He brought his lips to mine, our tongues crashing against each other as he picked up his pace one more time before I felt him tense.
“Joanna!” He dug his fingers into my hips and started emptying himself into me, filling me to the brim.
None of us said anything for a while as we tried catching our breath, our eyes fixed on each other in afterglow. He removed a strand of my hair from my sweaty forehead, his fingers moving gently over my skin.
“So I guess that the numbers are good?” he asked me with a naughty gleam in his eyes.
“Even better, but you know, I think I have to check them once more. Just in case.”
He smiled at me devilishly. “You know what, Joanna? That’s exactly what I’ve had in mind. We should go over the numbers again.” He winked at me. “Just in case.”
CHAPTER 7
Anderson
I’d been in a particularly good mood all morning, and even had a spring in my step as I headed to work. However, it all came to a screeching halt when I made it to the office and noticed my office door was wide open. I stepped inside, turned on the light, and froze right in my tracks at the sight of Tobias. Apparently, he had been sitting in the dark waiting for me. And judging from the way he was lounged back in the chair opposite of my desk with his eyes closed, he had been waiting there for a while.
Noticing my presence, he sat up, opened his eyes, and fixed his gaze pointedly at me. The seconds in which we simply stared at each other lasted for what felt like an eternity.
Slowly, Tobias stood from the chair, his eyes narrowed at me. “Well?” he said. “You got something to tell me?”
I swallowed, my mind spinning as I remained frozen on the spot.
Had Joanna actually told him, and if so, why? Why on earth would she tell her crazy brother about our night together? Didn’t she know how dangerous that would be for the both of us?
With shaky hands, I set down my briefcase and cleared my throat, trying to think of what to say, but I had no idea how to explain myself. I knew that sleeping with Joanna was wrong, but in the heat of the moment, I hadn’t been able to stop myself. It was unfortunate that my desire for her had completely clouded my ability to visualize what would happen when Tobias found out; had I possessed such foresight, I wouldn’t have landed in such a predicament, and I wouldn’t have been standing there, shaking in my shoes. “Tobias, I can explain,” I said, outright lying.
“I’m not interested in explanations. I just want you to tell me the damned numbers have been sorted out.”
I paused. “The numbers…” I said.
“Yes,” Tobias said, agitated. “I was asleep before Joanna even came back last night, so I know she was out late with you. I figured you guys must have finished up. Please tell me you finished. We don’t have time to drag this out anymore, man.”
I rubbed the back of my head and let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.
The numbers. Tobias still thought Joanna and I had been working on the project.
He didn’t know…
Relief almost made me want to laugh, but I held my composure. “Well,” I said, “Joanna is smart enough to figure it out eventually. Just give us a little longer and we’ll get it done, I swear.”
“Fuck. You honestly mean to tell me that in all that time, you guys still aren’t finished?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Well, you know how your sister gets. She’s a perfectionist. She wants to make sure everything is just right.”
“Yeah, well we don’t have enough time for her anal-retentive ways right now,” Tobias said.
“Hey, be easy on her. She’s new here, remember?”
Tobias raised his eyebrows, making me worry that he’d heard something foretelling in my voice. I averted my gaze, picked up my briefcase, and headed to my desk.
“Be easy on her?” Tobias said and then suddenly laughed. “Boy, how times have changed. I used to have to tell you that all the time when she was a kid. Now, all of a sudden, you’re the one with all the patience.”
I forced a laugh. “Whatever, man,” I said, still not meeting his gaze. “What are you doing in my office, anyway?”
Tobias stretched. “Hiding out and trying to take a nap,” he said, stifling a yawn. “Nobody ever seems to come in here and bother you, huh?”
“No one except you.”