Punishment.
It’s amazing how the office clears out at five minutes after five with people dashing to make their trains. I shoved my headphones on and got to work, jealous, but this was totally like Logan, and it was fair. I had been late.
I finished the logo in record time, my annoyance fueling me to the end. As soon as I was composing an email to Logan with the finished artwork attached, a new email appeared from him. He was still here?
Come to my office now and bring the envelope.
I dug it out of my purse and thundered into his office, slamming it down on the desk, startling him.
“Good night,” I spat and turned on my heel to leave.
“Enough,” he said, standing. “Close the door, we need to talk.”
It’s what I wanted, and yet I dreaded it.
He must have sensed my hesitation. “Let me sweeten the deal, then.” There was an edge of unease in his voice. “Rules one and two apply.”
I spun, incredulous. “How is that sweetening the deal?”
“Because they apply to me.”
chapter
NINE
The door banged loudly when I closed it. I may have been a little too forceful in my eagerness. He wasn’t allowed to ask me questions, but had to answer all of mine honestly? That did sound pretty fucking sweet.
“Lock it,” he said.
“Why?”
He looked uncomfortable. “Because I’m hoping we’re going to end up fucking in here.”
Well, that was an honest answer, but I felt like turning the bolt on the door was agreeing to it.
“Better safe than sorry,” he added.
I flipped the lock and sauntered over to the chair facing his desk, the same one I’d revealed my horrible mistake in.
“Why don’t you take a seat?” I asked. Even though this was his office, I was the one in control. He lowered back into his chair, his gaze fixed on me. “Why do you look so nervous?”
“Because I don’t know what questions you’re going to ask.”
“This was your idea,” I reminded. “Do you have a girlfriend?”
A small amount of relief seemed to run through him as he sat back. “No, I don’t.”
A much larger amount of relief coursed through me. “Then why did you tell your mother I was?”
“My brother’s getting married this weekend. My younger brother. She’s convinced I’m not ever going to get married, that it’s too late for me now that . . . I’m over thirty.” He loosened the knot of his tie and unbuttoned his sleeves, rolling them up as he continued talking. “She forbid me to show up at the wedding dateless, using that as an excuse to fix me up with someone horrible. So I told her I was seeing someone.”
“And you picked me?”
“She asked me for a name, and I gave her yours.”
I found that a little difficult to believe. “My name was the first one to pop in your head?”
A mischievous smile grew on his face. “Yes. I couldn’t believe my dumb luck when she came in and dropped your name.”
“What was your plan when you showed up dateless to the wedding?”
“I’d tell her that you broke up with me, and I was going to be too depressed to chat with any of the available women she wanted to unleash on me.”
Okay, one major chunk of information sorted through, now on to the other one. “How did you know I was at the club?”
“Pass.”
“I’m sorry, pass?”
“We’ll come back around to it in a minute.” When I opened my mouth to protest, he added, “I’m not violating the rule. It says I have to answer it and answer it truthfully. It doesn’t say when I have to do it.”
I don’t know which I was more irritated about — the fact he hadn’t answered, or that I hadn’t known I could do that when his rules applied to me.
“Where did you get the money?”
“My 401K.”
My eyes fell on the envelope sitting on the desk. Oh, god. I didn’t pay much attention to investing, but my uncle was an accountant and had helped set up my account. The one thing he’d stressed was to not touch my 401K under any circumstances, because the penalties were steep.
It’s amazing how the office clears out at five minutes after five with people dashing to make their trains. I shoved my headphones on and got to work, jealous, but this was totally like Logan, and it was fair. I had been late.
I finished the logo in record time, my annoyance fueling me to the end. As soon as I was composing an email to Logan with the finished artwork attached, a new email appeared from him. He was still here?
Come to my office now and bring the envelope.
I dug it out of my purse and thundered into his office, slamming it down on the desk, startling him.
“Good night,” I spat and turned on my heel to leave.
“Enough,” he said, standing. “Close the door, we need to talk.”
It’s what I wanted, and yet I dreaded it.
He must have sensed my hesitation. “Let me sweeten the deal, then.” There was an edge of unease in his voice. “Rules one and two apply.”
I spun, incredulous. “How is that sweetening the deal?”
“Because they apply to me.”
chapter
NINE
The door banged loudly when I closed it. I may have been a little too forceful in my eagerness. He wasn’t allowed to ask me questions, but had to answer all of mine honestly? That did sound pretty fucking sweet.
“Lock it,” he said.
“Why?”
He looked uncomfortable. “Because I’m hoping we’re going to end up fucking in here.”
Well, that was an honest answer, but I felt like turning the bolt on the door was agreeing to it.
“Better safe than sorry,” he added.
I flipped the lock and sauntered over to the chair facing his desk, the same one I’d revealed my horrible mistake in.
“Why don’t you take a seat?” I asked. Even though this was his office, I was the one in control. He lowered back into his chair, his gaze fixed on me. “Why do you look so nervous?”
“Because I don’t know what questions you’re going to ask.”
“This was your idea,” I reminded. “Do you have a girlfriend?”
A small amount of relief seemed to run through him as he sat back. “No, I don’t.”
A much larger amount of relief coursed through me. “Then why did you tell your mother I was?”
“My brother’s getting married this weekend. My younger brother. She’s convinced I’m not ever going to get married, that it’s too late for me now that . . . I’m over thirty.” He loosened the knot of his tie and unbuttoned his sleeves, rolling them up as he continued talking. “She forbid me to show up at the wedding dateless, using that as an excuse to fix me up with someone horrible. So I told her I was seeing someone.”
“And you picked me?”
“She asked me for a name, and I gave her yours.”
I found that a little difficult to believe. “My name was the first one to pop in your head?”
A mischievous smile grew on his face. “Yes. I couldn’t believe my dumb luck when she came in and dropped your name.”
“What was your plan when you showed up dateless to the wedding?”
“I’d tell her that you broke up with me, and I was going to be too depressed to chat with any of the available women she wanted to unleash on me.”
Okay, one major chunk of information sorted through, now on to the other one. “How did you know I was at the club?”
“Pass.”
“I’m sorry, pass?”
“We’ll come back around to it in a minute.” When I opened my mouth to protest, he added, “I’m not violating the rule. It says I have to answer it and answer it truthfully. It doesn’t say when I have to do it.”
I don’t know which I was more irritated about — the fact he hadn’t answered, or that I hadn’t known I could do that when his rules applied to me.
“Where did you get the money?”
“My 401K.”
My eyes fell on the envelope sitting on the desk. Oh, god. I didn’t pay much attention to investing, but my uncle was an accountant and had helped set up my account. The one thing he’d stressed was to not touch my 401K under any circumstances, because the penalties were steep.
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