Page 42 of Midnight Wishes

Was it?Was that why he’d been—

No. He’d called her that in Neon the night they met. She’d thought he’d stuck with it solely to annoy her, but it wouldn’t surprise her if it was because he liked the wordplay too.

Her friend’s eyes volleyed between them, finally resting on her.Shit.Abby knew her.Knewher. Had seen her through a few relationships and a million crushes, and if Sarah gave even the slightest on the painfully annoyed expression she’d affected in the wake of that no longer annoying at all nickname, Abby would connect the dots.

‘Maybe ifyoutell him to stop calling me that, he will.’ The strain in Sarah’s voice was only partially put on.

It did the trick. Abby snorted and turned back to the book in her lap, fingers deftly folding once more. ‘Please. He’s been calling me Squirt since I was six. If I had that kind of power, don’t you think I’d use it for me?’

Filled with the fear of what Alex might say or do if left alone, Sarah opted to stay, alternating between half-heartedly stabbing at her painting with a barely wet brush and scratching Celine’s stomach, until the crafts were cleared away and Alex had said goodnight.

And after a scalding shower burned away the residual anxiety lingering in her muscles, the desire Alex had left her withcame flooding back. So when enough time had passed since his departure that she was sure he’d have made it home, she checked that Abby and Erik were safely in their room, low light flickering under their door, settled in her sheets, skin bare andwanting, and hit the video icon next to his contact.

Chapter 22

ALEX

Risk | Gracie Abrams

‘Larsson, I’ve hita dead end with the Fletcher account. I told you I need your report.’ Pete’s voice oozed through the gap in his office door, and either Alex was hiding his emotions better than normal or Pete really couldn’t read the room, because it was not the fucking day.

Alex’s head was throbbing, his chest felt tight, and he was at that uncomfortable meeting point of being hungry enough that his stomach ached, but he couldn’t bear the thought of eating.

He also hadn’t seen Sarah in four days, hadn’t done anything beyond kiss her in five, and that lack of contact was wearing on him. They’d been texting more. Some explosively hot. Others holding mundane thoughts on art or sharing bits of their day. On Monday, she’d sent him, unprompted, a picture of Maurice’s completed portrait. When she’d asked him if he was free the previous night and he’d texted her two hours later when he was only just getting home, she’d actually asked what he was having for dinner. And of course, there’d been the video call on Sunday.The one she’d initiated, where she’d let him talk her through it twice before flipping the scene and telling him to come.

That night in the bar felt like it had been a turning point for them. A chance for her to seehimunderneath the many layers of masks. She’d been asking for more ever since, and he was only too happy to provide.

And when it got late and he was depleted from work, and they lay in their respective beds, miles apart in the same city, while he would give anything to have her next to him, having her seduce him with her words and photos was a decent consolation prize. On Tuesday, she’d sent a breathy voice note that’d he’d listened to three times since.

‘Larsson,’ Pete said again.

Alex’s eyes snapped back into focus, then narrowed at the lanky frame attempting to fill his doorway. ‘I told you—’

‘Rogers wants us to work on this together.’

Rogers could go fuck himself, as far as Alex was concerned. The old crone had obviously never worked with Pete on anything. But a glance at the clock confirmed that it was the latest he’d been at the office all week. It was a long shot that Sarah would still be up, never mind open to his company. But it would be the balm he needed to make his shitty week better.

‘If I give you the file, will you shut up and let me go home?’

Slouched shoulders perked up, Pete hauling himself into a more attentive position, a leer growing on his face. ‘Going to see your girlfriend? You’ve had a lot of late nights this week, Larsson. Maybe she should find someone who can make more time for her.’

Alex turned back to his laptop and dragged the right file into an email to Pete, mainly because if his hands were busy, he couldn’t walk over and deck him. He was always insufferable, but he’d been even more so after finding Sarah in Alex’s office—smirking at him across conference room tables and making lewd comments just suggestive enough that Alex would understand without tipping anyone else off.

‘Maybe,’ Alex said, hitting the shutdown button for the first time in fourteen hours. ‘And maybe your PA would be interested to know that you’re sniffing around other women.’ He looked up just in time to see the colour drain from Pete’s face, his already pasty face turning sallow. The satisfaction in that moment alone was enough to make this whole painful encounter worthwhile. ‘You ever hear that saying “Don’t shit where you eat?”’ Alex continued, slowly packing up the day’s mess. ‘It’s solid advice.’

‘What are you suggesting, Larsson?’ Pete’s voice was even more nasal than normal.

‘I’m not suggesting anything,’ Alex said, finally standing and sliding his bag onto his shoulder. ‘I am telling you, in no uncertain terms, that if you ever disrespect Sarah again, I’ll tell your PA every single thing you’ve said about her. I think she’ll particularly enjoy the comment about how great mygirlfriend’s tits are. Then, I think I’ll tell the whole company you’re fucking your PA. Next time, do it in a room without cameras.’

Alex genuinely liked Kevin, but access to a new tier of office gossip had certainly been an appealing perk to their acquaintanceship. Two Wednesdays before, he had called Alex to his desk the second his loafers hit their building foyer to show him the footage of Pete and his assistant kissing franticallyin one of the conference rooms. The one that, thankfully, Alex took great pains to avoid. It hadn’t been renovated in about twenty years, and smelled like it hadn’t been cleaned in as long. They’d stopped watching when Pete’s hand disappeared under her pencil skirt. But if Kevin was to be believed, it had happened three times since then.

‘You’re applying for Anders’ job, right?’ It meant a fancy new title, a slightly better office, and barely more money, all for an even bigger chunk of your soul. Alex had considered it for all of five seconds. He shouldered his way past the annoying pest standing between him and peace, pulling his office door shut behind him so quickly that Pete all but jumped backwards. ‘You wouldn’t want a pesky rumour aboutgross misconductorabuse of powerruining your shot at that promotion, now would you? Goodnight, Pete.’

Ten minutes later, Alex sat at a red light, pondering his next move. Straight would take him home. To dinner and his dog and his bed and a high-pressure shower head that would help work the kinks from his back.

Left would take him to her.

As the light went green, he flicked on his indicator.

---