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The words create a mental picture that I’m all too eager for, to be possessed and known by Eric. To be only his.
I push at him, determined to be the one that breaks him down. “You’ll tan my hide as long as my dad’s not around, right? Maybe you should focus on scurrying back to him, make sure to lick his boots clean tonight.”
In the moonlight, I see the anger fade from his face. He drops his arms and steps back, leaving me suddenly cold without his body heat. “Have fun on your other dates.”
4
ERIC
What the fuck, Holt?
I’m standing in a vending machine room, staring at the coffee display. But I’m not interested in a hot beverage. I’m trying to figure out why I want the woman I can’t have and why I have to be an asshole to her about it.
It’d be one thing if Atlas were simply the boss’s daughter. I could quit my job and go after her with a clear conscience.
But Michael isn’t just the guy signing the pay stubs. He’s a brother, a man I served with in the deepest, darkest parts of hell. He saved my life more times than I can count. He doesn’t deserve to have me fucking with his daughter.
Scrubbing a hand over my face, I realize what I have to do. A tactical retreat is the only thing that will keep Atlas safe from me and protect my friendship with Michael.
With the phone in my hand, I dial Gary’s number. Last week, he offered to triple what I make at Alpha Defense.
When he answers, I don’t bother with pleasantries. “Is the job still open?”
“For you it is.” Gary answers with a chuckle before breaking into his wheezing smoker’s cough. “Did something come up to make you change your mind like this?”
I think of Atlas in those little black panties. “Yeah, something came up all right.”
We hammer out a few details after that and before I end the call, I ask Gary to keep the news quiet until I can talk with Michael. I owe my friend that much.
I’m about to rejoin the party when my phone dings with a new text message. It’s from a number I don’t recognize. You look sexy tonight in the charcoal suit. How’d your presentation go?
Miss Karma.
Unmasking her is the final thing I need to do before I can make my escape. I send a quick text back, thinking of the dirty clip that started playing to a roomful of new recruits. You could call it a rousing success.
She knew the color of my suit, which means she might be watching me. All I have to do is get her to drop her guard. Then I can lure her out of hiding and expose the woman that continues to hack me.
* * *
Atlas
I sit in the posh bathroom stall complete with a red settee, thinking about my fight with Eric. I can’t figure him out. He acts like he wants me one minute and he hates me the next.
It’s moments like these that I wish my mom were here. Maybe I could tell her about him, ask for advice. Maybe she’d talk to my dad and tell him to let Eric and me be together.
I sigh, knowing that fantasy isn’t true. If she were alive, my mom would tell me to try to see things from my father’s perspective. She’d tell me how much he loves me and that I should make him happy.
My backpack buzzes, and I reach for my cellphone. The message is from Eric. You could call it a rousing success.
Despite the way he acted outside, I smile at his sense of humor, at the way teasing him as Miss Karma is so much fun. Why can’t it be this easy when we’re together in person?
My phone dings with a new message from him. Charcoal suit? Are you going to tell me what you’re wearing tonight?
I was planning to put the seduction plan on hold after our argument and the way he called me a kid.
But then I realize I may not get another chance like this. I need him to see me in a new light. I need him to realize that I’m a woman. A woman who aches to be his.
So, I grab my sleeveless cocktail dress from my backpack. The top is silver sequins, and the short flouncy skirt is black. It hits mid-thigh, highlighting my long legs.
