Chapter 13 Jonah
JONAH
Isaw little of Lexi over Wednesday, and not for lack of trying. I’d taken the elevators a few times, but I couldn’t see her from the elevators.
By late afternoon, I stopped the elevator again on the third floor. My eyes immediately scanned the floor, searching for any sign of Lexi. And there she was.
My breath caught when I saw she was wearing the cream-colored pants and black blouse from the wardrobe I’d sent her.
The sight of her in clothes I’d chosen sent a surge of possessive satisfaction through me, even as she stood completely oblivious to my presence.
But my satisfaction quickly turned to irritation when I noticed she wasn’t alone.
She was standing near her desk, laughing as some man put an arm over her shoulders, sharing what was apparently a hilarious joke.
The doors started to close, and I let out a sharp breath, forcing myself to remain composed as the elevator began its ascent up to my floor. I’d just wanted to see her, and I had, so why did the sight of that man touching her irritate me so much?
I closed my eyes as the elevator sped up while I fought my irritation. This was a problem I’d solve later.
I made it to my floor with this resolution firm in my mind, my eyes fixed on the elevator panel. The doors opened, and I made my decision.
Less than a minute later, I was back on the third floor. The doors opened, and I immediately found Lexi. Nothing had changed in the brief time I’d been away. The young man was still leaning too close to her. What was he, barely twenty-five?
Was he the date she had mentioned wanting to wear the lingerie for?
Before I could think, I extended my hand, stopping the elevator doors from closing. I stepped out onto her floor.
Given that it was half past five, the office was nearly empty. I walked through the rows of desks, my eyes fixed on Lexi. The man still stood too close to her.
Was he noticing the way the fabric complemented her figure? Did he see the curve of her neck that I’d traced with my lips?
I approached them, my footsteps muffled on the carpet, and finally caught bits of their conversation.
“You know, normal people don’t work at ten o’clock at night,” the man was saying in response to something Lexi had said.
Lexi snorted. “Yeah, well, normal people don’t get an entire quarter’s workload dumped on them in the first week.” She stretched slowly, rolling her stiff shoulders. “If this keeps up, I’m gonna have back problems for life, and way before I even hit thirty.”
I watched the way she moved, the way she rubbed her back, realizing she probably didn’t have a proper setup for working at home.
Their backs were to me, but the man chuckled as he gave her a slow once-over, his grin lazy. “Well, if you need someone to help you work out those shoulder knots, I happen to give world-class back rubs. Strictly therapeutic, of course.” He was still grinning when his eyes met mine.
I stepped forward, my expression stone-cold. “I’m sure HR wouldn’t consider unsolicited massages as therapeutic.”
The man straightened, his charm dissolving into nervousness. He blinked at me like he was trying to place my face. Then I saw the moment recognition dawned. His face went pale.
“Wait... you’re Jonah Walkers?”
I moved closer, placing a firm hand on the back of Lexi’s chair. “She doesn’t need you hovering,” I added, locking eyes with the man. “Or touching her.”
He stammered something that didn’t matter.
“Jeff, is it?” I asked, glancing at his badge.
He nodded.
“Well, Jeff, are you finished giving Lexi your advice?”
“Yes, sir. I was just helping her debug some code. It’s done,” he said, his eyes darting nervously.
Within moments, Lexi was seated at her desk, and Jeff was backing away, his eyes avoiding mine.
I leaned down slightly, my voice soft, just for Lexi. “You okay?”
Lexi didn’t look at me.
Instead, she called out to Jeff with a cool smile. “Thanks for the offer, Jeff. That back rub sounds amazing. Maybe after lunch tomorrow?”
My jaw clenched.
Jeff glanced between us, clearly terrified but too confused to move.
She still wouldn’t meet my eyes. “Oh, sorry,” she added, feigning innocence. “Was that inappropriate? I forgot you were still here.”
Then she finally looked at me, and her eyes were ice-cold.
God, I hated how acutely aware I was of her, her clothes, and her body as much as I hated that she was my employee. It was torturous to be in the same building as her, but not with her. And it only made me want her more.
