Page 47 of Love, Luck & Clusterf*ck

He smiled wide. “My girl is back.”

I returned the smile. I was suddenly convinced that all I had to do was resume having sex with him and then I’d start feeling something again. I ran my fingers over his jaw. He was extremely attractive with a killer body. He wanted me. Sparks should have been flying all over that damn truck.

“I’ll see you later, Dre.”

I hopped out and went into work, feeling an uneasiness I couldn’t pinpoint, but one I was determined to get rid of. There was a plan, and I was sticking to it. Dre had driven me that morning so we wouldn’t have to worry about getting my car later. I was leaving with Kate after work to go to the Brewhouse, and Dre was picking me up there at seven. Whatever happened the rest of the weekend was in his hands. I had no clue what he’d planned, and I didn’t want to know; as long as I was willing to go with it, it was all good.

When I got to the room, I beelined straight to my station withoutacknowledging Stephen. I plopped my purse down and sent out a wish that the day would be so insanely busy, it’d be over before I could think straight.

“Good morning,” Kate said, glancing up briefly from texting. “You’re still planning on riding over with me later, right?”

“Yep. At least I hope so. I don’t have a car today.”

She finished the message, then set her phone down. “No problem. That was just John checking. We might have a few others coming along with us.”

Adam popped his head up. “If the car’s too full, she can always ride with me.”

“Thanks. I’ll keep that as an option.”

“We could swing by and pick up your hot roommate, whatshername.” He waggled his eyebrows.

“It’s Christa, and maybe next time.”

“Well, I’m just glad you’re able to make it this time,” Kate said.

“Unfortunately, I won’t be staying too long after Dre gets there, though.”

“What? You suck,” Adam said. “First, you didn’t come out with us last night, and then—”

“You guys didn’t even go out last night.”

“And then,” he continued, “you’re ditching us early tonight for some guy.”

“He’s my boyfriend.”

“Would that be your ‘complicated, more than a fuck buddy but not really a boyfriend’ boyfriend?”

I laughed and flung a pen cap at him. “Shut up.”

A throat cleared behind me. “Perry, can I have a quick word before the day starts?”

I felt it bubble up in me then. Everything that was swirling around deep inside had risen to the surface. Yes, he was my—temporary—boss, and yes, I had to show him a certain level of respect even if itmade me want to ram my head through the glass, but enough was enough. I was pissed.

I marched into his office, arriving before him. He came in and shut the door.

“Something wrong, Perry?”

“Just tell me what code I violated this time, okay?”

“I’m not sure what—”

“There seems to be a new one every day. So what is it now? The ‘no throwing pen caps because that’s flirting’ policy or the ‘no boyfriends allowed within fifty feet of work grounds without DNA and prints taken first’ policy or—”

“Perry.”

I stuck up my hand. “You told me that I should come to you if I’m feeling harassed. Well, I’m feeling harassed, and it’s by you.”

God, even as I was saying the words, I knew I was stepping out of bounds, but I just couldn’t stop. And I knew I wouldn’t stop until I was so far out I’d be falling over the cliff.

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