Illicit

Chapter Twenty-One

I woke up with a start and sat straight up in bed, my heart racing. Eyes wide, I scanned the room for imminent danger, but it was so dark in here I could barely see the outline of the bed frame. My pulse kicked into overdrive as I felt around the bed, then an arm snaked out and slid over my thighs, tightening around my waist as Reed grumbled and tried to pull me closer to him.

“Go back to sleep,” he said, his words muffled into the pillow.

I ran my fingertips through the hair on his arm, trying to calm my worried heart. “What time is it?”

“Who cares? We’re not going in today.”

Today? Was it already today? “Shit!” I tried to pull away from him but he tightened his grip.

“The boss won’t care if you play hooky today, Rylan.” He sat up, feeling around for my face, then he gripped my chin and brought his lips to mine in a quick, firm kiss. “Go back to sleep.”

I groaned and flopped back onto the pillow. “I can’t. I never texted Greer last night. She’s probably freaking out.”

With a bearish growl, Reed pushed up and turned on the light, then caged me in his arms and hit me with an angry scowl.

“So… not a morning person, then.” I smiled sheepishly. “Noted.”

His lip curled, but then his gaze traveled down my naked body and his eyebrows crept up his forehead. “I could become a morning person.”

He reached for my breast and I swatted his hand away. “I need my phone.”

Reed plopped back down onto the bed. “It’s downstairs.”

I scoffed. “I’m not going down there by myself.”

“Why not? No one else is here.”

I poked at his shoulder. “Dude. Come on.”

He lifted his head, one eyebrow cocked. “Did you just dude me?”

I widened my eyes at him. “Please.”

He sighed loudly, then pushed out of bed and tugged on his jeans from last night, then stomped his way out of the room, flicking the switch on the wall as he passed. That metallic click happened again, then the whirring sound filled the room as the blinds began to lift. My stomach sank as bright light filled the room, not the pale violet light of morning, but the intense, blazing sunlight of midday in August.

“Ohhh, I’m in so much trouble.” I slid down from the bed and looked for something to put on, but my options were my corset or those rather uncomfortable faux leather shorts. I glanced at the doorway that led to the upstairs hallway.

He had said no one else was here.

Welp. I shrugged and hurried down the hallway. “Hey, what time is it–”

I skidded to a stop at the top of the stairs.

He wasn’t alone.

I yelped and squatted down behind the balcony wall. Oh my God.

Now both of my bosses had seen me naked.

“Good afternoon, Rylan.”

I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head. “Hi, Mina.”

Did she just say afternoon? Greer was going to murder me.

“Why don't you get dressed and come downstairs when you’re ready.” Mina’s words were a bit clipped; she was not pleased.

“Okay.” I flipped onto my hands and knees, then speed-crawled back to the bedroom and closed the door, leaning back against it and staring into the room with wide eyes.

I mean, come on. Seriously? Did I really just give Mina a full frontal? I giggled loudly, then swiftly covered my mouth.

The doorknob twisted and I jumped away from the door as Reed walked in.

His gaze heated as he looked me up and down, then he handed me my purse. “That thing’s been buzzing the whole time I’ve been downstairs.”

I groaned, my shoulders sagging. Greer will never let me hear the end of this.

“Hey.” He stalked toward me, then slid his arms around my waist. “No regrets, okay?”

My brow furrowed.

He cupped my face, running his thumb back and forth over my cheek.“Say it.”

“No regrets.”

He took a deep breath, then slid his hands down to squeeze my ass. “There are shirts and stuff in the closet. I don’t stay out here all that often, but you should be able to find something.”

I nodded. So this wasn’t his house–

“I’ll start some coffee.”

“Okay.”

He turned and slipped out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.

No regrets? What was that about? Just.. reassuring me because Mina was here? I don’t know if he noticed last night, but I really didn’t care what she thought about me.

I mean, I did–I really liked her and I liked my job–but I didn't like her enough to stop seeing him.

Flipping the lightswitch on in the closet, I scanned the rows of hanging clothes. He didn’t come here much? Coulda fooled me. There was an entire wardrobe collecting dust in this closet. Suit jackets and dress shirts hung on one rack; slacks hung on another. Folded up on shelves were sweaters and hoodies, track pants and jeans. I held a pair of black track pants up in the air, then lowered them to my waist.

Hmm. Maybe if I rolled them?

I stepped into them, then rolled the top a few times. Reaching up to the top shelf, I grabbed a gray t-shirt and pulled it over my head.

I turned off the light and slipped into the bathroom, instantly regretting it. My hair was a tangled rat’s nest and my makeup was still on from last night, only now it was smeared and I looked like I’d spent the night on a park bench after searching for the bottom of bottomless mimosas.