Page 17 of You & I, Rewritten

Clearly, something went down on the road that bothered him. Or maybe drama back in the office?

“Well, I’m glad you’re back!” I say, trying to ease the tension. Besides, it’s the truth. Being around him is exhilarating, and after spending the week obsessing over his brilliant mind, having him in front of me again is like Christmas.

Ever so slowly, Graham looks me in the eye with that stop-you-in-your tracks smile. “Is that so?” he asks as he cocks his head to the side, his eyes zeroing in on mine.

All of my efforts to calm my heart have completely gone out the window as I feel him closing the space between us again, his movements like that of a hungry predator stalking his prey. This man is utterly intoxicating, even more potent than the shots Klair forced upon me earlier. From the warm and spicy scent of his cologne to the clear strength behind his hold, I am in trouble with Graham.

His face gets closer to mine, seemingly in slow motion, and I’m afraid to move in case I ruin the moment. At the feel of his waist pressed against mine, I can’t help but struggle against his hold on me.

“Graham,” I all but moan, trying to get more of him to touch me. Normally, I’d be humiliated that some man is making these sounds come out of my mouth, but with him, I want him to know the effect he’s having on me.

All of a sudden, he’s pressing me into the wall, the full weight of him against my body. I don’t know when or how he managed to get both of my wrists in the vice-like grip of his hands, but I will never,evercomplain about it. I can feel his cock throb against mine, clear now to both of us this is what we want.Of course he’s massive.

I keep waiting for the kiss to come, to crash over me like it has in my dreams and mid-meeting fantasies, but it never does. Our breathing is matched as he slowly grinds into me, exhaling desire and inhaling one another. Out of the most delicious sexual frustration, I open my eyes to find Graham gazing so intently at me, ever so slightly biting his lower lip.

I should be the one doing that.

Graham, looking conflicted on what to say or do next, leans forward and slowly plants a lingering kiss to my cheek. His stubble burns every nerve ending as he releases my hands and whispers in my ear, “Don’t be late Monday, Will,” causing me to melt at the feeling of his lips on my ear.

As he turns and walks away, I’m left throbbing, panting, and with my damn mind blown in fragments of pure lust for this man. Taking a moment to collect myself and ensure any visible signs of my, er, arousal is no longer on display, I head back into the sea of horny and intoxicated bodies in search of Klair and any excuse to not go running after the man who just turned my world upside down.What. The. Fuck. Just. Happened.

* * *

My entire weekend was spent overanalyzing what Klair proudly nicknamed “The Wall Treatment” on our way home from the club. At least there isn’t any confusion as to whether or not Graham is into me. At least physically, I could sense how his body reacted to mine and I could feel just how badly he wanted me. The way he left every inch of my body feeling was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before, and now, as I try to sort through a weekend’s worth of emails and map out my to-do list for the day ahead, my mind is consumed by the delicious ache of his dick against mine and the way his scruff felt against my skin.

We haven’t even kissed yet! I’m hopeless.

I forcefully push these painfully distracting thoughts from my brain, which happen to be getting dirtier by the second, and attempt to get some work done.

By the time lunch rolls around, I’m wondering why I haven’t had my usual Graham sighting by now. Usually, I see him fast-walking between meetings or popping over to his team’s desks to deliver due-outs in his cool but direct manner. Under normal circumstances, I would find myself antsy, waiting to see his handsome face, but now, I feel completely undone as if he’s ignited something inside of me that can only be extinguished by his presence.Or his lips.

My mind begins to wander to all the places I’d like those lips to travel when Graham makes a hurried entrance through the writer’s section and all but slams his office door. Despite looking as effortlessly handsome and put together as ever, I can tell something is off. Not knowing if I should check on him or if that would be weird, I gather my things and head to meet Klair at our favorite bistro around the block instead, which serves the most mouth-watering autumn squash soup. At the thought of food, I realize I’ve worked straight through my usual breakfast and am instantly starving.

CHAPTEREIGHT

Feeling much moremyself after an unnecessarily large lunch and catch-up with Klair, I head back to my desk, ready to take on the rest of the afternoon. I was right in the middle of reviewing several marketing and social media plans before lunch and I am eager to pick up where I left off. The ping of my email inbox pulls my attention from the document I was reviewing and I notice it’s an email from Lana, who all but fell off the face of the earth after the gala.

This’ll be good.

It has taken all of my professional willpower to refrain from sending her an angry message loaded with jabs about common courtesy and honoring the commitments that we make, and as I open her message, I exhale away any temporary irritation I feel.

There is an instant wave of burning heat radiating over every inch of my body. Shespoke with Graham? What the hell? When?I slam my computer shut, way harder than I intended, and push away from my desk, causing Klair to jump in her seat, a confused look on her face at my outburst.

I try to stabilize my now irregular breaths, each one searing my lungs as if the air I’m inputting into my body is laced with razors. I am enraged.Graham doesn’t think I can do my job. Graham doesn’t think I can handle this. That’s the only explanation as to why he would intervene.

Anger isn’t an emotion I’m used to feeling, but right now, in this moment, I feel betrayed, like the one person I’ve been working my ass off to impress, both personally and professionally, has had a good laugh behind my back and has taken matters into his own hands because clearly, I can’t be trusted to do my job effectively.

Anxiety, doubt, and utter self-loathing, the emotions and negative thoughts I try so hard to keep buried, come bursting through the surface with unparalleled force. My usual self-talk and regulated breathing is powerless to how I’m feeling right now and I know the only thing that will release some of the tension and frustration I’m feeling is to talk to Graham and figure out his reasoning.

“Will, what’s going on? Are you okay?”

I ignore the clear worry in Klair’s voice as I beeline toward Graham’s office door, forcing it open, and slamming it shut behind me. Hard.

His head snaps up from whatever it is he’s working on at the force of my entrance and I see the start of a smile splash across his face, but that all changes the second I open my mouth.

“Is there a reason you went behind my back and spoke to my author without me?” My tone is pure ice, and on some level, I know that Graham, beautiful and thoughtful Graham, isn’t deserving to be on the receiving end of this, but I quickly force that thought out of my mind. “I just want to know why you felt compelled to leave me out of something this important?” I stand there, my body tense from the betrayal I feel, arms crossed to show just how closed off to him I am.

He silently closes the book he’s reading and sets down his coffee. I narrow my eyes as he rises from his chair and steps around his desk, buttoning his navy suit jacket in the process. He closes the distance between us, each thoughtful step seemingly slower than the last to really accentuate the heaviness of my anxiety in this moment. He doesn’t stop until he is right in front of me, so close that I can smell his spicy cologne and the faint remnants of the caffeine he was just consuming.

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