40. Lissa
Lissa
Istand in line at the coffee shop, feeling as if I might pass out from exhaustion. I’m not sure how just one night without sleep has knocked me on my ass, but I feel completely drained.
Tramping through the snow at five in the morning was definitely not on my bingo card for the year. As quickly as I could, I grabbed a cab since my checking account is chock-full of cash, thanks to Oliver.
I felt terrible for showing up on Bethany’s doorstep so early, but she took one look at us and just dragged us inside, barely saying a word.
She got me a glass of water, made me breakfast, and told me not to worry about Henry as she put him to bed, saying she would drop him off with Jenna later.
Bethany didn’t ask what had happened, but I could see the ‘I told you so’ look in her eyes and decided to leave before she could say it out loud.
I grimace as I step forward in line, clutching my phone in my hand. The memory of opening my bank account last night and seeing that huge deposit sends a fresh wave of nausea through me.
I had been lying in bed, blissed out from the sex, looking forward to curling up beside Oliver during our first real night together. I had only opened my phone because it had lit up beside me with a notification.
The look on Oliver’s face when I had challenged him on it was by far the worst part. He seemed totally confused, as if I had accused him of something terrible.
And why wouldn’t he? He paid me generously for a service I was hired to provide, and I threw it back in his face.
It wasn’t Oliver’s fault that my heart had become entangled in his beautiful home, his adorable dog, and the time he spent with my son.
Our time in front of the fire had felt like the start of something real to me, where I could forget everything else and just bathe in the warm, soft glow of his company. I’d never experienced anything like that, where I felt so safe, so seen.
And then I went and ruined it.
Since leaving Oliver’s house, I’ve been thinking nonstop about calling Sterling House. I could call Pippa right now and tell her that things with Oliver aren’t working out. I wonder if she could get me a new client. Bethany says it happens that way all the time.
I scrape my teeth over my bottom lip, reaching the front of the line and ordering the strongest, largest coffee they have.
I need to apologize; that much is obvious. If Oliver won’t accept it, I’ll walk out and consider asking Bethany for help with the remaining payments for Henry’s medical bills.
I leap back as an angry guy in a bike helmet pushes past me. “Get your goddamn coffee, lady.”
Staring at him, I turn to find my coffee already on the counter waiting for me. Quickly, I grab it and leave, wishing I had texted Adelaide to ask if she wanted one.
Sipping the magical hot liquid, I crunch through the snow on the sidewalk, the soles of my shoes soaked through.
I pull out my phone, texting Bethany to check on Henry. She instantly sends me a photo of him playing a game on the kitchen counter, with scrambled eggs and a big glass of orange juice beside him. Bethany follows it up with a simple “u ok?” but I don’t reply.
I’m an idiot, that's what I am.
The first guy who has looked at me twice since my separation, someone who pays me for sex, and I end up falling for him. Maybe Bethany is right, I am too innocent for this job.
My phone dings again, a message from Dr. Erkhart asking if I can call her later about Henry’s treatment schedule. I close my eyes, shame engulfing me.
I’m beyond selfish for thinking about Oliver so much when my son is still sick. I should be focusing all my attention on him and not bothering with a guy who will never truly care about me.
I’ll apologize to Oliver, carry on as usual, and keep any ridiculous illusions of feelings between us deep down inside. It’s only a matter of time before he gets rid of me anyway. What man who signed up for casual, no-strings sex would want all this baggage?
By the time I reach the office, my mood has worsened, and the tiredness tugging at my eyes feels even heavier than before.
I manage to smile at Adelaide, who nods at me in the hallway as she heads towards the administration hub. I’ve just put my bag down on my desk when Oliver’s office door jerks open, and my breath hitches at the smoldering stare he sends my way.
He looks enormous, angry, and intimidating. My body only knows one way to react to that, and I flush instantly, blood rushing to my core as he takes a step toward me.
“Oh, Lissa?” Adelaide comes back, and Oliver’s eyes shift to her, his jaw clenching as he silently closes the door again.
“Would you mind giving me a hand with these?” she asks, tilting her head toward some files.
“It’s the property information you found in the Reynolds case, and I just want to talk to Renee about getting some copies.
