She rises from the chair, and smoothes her skirt. “As I said, Mr. Knight, I won’t need your help. I hope I didn’t waste too much of your time.” She turns and walks straight out of my office without a backwards glance, leaving me a little more than stunned.
Did that really just happen?
Yes. Yes it did. And hell if it didn’t turn me the fuck on.
Chapter 3
~ Cassey ~
I slip my stiletto heels off, reveling in the relief the soft carpeting in my office provides the balls of my feet. It’s been another long day in the office, but my work day isn’t quite over yet. The majority of my co-workers went home an hour ago, and in their absence the space surrounding my office is quiet, and lacks the usual buzz of activity. But I don’t mind the quiet. In fact, it’s when I’m afforded to chance to wind down, and be alone with my thoughts. Unfortunately, it’s my impending work that will need to distract me from my thoughts. My incessant thoughts about Kyler, to be more specific.
My ‘meeting’ with him yesterday, if I can even call it that, could’ve gone better, and I could’ve handled myself better too, but something about the way he spoke to me, like I’m a subordinate - which technically I am - made my blood boil. So much so that I denied his request to help me with my presentation when I had no right to do so.
Before Kyler arrived, it was his father, Robert, who took me under his wing, and now it seems Kyler would be taking his place. I don’t want Kyler to take me under his anything. Liar.
Ever since I had that dream, I’ve been thinking about him in ways I shouldn’t be, and the combination of seeing him yesterday and being so angry with him only fueled my lust-filled thoughts. Today was challenging enough without the visuals of being bent over his desk, or mine, swirling around in my head. Not to mention that it has me more sexually frustrated than I was before that stupid dream. Even after taking ‘care of it myself ’, the constant throb between my legs still comes to life every time I think about him. I barely know the man, and yet I’ve envisioned being fucked in every position, on every surface at least a hundred times today.
Sheesh, what is wrong with me?
I shake my head, as if it will dislodge the thoughts fogging up my ability to think rationally, and take a walk to my windows. My view of the city is quite spectacular, especially at dusk when the lights of the city start to flicker to life. Night time in this city is beautiful, and creates a different kind of atmosphere for the bustling metropolis that has become my home. I like it here, and I like my life here too, but every now and then I’ll find myself thinking about where exactly it is I come from. Georgia, or rather the small cardboard box of a town I grew up in, is the exact opposite of this thriving city, as is the shitty trailer where I lived most of my young life. I worked hard, and despite being told by my parents that I would never amount to more than white trash, I never wavered from pursuing my dream. And it payed off. I not only showed myself I could do it, but I disproved my parents’ belief that I would end up just like them. I haven’t thought about them in a while, but I know the inevitable phone call is coming soon.
It has started becoming more regular, and the amounts they want are increasing, to the point where I can’t give it without dipping into my small savings. My college scholarship came in handy, but I’m still living from pay check to pay check. Thankfully, I don’t pay rent, so the money I would’ve spent on that gets deposited into a savings account, a little nest egg I’m growing for myself. I learned many years ago that nothing in life comes easy, and that means I don’t have the luxury of a trust fund like Quinn, and I suspect Kyler and Jarred too, has. Not that I begrudge them the privilege.
I just wish my life started out differently, and that not everything was a hardship.
The sudden chill, and strange spark, in the air makes me shiver, which is odd considering it’s late May, and the temperatures are rising. I rub up and down my arms, hoping to stop my skin from breaking out into goosebumps.The tiny hairs on the nape of my neck rise, and I have the feeling I’m being watched. That’s when I notice Kyler’s reflection in the window. I spin around and find him staring at me, the whisper of a smile making its way across his lips. His dark hair looks mussed, like he’s pulled his fingers through it several times already, and his blue eyes are locked on me. The light blue shirt that clings to his broad chest is unbuttoned at the top, giving my a slight sneak of the smooth, bronzed skin underneath. The sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, and it shows off a very impressive set of forearms. With arms like his, he must go to the gym regularly. Not to mention his legs, and those muscular thighs. It was yesterday, that I noticed he’s taller than I thought, but now, standing in the doorway to my smallish office, he looks… bigger, longer. Snap out of it Cass! You’re eye fucking him, and it’s obvious!
Kyler smirks, and I wonder if he can somehow hear my internal dialogue. Wouldn’t that be interesting, especially when I think about him and all the dirty things I want him to do to me. Wait, what?
“What are you doing here?”
Kyler takes a few steps into my office and narrows the gap between us before replying, “It’s nice to see you too Miss Emerson.”
He places a bag on my small work table in the corner, and a delicious smell floats past me.
My stomach growls. I’m starving, and it would be appear that Kyler brought dinner.
“As I told you yesterday,” he continues, watching me.
“I’m helping you with your presentation, and since you failed to tell me where we would be working, I took the initiative and came and found you.” His eyes travel the length of my body, appraising it, making me feel hot and flustered yet again. The hunger in his eyes has no nothing to do with the food on the table, I’m sure, and while it should make me feel uncomfortable, it doesn’t. All it does is the stoke the fire deep in my belly, making my attraction to him so intense that it’s uncomfortable. I find myself crossing my legs, hoping the friction between my thighs will help soothe the persistent purr I feel down there.
Clearing my throat, I straighten my stance and raise my chin in defiance. “I already told you, Mr. Knight, I won’t need your help.” I’m being a total brat and I know it, which seems to be amusing Kyler when it should piss him off. But I know I’m a challenge to him, which is why he hasn’t fired me for blatant insubordination. That, and I suspect his father wouldn’t be impressed if Kyler were to let me go.
Kyler approaches, slowly closing the space between us and I’m forced to look up at him. The vision of him towering above me in my dream flashes through my mind and I have to fight my body’s instinct to lean in to him. I mentally swat at the desire I feel simmering between us as if it’s a fly buzzing around my head. This. Can’t. Happen.
“Well, Miss Emerson,” he breathes in a low, bedroom voice. “I wasn’t aware that you had any choice in the matter. So either you accept it and let me help you, or I can use more…forceful…methods to get you to comply.” A shiver races through my body before I can stop it and I curse myself for being so weak, for resounding so readily to the arrogant asshole in front of me. I think about it for a minute, reasoning that the sooner I accept his help, the sooner we can be done and he can go back to leaving me alone. Because that’s all this is isn’t it? A game?