Damn, she looks good today. It’s warmer, so she’s traded in her blazer for a little blouse with pearl buttons. It’s puritanical, but the blouse is so sheer I can see the same camisole from my fantasies under it. The entire ensemble hugs her curves like nobody’s business—the perfect combination of sexy and sweet.
I can’t take my eyes off of her.
In a perfect world, Stranger7721 would look exactly like Tenley. That’s my ideal type. Not only accidentally scorching hot, but poised and put-together. Unapologetically ambitious. Whip-smart. Takes no shit from anyone.
While I’m salivating after her, Tenley turns in the doorway, almost as if she knew I was there admiring her. “I hope you can take enough time away from your other business to talk about the case today?”
She glowers past me. I look over my shoulder to see Kenzie, looking like a wounded fawn as she watches us.
Other business? Nice.
In my attempt to get under Tenley’s skin, I reinforced her belief that I’m the resident intern-fucker. Not my smoothest move, but nothing I can do about it now.
“I have no other business. This case is my number one priority,” I tell her. “Is that not obvious?”
She clears her throat, looking me up and down. “Not at all.”
Our hate-sex would be off the charts.
As I’m picturing how Tenley would gasp as I bent her over my office desk, Kenzie slips by, placing a finger on my forearm. “See you later, Brooks?”
I nod, ambivalent, my gaze still honed on Tenley. “Sure.”
Tenley’s crossing her arms, revulsion etched on her face per usual.
I’m half tempted to ask her why she hates me so much. Not that she’d answer it. I’ve asked her before only to get the run around. But I have to know. Not knowing is torture.
The words are on the tip of my tongue until Lisa steps off the elevator, the picture of professionalism in her dark pantsuit, leather briefcase in hand.
She smiles at the two of us, as if she can’t see that we’re about ready to pounce on each other and draw blood. “Hey, you two. Great to see you working together.”
In an instant, all the fight inside me dies. I don’t know how I do it, but I swallow the bile in my throat. “Lis, good to see you.”
“Everything going well?” she asks.
Tenley doesn’t miss a beat. “It’s always a little bumpy working with someone new, but we’re finding our way.”
“And the case?”
“Great.” I grit out the words and look at Tenley, who nods.
Lisa pats me on the shoulder. “Wonderful to hear. All of the partners have been saying how well you’ve been working together. I know I speak for all of them when I say it’s still going to be difficult choosing between the two of you.”
I might be wrong, but I’m pretty sure she gives me a wink as she heads to her office.
When she leaves, I turn back to Tenley, who looks horrified. She must have seen the wink, too.
I thrust my hands into the pockets of my slacks and saunter closer. “You know she only said it’s going to be really hard because she doesn’t want you to feel bad when they give me the partnership, right?”
I’m digging again.
I can’t help it.
She makes it so easy.
Tenley leans back, glaring. “It must be exhausting, being so ignorantly self-assured all the time.”
I chuff. “I’m sorry. Did you not see her two minutes ago? She was practically giving me the partnership with her eyes.”
“She was giving you something with her eyes, but it wasn’t the partnership.”
She can’t just end the conversation like that. It’s clear she has more to say. I lean in. “Clarify?”
She gives me a glance. “Leave.”
“Not until you clarify. Just what were you insinuating she was giving me, Bayliss?” I ask, mostly because I just want to hear her say it.
She glances past me, toward the door for a split second, and then her eyes land on me. “A visual blow job, to match the eye-fucking you keep giving her.”
I stare, sure she didn’t just say that. “What?”
Tenley gives me a superior look. “You heard me. You eye-fuck every female in this place. Even me. That’s how you get what you want. Like I said, you don’t even have to touch them. Maybe you don’t even know you’re doing it. But you are. But the difference is, I don’t buy it. And I never will. You make my skin crawl when you look at me like that. To me, you just look like a smarmy used car salesman. If you could spare me going forward, that’d be great.”
Holy shit.
There are few moments I’m rendered speechless, but this is one of them.
Hearing those wicked words coming from that pristine mouth? It’s enough to knock me sideways. Because Tenley Bayliss isn’t nearly as innocent as her façade would imply. All those f-bombs from that soft, sweet mouth of hers?
