Resist

“Hello?”

“I want to see you tonight.”

I reach down and adjust myself, the sound of her voice causing great restriction in my pants. I close my eyes and picture her, the smooth curve of her lower back and her beautifully shaped ass. I have to bite my tongue to avoid demanding that she come to me right now. I’d love nothing more than to spend the entire day with her, to learn more about what drives her passions. God, listen to me. How can I be so weak? What’s the point of opening myself up when she’s only going to fuck me over in the end? They always do.

“Sure,” she replies. “I’m at your beck and call, remember?” she adds. The words fall out with a giggle. The thought of her being at my disposal is making me fucking insane. Sighing, I rake my hand through my hair. This woman is driving me crazy.

“Good. Be on my floor at seven.”

Chapter 15

Charlotte

I take extra effort with my appearance, studying myself in the small bathroom mirror until I’m satisfied with how I look. I try to convince myself I’m doing it to get what I need from him for my article, but that’s now far from the truth. It may have all started that way, but now it’s emotional and I want his approval. I want him to take one look at me and realize nothing in the world matters besides us.

I twirl a strand of loose hair around my finger and pull until it springs back into a curl. I press my lips together and my heart thumps. Whenever I think about him—which is often—I feel giddy. I’m getting in way over my head and I have no desire to try to save myself. He makes me want to be reckless. The girl I am when I’m around him is not someone I’m used to.

Get a grip, Char.

I exhale and shut the lights off as I leave my room.

Minutes later I knock on his door and step back, drawing in a deep breath. I feel dizzy, but that’s probably from how little I’ve eaten today. If he offers me a drink, I’ll be falling over myself. Alcohol on an empty stomach is not my friend.

I wait anxiously for him to answer, listening to the sound of him walking around inside. His movements are quick and purposeful, each step echoing loudly through the hallway. The door swings open and he stands there, wearing

nothing. My mouth drops open. I can feel the color rising to my cheeks. I look away, but not before glancing down at his impressive erection.

“Sorry.” He grins, saying, “You caught me in the middle of a shower.” He casually wraps the towel he’s holding around his waist. “Coming in?”

I nod, my face still flaming.

“You’re looking a little off,” he comments, watching me closely. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” I mumble. I take a seat in one of the chairs in front of the TV. “I wasn’t expecting you to be naked, that’s all.”

“You’ve seen me naked before,” he points out, smirking. “If I recall correctly, you’ve done way more than just seeing me naked.”

“You just caught me off guard,” I retort. “Did you call me up here so I can watch you dress?” I add, narrowing my eyes.

“Would it matter if I did? You’re being paid, after all.” He has a point. “No, I called you up here to see how things are progressing with Ryan.”

Ryan. Of course. I hesitate, not wanting to admit I have no idea how I’m going to get his confession, or that a little part of me is annoyed that Ryan is why he wanted to see me so urgently. No matter how much chemistry I think we have, it always comes back to Ryan.

“Everything okay?” he asks me again. He slides a pair of black pants over his long, athletic legs. “I’m in a bit of a rush. I have a meeting in ten minutes, so I need to make this quick.”

“Of course,” I say, my voice stiff. I have no reason to be hurt, yet I am. “I’ll do my best to get you what you requested.”

Cocking his head, he moves toward me. He reaches out and touches my cheek. I shy away, refusing to look at him.

“Spit it out, Charlotte. What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Nothing,” I mutter. God, I’m on the verge of crying. What the hell is wrong with me? “I just think you’re investing too much energy in this vendetta you have against Ryan.”

As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I regret them. His eyes widen in disbelief and then slowly cloud with anger.

“I didn’t mean that the way it sounded,” I mumble, going into damage control. “I just don’t think it’s healthy for you to be feeling this way. I’m just trying to help you.”

“You want to help heal me? Then go after Ryan.” His voice is cold as he stands up. He snatches a shirt and threads his arms through it, briskly buttoning it up. “I didn’t employ you to fix me, Charlotte, so for God’s sake, just do your fucking job.”