Page 22 of Melted by a Man

Leo chuckled, “Have a good day, Jacqueline.” before he strutted down the hallway toward the elevators. I stood there outside of his office, blinking at his retreating form, wondering how that went so smoothly. How laid back he was. All it took was for me to explain my side of things and apologize for being a dick to him in the workplace, and we were good.

Was it…really that easy?

Apologizing to my ex was always my gut instinct, but I prepared for about twenty-four to forty-eight hours of silent treatment regardless. Once my ex figured that I had suffered in silence enough, it was like a switch was flipped. Like I never offended him in the first place. We never spoke about the incident again, until I offended him again.

Then of course he’d throw my past grievances back in my face.

Standing there in the hallway, watching Leo glance over his shoulder to see me right where he had left me, I realized I was waiting for that kind of silent treatment.

It wasn’t until Leo smirked and saluted two fingers from his forehead at me, and then turned the corner out of sight, that I realized I wasn’t going to get his silent treatment.

Leo was genuine, and if he said we were good, I believed him.

It was unsettling.

It was also a relief, even though I still felt physically exhausted after getting through that apology. Instead of returning to my office, I walked towards the sensory room.

Why was I expecting Leo to react to me as if we were partners? As if we were romantically involved? We slept together once, but that was months ago.

That may be enough for my body to make the connection. I still struggled with working with him every day without constantly remembering how he looked that night. How much fun we had together. How the night was perfect, exactly what I had hoped for.

How I sure as hell didn’t plan on him coming into the office the very next morning for his interview with Signe and me.

ChapterFive

JACQUELINE

He groans,loud and unashamed, and I realize at that moment that Leo is the noisiest sexual partner I have ever had.

I’m obsessed with his noises.

It’s an obvious cue that he’s also enjoying himself, and I want to see how loud I can make him before we part ways. Before we never see each other again.

“You don’t have to—” he pants, looking down at me through hooded eyes as he runs his fingers through his sweaty hair.

His words get cut off as soon as my lips wrap around him.

* * *

After hearinglaughter and loud chatter coming from Leo’s office, I released a frustrated groan as I ripped out my earbuds and stood from my desk. The man was incapable of conversing in a low volume. I didn’t mind noise if it was a noise I had prepared for and wanted to seek out. Like my music, or if I attended a bar that I knew would be filled with music and loud voices.

For some reason, hearing Leo’s voice echo throughout the management wing where all the single offices were set up, irritated me more and more each day. At first, I thought it was because I could remember his voice fromthatnight. The night we met, hours before he came to interview for the first time at Sun Steer.

His voice drew you in, and I knew firsthand how easy it was to fall under his spell.

Leo Turner was excellent one-night stand material.

Which made working with him every day so, so uncomfortable. I wasn’t sure I’d ever be truly over it.

One thing at a time, though.

I marched across my office and pulled my door open, hearing his laugh boom once more before music started to play from his office across the way.

Seriously?I thought to myself.

I marched up to his open door, surprised to see Brandon and Nicole standing just inside the threshold.

Well, crap.

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