Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 85593 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85593 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
This fucking woman was going to start the rumor to end all rumors.
“We were both at the office late. That’s all,” I said.
“Ohh,” Elizabeth froze, eyes narrowing. “Late night at the office together, huh? Darcy, since when do you keep secrets from me?”
“There’s no secret,” I growled. “I’m going to the roof.”
“Me too!” Darcy said cheerily, following after me.
“What the hell was that?” I asked.
“What was what?”
I stopped at the last staircase that led up to the roof. “You practically implied we were having some sort of office affair.”
“No. I just told the truth. I did give you a ride. You’re the one who lied and said we had a late night at the office together. I wasn’t at the office late. I was having an early dinner with Charleston.”
My blood went cold. “Who the fuck is Charleston?”
“Just a friend,” she said, shrugging.
“A guy friend? One you have dinner with?”
“Is that jealousy I’m detecting, Mr. Lockwood?”
“No,” I lied. Yes, it was jealousy. It was burning hot, ready-to-kill-a-stranger jealousy that came out of nowhere. “I’m just wondering why you haven’t mentioned him before.”
“Would you like me to keep you posted on my dating life, Mr. Lockwood? Should I also keep you posted on sexual encounters?”
She was fucking with me. I knew she was, but I still couldn’t stop myself from biting. “So you two are dating?” And what sexual encounters? Had she been fucking other guys since she met me? I felt a headache come on suddenly. Even if she was fucking other guys, it was none of my damn business. I was making a point of trying to keep the line between us clear.
Darcy knew exactly how to press my buttons, and it seemed like that’s exactly what she wanted to do. All she did was grin playfully and gesture up the stairs. “Let’s see this roof you’re so excited to get to.”
I rushed up the stairs and pushed open the door. It was an old fashioned, heavy maintenance door. I had to push hard to get it to swing open, then I gestured for Darcy to go up. She gave a little curtsey and headed out onto the roof. I let the door slam shut behind us and was relieved to see Ally hadn’t set the roof up for the party tonight. There was just the usual patio furniture in one corner and a heat lamp.
It was nice up here. Quiet. There was just a gentle rustle of wind making the dangling strings of Edison bulbs sway in the night. I could hear cars drifting along and the faint sound of conversation from the house and some from the streets below.
“See? Nobody is up here,” I said. “Why don’t you head back down to the party. I have some work I can get done from my phone. I’ll come down later.”
“Nice try,” Darcy said. “You don’t think I realized you were coming up here to escape? Well, if you ask me, this is the perfect setting for our next interview. It’s beautiful up here.”
It was. The three-story building was dwarfed by some of the surrounding architecture, but we could still see patches of dark sky and the yellow, twinkling lights of windows all around. It was chillier up here than I’d expected, but I was comfortable enough as I took a seat on the patio chair, stretching my legs out.
Darcy came and sat right across from me, hands on her thighs. She gave them a little rub and shivered. “Kinda cold up here, huh?”
“Yes. You should get back inside before you get sick.” Still, I went to flick the switch on the heat lamp, which buzzed to life and started providing a little relief from the cold.
“Okay, Grandma.” Darcy laughed, and the sound was infectious.
I caught myself smirking a little and wiped the expression from my face. “Seriously. I need to do some work. If you’re really intent on interviewing me, you can come back later.”
“You said I could have you whenever I wanted,” Darcy said. Somehow, the tone of her voice made those words dirty enough to get my dick hard as a rock.
I shifted on the chair, suddenly uncomfortable. “And you want me now?” I asked. Stop it, Dominic.
Darcy’s eyes twinkled dangerously. “Yes,” she said.
I ran my tongue across my lips. All my plans and determination to stay professional tonight had felt as strong and unbreakable as castle walls–but Darcy was like waves that turned my walls into sand. Every little temptation was another wave washing away my defenses. Every smile and flirtatious word made me question what had seemed so obvious just hours ago.
Of course I shouldn’t fuck my employee. The conflicts of interest were obvious. The comparisons to my father were unacceptable. I wasn’t the kind of man who went back on his word, especially not when that word was something I’d promised myself.