Chapter 10
Beck
Islept with Maddy, and no one knows. I don’t even know if she remembers.
And it’s killing me.
The memory floods my brain as I tap my pen against the break room table. I’m in here because I couldn’t stand the shitty EDM music coming from Adrian’s office rattling our shared wall. Something is bugging him. That’s the only time he listens to that music.
But I don’t have the patience for it. Not on a fucking Monday morning.
I head for the coffee pot, just as she walks in, hair up, tight blouse, and her bag strap slung right in between her perky little tits. Her focus is dialed to eleven, so she almost doesn’t see me.
But the second she does, her posture changes, eyes growing wide.
“Maddy,” I say, cheerful. “You look nice today.”
She grins tightly, then moves straight to the mug rack. There’s a row of branded glass mugs, and we both reach for the same one and our fingers brush.
Absolutely on purpose by yours truly.
I don’t let go. “We could arm wrestle for it,” I tease her. “Winner gets caffeine, loser has to work reception with Marissa for an hour.”
She laughs, her eyes sparking in a way that causes my cock to twitch. “You’d lose. I may seem nice, but I’m actually full of rage.”
“Oh, I’d like to see that,” I wriggle my brows at her.
She holds my gaze. The moment hangs there, her knuckles against mine.
I’ve been waiting for this moment.
But then the door swings open.
And I begin to pour us both coffee, like nothing happened.
Marissa enters, all red blazer and forced smile, radiating all her vicious energy right in my direction. “Morning!” she chirps, moving toward the fridge. “Don’t mind me, just grabbing my shake. It’s good to see you in here, Beck.” She gives me a look that makes me want to run the other direction.
She edges past us and somehow manages to brush Maddy’s arm with her own. It’s enough to fully destabilize her, and her elbow knocks the mug out of my hand. And my coffee, predictably, chooses her blouse as its final resting place.
Time slows as Maddy gasps, clutching the burning hot fabric away from her chest.
“Holy shit!” she erupts.
“Oh no!” Marissa’s hand flies to her mouth. “I’m so clumsy today.” She grabs for the napkins, gathering a whole wad. “Here, let me.”
She dabs at Maddy’s shirt with urgency, all while cooing concern. Over her shoulder, she says, “I think we have a Tide pen in the supply closet.” Then, lower, just for Maddy. “Don’t get caught up in him. He gets bored easily.”
I freeze when I see the way Maddy’s face falls. And now I’m pissed.
“Everything okay here?” I ask, as I hand Maddy the Tide pen.
Marissa steps back, hands up. “Totally fine! Just helping a girl out.”
There’s coffee on the floor, a puddle on the counter, and Maddy appears horrified.
Maddy snatches a napkin and wipes at her chest. “Thanks. Appreciate it.”
Marissa simpers, grabs her shake from the fridge, and then leans against the counter. She waits, arms crossed, like she’s expecting applause or something.
“Probably should change,” I say to Maddy, keeping my voice breezy. “Do you have a spare shirt in your desk?”
She shakes her head, cheeks flaming. “I’ll figure something out.”
I start cleaning up the spill and Maddy hurries out of the break room.
The second she leaves, the temperature of the room drops. Marissa sips her shake, pretending not to watch me as I clean up.
“She’s sensitive,” Marissa comments, flipping her dark hair over her shoulder. “Maybe she’s not used to high-stress environments. That would make sense.”
“Or maybe she’s just not used to people being jerks,” I shoot back at her, absolutely hating myself for the attention I once gave her.
She laughs, rolling her eyes. “Wow. Protective of her already?”
I shake my head, refusing to engage. “Just don’t like seeing a newbie get ganged up on.”
She knits her brows together, giving me an amused look. “If you want a project, go for it. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
I almost say something to argue, but then she’s out the door.
I finish cleaning the counter, but my brain won’t let go of the look on Maddy’s face. The way she just locked down, the way she left with barely a word. She’s tougher than Marissa gives her credit for, but this—this is the kind of thing that leaves a mark.
And I don’t like that. I don’t want Maddy to get eaten alive by this place.
She’s way too sweet for all these assholes.
I head down the hall once I’m done, and I see her at her desk, jacket zipped to her chin, typing away like nothing happened. I watch her for a few moments, tracking the way her slim fingers punch away at the keyboard.
My mind instantly flashes back to the night those pretty nails were digging into my back.
And holy fuck, what I’d do to have that again.
“Beck!” Adrian calls out.
I pivot so quickly that I nearly take out a potted plant, which makes Maddy look up from her computer. She glances at me, making a face, and then looks to Adrian, whose gaze instantly causes her cheeks to flush.