Do we need them for all parties? I think Noah sent an email about it. ”
“I can check,” I say quickly, powering on my computer.
“Wow, you’re so flushed. Is it cold outside?” Adelaide asks as I touch the back of my hand to my cheek.
“Yeah,” I answer. “The snow has finally stopped, though.”
“I can’t believe this weather. My garden isn’t enjoying it at all, and the poor birds… I bought some fleece for them to line their nests. They shouldn’t be having to battle arctic storms this time of year.”
I nod absently, conscious of the little light at the end of my desk, wondering if it will turn on to indicate that Oliver wants to see me. He looked super pissed.
Is he going to fire me?
“This one?” I say with relief, showing her the email from Noah. “I think we’ll need to make four or five copies?—”
The phone on Adelaide’s desk starts to ring, and she mutters irritably under her breath.
“If it’s not one thing, it’s another this morning.”
“Give me those,” I say, reaching out a hand to the folders. “I’ll go and ask Renee to make the copies, and then I’ll collate them. It’s no problem.”
“Thank you,” Adelaide says, stepping quickly over to the phone and grabbing the receiver. “Mr. Heath’s office, oh, hello Mark. Yes, he’s going to be about half an hour later than we thought. Is that okay?”
I rise from my desk, the throbbing heat between my legs a mortifying reminder of just what Oliver Heath does to me. I haven’t even been close to him yet. One look from him and I’m a puddle on the floor.
Squaring my shoulders, I head toward the admin office. Hopefully, by the time I’m back at my desk, Oliver will be in meetings for the rest of the day, and I won’t see him again.
Passing the other offices along the floor, I notice Noah inside one of them as I walk by. He didn’t message me after our date, hopefully realizing nothing is going to happen between us.
I smile at him anyway, not wanting things to be awkward between us. He gives me a nod, his cell to his ear as I mime to him whether he wants a coffee. He shakes his head, but gives me a thumbs up, which hopefully means he isn’t too upset about things.
Upon reaching the admin office, I hand the copies we need to Renee, who takes them and moves to the back of the room to the machine.
The sound of the photocopier is constant at this end of the hallway, and I glance at the bright white office of Warren Sutcliffe nearby.
Adelaide told me that he and Oliver are up for the same EP position. I really hope Oliver gets it. He’s worked so hard for so long; he deserves it.
Renee reappears, handing me the documents, and I head back to my desk, wondering whether Oliver will ask to see me, but the light stays off, and his door remains shut.
I have several emails from Adelaide asking me to help with an upcoming event, and I call one of the suppliers to handle the catering, watching as Adelaide walks to Oliver’s office, knocks, and goes inside.
My body is rigid until she comes back out, her head down, looking through some envelopes. She doesn’t even glance in my direction.
Letting out a slow breath, I continue with my morning, my mind all over the place, unable to concentrate fully on anything. I almost knock my coffee off my desk twice, and even Adelaide comments on how scatterbrained I seem today.
I go to the bathroom and look in the mirror, pulling at my hair to smooth it. I stare at my reflection, the shadows under my eyes obvious as I poke at my skin, trying to look less tired.
Pulling out my concealer, I cover up the shadows as best I can, refreshing my lipstick while I’m at it.
Tugging my suit jacket down, I feel slightly more put together as I head back to my desk, only to find that Adelaide has gone.
I check my watch, realizing it’s time for lunch, and reach for my bag just as the light on my desk flares brightly.
I stand, frozen, half delirious with relief, half terrified.
What if he’s about to fire me?
Dropping my bag, I walk to his office door, my hands shaking a little as I turn the handle and step inside.
Oliver is standing in the center of the room, his arms folded across his massive chest, his heavy gaze on me as I close the door. I step further into the room, my hands fluttering nervously at my side.
“What time did you leave, Lissa?” he snaps.
The question is an octave lower than his usual voice, and I swallow as the deep reverberations reach me.
“Early.”
“You didn’t think to wake me up to let me know you were going? Or leave a note, to say you were alive?”
“I felt it was best I left,” I say, raising my chin as he rises to his full height, stalking toward me but not touching me.
