Page 105 of Say My Name

She laughs, then looks at the closed blinds. “The no-sex-at-work rule didn’t last long.”

“You wrote a bad rule.”

“You agreed to it.”

“And respected it until you ordered me into your office.”

“I did not order you.”

“You texted two words and expected me to come. It was an order.”

“You could have declined,” she says, but there’s no real heat in her voice.

“I could have.” I angle toward her. “I didn’t want to.”

She studies her bare knees and doesn’t answer.

“You still can’t say it,” I tell her.

“Say what?”

“I wanted you.”

“I moved confidential files, dismissed my assistant, locked the door, and kissed you first. I assumed you could interpret basic evidence.”

She lists the facts, building a case for a desire she still won’t name.

“I can.” I smile. “I just like the way your face gets when you’re forced to admit something. I want to hear you say it anyway.”

Elena slides off the desk and picks up the button from my shirt. “Your clothing is damaged.”

“Deflection.”

“Observation.” She puts the button in my palm.

I close my fingers around it. “You wanted me.”

She pulls her blouse into place and starts fastening the buttons. “The office is private after hours, we are sexually compatible, and natural conception was our agreed method as of yesterday.”

She attaches the choice to conception again.

I walk to her and fix the collar she folded beneath itself. “That’s a lot of words to avoid saying three.”

“You’re wearing half a shirt. I’m not taking criticism from you.” Her chin lifts, the familiar defense clicking into place.

I hear the defense and let it go tonight. She had asked without an excuse. And I had come because I wanted her. For tonight, that was enough.

We put the office back together. Elena straightens the reports. I move the desk away from the wall and retrieve the pen from the carpet. The acquisition model still fills her screen.

“We may need to revise the workplace provision,” she says.

“That won’t make the agreement accurate.”

Her hand stills on the laptop.

“No,” she says after a moment. “It won’t.”

CHAPTER 15