Page 58 of Crazy Thing

But a tiny part of mewantsto take Darius’s breath away.

23

DARIUS

“When is our meeting with Frank and the private investigator?” I ask, sifting through a stack of documents Ziggy just handed me.

I look up at her where she’s seated in my office across from my desk while the rest of the business runs smoothly.

It’s crazy that I wasn’t even able to hire a decent assistant in the months that I worked here alone. Yet Ziggy has hiredthreecompetent employees and I can’t find a single complaint against any of them.

My little workforce has even submitted a proposal to me about running a local food drive or some other fundraiser over the upcoming weeks. It’s all thanks to Ziggy.

This woman has the magic touch.

With our new receptionist managing the phone and an entry-level clerk handling filing and data entry, Ziggy and I have been working in my private office with minimal interruptions today.

I’m trying not to stare. I can’t decide if her hair is actually pinker today, or if it’s just the way the overhead light is hitting it. Though given the way my hex is unfolding, it’sprobably a new problem that’s cropped up with my eyesight.

Either way, she’s looking more angelic than usual.

Ziggy pauses the notes she’s jotting down to check her watch. “In half an hour.”

I give my head a slight nod. But instead of going back to reviewing the paperwork in my hand, I just keep on staring at the top of her head as she returns to whatever she’s writing.

I’m trying to stay focused on these materials. I need to prepare for this meeting I’m about to walk into. But Ziggy’s beauty is distracting. And it doesn’t help that my ear pain is splitting my head in two.

I pick up my phone. Open the camera app. Let my thumb hover over the shutter button.Don’t do it, Darius. Don’t take that picture. It’s creepy.

I still feel guilty about taking a photo of her the other night as she stood on the bar’s rooftop.

Not guilty enough to keep from staring at it with my fist around my cock every night anddefinitelynot guilty enough to delete it from my phone. But stillsort ofguilty, y’know?

She must feel me staring because she starts to look up. I snap my neck away to avoid getting caught.Ouch!Bad move. I guess sudden movements are a no-no with the kind of ear pain I’m in.

Ziggy notices me wincing.“How’s the earache?”

I let my eyes slide shut, massaging my temples. “Not much better than yesterday. I think I need to go to the doctor.”

I’ve been trying to suck it up, but there’s only so much I can take. And if I can’t see straight, I can’t get my work done.

“Agreed. You should get it checked out,” Ziggy replies. Then she hesitates for a moment. “But I broughtsomething that might help in the meantime. Give me one second.”

She scampers back to her desk and then returns. When she approaches me with a tiny, sketchy bottle in her hands, I can’t help but flinch.

She rolls her eyes at me. “Oh, don’t be a baby. It’s just some dried herbs in olive oil. It won’t kill you. It’s all natural.”

She holds up the bottle in front of my face. I inspect it. From the looks of it, she’s telling me the truth. Just herbs and oil. Can’t bethatdangerous, right?

Ziggy approaches my desk, rounding it to come to my side. “Okay. Now tilt your head to the side.”

“Wait. That stuff is going inside my head?” I ask, alarmed.

I lean away, out of her reach. I thought she’d just rub it on my forehead and say a magic chant or something.

She huffs, sounding frustrated. “Would you just trust me for once?”

I let out a sigh. I’m already dying, so I guess it can’t get much worse.“Fine.”

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