Page 64 of A Simple Reminder
Next time, you don’t leave my bed without saying goodbye. Do you understand?His voice keeps playing on repeat, and every time it does, something inside me stirs in a way I don’t want to acknowledge.
You can run away now. You will be back.A tingle rushes through my body.
It was hot. Hot enough to make my stomach tighten with need, and I hate myself for thinking that. But maybe, maybe I should acknowledge it and take what I want and need. Once again. What if we kept it simple? Physical. Just sex. No strings. Just between us, a dirty secret. Would that really be so bad?
The thought creeps in, as much as I try to resist it. Because for some damn reason, every time I’m near him—whether it’s from anger or sexual tension—my whole body lights up like he’s wired into me. It’s like we’re magnets. I hate it, but damn if I don’t feel it too. It’s like our bodies still speak the same language, a language I’ve been trying to forget for years.
Could I handle the emotions that come with sex? Maybe I could. If I just tell myself there are no feelings involved, there won’t be feelings involved. I won’t allow myself. Considering I’m quite a determined woman. What I say, I do. It’s easy.
“Hey, Soph,” a voice breaks through my thoughts.Thevoice I currently want to smack.
“Don’t, Jared. Don’t you dare,” I snap, turning to face him, my anger bubbling up again before I can even hold it back. Showtime.
“What?” he says as if he has no clue what’s going on. WHAT. Is this idiot serious?
“Are you seriously asking me that? Are you that clueless?” My voice rises, causing a few heads to turn around in the café, but I don’t care.
“Wait. Are you angry with me?” Jared's expression is a mix of confusion and arrogance, which only fuels my irritation.
“Of course, I am!” The confused look on his face solidifies what I didn’t want to believe. He hasn't changed, and he does not think what he did deserves an apology. “You haven’t changed. Not in the slightest. You're still the same selfish, idea-stealing, ladder-climbing jerk you've always been.”
“Come on, Soph. You know the ideas were ours, and that specific one? That was inspired by some of my previous jobs. It was practically mine.” His dismissive tone makes me want to scream.
“Are you serious? That was all me.Myidea. You could never come up with that. Yours was the damn glow-in-the-dark tables. I didn’t say it was stupid cause I didn’t want to hurt your feelings. So no, that was not your idea. God, how could I ever believe you? People don’t change. Why can’t I just learn that? Why do I have to go through this crap over and over to finally get it?” I can feel my chest tightening.
“You’re overreacting. What’s the big deal? You don’t see me being all dramatic after he said it wasyourconcept, even though it wasours,” Jared says like he genuinely believes the nonsense he's spewing.
“It. Was. MINE!” I bite out, my voice trembling. Everything I've been holding back—the anger, the frustration, the hurt—threatens to flood over. It’s all too much now.
“Lower your voice,” Jared hisses, looking around, trying to make it seem like I’m the one out of line. Not a good idea.
“Don’t tell me what to do,” I snap, venom in my voice.
“You’re making a scene,” he warns, his voice dropping to a condescending tone.
“I don’t give a shit.” My words cut through the air like a knife. “You’re a selfish asshole. Get out of my face. Or better yet, I’ll take my face away from yours.” I grab my bag and coffee, ready to storm out, but then I realize something.
Cold coffee = Cold-hearted + Selfish man.
Without a second thought, I throw the coffee at his white Armani shirt. The brown liquid stains his chest, and his mouth opens in shock.
“Oops,” I mutter before turning on my heel and walking out of the café, heart racing and satisfaction buzzing. I head straight back to the hotel. Straight back to Liam's office. I have some words for him, too. Sadly, though, I have no coffee left.
TWENTY-EIGHT
LIAM
“You don’t have to do that, Lilly. It’s okay,” I say, a bit uneasy as I watch her move closer to my desk. She’s offered to help clean up the mess of papers scattered across it.
Lilly smiles sweetly, but there's a glint in her eyes I can't quite place. “It's no trouble, really. You work so hard, sir. Just let me take care of a few things for you.”
I glance back down at my screen, trying to focus on the report in front of me, but I feel her presence lingering beside me, too close for comfort. Too close for me right now. When she bends over to pick up a few files from the edge of the desk, her body brushes against mine ever so slightly. My muscles tense instantly, and I shift in my seat. It’s making me a bit uncomfortable.
“I’ll just organize these for you,” she says in a soft voice, her fingers brushing against my arm as she reaches for more papers. She’s smiling, but the way she lingers makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
Something about this feels...strange. Innocent enough in action, but more sexual than it should be. Her posture, the way she bends at the waist just a bit too much, her blouse slipping slightly off her shoulder as she leans over. It’s subtle, but it’s there. She’s a beautiful woman, and if Sophie wasn’t the only thought in my mind, I might have considered her. But no one compares to Sophie.
I clear my throat. “Lilly, I’ve got it. You don’t need to?—”
