night before. I was torn between keeping things purely professional and exploring what could have been if we hadn’t given up on each other so easily after high school. Our arrangement would have given us the perfect opportunity if we would just not run from it.
I took an elevator up to her floor and walked passed the receptionist, who was trying to say something to me about how I couldn’t enter. She must not have received the memo that I was her boss’s fiancé. I wasn’t sure which office was hers, but I was going to make my presence known. Someone would eventually tell me where she was.
As I passed men and women in suits, I did receive a few confused looks as people recognized me but couldn’t figure out why I was in their office building. It was amusing that no one had the gall to speak to me. My presence was so out of the ordinary, no one knew how to deal with it.
I found Brooke in a large office overlooking the neighboring buildings. She stood at the windows behind her desk when I entered. Even in her business skirt and suit jacket, I remembered all too well what the body underneath had looked like the night before. I felt my desire starting to grow again.
The clean top of her desk would have been the perfect surface for round two. There was just a small lamp to push aside, and we would have had enough room. The walls on either side of her office were lined with shelves, mostly full of books and plaques that Brooke or the company had earned over the years.
I understood bookshelves in someone’s home providing a place for their private collections, but I never understood why so many executives had books lining their office walls. It was obvious for teachers, doctors, lawyers, and the like, whose professions relied heavily on having printed resources available. I wondered what Brooke had on her shelves other than the section of company records collected in binders.
I was able to approach her desk before she said anything or even seemed to notice I was there. Whatever it was she was focusing on at the window had her full attention.
“Brooke,” I said in a calm, gentle tone as I reached her desk.
She jumped, startled, and turned around. Her beautiful blue eyes still had a distracted look in them. They barely focused on me.
“What are you doing here?” she asked in a distant tone.
“We need to talk,” I said, trying to infuse a sense of urgency into my voice to hopefully wake her out of her little mini-trance.
“What about?” Her voice started to sound more grounded. Her eyes focused on me clearly.
“About last night, what else?” I asked.
“No, not here.” She started to step around her desk. She reached a hand out to take my arm and led me back to the door of her office.
“What do you mean, not here? You’re the one who fled to work,” I said in a low tone, trying not to let everyone on the floor hear our conversation. I didn’t want to embarrass her.
“I mean not here . Yes, I’m at work, and if you want to talk business, that’s fine. But our personal issues can be handled after work. Now, I will talk to you tonight,” she insisted.
“Fine. I’ll be home. It’s not like I’m going anywhere,” I told her, turning to leave. I felt her eyes on me as I walked away from her office and left her standing in front of the office door.
While I stormed off, I couldn’t help but feel impressed by how stony and professional she could be when she needed to be. I also couldn’t believe she’d turned me away the way she had. It was as if I wasn’t her fiancé, as if we didn’t have to keep up appearances for everyone, even at her office. Especially at work! Any of the company’s employees could have gone to Mr. Scott to tell him what was going on between us.
I was used to women falling all over me. I was a pro athlete. I was one of the team’s star players. I was Jake Hall, dammit. Women didn’t turn me down
I took an elevator up to her floor and walked passed the receptionist, who was trying to say something to me about how I couldn’t enter. She must not have received the memo that I was her boss’s fiancé. I wasn’t sure which office was hers, but I was going to make my presence known. Someone would eventually tell me where she was.
As I passed men and women in suits, I did receive a few confused looks as people recognized me but couldn’t figure out why I was in their office building. It was amusing that no one had the gall to speak to me. My presence was so out of the ordinary, no one knew how to deal with it.
I found Brooke in a large office overlooking the neighboring buildings. She stood at the windows behind her desk when I entered. Even in her business skirt and suit jacket, I remembered all too well what the body underneath had looked like the night before. I felt my desire starting to grow again.
The clean top of her desk would have been the perfect surface for round two. There was just a small lamp to push aside, and we would have had enough room. The walls on either side of her office were lined with shelves, mostly full of books and plaques that Brooke or the company had earned over the years.
I understood bookshelves in someone’s home providing a place for their private collections, but I never understood why so many executives had books lining their office walls. It was obvious for teachers, doctors, lawyers, and the like, whose professions relied heavily on having printed resources available. I wondered what Brooke had on her shelves other than the section of company records collected in binders.
I was able to approach her desk before she said anything or even seemed to notice I was there. Whatever it was she was focusing on at the window had her full attention.
“Brooke,” I said in a calm, gentle tone as I reached her desk.
She jumped, startled, and turned around. Her beautiful blue eyes still had a distracted look in them. They barely focused on me.
“What are you doing here?” she asked in a distant tone.
“We need to talk,” I said, trying to infuse a sense of urgency into my voice to hopefully wake her out of her little mini-trance.
“What about?” Her voice started to sound more grounded. Her eyes focused on me clearly.
“About last night, what else?” I asked.
“No, not here.” She started to step around her desk. She reached a hand out to take my arm and led me back to the door of her office.
“What do you mean, not here? You’re the one who fled to work,” I said in a low tone, trying not to let everyone on the floor hear our conversation. I didn’t want to embarrass her.
“I mean not here . Yes, I’m at work, and if you want to talk business, that’s fine. But our personal issues can be handled after work. Now, I will talk to you tonight,” she insisted.
“Fine. I’ll be home. It’s not like I’m going anywhere,” I told her, turning to leave. I felt her eyes on me as I walked away from her office and left her standing in front of the office door.
While I stormed off, I couldn’t help but feel impressed by how stony and professional she could be when she needed to be. I also couldn’t believe she’d turned me away the way she had. It was as if I wasn’t her fiancé, as if we didn’t have to keep up appearances for everyone, even at her office. Especially at work! Any of the company’s employees could have gone to Mr. Scott to tell him what was going on between us.
I was used to women falling all over me. I was a pro athlete. I was one of the team’s star players. I was Jake Hall, dammit. Women didn’t turn me down
Similar Books
