Page 37 of My Office Rival

“No. I drink it with hazelnut creamer. Which is in the fridge.” I stopped out of arm’s reach, and he slowly peeled himself off the fridge. I kept my eyes firmly on safe places—his face, the fridge, the creamer—before I made to escape with my precious coffee.

“Do you want to do something later?” His voice was tentative.

I stopped with my foot on the stairs. No, I really didn’t. I wanted to watch Vampire Diaries and eat Taco Bell and maybe have a whole bottle of wine. I did not need the distraction that was Jason “just one night” Elliott. I needed to get my head on straight and stop thinking about him naked.Which isn’t helped by the fact that he keeps walking around half naked.After a week of running into him day and night, I was a ball of frustration and pent-up sexual energy.Exactly what he wants. I was playing right into his hands. At the office, our battlefieldwas a conference room. At home, it was something much more dangerous.

“You know, Jason. You really should be wearing a shirt.” I turned around and made a face at him.

“Distracting you?” He was stoic, but his eyes were hot.

“Never.”Liar, liar.

He slowly pulled his shirt on, his lifted arms causing his abs to ripple.Look away.

“Better?” he asked with a smirk.

“Not really. You’re still keeping me from the limited time I have for personal activities.”

“So youdothink I’m distracting?” He looked far too pleased.

“I swear, if it weren’t against the rules of professional conduct for lawyers, I would push you into traffic,” I grumbled.

He huffed a laugh. “You’re really fun to annoy. So you’ll do something with me later? I want to get out and see the sights.” His eyes were shadowed with uncertainty. Something about the careful way he held himself tugged at my heart.

“Fine. Yes. Let’s go out this evening and do something. Five p.m.?”

“Great.”

I turned around and locked myself in my room. I needed to call in reinforcements. It was ten a.m., which meant Margo was very likely awake, though she was probably still in bed with Andrew, if they weren’t at the office.

I called her and she picked up on the first ring, like the real phone addict she was.

“Hey, hey,” she said, mouth clearly full of food.

“What’s in your mouth? I hope it’s food and not a body part.”

“Ew, gross.” She started laughing, then choking, and then I heard Andrew saying “easy there” and thumping her on the back.

“Just calling it like I see it. How’s my mortal enemy?” I was just kidding, since Andrew was head over heels in love with my best friend and I had elevated him from mortal enemy to part-time annoyance.

“Har har. He brought me bagels this morning from that place everyone lines up for near your apartment.”

Yum. I missed my apartment and my privacy. And my weekend routine.

“Jealous. This place is a hellhole. There’s so muchnaturebut all the landscape is completely flat. And all the food is fried.”

Margo started laughing. “Honestly, this could be good for you. Maybe I’ll finally get you to come visit my parents in Vermont one of these days.”

“Okay, but I didn’t get to the worst part.”

“You mean worse than the fact that you and Jason are shacking up, I mean,roomingtogether?” She cackled at her own joke.

“Yes, worse than that. First of all, I heard him jerking off a few nights ago.” I was whispering now, knowing how thin the walls were. “And second of all, he won’t stop walking around half-naked.”

“I’m waiting for the bad parts,” she said and laughed.

“It’s horrible! I already know what it’s like to have sex with him, and now I can’t stop thinking about it,” I hissed back.

She lowered her voice, presumably so Andrew couldn’t hear. “Girl, he is seriously hot. Any woman would be thinking about sex.”

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