Page 56 of Most Likely to Deny Love

“I’ll think about it,” I finally conceded, knowing it was the most Emily was going to get from me right now.

“That’s a start,” she sighed, checking her watch. “We should head back. You’ve got that meeting with Porter at two.”

I nodded, falling into step beside her as we turned back toward the office. With each step, I felt acid burbling in my gut. The thought of potentially running into Jack made my palms sweat and my heart race. What would I even say if I saw him? How could I possibly look him in the eye after what happened?

“I’ll think about it,” I repeated, more to myself than to Emily. But even as I said the words, I knew I’d probably spend another day hiding behind my computer screen, ducking into supply closets whenever I heard his voice in the hallway.

I was turning into a real headcase, it seemed.

MIA

Idragged myself through the automatic doors of Catalyst Digital, my body on autopilot after three nearly sleepless nights. The familiar hum of fluorescent lighting and distant ringing phones barely registered as I made my way to the elevator, clutching my coffee like it was the only thing keeping me upright. Which, to be fair, it probably was.

The doors opened on the second floor and I peeked out cautiously, scanning for any sign of Jack before stepping into the hallway. The coast was clear. Perfect. Operation Avoid Jack Sullivan was still in full effect, despite the fact that it was slowly killing me inside.

It sure had been a long fucking week and there was still one day to go.

As I approached my office, my eyes immediately dropped to my desk, seeking out the familiar yellow square that had once been the highlight of my mornings. My heart sank when I saw the empty surface, not even a speck of yellow to brighten the polished wood. Of course there was no note. Why would there be? I’d practically molested the man in his sleep and then run out of his house like the building was on fire. I’d dodged his calls,avoided his gaze, and delegated every task that might put me in his path.

The lump in my throat grew painful as I swallowed around it. I missed those notes more than I wanted to admit, missed the way they made me feel seen and valued. But I’d fucked everything up royally, and those days were clearly over.

I set my purse down and glanced toward Jack’s office, relief washing over me when I saw that it was empty. He wasn’t in yet. Thank god for small mercies.

I had a stack of reports that needed his signature before noon. Of course, i could have delivered them yesterday, but I couldn’t find a moment when the coast was clear and Emily had refused to do it for me.

So I could deliver them myself now, before he arrived, or lurk in the hallway until I could ambush some unsuspecting intern to play delivery person.

Option one was definitely less pathetic.

With the reports clutched to my chest as a shield, I approached his office like it was a lion’s den, ready to bolt at the slightest sound. The familiar scent of his cologne lingered in the air, making my heart constrict painfully. I’d caught that same scent when I’d woken in his arms, my face pressed against his chest, my hand... Nope. Not thinking about that. Not now, not ever.

I hurried around his desk and dumped the reports unceremoniously in the center where he couldn’t miss them. Mission accomplished. With a sigh of relief, I turned to make my hasty exit and froze.

Jack stood in the doorway, his tall frame blocking my only escape route. His eyes widened slightly, surprise flashing across his face before his expression settled into something more guarded. We stared at each other for what felt like hours but wasprobably only seconds, the air between us charged with all the things we hadn’t said.

“Mia.” Just my name. That was all he said, but the way it rolled off his tongue, low and rough around the edges, sent shivers racing down my spine.

“Jack! Hi! I was just dropping off these reports. They need your signature before noon. I would have had Emily bring them but she’s home sick with this terrible cold, or maybe it’s the flu, she sounded awful this morning, all stuffed up and sneezy, and I know you’re busy so I was just going to leave them here and go because I have a meeting in fifteen minutes and I should probably prepare for that and...”

I realized I was babbling and forced myself to take a breath. Jack hadn’t moved from the doorway, his eyes never leaving my face as words continued to tumble out of me like water through a broken dam.

“Anyway, I’m really sorry about what happened at your house. Like I said, I was asleep and I didn’t realize what I was doing and I’m so embarrassed and I just want you to know that it won’t happen again and I completely understand if you’re uncomfortable around me now because honestly, who wouldn’t be, right? And I know this whole fake relationship thing has gotten weird and complicated and it’s all my fault because I’ve been having these feelings and thoughts and I mean, of course I want to bang you, who wouldn’t, you’re gorgeous, but I know you don’t feel that way about me which is totally fine and completely understandable and maybe I should just look for another job because this is all too awkward now and...” My voice trailed off as I ran out of breath and sanity simultaneously.

Without a word, Jack stepped fully into the office and closed the door behind him. The soft click of the lock engaging seemed to echo in the sudden silence.

Then he lowered the blinds and dropped his briefcase to the floor with a quiet thud, his eyes never leaving mine as he began walking toward me with slow, deliberate steps.

“You want to bang me?” His voice was calm, almost conversational, but there was something darker underneath, something that made my pulse spike and my mouth go dry.

My cheeks flamed. Might as well own it at this point. “Well, yes, of course. I’m only human.”

His lips quirked up in a smile that could only be described as predatory, and my knees threatened to give out beneath me.

“But you think I don’t want to bang you?”

I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. Was he saying what I thought he was saying? My brain struggled to catch up as Jack continued moving toward me with the focused intensity of a predator stalking its prey.

With each step he took forward, I took one back, until I felt the edge of his desk pressing against the backs of my thighs. Nowhere left to run.

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