“Mandy? Are you okay?”
I want it to be Christian. I want him to be saving me, holding me, making my whole world make sense again. But this voice turns my stomach. I open my eyes and look into Jered’s face. His mouth is slightly open. His eyes search mine, then move up to my forehead as he gently pats my skull, looking for bumps or bruises.
A quick glance reveals that I am still in the stairwell at McKenzie Tech. After my fight with Christian, I must have fainted. This happened on occasion last time that I was pregnant, especially when I was under too much stress. Having Jered here with me is definitely not helping my stress level.
I want to yell at him to get his hands off of me, but I can’t. I’m still too out of it.
“You need to go to the hospital,” Jered tells me.
“No.” I shake my head. “I just haven’t eaten yet. I’m sure I’m fine.” Leaning forward, I place my head in one of my hands. This way, I’m able to shake off his grip.
Jered hisses as he sits back from me. “I’m just trying to help, Mandy. Let me take you to the hospital. I can take care of you.”
Now that I’m sitting up, my stomach is doing loops again. My morning sickness is getting really bad, and having Jered in my face isn’t helping at all. My temper flares.
“You had your chance to take care of me, and you blew it!” I snap. “If you want to help me now, call up to Eileen in accounting then leave me alone.”
He grunts, obviously offended. But he doesn’t try to touch me again. Instead, he sits back on the stairs and pulls out his cellphone. I take deep breaths as he makes his call, not really listening, just hoping to calm my stomach down. To my great disappointment, he doesn’t leave after the call is finished. He sits with his back to the wall and stares at me.
“We could try again, you know?”
I snap my eyes open at his words — it makes the room spin — but it’s worth it to see him shift under my glare. My stare is telling him to die, to crawl off into some hole and never come around me again, but instead, he continues talking.
“I mean, the sex was great, right?”
I raise my eyebrows threateningly warning him to shut his mouth.
“And you’re already fucking one of the bosses. So, why not me too?”
As my stomach drops and rolls at the very idea of him ever fucking me again, Jered actually leans forward to try to touch me. He glides a finger up my bare leg.
“What exactly are you asking for, Jered?” I snap.
He grins his stupid, lopsided grin and runs his other hand through his hair. “I’m just saying that since you are already a slut at work…well…I mean, it was great right? You used to tell me how much you loved my dick. I could call you down to my office in HR, throw you over my desk and ride that ass until you beg me for more.” With each horrid phrase, he inches closer to me and rubs his hand up to my thigh.
“Mr. Coleman!”
We both look up. Sloane is standing on the landing above us. Her face is pale as a ghost’s. Her usually prim mouth is hanging open.
Jered shifts back. He’s on his feet in seconds, stuttering incoherent sentences and excuses. “It’s not as bad as you think, Sloane. Mandy and I used to date. She used to love it when I talked to her like that.”
Never one to be intimidated, Sloane pokes him in the chest with one of her slim fingers. As she steps forward, he moves back until she has him up against a wall. Furry breaks over her face, and her body is ridged. Oddly, she is holding her cell phone behind her back — she was on a call with somebody.
“I can tell by Mandy’s expression, that she is not enjoying your lewd advances now.”
I nod agreeing with Sloane, grab the railing of the stairs and pull myself up.
“She’s already fucking someone else,” Jered snaps, like that is an excuse. He sneers at us. “In fact, she’s fucking…”
Sloane raises her hand. “You will not use such language around me! You’re the head of HR, Mr. Coleman! How dare you act this way!” He opens his mouth to retort, but Sloane waves her hand again. “No!” Her voice booms throughout the stairwell. “Get back to your office now! I will be discussing this with Kane and Ashton immediately. I suggest you resign before they fire you.”
Jered huffs. He straightens his suit coat, fixes us each with a glare, and then starts down the stairs.
“One more thing,” Sloane continues. “I will also be telling my father that any kind of association with you is a bad idea. Your relationship with my family is over.”