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Arrogant Asshole: We need to talk.
Another message comes through, so I power my phone off and I readThe Stopoverby T.L. Swan.
Monday rolls around like a lazy log, and I’m still not ready to face Atlas. Inhaling and exhaling, I snatch my iPad, stroll through the door, and set his coffee on his desk. He sits with a Bluetooth in his ear, and he looks so sexy in his navy blue dress shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his veiny forearms. God, I love his arms. He’s the only man who knows how to make a basic expensive suit look stylish. The vest hugs his muscular body.
His gaze ventures to mine, and I tear my eyes from him as my heart picks up speed, heat pooling in my lower belly.
I clear my throat, and say, “You have a meeting with Jasper in an hour, and we have to go to the creative team to see if they have anything for the fall fashion line. You have been invited to a fashion gala, and they would like to know if you’re taking a plus-one.”
His baby blues trails up and down my yellow sundress hugging my body, then to the white pumps I’m wearing. I purposely chose bright colors to brighten my mood, but it doesn’t help. My cheeks flame, then his gaze meets mine as if he’s trying to study my facial expression. I give nothing away.
“Sit down. We need to talk.”
I plop down in the leather chair across from him and straighten my spine. “You’re right.”
“Why did you leave?”
“It’s not okay for us to sleep together anymore,” I say at the same time.
Shock colors his face, and his eyebrows climb his forehead. “Come again?”
“I’ve been thinking a lot about us, and it was a mistake. I want to keep everything professional.”
A smirk spreads across his face. “Is that so?”
“Why are you smiling?”
He leans back in his leather chair, rolling a ballpoint pen between his fingers as if he’s calculating his next move.
“You still haven’t answered my question.”
I tap my foot as my eyes roam to the ceiling-to-floor window. Rain taps viciously against the fiberglass and the sky is thunderstorm gray. Anxiety hijacks my chest. I hate rainy days. “You seemed so distance after we had sex, so I left. You acted like you didn’t want to have anything to do with me.”
Annoyance lingers in his eyes. “You really want to stop fucking because I had a moment?”
“A moment? You ran out of the bedroom like a bat out of hell,” I snap. “If the sex was horrible, you could have said so.”
He shakes his head before he stands up from the desk and takes long strides toward me. Kneeling before me, he brushes his thumb against my cheek. Warmth spreads across my cheeks, and my heart beats out of my damn chest. I hate how he makes me feel as if I’m a volcano ready to erupt.
“It wasn’t horrible, it was the best sex I ever had. The way your body responds toward me. The way you looked while you were coming. So fucking beautiful. I usually never feel anything when I have sex with a woman.”
My core clenches in need after he reminds me of what we did. How he came all over my ass, and I enjoyed it. So much. Okay, fine. Too much. Our relationship was doomed before it started, and I don’t want to put myself through another heartache. He’s slowly cracking the walls I built around my heart, and I don’t like it. It isn’t about the sex. It’s about how he made me feel at the given moment. Wanted. He made me feel wanted. And, I haven’t felt that in a long time. Then he made me feel like shit afterward as if I did something wrong. Those fresh wounds of how Carter left me creep back up, and I don’t want to feel that way again.
“I’m not in the business to sleep with my boss. I’m trying to be successful like you, and it’s not good for my career.”
“So you keep saying.” He removes a lock of hair from my face. “I didn’t mean to make you feel like shit. I’m sorry. It doesn’t have anything to do with you.”
“I know,” I snap, holding my head up like I rule the world. “I need to grab my laptop and get ready for the meeting with Jasper.”
Atlas stands up, dusting off his dress shirt. With my iPad still in my hand, I head to the glass door.
“Lake?”
“Yes?” I answer without looking back at him.
“You will be coming with me to the fashion gala as my plus-one. Respond to the email saying I need another ticket.”
I used to go with my parents, but this year is going to be different because I won’t be with them. It’s one of the biggest events in the world. Celebrities and business owners turn up, showing off their outfits, trying to make a fashion statement. I never missed it. It’s an opportunity for me to network and get my foot in the direction I want.
