Page 37 of Apparently, I’m A B!tch

She shrugged and reached for her phone, and I used it as an excuse to drag my chair closer to hers until our shoulders and arms were touching. I leaned down and stared at her small screen, enjoying being this close to her.

This small, platonic contact was already driving me crazy. Months without her regular touch was making me ache for even this small bit of closeness.

My eyes traced the curve of her leg until it disappeared into the hem of her skirt, and I wanted to touch that silky skin so badly that my fingers twitched. I needed to know if she felt as good as she looked. From this angle, the two undone buttons showed a modest triangle of her breasts, but just knowing they might’ve been encased in a lacy bra like they were on Sunday made my blood rush to a single area.

She made a noise and said, “This says it’s Lebanese, but… I don’t believe it.”

“Huh?”

“It’s Greek, it has to be.”

She turned to me and pulled in a sharp breath, as if she just realized I’d gotten this close, my face inches from hers.

God, I missed her. Going days without her drove me insane. The not knowing where I stood, the wondering where she was, what she could’ve been thinking. I spent every spare second refreshing my phone, waiting for a text, a reply, a call, something. I hated that I now knew what it was like to go this long without seeing her, and I wasn’t going to let that happen again.

And now, sitting close to her, taking in the look in her eyes, the way she searched my lips and wet her own… she had to want this as much as I did.

My thoughts stuttered to a stop. I couldn’t think anymore.

I leaned closer, reaching for her chin, tilting it with a finger so she couldn’t look away. Her breath hitched as I brushed my lips along hers, tasting her with a softness that made me crave more. She gasped, her lips parting for me, letting me inside, her slight moan urging my tongue to coax hers. I ran a hand through her hair, pulling her close to me, until we were pressed against each other and the arms of the chairs. I wanted more, I needed more.

Lifting her from her seat, I pulled her against me and pinned her to the desk.

She whispered my name, asking, “Tristan, what are you doing?”

But her breathy tone said she wanted this. Her thighs opened for me, straining against the fabric of her pencil skirt as her ass balanced against the edge of her desk.

I stood between her legs, dipping my lips to her neck, running them along her skin, leaving behind soft kisses and gentle nips along her jaw, giving her a chance to push me away. I’d stop if she made me. I would. But if she didn’t let me inside of her, this pounding throb would drive me insane.

She wrapped her smooth legs around me, put her arms around my neck and pulled me close. She moaned as I took over her mouth, kissing her with a desperation only nine years of intense lust could give me. I ran my hands along her thighs, gripping the curve of them and pushing myself into her. The fabric of her skirt stretched and gave until I knew she felt the shape of me against her soft skin, and the small gasp against my mouth was a satisfying shiver that ran down my spine.

The door opened without a knock and a woman’s voice said, “Nikki, oh. Sorry, I didn’t realize someone else was in here.”

The mocking tone of Kelly’s voice was obvious. Still, it was a rude enough reminder of reality that Nikki and I broke apart, her fingertips flying to her lips as she stared at me. I stepped back, collapsing into the guest chair and staring up at her as she clamped her legs shut, cleared her throat and rose from her perch on the desk.

I stayed sitting as she spoke to Kelly, trying to will the throb in my groin to lessen.

Kelly’s voice lowered, “We’ve got a meeting in ten minutes. Did you have time to analyze the case briefs?”

“Yes, Kel… I’ll be ready, okay?”

Kelly’s voice was too low for me to make anything else out, but when she left and I looked up to see Nikki’s wide eyes staring at me, I wanted to go to her and kiss away any trace of doubt she might’ve had.

“Did we just… did you kiss me?”

I had to laugh. She seemed disoriented, as if she didn’t trust what’d happened between us to be real.

“No, uh, that was a new form of interpretive art I was trying out.” But my lame joke missed its mark, and her face dropped. I stood and stammered out, “Sorry, I was, uh, I shouldn’t have assumed you’d be okay with that.”

She took a step toward me, her cheeks flaring up prettily again. “No, it’s okay. But, um… it’s just that I thought… you hated me.”

“What?” I went to her, took her hand in mine and touched her cheek. “I could never hate you, Nikki. But lately, it seemed like every time I tried to talk to you, you…”

“Acted like a bitch?”

I clucked my tongue. “Nikki, stop saying that about yourself.”

She moved her head from side to side just slightly, wanting to deny me the satisfaction of bossing her around but not willing to break the hold of my touch on her face.