“Oh, really? And why did you think that?” he growls.
“It’s for the best.”
“What is for the best, Lissa?”
“Keeping our work and personal lives separate.”
“Is that what we were doing?” he asks, taking a step toward me, his huge body impossible to ignore as I step back again and again until my shoulders hit the edge of the shelves.
“Y—yes.”
He lowers his head, his mouth half an inch from my own as I let out a shuddering, helpless breath.
“Was that what you were doing in my bed last night?” he murmurs, his hands brushing against my hips. “Is that what you were doing when you came all over my cock and then begged for it again?”
He moves to the door and locks it before coming back to where I’m standing.
His chest presses against mine as he pushes my body against the shelves behind me. There’s a little clink as one of the toys falls to the floor, and Oliver grips my hips so hard I wince.
His erection pushes between my legs, making me shudder.
“You’re mine, Lissa, do you hear me? To do with as I please, and if I want you to stay at my house, you stay where I put you.” His voice is wavering now, a snarl at the back of it that makes my whole body ache for him.
His lips brush mine, and I give a startled cry as he bites down on my lower lip before he thrusts his tongue inside my mouth.
His fingers run down the backs of my thighs as he lifts me up against the shelves, supporting my weight with the strength of his body. With short jabs of his hips, he rocks his cock into me as my legs open, wrapping around his waist, my shoes falling to the floor with a thud.
His mouth crushes against mine before he pulls away, biting at my neck, licking at it, scraping his teeth over my flesh. His tongue plunges into my mouth again as he groans, sucking at it, his hand moving to my thigh and beneath my skirt as he cups his palm between my legs.
I pant above him, utterly undone by the heat of his body.
He pulls back, spearing me with that pitch-black gaze as he shoves his cock so hard against me, my head falls back into the shelves with a thud.
“I told you at the beginning to never leave when you’re upset. Did you not hear me?”
I can’t speak, my whole body melting against him. Every piece of me wants to please him, to make the anger on his face fade forever.
“I’m sorry,” I breathe out, and he gives a little grunt of satisfaction.
“You’re damn right you are.”
One more thrust of his dick, and he lowers my feet back to the floor. The abrupt change makes me dizzy, and I hold onto the shelves to steady myself as he steps back, still looking at me, but now with a softer expression.
“We both made mistakes, and I intend to make it up to you tonight.”
“Tonight?” I ask as he straightens his clothes.
“Tonight. Seven o’clock. I’d like it if Henry came, too.”
“Where are we going?”
“Somewhere fancy. What’s your favorite kind of food?”
I stare at him, not understanding. “You don’t have to do that?—”
“I want to,” he says darkly, interrupting me as a shiver runs up my back. “I fucked up, and I need to make it right.”
I stare at him, panting, my body throbbing for him, and he keeps his eyes on my face as he very deliberately smooths a hand over the front of his pants and adjusts himself.
“Will you let me do that, Lissa?” he asks, and I’m relieved to hear the softness return to his tone.
“Alright,” I murmur, and without another word, he walks back to his desk and sits down.
“Don’t ever walk away from me when you’re angry,” he says. “Or out of my house without telling me, for that matter. Ever again. Is that understood?”
“Yes, sir,” I reply, adding a touch of petulance to it as he looks at me, his eyes moving over my body one last time.
He bites the corner of his mouth and looks away for a moment. “Be ready at seven.”
I back toward the door, straightening my clothes while I stare at him, willing him to look at me again, but he doesn’t.
I open the door, still feeling just as confused as when I came in, and almost bump into Noah.
“Oh!” I say quickly, stepping back, a hand moving automatically to my hair. “Sorry, Noah.”
“Is Mr. Heath free?” he asks.
“Uh,” I turn and find Oliver’s dark stare pinned on me. I have to fight the shudder that threatens to run through me. He gives me a clipped nod. “Yes. Go right in.”
I step aside to let him through and head back to my desk, only realizing when I get there and look into the small mirror in my drawer that my lipstick is smudged across my mouth, and there’s even some on my chin.
I wipe it away as I glance at Adelaide, but she hasn’t looked up from the file she’s reading.