My eyes blinkopen as a loud, obnoxious buzzing startles me to consciousness. Groaning, I attempt to reach the clock on my nightstand, but a steel band around my middle stops me before I can reach it.
My body stills in confusion and fear, then memories from last night flood through my brain like a tsunami. Jared, texting me from the parking lot. Inviting him up. The kissing. His mouth all over me.
The sex.
I vaguely remember Jared tucking me in just before I blacked out. The man fucked me so thoroughly, I literally passed out right after.
“God, turn it off.”
My body startles at the deep, grumbly voice, and his arm loosens its hold so I can reach over to flick off the alarm. As soon as the noise stops, he pulls me back, his lips and nose nuzzling against the back of my neck as his hand slides up to grip one of my breasts.
“Good morning,” he mumbles.
“Good morning,” I reply, clearing my throat when my voice cracks.
I feel his head lift, then drop back to the pillow as he groans. “Shit, is that the time?”
“I’m afraid so,” I say, staring at the illuminated numbers on the clock’s face.
It’s Tuesday morning, and we both need to be at the office in a couple of hours. Jared groans again, releasing me to roll over onto his back. I shift to my other side so I can see him, propping my head in my hand. He cracks open one eye to look at me before closing it again.
“I have to go home to get ready for work.”
“Okay,” I say quietly.
He nods, his eyes still closed, before rolling out of bed to land on his feet. His ass muscles flex and bunch as he bends over to pick up his clothes, and I watch with greedy eyes as he stalks toward the bathroom. As soon as the door closes behind him, I roll onto my back and sigh.
I wish we didn’t have to go in. I wish we could stay in this bed all day, giving me time to explore every inch of his glorious body. But before the fantasy can fully evolve, my thoughts turn dark.
Does he regret coming here last night? Does he regret…everything? He’s barely looked at me this morning. Sure, that snuggle when we first woke up was nice, but he was still half-asleep. What if––
My thoughts come to a screeching halt as the bathroom door swings open and Jared walks out, fully dressed. With his tie gripped in his fist, he walks around the bed and bends over to grab his socks and shoes.
“I’ll see you at the office,” he says quietly, his eyes darting everywhere but at me.
“I’ll see you there,” I reply softly, and he nods before turning on a heel and walking out.
“Shit,” I groan as I hear my front door open and close.
He does regret it. That much is obvious. And we still have to work together.
Fuck. Me.
After pushing myself out of bed, showering, and getting dressed for the day, I feel better. What happened, happened. There’s nothing we can do about it now, but what we can do is be professionals and not let it affect our working relationship.
I head to the casino with that thought firmly in mind. When I arrive, I head straight to the coffee shop for our drinks. I wave to Sam when he catches my eye as I pass the pit, then head for the elevator. As the bell chimes for each floor I pass, my nerves wind tighter and tighter.
I can’t think about Jared making me come on his mouth. I can’t hear his voice echoing in my mind, calling me a good girl. I can’t imagine his big cock ramming into me over and over.
Yet, that’s all I can seem to think about.
I’m never going to make it through this day, much less every other day that passes until we no longer work together. I might have to pick up the job search again. This is too fucking hard.
When the doors slide open, I take a deep breath and step off the elevator. Jared’s office door is closed, and I wish more than ever that I could see through his damn windows. I have no idea what I’ll be walking into, but it’s no use stressing over it.
Setting my purse and coffee down on my desk, I pull his from the cardboard carrier and walk to his office door. Steeling my spine, I Iift my hand and knock. At his call to enter, I turn the knob, swing open the door and step inside.
Jared glances up at me for a brief moment before returning his gaze to his computer screen. I walk forward on heavy legs, my heart racing as I set his coffee on his desk. He mumbles out a thanks, but otherwise ignores my presence.