AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The nice doorman caught her, smiling down at her as he lifted her onto her feet. Her smile was radiant as she thanked him and lowered her head, going into the building without glancing back. I stood for a moment as the noisy smelly cars went past, the whooshing sound almost soothing. Why was it so easy for my friend to attract people to her? Oh yeah, for the exact opposite traits I'd just listed about myself. She was a cool cat, who, quite frankly, had no business being friends with me. Still, I appreciated her, a lot. She was all I had.
My phone beeped again, shocking me out of my reverie. I glanced down, expecting to see another business email, but when Joseph's name flashed up, I gulped.
I hope our eventful night doesn’t make you late to work.
My heart did a stupid flicker as I checked the time. Shit, I was half an hour late. Wait, how did he know? Was he at the office?
Almost sprinting across the path and through the doors, I shouted a greeting to Fred, blasting straight to the office. The thought of seeing Joseph so soon after our explosive night made my hands shake as I took out the key. I hadn’t expected him to be waiting for me, how cute–
The door swung open, revealing the dark interior. My stomach plunged as I flicked the light on and stepped into the dingy office. The emptiness of the place heightened the emptiness inside me. A sadness blossomed from my chest as I remembered the feeling of Joseph’s arms around me and the sight of him gripping himself in the shower. He wouldn’t allow himself to take me, but he had taken himself. Maybe I wasn’t attractive enough for him. Maybe I wasn’t the type of girl who inspired men to turn up at their work early, just for a nice surprise.
Closing the door behind me, I slowly went to my desk and dropped my bag on the floor. The chair welcomed my achy butt muscles as I sat and leaned forward, placing my forehead against the cool surface of my desk.
A hiccup erupted from my throat as tears flooded my eyes. I hadn’t had time to analyse what had happened between Joseph and me. It had all happened so fast, from the moment he messaged to ask if I wanted to go to dinner, to the moment I’d been in his bed. And now… I was blubbering because he’d touched me in ways that I had never been touched. I’d longed for someone to see me, but now that he had seen me vulnerable, fear set in. What the fucking hell was I playing at?
Taking out my phone, I typed out a text to Elissa.
I did stuff with the boss last night… and now I’m freaking out.
I dropped the phone on my desk and got up to go to the small bathroom. Pausing by the mirror as I entered, I sighed. The tears on my cheeks reflected the dim light above. Shit, I had no idea how to do this… any of it.
My phone started to ring, so I stuck my head out of the bathroom, craning my neck to see who was calling. I couldn’t make it out, but I figured it would be Elissa so I rushed to grab it, not looking at the screen as I knocked a huge pile of papers off the desk.
“Oh, bloody hell,” I said, putting the phone to my ear, “Elissa, I know I’m fucking crazy getting involved with him, but you don’t understand, he’s like a drug. I’ve tried a taste and I want more… but you know me, I don’t let people in… ever. I just can’t. Plus, he probably regrets it and doesn’t find me attractive. I mean…” Bending down, I tucked the phone into my ear and used both hands to scoop up the paper. “…I’m so broken, I don’t even know how to entice him enough to have sex.”
“Lola.”
His deep voice poured, like honey, into my ear, and I dropped the papers again. Fuck. Every one of my muscles froze solid as the sound of my rushing blood echoed in my ears.
“I’m going to pretend that I didn’t hear any of that,” Joseph said, his voice a touch shaky.
Clearing my throat, I dropped into a sit and closed my eyes in an attempt to calm the racing of my heart. What a fucking idiot.
“You never ring my personal phone in work hours,” I said, fiddling with the paper edge of one of his designs.
“I rang the office number.”
I tried to analyse his tone. Was he pissed? Amused? Disgusted even?
“I haven’t diverted the calls back to the office phone,” I murmured, completely braindead and unable to think of something clever to say. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have blurted that, I just…”
“You’re scared.” His voice was tight. “Afraid that I’m going to open you up and abandon you, just like–”
“Don’t say it,” I interrupted, “Please.”
He went quiet and I thought the phone had disconnected. Except for the tightness of his breathing. “One thing that you’ll learn about me, Lola, is that I never abandon those who need me. I might push you to become more than you’ve ever imagined, because that’s my kink, but once you’re mine… you’re mine.”
My breath hitched in my throat, and I gulped, almost choking. “You have a kink?”
What the hell, woman? He’d just been all gorgeously stalkery alpha and I’d picked up on the one word that shouldn’t have mattered right now.
“All in good time, my girl,” he said, his voice stronger now.
A silly grin spread over my lips. There was something rather exciting about being called his girl, even if it was a little creepy. He wanted to own me, which was kinda hot.I was down for being owned, and quite frankly, I needed it. I needed a rescuer and Joseph was the perfect boss to do it.
Chapter Nine
Joseph
