Claimed (For Her 3)

She bats her eyelashes, and I want to pull her to me and kiss her until there’s not a breath left in her lungs.

“I think I’ll snowball it into the thanks you’re going to give me after you see what I brought you.”

“More pineapple muffins?” she asks brightly.

“Even better.”

We walk around the edge of the desk, and she looks down at the files I laid there.

“Jordan Middle-Name-I-Don’t-Know Chen, are you kidding me? How did you get this?”

“It’s Isaiah. And it’s probably better if you don’t ask. But I’m pretty sure that’s all of it. You can look it over and let me know if anything is missing,” I tell her, because I’ll go back and get anything she needs. “I’ll always get you anything you need, little bird.”

She’s so happy I want to scoop her up in my arms and spin her around the room. But instead I play it cool and touch her cheek.

“I’ve got to tie up some things before the end of the day. Meet me in the lobby?” she asks.

“I’ll be the one with the red rose,” I say, winking at her and going over to the elevator.

“Very funny. I don’t think I could miss you in a sea of people,” she says, and her cheeks turn pink at her own words. Fuck I love when that happens because I know I’m getting to her. Making her fall for me.

Does she have any idea how fucking hot that is? Her soft sweetness is intoxicating.

“Later, little bird.”

The elevator doors close, and I lean back against the wall. After a moment, I look up at the camera and smile, flipping it off. I hope the team got a good look at me launching out of the friend zone.

Chapter Eight

Jay

I stare down at the files with a smile pasted on my face. I can’t believe he got them for me. I open them and try to look everything over but my mind keeps drifting back to Jordan daydreaming. I keep getting lost in my thoughts about him, wondering how this date will go. This isn’t me. Normally I’d be focused but I can’t seem to make myself with all these butterflies dancing in my stomach. I kind of like it though. This is so new to me.

I get through a few pages before I finally give up. I’ll do it tomorrow when I can think straight. I don’t want to miss something because my mind isn’t focused and one more day isn’t going to kill anything.

I dig through my desk, trying to find the dark red lipstick someone gave me last year for Christmas in the secret Santa exchange. Reaching all the way back, I lock my hands around the tube and pull it out, happy to see that it wasn’t another pen. I look down at it in my hand and stare at it.

“I’m going to mess this up,” I mutter to myself. ChapStick or gloss, I can do, but a red like this?

“Yeah, you are. That’s a lip stain. Let me do it.” I look up to see Skyler standing at my desk, her bag over her shoulder, looking ready to leave.

“Really?” I ask, standing up and handing it to her. If anyone knows how to do makeup around here, it’s her. Hers always looks flawless, even when she does fun things.

“Of course,” she says, twisting the capsule open. “Open your mouth a little.” I do as she says, parting my lips. After a couple of quick swipes, she’s finished like it’s the easiest thing in the world. “Color looks good on you.” She closes the lipstick and hands it back to me.

“Thanks,” I tell her, slipping it into my bag, then throwing my other things in with it and sliding it over my shoulder.

“You wanna walk down together?”

“Sure,” I say, turning off my computer. Reaching under my keyboard, I grab the card Jordan gave me and grip it tightly. I’ve been playing with it all day. Or at least, I found myself slipping it through my fingers when I was working.

“Is that what I think it is?” Skyler squeaks, shaking her head. “God, women who date men in this building get the best freaking perks. Not that I haven’t gotten to reap some of the benefits a few times.” She laughs as we make our way to the elevator. “Swipe that thing. You don’t have to wait for shit.”

I laugh at how excited she is.

“I know you have plans tonight. I’m guessing from the lipstick and those heels you were trying to walk around in this morning.” She smiles at me, and I wonder if office gossip is already buzzing and what they might be saying. I like the idea of people knowing Jordan is taken and mine.

“Did it really look like walking?”

She laughs. “I was trying to be nice. I’m a size seven, if you don’t want them,” she adds.