She knocks before pressing her ear to the door. “You can go in now.” She sways her hips as she walks away.
I open the door and shouldn’t be surprised when I see him, but I am. My hand grips the knob as I furiously turn on my heels but the sound of ringing keys catches my attention.
“You came for these, didn’t you?” Neal says, leaning against what’s now his desk. I start towards him but he hides the keys in his palm. “Close the door.” I stand, defiant. “ Caitlin ,” he growls. “Close the damn door.”
I close his office door and remain near it, across the room from Neal. He looks good today. I hate myself for thinking it, his hair stylishly combed to the side, stubble scratching his jaw, his grey suit reflecting off his blue eyes.
“How did you know I was coming?”
“Martin told me but he’s very busy, so I offered to take this little task off his hands.”
“How noble of you. Can I have the keys?”
Neal presents them, the pair resting in the center of his palm. “Come and get them.”
I pull one hand behind my back, slowly striding towards him, my eyes fixed on the keys. I reach out to take them and Neal snatches back his hand, fingers enclosed around them. I bite back a groan of disappointment. I should’ve known this was some sort of trick to get me closer.
“You can have the keys,” he says, standing. He throws an arm around my waist, his hand resting against my back and I stiffen. “On one condition.”
“No.”
“You don’t even know what I’m going to say.”
“I don’t owe you anything and those keys belong to me.”
Neal grins and raises an eyebrow. “You don’t owe me anything?”
He keeps his palm against me as he grabs a newspaper from his desk. The finance section. The featured story revolves around Neal: NEW CEO of J.M. WHEELER DATING DECEASED MENTOR’S DAUGHTER . Below the headline is a photo of Neal and me, crammed in the back of the cab, my face staring out of the window. I scan the article, hoping it’s all sensationalized bullshit when I stumble upon Suzanne’s name and her quote: “They’re so in love, you can just tell by looking at them. Very affectionate despite their long distance status. I won’t be the only newlywed soon, if you know what I mean.”
My fingers tighten around the newspaper and Neal smiles.
“Did you forget about our little charade? Because I didn’t. I would hate to go to the press and tell them it’s all bullshit. That one of us started this lie because she was jealous of her ex-best friend fucking her ex-boyfriend.”
My jaw tightens. “What do you want?”
“The company’s having a dinner this Friday to welcome me as their new CEO. Usually I would attend these things alone but considering what the city thinks of us, it would be more appropriate for you to come as my date.”
I try to imagine Neal and I strutting into a ballroom, my arm wrapped around his, all heads turning towards us. A bubble of excitement rises in my stomach. I quell it with a frown.
“Fine. Just give me the keys.”
Neal laughs and shakes his head. “Do you think I’m an idiot? You’ll get the keys after Friday.”
The mischief glittering in Neal’s eyes say there’s no use fighting with him. After two days I’m starting to learn he’s resilient, unmovable, no matter how hard I kick or pout.
I turn out of his embrace and start towards the door with a sharp, “Fine,” on my tongue.
His eyes are hot against my back as I reach for the knob. “One more thing.” He makes his way towards me, his mouth inches away from mine. “Lift up your dress,” he says, the words ghosting over my lips.
No . The word brews in my stomach but my hands don’t get the memo. My fingers curl at the hem of my dress, lifting the yellow fabric until it’s bunched along my waist, my thighs and underwear revealed for Neal.
He grins, as if he didn’t expect me to listen, but now he knows with a few words he can control me, like putty in his hands.
He
I open the door and shouldn’t be surprised when I see him, but I am. My hand grips the knob as I furiously turn on my heels but the sound of ringing keys catches my attention.
“You came for these, didn’t you?” Neal says, leaning against what’s now his desk. I start towards him but he hides the keys in his palm. “Close the door.” I stand, defiant. “ Caitlin ,” he growls. “Close the damn door.”
I close his office door and remain near it, across the room from Neal. He looks good today. I hate myself for thinking it, his hair stylishly combed to the side, stubble scratching his jaw, his grey suit reflecting off his blue eyes.
“How did you know I was coming?”
“Martin told me but he’s very busy, so I offered to take this little task off his hands.”
“How noble of you. Can I have the keys?”
Neal presents them, the pair resting in the center of his palm. “Come and get them.”
I pull one hand behind my back, slowly striding towards him, my eyes fixed on the keys. I reach out to take them and Neal snatches back his hand, fingers enclosed around them. I bite back a groan of disappointment. I should’ve known this was some sort of trick to get me closer.
“You can have the keys,” he says, standing. He throws an arm around my waist, his hand resting against my back and I stiffen. “On one condition.”
“No.”
“You don’t even know what I’m going to say.”
“I don’t owe you anything and those keys belong to me.”
Neal grins and raises an eyebrow. “You don’t owe me anything?”
He keeps his palm against me as he grabs a newspaper from his desk. The finance section. The featured story revolves around Neal: NEW CEO of J.M. WHEELER DATING DECEASED MENTOR’S DAUGHTER . Below the headline is a photo of Neal and me, crammed in the back of the cab, my face staring out of the window. I scan the article, hoping it’s all sensationalized bullshit when I stumble upon Suzanne’s name and her quote: “They’re so in love, you can just tell by looking at them. Very affectionate despite their long distance status. I won’t be the only newlywed soon, if you know what I mean.”
My fingers tighten around the newspaper and Neal smiles.
“Did you forget about our little charade? Because I didn’t. I would hate to go to the press and tell them it’s all bullshit. That one of us started this lie because she was jealous of her ex-best friend fucking her ex-boyfriend.”
My jaw tightens. “What do you want?”
“The company’s having a dinner this Friday to welcome me as their new CEO. Usually I would attend these things alone but considering what the city thinks of us, it would be more appropriate for you to come as my date.”
I try to imagine Neal and I strutting into a ballroom, my arm wrapped around his, all heads turning towards us. A bubble of excitement rises in my stomach. I quell it with a frown.
“Fine. Just give me the keys.”
Neal laughs and shakes his head. “Do you think I’m an idiot? You’ll get the keys after Friday.”
The mischief glittering in Neal’s eyes say there’s no use fighting with him. After two days I’m starting to learn he’s resilient, unmovable, no matter how hard I kick or pout.
I turn out of his embrace and start towards the door with a sharp, “Fine,” on my tongue.
His eyes are hot against my back as I reach for the knob. “One more thing.” He makes his way towards me, his mouth inches away from mine. “Lift up your dress,” he says, the words ghosting over my lips.
No . The word brews in my stomach but my hands don’t get the memo. My fingers curl at the hem of my dress, lifting the yellow fabric until it’s bunched along my waist, my thighs and underwear revealed for Neal.
He grins, as if he didn’t expect me to listen, but now he knows with a few words he can control me, like putty in his hands.
He
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