Page 54 of Addicted To His Favorite
She exhaled slowly, pressing a hand to her neck, fingertips grazing the warm, sensitive skin where Sebastian’s teeth had marked her. The faint scent of his cologne still lingered in her hair, a heady mix of sandalwood and spice, making her pulse thrum in a mixture of irritation and longing.
“I can’t believe I married such a ruthless man,” she muttered under her breath, the words barely escaping her lips. “Why won’t he stop leaving marks on me?!”
Inside her office, she set her bag down, the leather giving a soft thump against the polished desk. She fished out her phone and opened the camera, zooming in on the fresh marks all over her neck that Sebastian had left during the entire drive here. The skin there was still warm to the touch, sensitive, and faintly stinging from the lingering pressure.
Even after a night full of passion, he hadn’t stopped kissing and biting her neck on the way to dropping her off at her office.
Her palm rested gently against the bruises, her thumb tracing over the raised, fiery impressions, and a blush crept over her cheeks despite herself. She could still feel the phantom warmth of Sebastian’s lips.
Just as she reached for her concealer in the bag to cover them, her office door slammed open with a sharp crack that made her jump.
Jeremy stormed in, his shoes clicking against the marble floor. His eyes immediately honed in on the hand she’d hastily dropped from her neck. The heat in her cheeks deepened under his intense gaze.
His brows drew together, eyes narrowing at the sight of the red, angry marks spreading across her throat.
“What’s going on?” he demanded, carrying an edge of suspicion. “Why do you have so many red marks on your neck?”
Emily froze, the sudden scrutiny sending a flutter of panic through her chest. Her stomach tightened, and her fingers twitched as they pressed into the edge of her desk. “It’s nothing,” she said quickly, forcing a casual tone she didn’t feel. “I just got an allergy. I must have eaten something wrong.”
Jeremy’s eyes flicked sharply toward her, suspicion sharpening. “I don’t remember you being allergic to anything other than dairy,” he said, his voice calm but probing.
Before Emily could think of a reply, the office door swung open again. Harold stepped in, carrying a plate of fresh fruit. The sweet aroma of strawberries and citrus floated in with him, tangy and refreshing. He didn’t even glance at Jeremy, moving straight to Emily with an easy, warm smile.
“Miss Emily, I brought some fruit for you. It’s not healthy to work on an empty stomach,” he said, placing the plate gently on her desk.
Emily stared at him in shock. “What are you doing here, Harold?”
Jeremy shot Harold a surprised look. “Sexy escort?” he muttered in disbelief.
Harold grinned cheerfully at Emily. “Remember I told you about my internship at the Empire Group? Since there’s an ongoing project for our jewelry brand, Satire, with your company, I’m going to be working with your team to finalize the designs.”
Emily nodded slowly, still processing the gesture, the faint scent of citrus from the fruit mingling with the subtle sweetness of Harold’s cologne. “Okay… but you really don’t have to do all this. I’ll still help you—I promise.”
“It’s alright,” Harold said immediately, his tone gentle but confident. “I’m happy to do whatever makes you happy, Miss Emily.”
Jeremy looked at Harold and gave him a hopeful smile. “Can you get one for me too?”
Harold scowled. “Get it yourself,” he said dryly.
Jeremy’s eyes narrowed into a glare, but Harold ignored him and turned back to Emily, his voice softening again, warm and sweet.
“Miss Emily, I have a little presentation today. I’m going to display my designs at the meeting. Will you come?”
“Of course,” Emily smiled. “I’ll be there.”
Harold practically jumped with joy. “Great! I’ll wait for you.”
He then turned and left the office as quickly as he had appeared.
Jeremy muttered under his breath, “I don’t like that guy. He seems shady.” He glared after Harold as he disappeared.
Emily picked up a strawberry and bit into it. Then she teasingly lifted her gaze to Jeremy. “Are you sure you’re not just jealous because I have a little fan who brings me gifts, and you don’t?”
Jeremy shot her a glare, and she started giggling.
Chapter 19 Shiny Things
After finishing the presentation, the meeting room at the Almaty Hotel buzzed with discussions. Harold’s designs had ranked among the top three. He hurried to Emily.
