Chapter 26 Enemy,Touch?
Enemy, Or Touch?
AVA
I don’t stay the night. I hate that I go back to my apartment; I hate that as I walk to work, things will be exactly the same. I’ll be ignored, treated like every employee when I actually fell asleep in my grumpy alpha's arms.
A text comes through from Xavier.
Xavier: Want to grab lunch?
I don’t answer right away because what’s the point? Telling him I’m falling for my boss and that I’m screwed in more ways than one and also spoiler alert, he’s not totally human.
Yeah, sounds like a totally good text to send.
Me: Probably not today, super busy, maybe tomorrow?
Xavier: I’ll put it in the books.
How cliche can he be at this point?
I shove my phone back into my purse and make my way into the tall office building. It’s super busy and I still have to get past everyone, somehow grab coffee for the grumpy one and make it to an elevator.
I'm shoved slightly to the side as all elevators fill up.
I wait for the next.
It’s empty. I walk in and get ready to hit close when I see another dark figure walking in.
Followed by Gabe.
It’s Eli.
I don’t know how to act.
I don’t know how he’s going to act.
So I’m simply mute.
I stare straight ahead as Gabe talks on and on about meetings Eli has. I expect the cold shoulder, instead, Eli stands right next to me, and presses a palm to my lower back.
I swear I almost orgasm on the spot.
It’s embarrassingly sweet, and it makes me want to both cry and climb him like a tree.
I look straight ahead while Gabe drones on and on.
“Thought we were enemies.”
“Me too.” Eli gets closer.
“And then I saw your face and realized I’d rather touch my enemy than fight with her.”
I smile.
“I like touching.”
“I thought I had self-control.” He curses under his breath.
“And it’s not even a fucking full moon.”
“To be fair, you didn’t throw a desk out your window, so I think you’re doing great, champ.”
He pinches my ass. Gabe still hasn’t noticed.
“Call me champ again.”
“Oh, you like that?” I look up at him the minute he looks down.
Eli looks hungry.
Like seriously hungry.
I lick my lips; he stares at my mouth.
“Eli?” Gabe snaps.
“Pay attention. I just asked you two questions and all you’re doing is staring at the wall, or at your poor assistant.”
“Maybe I’m hungry,” he says under his breath.
“And sorry, Gabe, what did you ask?” He leaves my side. I feel the emptiness in my soul, and I hate it, I hate that this was all it took.
And that I’m so far gone that I want to strip in his office and just lay there and let him feast.
“Meat!” I shout.
Both men turn and look at me like I’ve lost my mind.
“Pardon?” Gabe asks.
“I mean, meat, we should get meat for lunch to fill up, good ol’…” Oh God, stop talking.
“Eli! Because it’s been a rough few days of… absolute solitude and that tends to make you hungry when you…meditate.” I cough.
Eli bites down on his lower lip and smirks at the same time while Gabe waves a hand in front of my face like I’m hallucinating or maybe had a stroke.
Gabe frowns.
“Do you need a sick day?”
"Nope. Totally. Normal.” I nod way too many times.
“I was just thinking about nutrition, and the company, and it came to mind.”
Eli squeezes his eyes shut, then turns away.
Gabe is still frowning.
“Okay, guess we’re ordering meat then, sounds, tasty. Thank you for your input? And Eli, I still need an answer on that last takeover, are you really sure you want to go against Xavier on this?”
My ears perk up. Xavier?
Eli sighs and rubs the back of his neck with one hand.
“I think that we can do more with the company than he can, but I won’t fight him on it, I’m kind of done fighting with him, he’ll do what he wants no matter what anyway—besides, I already won.” He turns and winks at me.
I nearly die on the spot and want to cancel my lunch date tomorrow. I reach for my phone when the elevator doors open.
"You coming?” Gabe asks.
“Sure, sorry, yes.” I follow them in and so starts the hellish day of acquisitions, meetings and finally… yes, meat.
I eat at my desk but not enough, I know Eli’s working like a dog and even Gabe seems stressed out so I don’t make a big deal over having a lunch break. If they’re working like that, then so am I.
I hear yelling from Eli’s office.
I know Jim from the board walked in, and now I’m seeing him run out like he’s about to shit his pants, followed by Bradly, another board member, both are pale.
Great, perfect timing to bring in Eli’s next schedule.
I don’t want to.
I’ll wait.
And then my phone rings.
I quickly answer it.
“Yes?”
"In here. Now.” Eli barks and hangs up.
Shit.
I slowly stand and grab the iPad as well as the printed-out schedule for him and lower my head. I just have to prepare for battle.
I knock and then open the door.
Gabe’s tie is off, he's leaning back against the couch but when he sees me he bounces right up like he’s not exhausted.
“I’ll just leave you to your meeting.”
He smiles, walks right by me, and closes the door behind me.
