“Sorry, sir, I didn’t know you were busy.” I can hear Gillian’s feet coming closer. Something’s slipped onto the desk. “Your brother called. I told him you were busy, but he wouldn’t have it. He demanded you call him back. Sorry, sir.” She pauses. “Anyway, if you need me, you know where to find me.”
“Thank you, Gillian,” TJ says, and I can hear her walk out the door.
The moment it closes, I push him back and crawl out from underneath the desk. “What the hell was that all about? Your brother? Why would he call your office?”
“Because my cell phone’s off. I was expecting company.” He gazes down at me with a raised brow. “You forgot to lock the door.”
“Sorry,” I scoff as I nudge down my dress again “Is she gone?”
“Yes,” he replies, giving me a hand. “But that was one amazing fuck.”
I grin. “Tell me about it.” I let out a sigh. “Too bad it had to end that way. I didn’t think she’d just barge in here without calling you first, or you know, wait for a response after she knocked.”
“Well, she’s not supposed to, but I guess she got scared. Who doesn’t when my brother barks at you.”
I laugh. “He’s not that bad.”
TJ grabs me by the waist and pulls me closer so he can press a kiss between my breasts. “He’s not bad … but you are.”
“You’re the one who asked me to be bad.”
“Which is exactly why I love you,” he murmurs, gazing up at me with those amazing eyes.
And then it hits me. He actually said the words.
I love you.
Suddenly, the phone rings, and the moment passes when TJ picks up. “What is it?”
I can hear Gillian’s voice through the phone. “I’m sorry, sir, but he really wouldn’t stop until I connect you to him, so here he is …”
TJ frowns. “Flynn?”
“Bro, what the fuck did you do?”
“What the fuck did I do? What are you talking about?” He folds his arms.
“Your face is all over the newspapers.”
“What?” he shouts.
“It’s bad, dude. Really bad. Ma’s freaking out. She saw it in the newspaper they brought into her room this morning. She won’t shut up about it. You worried her to death, TJ,” his brother yells.
My eyes widen. “What is he talking about?”
TJ puts his hand on the phone to block the sound. “Gillian!”
She immediately struts back in, and I adjust my dress once more in case something was wrong with it. I don’t want her to notice. “How did you …?” She looks puzzled as she sees me. I guess it’s already too late. She forgot I came in here, and now that she sees me again, she’s wondering how I got here in the first place. The thing is, I never left.
“Doesn’t matter,” TJ interrupts. “Get me today’s newspaper.”
“How could you do this to Ma?” Flynn shouts back at TJ on the phone.
“I don’t know what happened. Just let me look at the newspaper first, okay?” TJ snaps.
Gillian just stands there, flabbergasted.
“Gillian … Now,” TJ barks at her, which gets her to move.
“Right away, sir,” Gillian mumbles, turning around to sashay back to her desk. However, the moment she lays her eyes on the front page, they’re practically glued to it. She doesn’t take her eyes off it until it’s on TJ’s desk.
“I … I’m sorry, sir,” she says with a concerned look on her face. “I should probably … leave you to it.”
He picks up the paper she put on his desk and stares at it. His face goes from annoyed to pure fear.
“Fuck, no …” His nostrils flare. “I’ll call you back, Flynn.” He smacks the phone back on the desk.
“What happened?” I peek over his shoulder to see what it is.
He grinds his teeth, and his fingers tremble as he holds the newspaper. “They actually did it.”
I gape in shock at the newspaper. I can’t believe what I’m seeing.
His picture on the front page with a big quote underneath it that says ‘Morrows - Toys4Dogs or Panties4CEO?’
Chapter 26
TJ
“What?” she yelps, startling even me. “They know about your panty collection? How?” Her eyes keep darting back and forth between me and the newspaper. The look in her eyes makes my stomach do a flip.
“Fuck … I knew this would come back to bite me in the ass.” I crumple up a piece of the paper in anger.
“What did?” She grabs a chair and sits down next to me, grabbing my hand. “You have to tell me.”
“It’s not something you can fix,” I say, jerking away my hand. I don’t want her pity. I just want this to go away. I stare at the newspaper, wondering if I could’ve done things differently so I wouldn’t have ended up with my face plastered all over the news. If this will mean the end of my career.