“I did. I did. It seems weird, but I’d rather it be you.” The elevator dings and we both exit. “Lunch?” I ask her, making my way to my desk.
“I’ll text you, but I should be good for lunch unless something comes up. Either way, the cafeteria, right?”
“Yeah, that’s fine,” I tell her, dropping my bag at my desk. “I told Oz I wouldn’t leave the building without letting you or him know.” I’m tempted to call Paige “mom,” but I can tell she’s a little uneasy that this whole security thing might upset me. But really, when I think about it, it doesn’t bother me. I’m just not used to it. A little security won’t hurt if it makes Oz and Paige both feel better.
I have no idea if their talk about me being a target is really accurate, but I’ll do this for them. Besides, it’s not like I go anywhere without them, anyway. Paige and I used to be connected at the hip, but now it looks like Oz is trying to connect himself.
“Cool. I’ll text you,” she says, and heads back toward the elevator. I glance over at Skyler’s desk, then to Eric’s. My stomach does a flip. I totally forgot about what happened on Friday night. When I take a step closer, I look down over the cubicle wall and see his desk is completely cleared out.
“Shit.” I hated that little weasel because he never did his share, but that doesn’t mean he should get fired for hitting on me. Shuffling through my bag, I find my phone, pull it out and send a text to Oz.
Me: You fired Eric! That’s so not staying out of my career.
Oz: I’d be more than willing to talk to you about this matter in my office right now if you’d like. I’ve been trying to guess all morning what color panties you have on. I want to see if my guess is correct.
Me: Oz, I’m being serious.
Oz: I was thinking blue.
Me: OMG! You better not have a camera in my bedroom!
I fire the text back because I do have blue panties on.
Oz: I wish, but if you’ll let me, I’ll have some installed today. Or you could move in upstairs and I could watch for myself each morning. That way I’ll always know what color they are.
Me: I’m trying to yell at you and you’re asking me to move in with you?! Focus. Eric.
Oz: Eric was drug tested and failed after he flipped out on Ryan. That’s the last time I care to talk about the man who I caught trying to fuck MY woman.
Me: Who the heck is Ryan?
Oz: The security guard who’s with you when Paige and I aren’t.
Me: Oh, Captain!
I laugh a little at not knowing Captain’s real name.
Oz: Captain?
Me: Oh…there’s something you don’t know? You don’t know all about Captain?
I can’t help myself from teasing him. Maybe he’s right. I do like when he goes a little caveman possessive because I seem to find myself poking at him when I get the opportunity.
Oz: I’ll come down there and find out.
Me: No! Paige and I call Ryan Captain because he kind of looks like Captain America. Don’t come down here.
I try to inject as much emotion into the last line as possible. I know it’s only a matter of time before people find out about us, but I need a few more days to get my bearings.
Oz: Do you find Captain America attractive?
Yeah, like I’m answering that loaded question.
Me: No one is hotter than you.
I avoid that question, but it’s true. Captain America can be hot, but he’s got nothing on Oz.
Me: Promise you’re not coming down.
Oz: Promise. Promise me you’ll stay in for lunch but have dinner with me tonight.
I already planned on staying in for lunch, hopefully with Paige so I can get some gossip about Eric losing it on Captain and failing a drug test.
Me: I’ll stay in, but let’s see how the rest of the day goes before I agree to dinner. You have this thing where you like to make me mad. I want to make sure that doesn’t happen.
Oz: I spent all weekend making you unmad. I remember you rather enjoying it.
He did spend the whole weekend make me unmad. On every surface of his home. The reminder makes me tingle. I’ve gone from virgin to sex fiend. It’s crazy how fast life can change.
Me: I’ll think about it.
I drop my phone onto the desk. I have a feeling I’m going to crack. Even more so if he shows up at my door doing his whole caveman act. I smile and get back to work.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Mallory
* * *
The past two days have been pure bliss. Every day I walk to work with paige, and Oz follows behind us, always keeping watch but still giving me space when I ask for it, even if he doesn’t want to. Then every night, Oz takes me out to dinner and then back to his place to make love to me all night until I’m too exhausted to climb from his bed back to my own.