AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My cheeks heat, and I smile, hoping that I can mask the blush. “Just kind of stayed in bed all day.”
If I’m going to lie, I might as well get as close to the truth as I can. Maybe nobody will be able to tell I’m fibbing.
“What a waste of a weekend,” Hannah says conversationally. “That can’t be good for your health.”
“Hey, self-care is self-care,” Andrea cuts in, scowling at Hannah. “Don’t judge Sophie.”
“My self-care included a boozy brunch that turned into a boozy dinner that turned into today’s hangover,” Mark says, looking a little woozy.
“Let’s get started,” I say, smiling. “And hopefully we’ll be able to distract you out of that hangover.”
Within ten minutes, however, I realize that Hannah is going to be really, really hard to work with.
Anything any of us say gets immediately shot down—even though Hannah doesn’t really have the power to shoot anything down. Instead, she criticizes it so immediately and intensely that it’s easier to go in a different direction.
Until the direction doesn’t look like what we should be doing at all.
Andrea’s face is getting redder and redder, and I realize that, as the lead in this project, I need to try to head off an impending fight between my teammates.
“Hannah, what is your ideal approach for this campaign?” I ask finally, before Andrea pops off. “I’m hearing a lot of reasons why this isn’t going to work, but I’d like to hear some possible solutions.”
“If I had been put in charge of this project, I would’ve done something completely different,” Hannah says, and I have to bite my tongue to keep from pointing out that she wasn’t put in charge. This is my project—and my concept.
“Let’s not deal in hypotheticals,” I tell her as gently as I can manage. “Let’s deal in things we know. One thing we know is that we need to show more regular people using the equipment. Is this something we should hire models for, or can we do something in office?”
Andrea launches from that point, and I look up just in time to see Declan walk by the glass windows of the conference room.
Time slows down. Maybe my imagination is playing tricks on me, but he looks sleeker. More relaxed. Perhaps even happier. His suit is flawless. His shirt doesn’t have a single wrinkle.
One thing I don’t imagine, however, is his glance inside the conference room. Everyone is looking at Andrea except for me, and for the briefest moment, I lock eyes with Declan.
And for an even briefer moment than that, he gives me a small half-smile.
Electricity jolts through every single one of my nerve endings, stealing my breath and making my heart stutter.
Then Declan’s gone, away to his office, and I’m darting a glance around the conference room, making sure no one noticed the tiny interaction.
But when Andrea takes a breath and Hannah jumps in, Mark puts his face in his hands. It’s business as usual in here. But I’m happier than I’ve ever been on the job.
I hope that won’t become a problem.
* * *
Declan
This is going to be a problem.
I shut the door to my office behind me, looking down at my half-hard cock through my pants, willing it to go all the way down.
I thought that having access to Sophie over the weekend would, for lack of a better term, fuck the tension away. Let me think for one damn second about anything other than her. Help me focus on work.
Instead, even getting to the building and into the elevator had me looking forward to seeing her. Laying eyes on her in the conference room was enough to ignite my desire again.
I’m starting to realize that no matter how many times I fuck Sophie, it’s not going to be enough. I need her all the time. Every damn second.
I wanted to pull her out of that conference room and drag her down to my office and have my way with her. Over the desk, just like I promised her.
Or, fuck it. I’d just take her there in the conference room, pinning her against the windows in there just like I fucked her in the apartment. For everyone to see. And for everyone to understand that she is mine and mine alone.
