Page 74 of Villainous Summer

“You got me a flower?”

I wasn’t going to admit yet that I had, in fact, bought the whole plant with her in mind.

“I saw it and thought of you.”

A softness caressed her face before disappearing.

“Thank you.”

“I didn’t know you wore glasses.” I motioned to her head.

She touched her hair and laughed. “Oh, these are blue light glasses. They reduce eyestrain.” She took them off, tossing them on top of her desk. After pulling the sandwich from its eco container, she took a big bite and hummed in appreciation before saying, “I didn’t even know how hungry I was until I started eating.”

“You need to keep up your strength.”

She took another healthy bite and narrowed her eyes.

Leaning forward, I placed a hand on her knee. “If you close the door, I bet I could get you off in five minutes.” I wiggled my brows.

She frowned and swallowed before setting the sandwich back in the container. “Absolutely not. This is my place of work, Van. I’m not going to have sex with you here.”

“Who said sex? I bet I could slip my fingers up that tight little skirt of yours and find you ready. Tell me I’m lying, Sunshine.”

I smirked as she crossed her legs and glowered at me. Reaching forward, I grabbed a little piece of bacon that had fallen out of her sandwich and popped it in my mouth. “Are you saying the orgasms I give you aren’t worth it?”

She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, and her glare softened.

I could tell she was imagining the night before.

Expression hardening, she blinked. “It’s not happening here. First of all, you wouldn’t like me if I were the kind of girl who would shirk her responsibilities like that. And second, no orgasm, no matter how earth-shattering, is worth my professional reputation.”

I considered her and nodded. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“So, if you don’t want to fool around, tell me why you’ve been avoiding me?” I asked as she chewed.

Her cheeks full, she paused, her jaw frozen in place.

Her big blue eyes reminded me of an old-time cartoon, and I could hear the tink, tink, tink with every blink.

Swallowing, she took a big swig of her water, then delicately placed it on her desk. “Um. I haven’t been.”

“What did I tell you about lying?” I cocked my head and waited.

She set the rest of the sandwich back in its cardboard container and closed the top slowly. Wiping her hands on the little recyclable napkin, she pursed her lips. “What do you want me to say, Van? I’m not sure what you expected me to do the next morning. Spend the night? Make you eggs and bacon in the morning, like some nice little girlfriend? You never asked me to stay.”

“And you never said you were leaving. I woke up alone.”

“How is that different from every morning before it?”

I opened my mouth, then closed it, processing her words.

She had a wall up inside her. Anyone could see that. Giving her sweet declarations would only cause her to shut down further. There were so many things I wanted to say but to do so would give away a part of me best kept guarded. So, I said the only things I could.

“I wanted you there. Want you there.”

She shook her head at me, her lips pressed in a thin line. “You said that you needed a fake girlfriend. I did that for a bit, and it was fine, I guess. But now—this is all getting confusing, and the last thing I need right now is some man in my life, confusing me.”

“I’m not trying to confuse you. I want—”

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