I'm not running but I'm not exactly sprinting toward Eli at this point, he’s bent over his desk, both palms on it, papers everywhere, laptop open, hair a ruffled mess.
No tie.
Just an open black button-up shirt and black pants.
I clear my throat.
“Sir, I have your schedule.”
He jerks his head up.
“Say it again.”
“I have your schedule.”
“Not that part.”
"Sir?”
His face is impossible to read as he comes around the desk and walks toward me. I slowly back away until I’m trapped between him and his bookcase.
"I lied,” he whispers.
“About what?”
“Being your enemy today.” He closes his eyes and presses a kiss to my forehead as if asking for permission, then takes the iPad and papers away from me and slowly sets them on the chair next to the bookcase.
He comes back and braces his hands over my head, trapping me, but not doing anything.
I swallow slowly.
“I lied too.”
He tilts his head.
“About what?”
I shake my head.
He leans in.
And it’s all over before it even begins as a knock sounds and another board member walks in.
“Oh sorry, were you two in a meeting?”
Talk about blue lady balls.
"No problem!” I smile, then turn to Eli.
“Be nice, don’t throw any desks.”
“Might throw him,” he says under his breath.
“Come back after?”
I shrug.
“Maybe. This prostitute does have lots of clients.”
He lunges for me.
“Hey now.” Malcom, the head of the board, holds out his hands.
“No need to chase your assistant, she’s been doing such good work…” He gulps.
“Shit, are you going to throw something again?”
"Of course he isn’t!” I smile sweetly.
“He’s in therapy, remember?”
"I always say therapy is the best way to go.” He winks at me.
“Since. When?” Eli asks.
I shoot him a glare.
“I mean…” Eli sighs and relaxes.
“Yes, you do, and you’re right, plus I have a new therapist that sees promise in me, yay for not going to Hell.”
Malcom raises his hand like he isn’t sure whether to high five or do a little fist bump in the air.
I pat him on the back, leave the office, and close the door.
Miserable.
Because I’m pretty sure Eli was going to kiss me.
And I want that kiss.
The rest of the day goes by so slowly that I’m wondering if time has actually stopped.
When the last meeting ends at seven, I grab my stuff, knock on the office door and let myself in.
Eli’s staring out at the cityscape.
"Pretty.” I join his side.
“I’m just going to go get some dinner and—“
His mouth devours my next words. He throws my purse to the ground and cradles my face, then shoves me backward onto his desk, my ass hits it and then I'm on top of it, he shoves the laptop away and crawls up on top of me hiking up my skirt.
Okay.
So this is happening.
Can’t say I haven’t thought about it, dreamt of it.
He keeps deepening the kiss; he tastes like whiskey and rain.
My hands unbuckle his belt and pants. My shaky hands can’t move fast enough as I free him. He swipes my panties off with one hand and tosses them to the ground, then enters me like we do this every day.
I arch so hard that I send a lamp on his desk to the floor. Papers go flying, pens, a stick it note attaches itself to my ass as we move in sync.
I don’t care.
“Missed you,” he whispers gruffly against my mouth.
“Missed you so damn “much.”
"My body or me?” I pull away.
He slaps my ass with one hand, the stick it note loses its mind and falls to the ground.
“Both.”
"Good answer.” I grab him by the neck, pulling him back down.
God, he feels good.
So good.
A knock sounds at the door, but before either of us can say anything, it opens.
Jim walks through.
“Sorry to bother you, but I have that—“ He looks at us, then looks away, his cheeks red.
“I mean it is after hours so I’ll just, yup, I’ll leave this, just here…” He turns around three times, then nearly runs into the door before realizing he never dropped anything off. He gently sets it on the floor by the door.
“Enjoy your um…activities.” His face hits the door twice before it closes.
Eli doesn’t miss a beat, his mouth is back on mine, he’s moving again, so am I. I rake my fingers through his hair and bite down on his lip, then move to his neck and bite how he likes it.
He lets out a roar and slams me down, pinning me against the desk, eyes blazing blue, he sinks deeper into me and stays there.
“You dare bite me again?”
"You dare like it?” I counter.
"Fucking love it.” His body covers mine and within minutes, both of us are spent, but neither of us are ready to leave. He pulls my skirt back down. I pull his pants back up, but we’re still on the desk.
Another knock sounds.
“Son of a bitch who’s still here!” he roars.
Gabe pokes his head in.
“Didn’t know we conducted meetings that way, but okay…” He smirks.
“Sorry, just letting you know I’m out for the night, looks like you are too. Damn man, took my whole you’re horny stop being grumpy thing to heart.”
“OUT!” Eli shouts.
“Leaving!” Gabe yells right back.
I stare up at Eli and hate myself, I hate myself that I’m falling for him, and to him, I’m nothing but a booty call and I am powerless to say no when he says yes.