Page 37 of The Boss

Nate

There wassomething to be said for mindless physical repetition.

One of the main reasons I’d wanted this particular penthouse was because it had come mostly furnished, complete with an in-home gym. I’d always been a muscular guy with a good metabolism, but I wasn’t a teenager playing football or a twenty-something burning off calories left and right anymore. I was thirty-five and had a sedentary job. I was vain enough that I didn’t want to completely let myself go, but not vain enough to let exercise become an obsession.

It was one of the few areas in my life where I consciously practiced moderation.

I really needed to start doing that with sex too. I’d had one-night stands in my life, but I’d gone into those with my mind already made up that it would be a physical release and nothing more. I’d had no prior contact with the woman or any contact with her after, at least if I could help it, I didn’t.

Ashlee was different. I was her boss. Granted, she didn’t report directly to me, but it wasn’t like I’d never see her again. And if I couldn’t stop thinking about her when she wasn’t around, how much harder would it be then? Could I ignore her when I saw her in a simple business suit and remembered what she looked like without anything on at all?

“Fuck!” I hit the sandbag one last time and pulled off my gloves. Usually, if lifting didn’t clear my head, beating the shit out of something did. I’d channeled my frustration into pounding the heavy bag, but I hadn’t gotten the single-minded clarity that I needed.

I’d tried counting. I’d tried going through specific sequences. I’d tried half a dozen other ways to focus on working out rather than the memories of last night, but nothing had worked. I’d get a minute or two into it, and then something about Ashlee would pop in my head and make it impossible to concentrate.

The sounds she made when she came, first on my fingers, then on my tongue, and finally, on my cock. Each had been slightly different, and I wondered if she always had a new noise or if they were dependent on how she got off. Or maybe the strength of the orgasm had something to do with–

The bag hit my side with enough force to make me stumble, and if I’d been standing any closer, I probably would’ve ended up with a wicked bruise. This was exactly the problem. I let myself get distracted, and things got messy. I didn’t like it when that happened.

I looked at the 3-in-1 step machine I’d purchased a few months ago to replace my older model. It had all sorts of interactions and options when it came to running or walking. It could simulate various kinds of terrain, making the workout as easy or difficult as it would be on a real road or path. It even had video functions that could give me a similar visual to what I would see outside.

I didn’t feel like any sort of virtual reality today, though. My life had taken on enough of a surreal quality lately. I needed something real. Something solid that I could touch.

Ashlee was real. More real than anyone I’d met in a very long time. Strange, now that I thought about it, that someone so verypresentcould make me feel like I was in a dream. I’d never cared to be an introspective person before, but I found myself wondering what all of that said about me.

Outside.

I needed to go outside. It was a gray and overcast day, chilly and misting rain. All things that made me want to avoid leaving my building, but unpleasant stimuli might be exactly what I needed to free my thoughts. A run in this weather should do the trick nicely.

I wiped my face off with a towel and tossed it into the laundry room before heading into my room for more March-appropriate clothes. I’d cooled down enough by the time I’d changed that I considered taking the stairs, but I wasn’t crazy. My penthouse was on the top floor. I waited until I was in the lobby before quickly stretching out and bouncing a few times on my toes to warm my muscles. I heard women talking behind me and then heard low laughs that confirmed they were watching me.

I ignored them. The only thing stupider than fucking a woman at work was fucking one where I lived. No, thank you. I didn’t need some ex pounding on my door at two in the morning because she was drunk and horny. Or drunk and pissed. Or just pissed.

I headed for the doors, starting with a jog as soon as I stepped outside. It was mid-morning, but because of the weather, the sidewalks weren’t as full as they could have been. I picked up speed as I went, easily making my way around people as they hurried to wherever they were going. I almost envied them, having a specific purpose, somewhere they needed to be. I was running to run, not to get somewhere, but having to concentrate on not knocking someone down at least gave me something for my brain to focus on.

I paused at a crosswalk, jogging in place so I didn’t get cold. Before the light changed, someone grabbed my arm. Startled, I jerked back. I recognized the laugh even as I saw the woman in front of me. Nearly six feet tall and still slender even though it had been a decade since I’d seen her last. Her brown hair was longer, and she didn’t seem to care about hiding the hardness in her bright green eyes.

“Calah?”

“I’m surprised you remember my name, Nate.” She twirled her umbrella and gave me a coy look. “Perhaps I left a bigger impression than I realized.”

It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her that she hadn’t, but that would’ve been a lie. I hadn’t forgotten a single moment of the time she’d been around, but it wasn’t a part of my life I liked to think about much. Nothing about her impression had been positive.

“Would you like to get some coffee?” She touched me again, but this time, she kept her hand on my arm. “I don’t have long before I’m supposed to meet my boyfriend, but I’m sure he won’t mind me catching up with an old friend.”

I raised an eyebrow at her word choice. We hadn’t been friends. Ever.

“Don’t let me keep you.” I used my most dismissive tone and turned to continue on my way…except the light was against me again. Dammit. I considered going a different direction, but Calah had seen me waiting for this light, and if I changed direction, she would assume – correctly – that it was because of her. I refused to give her that satisfaction.

“Don’t be that way.” She pouted. “You can tell me how Joshua’s doing.”

I tensed but still ignored her.

“Fine,” she snapped. “I don’t really have the time anyway. My boyfriend and I are going to go back to my place and fuck. He’s a wonderful lover. Best I’ve ever had.”

The light turned, and I jogged off without a word. I knew what she was doing. She’d done it before. Calah Evenstar had a one-track mind, and that one-track was usually on things she couldn’t have. She thought she was entitled to everything she wanted, and to hell with anyone in her way.

As I went around the block to head back home, I pushed thoughts of Calah from my mind. It wasn’t hard.

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