Page 72 of My Office Rival

We lay there for several minutes, his chest heaving against my back, his lips running over my neck. I couldn’t hear what he said, but I felt the words against my skin. I squeezed my eyes shut and let myself breathe in his scent, luxuriate in his warmth.Please, don’t let this end.

44

JASON

Cynthia laughed with delight at our first stop that morning. “Bagels? We’re getting bagels?”

“I think I heard you muttering about missing them the other day.” I grinned as I put the car in park and hopped out to open her door. “My lady.” I swept out an arm as she extricated herself. “Let’s see if these are any good. I spent about three hours searching, and these are supposed to be the best in the state.”

Cynthia bumped me with her hip as we walked toward the tiny bakery. “I want you to know that under any other circumstances, I would be making fun of any bagels not from New York. But seeing as you put work into this, I am reserving my judgment,” she said solemnly.

“You’re too kind,” I responded, equally solemnly, though a laugh already bubbled up behind my lips.

We ordered and sat in the windows in the weak winter sun. Cynthia’s outfit today featured another pair of those painted-on jeans, this time in black, with white Converse and a cropped sweater.

“What?” she asked. “Do I have something in my hair?”

She’d caught me staring. “I was just thinking high school Jason would have been very into you. You’re very punk rock today.”

She grinned. “Yeah? Well, it sounds like he was a real bad boy, so I probably would have been into him. Broody? Mysterious? Yum.” She wagged her eyebrows, and I laughed.

“That’s one way of putting it.”

Damn, she was fun.And sexy. And wicked fucking smart.

When our order arrived, the naked skepticism on her face had me rolling my lips to keep from smiling.

“Ladies first,” I said, just to needle her.

“I’m considering my angle of approach. It’s so big. Will it even fit in my mouth?” She made a breathy sound and desire tightened my groin.

“Stop it,” I growled.

“Sorry, sorry.” She grinned back at me, eyes bright. “It’s just really fun to watch you lose your mind. I promise not to do that at the office.”

I shifted in my seat, wanting her any way I could have her. “Eat your bagel and stop messing with me.”

She held my eyes and took a hearty bite. My lips tilted up, and I watched the reaction play across her face. She finished chewing and then nodded.

“Honestly, it’s the size of a dinner plate, but it’s good. You have my approval.” She inclined her head regally.

“Why, thank you.”

We buckled into the rental car a short while later, and Cynthia was practically sparkling with excitement. Seeing her like this was a true pleasure. She made everything around her feel more alive, pulled everyone, including me, into her orbit.

“So where to next?”

“It’s a surprise,” I replied as I put the car in drive and pulled out of the parking lot.

“How long did it take you to plan all this anyway?”

Her question was innocent, but the answer was not. Too long. Most of one sleepless night last week, while my heart had hurt for her self-doubt and all the burdens she carried, and I had decided todo something just for her. Never mind the fact that she was not mine, and her burdens weren’t mine to share. Once the idea had struck me, I’d beenexcited. Thrilled to show her a good time for a day, before this deal blew up in our faces.

“A few hours, I guess,” I responded nonchalantly. “Like I said, I don’t sleep much. I’m very productive.”

“I guess.” She sounded skeptical. “Aren’t you tired? Doesn’t it take its toll at a certain point? I mean, I did the sleepless stints as a junior associate, but after a few nights of four hours, I needed to sleep for a week.”

“It does. Last night was the first time I got eight hours in recent memory. Sometimes I fantasize about sleeping for a week.” I shrugged. “At this point, I’m hoping my exit plan will be the thing that can cure me.” The words popped out. At her surprised glance, I remembered that I hadn’t shared this secret dream with her yet.

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