THINK DIFFERENT #4
It wasn’t long before he was complimenting her and making advances that she couldn’t refuse.
She also didn’t mind the bonus he attached to her check every week.
From there, he resorted to buying her lavish gifts and funding shopping trips and pamper treatments for her like she was his fucking wife.
She never kidded herself on this being anything else.
It was something to pass the time and get her rocks off.
At first, she never would have entertained the bullshit, but his condescending wife wouldn’t shut her pompous ass mouth.
Fucking her husband behind her back was very petty, very playing in your face, and Lotus got a kick out of it.
“I would have to care to be mad. You should be mad at yourself.” She scoffed, shaking her head as she looked down to adjust her pants.
Lotus spent her entire life keeping her game face on.
Allowing anyone to think she cared was a luxury she wasn’t giving out these days.
Evren was an escape for her, but she told herself this was nothing serious.
It was sex. Granted, it was good sex, but it wasn’t earth shattering, see the stars type of shit.
Evren learned her body enough to pay attention to how to please her.
He was her boss, in the end, and as much as she despised his wife, she wasn’t there to break up a marriage.
She didn’t see a future with the Wakefields.
It was a place to build her experience and make a decent pay rate to provide for herself.
She was proud and independent if nothing else, and going back home to her parents was not on her list of things to do in life.
“What you talking about?”
“I think we need to stop doing whatever this is.” She motioned between them before looking into his confused eyes.
“Stop?” Taken back, Evren thought he might have misunderstood her.
Pulling some of her hair up, she used the ponytail around her wrist to tie it into a messy bun on top of her head, leaving a few tendrils near her neck.
“You are married. You have a family, children. We can’t keep sneaking around—”
“Since when is that a problem?” Evren grinned, inching closer and sealing the space between them. “You don’t even like Michelle.”
“Since now, and that doesn’t matter.” Lotus was firm with her words. “It’s been fun and everything—" She pushed her hand against his chest with contempt clouding her eyes.
Immediately, he slapped her hand down and snatched her wrist. Jerking her against his hard torso, his suddenly wild eyes bounced around hers, and he grit his teeth to speak through them.
This was a never-before-seen side of him.
He always acted like some boisterous playboy, usually when she was giving him his way.
Now that she was telling him she no longer wanted to participate in his little game, his true colors were showing.
“The fuck you mean, and everything?” He knew what a kiss off sounded like, and she had him fucked up! “This is over when I say it is, Lotus! Don’t get that fucked up!” Evren hissed as little footsteps stampeded down the steps.
This was getting old. There was no substance to what was going on between them.
For the first time, and she hated it, Lotus found herself wondering if there was possibly something else out there for her.
Ever since things with her ex, Zuko, that love shit was off the table.
Now, she just wanted someone to get her.
It seemed like all she ever came across were men who wanted to fuck her or control her.
Attempting to yank away from Evren only tightened his grip.
“Let go of me.” She grit her teeth as Emrys skipped into the room, ready for her day of second grade with her backpack slung over both shoulders.
“It’s time to go, Lotus!”
“I’m coming, baby. Say goodbye to your daddy.” With an eyeroll, she gave one last yank, and he finally let go of her, so his daughter wouldn’t pick up on it.
“Bye, Daddy!” Emrys went to hug her father as Lotus gathered her purse and cell phone at the counter.
She and Emrys were almost through the doorway when Evren’s strong voice called out to her.
“Oh… by the way, there is an event tonight. A new artist that I have invested in is debuting their portfolio at the Howard Hellum Art Gallery. The kids will be attending, so you will need to accompany me and Michelle for a couple of hours. Find something formal to wear and make sure you’re presentable.
” He reached for the glass of orange juice his daughter didn’t finish and swallowed the rest without looking at Lotus.
In his eyes, the conversation was done. What else was she going to do?
He made it a point to have her background investigated, and he knew she didn’t have shit without this job.
Her parents were barely making it, and Lotus lived in a one-bedroom apartment by herself while driving a two-door Honda Civic.
She should be grateful that he even found her fuckable.
Without another word, she grabbed Emrys’s hand and led her down the hallway into the front entrance so they could leave.
Michelle insisted that they drive the spare car, which just so happened to be a fucking Mercedes wagon, and Lotus never had any issues with that.
She got Emrys settled in her seat and slammed the door shut before trotting to the driver’s door to get inside.
When she looked up, she found Evren at the window, staring out at her over a fresh mug of coffee.
Once she was inside the car, she started it and didn’t bother looking back at him as she peeled away from their home, anxious to put some distance between them.