He gets to her. And I don’t know how I feel about that.
Adrian is standing outside his glass box, hands in the pockets of his charcoal pants, the faintest hint of music still coming from his office. He’s got a look that already tells me he’s about to make this day a lot harder for me.
Fuck.
He tilts his head, a silent summons. I fall in line behind him, glancing once more at Maddy’s desk. She’s suddenly in full shield-bubble, headphones on and head down. I can’t tell if she’s trying to avoid a summons as well, or if she’s just burning through emails at triple speed.
Either way, she’s not doing well.
I rip my gaze away from Maddy and then follow Adrian into his office, fighting the urge to make fun of him behind his back.
Always so damn dramatic, I swear.
Once we’re in his office, he gestures for me to close the door, then sits. I take the chair across from him, legs crossed, completely annoyed by his tense silence.
“So,” I begin, “What’s your deal?”
“The new apartment complex,” Adrian says, not even remotely bothered by my tone. “I’m worried about it. With the discount we’re offering the tenants, it’s bringing in a lot of people. But I don’t know if the deal is going to be profitable in the end.”
“Of course, it is,” I counter, shaking my head. “Even if everyone stays at the discounted rate, the place will be paid off in less than a year.”
Adrian sighs, running his hand over his face. “We could do better.”
I raise my brows. “Are you beating yourself up for not being greedier? Because there’s no way we would have seen the move-in rates that we are right now, if we hadn’t done the promo.
” I don’t usually argue with Adrian, because it’s about the equivalent of trying to reason with a brick wall, but still…
This is ridiculous.
“I’m just not sure about it, that’s all I’m saying.”
I narrow my gaze, seeing insecurity flicker in his face. This is new. “What’s really bothering you?”
“Nothing. I just…” Adrian hesitates, and for a split second, there’s a tell in his face. Just the tiniest twitch. “Never mind. It’s not important.”
I lean forward, elbows on my knees. “Bullshit. You always know exactly what you’re doing. So, what’s got you spinning, man?”
He just sits there, staring out at the city, like he’s expecting to find the answer to some deep question. For a moment, I think he’s going to double-down on the iciness, but then he sighs like I’m his therapist and not his business partner. “I just don’t feel like I’m thinking clearly.”
I can’t hide my grin. “Would that happen to have something to do with the new assistant?”
He glares at me like I’m the biggest fucking dumbass. “Absolutely not. She’s just another one that will probably be gone in a few months, like the rest.”
“Have you ever considered this as a sign that maybe you harass the assistants too much?”
“Or maybe it’s just a problem with this generation,” Adrian snaps. “Maybe it’s the fact that no one wants to actually work hard. I think Maddy is smarter than most though.”
I can’t help it. I keep poking the beast.
“So, you’re scared to lose her then?”
He narrows his eyes, letting the silence settle for a few moments. “I wouldn’t say that. I’m not scared of losing anyone.”
He’s so full of shit. “Sure, but you’re thinking about it. That’s already a problem,” I tell him, and even though my tone is joking, I see the way his fingers flex against the top of his desk.
He twitches an eyebrow. “You’re one to talk. You’ve been floating around the office like a lost puppy ever since she started here. You want to tell me what’s up with that?”
I almost laugh. “I’m just being nice. You know, the thing humans are supposed to do with other humans.” But he’s looking at me like he has no idea what I’m talking about.
I mean, I guess I could disclose that I fucked her. But does it really matter? Because once again, I don’t even know if she remembers.
And if she doesn’t remember, then it doesn’t count, right?
Adrian opens his mouth to say something. But before he gets a chance, there’s a sharp knock on the door. I peer over, just as it opens, and there’s Maddy, in all her glory.
Though, something is off.
“Is something wrong, Maddy?” Adrian beats me to the punch.
She nods, holding up a thermometer. “I’m running over a one-hundred-degree temp… I think I might need to go home for the day.”
Man, women keep the weirdest things in their purses.
I take in the sight of her, suddenly noticing just how flushed her cheeks are. “You should definitely head home.”
“Did you finish the reports I requested?” Adrian cuts in before she can say anything. “If not, I’d still like you to get those finished by the end of the day.”
I shift in my chair, facing him. “Are you serious right now? She’s clearly sick. Let the woman go home and rest.”
Adrian’s jaw ticks. “I asked about the reports.”
Maddy’s shoulders straighten. “They’re already in your Dropbox.”
Adrian purses his lips. “Then please go home and get some rest.”
Atta girl. I grin as she exits. That’s my Maddy.