“I should have considered Lia before hiring you.”
My pulse picked up. I didn’t need to turn around to gauge his proximity. Hit with his masculine scent, my entire body tensed up.
“What about her?”
“She’s here enough as it is for Lukas,” Julian said before finishing my coffee order with the barista and adding a double espresso for himself. “But aside from that, I’d prefer you two refrain from discussing whatever it was that you clearly were just now.”
I stepped back to stare in disbelief at him.
“I would think this was obvious, but forbidding certain topics of conversation with my friends is way outside the realm of what you’re allowed to do as my boss.”
“I’m aware of that,” he said dryly. “What I’m asking is for you to not discuss anything sexual that happened between us while you’re on work premises. I’m sure you’ve noticed, but this large building is a rather small community. People talk, and I have no interest in giving them anything to discuss.”
“Fair enough. I apologize on Lia’s behalf,” I said tartly. “She’s not usually like this.”
“I know her as well, Sara, and she’s always like this.”
“You’ve only known her for as long as she’s been dating Lukas,” I argued. “And it’s only because of him that she’s gotten this carefree and outspoken, which, in her defense, is not a bad thing. I guess it’s just what happens when you’re in a happy and fulfilling relationship.”
“You guess?” Julian repeated.
My reply was clipped. “Yes. I can only guess.”
“That’s right.” Julian leaned back on his heels, offering a cordial smile to the barista as she set our drinks on the counter. “Fulfilling was the opposite of the last relationship you had,” he smirked as he grabbed our coffees and handed me mine. “See you back at the office, Ms. Hanna.”
My mouth dropped open as I watched him go, realizing at a delay what he was even referring to – the depressingly underwhelming sex life I’d once had with Vanilla Jeff, my former friend with benefits.
What… in the actual fuck?
Standing there, I fumed. Well, that was definitely not playing fair. The rules of our office Cold War were one, be professional and two, be professional. Mentioning the sex life he’d overheard me talk about on the night he fingered me to orgasm did not constitute as professional. At all.
I pursed my lips into a line as I watched him go, but in all honesty, it was no problem to me. I’d been itching to even slightly cross the line with him, so if Julian wanted to play dirty, then fine.
I was more than happy to.
11
SARA
“Sure you don’t want to come with us?” Colin asked, slinging the strap of his briefcase onto his shoulder. “Is it because of the pineapple shorts?” His smile was deliberately awkward. “Oh God, it’s because of the pineapple shorts.”
“It’s not because of the pineapple shorts,” I laughed, though I did need a second look at his pineapple printed shorts.
Thanks to the heat wave, a memo had been sent out earlier in the week regarding post-work changes of clothes. The general rule for Hoult Tower was that work appropriate clothing was required so long as you were in the building, even if you were off the clock. That meant no changing at the end of the day and walking out in shorts and T-shirts. So long as you were within its walls, you were to properly represent Hoult Tower.
Except this week.
I hadn’t taken advantage of the amendment yet, but today, I had a change of heart – and an actual change of clothes with me, thanks to the bag Lia dropped off at reception.
LIA: I know you said to bring something “reasonably” sexy but I decided that wasn’t fun. Off to the Hamptons with Lukas now so you can’t kill me ok love you bye
Oh Jesus.
I braced myself as I went over to reception to pick up my change of clothes. I peeked into the bag on my way to the bathroom and had to say, “Jesus, Lia,” for what she’d purchased me to wear. I’d asked for “reasonably sexy summer clothes, but nothing too crazy.” She gave me ripped denim shorts that would make Daisy Duke blush. One pair was white, the other light blue. Thankfully, the tops she chose weren’t studded bustiers like I half expected they’d be, so with a few texts to my fellow cafeteria regulars, I started changing.
Wh
en I emerged from the bathroom, Colin caught me.