16. James
Chapter sixteen
James
D ameon drops his tablet on the desk. “What are you looking at?” he asks, rounding my desk and leaning over to peer at my screen.
We’ve just endured a mind-numbing two-hour conference call with New York, and I couldn’t tell you a single thing that was discussed. Their sign-off barely registered.
I don’t answer right away. My eyes are locked on the CCTV feed of Cora’s floor. She’s sitting at her desk, a half-eaten sandwich forgotten beside her, typing with deep focus. The light of her screen highlights the curve of her jaw, the way she absentmindedly tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear as she reads through her notes. It’s mesmerizing.
“James,” Dameon says, louder this time.
I tear my eyes away from the screen, but almost instantly they flick back to Cora, now sipping her coffee, completely unaware of my attention. “Nothing,” I mutter, though the word rings hollow.
Dameon squints, and a slow grin stretches across his face. “Ahh… so that’s what’s had you distracted all week.” His chuckle is light.
I force myself to relax back in my chair, trying to project an air of nonchalance. “I’m keeping an eye on her. Making sure she doesn’t screw me— us —over.” The words come out too quickly, the excuse flimsy even to my own ears. It’s not entirely a lie—I don’t fully trust her. But it’s more than that, and we both know it.
“Righttt,” Dameon drags out the word. “How long have you been watching her?”
“Just today,” I lie through my teeth.
“Uh-huh,” he says, clearly not buying my bullshit. He leans against the desk, arms crossed, his smirk deepening. “You realize how this looks, right?”
Of course I do, I’m not an idiot. I’m teetering on the edge of stalker behavior, but I don’t give a shit.
Instead of answering, I minimize the feed and turn to face him, fingers steepled under my chin. “What do you know about Nathan?”
Dameon’s brow furrows. “Nathan? From HR?”
“Yeah. I don’t like the way he’s been acting around Cora.”
His tilts his head. “What are you talking about?”
“He’s too… familiar,” I say. My voice is sharper than I’d like. “Always at her desk, flirting, laughing. He’s at her desk more than he’s at his own. It’s unprofessional, especially when we’re trying to improve company culture. Harassment is harassment, even if it’s under the guise of friendliness.”
Dameon rolls his eyes. “James, it’s not harassment to be friendly. You’re reaching, and you know it.”
“He’s overstepping,” I bite out. “And how productive can he be when he’s always hanging around her desk?”
“You’re jealous,” Dameon states, the certainty in his voice hitting me like a slap.
I open my mouth to deny it, but the words don’t come out.
Jealous? Me?
That’s ridiculous. I’m not some possessive boyfriend—I’ve never been possessive.
“Of course not,” I growl, but even I hear the strain in it. “He’s out of line.”
“You’re unbelievable.” Dameon shakes his head with a low chuckle. “Besides, I’m pretty sure Nathan’s not even interested in Cora. He’s more into… your flavor.” He gestures toward me with a casual flick of his hand.
I freeze. “What?”
“Yeah,” Dameon says with a shrug. “He dated a friend of mine, Shaun, a few years back. They broke up, but… you know, they were together for a while.”
I stare at him, the tightness in my chest easing a fraction, but my pride is too damn stubborn to let it show. Instead, I tilt back in my chair, gaze sliding away from Dameon’s shrewd smirk. “And you’re just telling me this now?”
He snorts, strolling back to the couch and flopping down. “What? His love life never came up before.” He shrugs, clearly enjoying himself. “I figured you’d be secure enough in your own ego not to care.”
I grumble “fucker” under my breath, shifting in my chair, filled with an unexpected sense of relief that I refuse to fully acknowledge.
Why should it matter? I’ve never been territorial. I play with a goddess, enjoy their submission, then move on. Simple.
But Cora’s different. This past week, I’ve watched her every move, tracking her like a hunter fixated on his prey. It’s unnerving how much she consumes my thoughts—the way her tongue slips out when she’s deep in concentration, the soft focus in her eyes when she chews on the end of her pen. The way she smiles when Nathan makes her laugh…
“Are you going to report him for harassment, then?”
My fingers, tapping impatiently on the desk, go still. I glance at him. “Fuck off.”
Dameon laughs, a deep sound that grates on my nerves. “You’re full of shit, you know that? Come on, just admit it—you’ve got a thing for her.”
“Drop it,” I warn.
He sighs, standing up and stretching lazily. “Fine, fine. But seriously, you need to relax. How about we head to Eden tomorrow night? Grab a drink. We could both blow off some steam.”
I hesitate. I can’t keep going like this, watching her from afar, letting jealousy seep into my mind like poison. I need to regain control.
Dameon’s right. Jealousy coils in my gut, unfamiliar and unwelcome. It doesn’t fit—it never has. The best way to shake it off is to find someone new to play with.
“Yeah,” I finally say, nodding. “Maybe you’re right.”
“Great,” he says, making his way to the door. “I’ll check to see if Zac and Carter can make it too.” He stops in the doorway, fixing me with that infuriating grin. “And, James? Ease up on the Cora surveillance. You’re starting to look like a creep.”
I shoot him a glare that would make anyone else shrivel, but Dameon just chuckles and disappears down the hallway.
Alone, I turn back to my screen, my finger hovering over the mouse. I pull up the CCTV feed one last time, watching Cora’s eyes light up in conversation with a colleague, oblivious to how much space she occupies in my mind.
With a definite click, I close the feed, slide back in my chair, and drum my fingers rhythmically on the armrests.
Tomorrow night, this ends.