I crossed my arms and looked down at her. “I need to see you in my office, Ms. Haley,” I said, not waiting for a response.
I strode toward the elevators.
For a moment, I heard nothing. I wondered if she was going to defy me, when a moment later, I heard footsteps. She was following me, but very slowly.
The elevator doors began to close just before she reached them.
I stuck my arm out, stopping them. “Now, Ms. Haley,” I said sharply.
She hurried inside.
The doors closed, and I pressed the button for my floor, my blood still boiling.
“Were you on my floor just to tell Jeff off?” she asked, turning to face me, her gaze sharp.
I kept my eyes fixed ahead, refusing to meet hers.
The elevator doors opened to my floor, and Kacie looked up.
“Mr. Harrington just called—” she began, but I strode past her without responding, heading straight to my office.
Lexi followed behind me.
Once the door shut behind us, I finally met her gaze. Inside these walls, we had privacy.
“Kacie was telling you something,” Lexi pointed out.
I ignored that, studying her instead. She looked stunning today, with her hair in a high ponytail showing off small pearl earrings.
I remembered the softness of her ears and the gentle curve of her neck.
The black blouse and cream pants I’d chosen for her fit her perfectly, and her eyes sparkled with defiance.
“Kacie can wait. What can’t wait is that I saw Jeff flirting with you, and I didn’t like it,” I said, my voice tight.
Her eyes flashed dangerously. “Can’t a man and a woman work together without there being an implication of—”
“Sex?” I finished.
She lifted her chin and nodded.
I took a step closer, mirroring Jeff’s earlier position. Lexi drew in a sharp breath.
“If a man stands this close to you, Lexi,” I said, my gaze locked on hers, watching her eyes widen as I reached past her shoulder, mimicking Jeff’s move, “then he’s definitely trying to gauge the sexual tension.”
She scoffed. “Well, I told you I’m here for a job, and nothing’s going to get in the way of that. Not even men evaluating our chemistry,” she said, her eyes sharp and defiant. “Is that all? You called me up here to scold me for flirting?”
“Not to scold you,” I said, my voice low but careful. “To warn you.”
She crossed her arms, frustration radiating from her. “To warn me?” Her voice rose. “If you wanted to call us out for flirting, why did you only bring me up here?” she demanded. “Why not bring Jeff too?”
I stepped back, holding up a hand in surrender. “You’re right. I’m mad at Jeff. But I just wanted another moment with you, alone.”
Her face turned red, and her hands balled into fists, her whole body radiating a desire to hit me.
“News flash, Mr. Walkers,” she spat, “you don’t get to ruin my first job in a new career and then tell me you want me.”
The anger in her eyes simmered, but I caught a flash of desire flickering there as she looked at me.
Before I could process it, her plump lips crashed into mine.
I kissed her back fiercely, pulling her even closer.
I kissed her like I’d been waiting all day for it, like I was begging for a second chance with every brush of my lips.
My tongue slid into her mouth, reminding me of how good she tasted.
She was fire and spirit, and everything I never knew I was attracted to. Things I shouldn’t want.
My hands encircled her waist, and I pressed my fingers into her skin as I pulled her to me hard.
Her hands were already sliding up my chest, clutching the fabric of my shirt, like she couldn’t quite let go.
She hooked her arms around my neck as I took her mouth in angry, demanding kisses. She gave a soft, aching moan and I was harder than I’d ever been before in my life. The kind of moan that made it clear she wanted this, too, even if she’d tried so hard not to.
The kiss turned hotter, hungrier. Her fingers reached up to tangle in my hair. My hands went down to grope her ass, and she didn’t fight it. She pressed in harder, like the space between us had become unbearable.
When I kissed the hollow beneath her jaw, her breath caught. I moved lower, closer to her cleavage, and then a knock sounded at the door.
We broke apart, panting, still pressed against each other. Her eyes were wide with shock as the door started to open and I saw a hand curl around the frame.
“Stay out,” I barked.
I heard the unmistakable voice of Miles Harrington, my CTO, saying “Sorry,” from the other side of the door before he shut it.
“I’ll be out in five,” I called out, remembering in frustration that I had scheduled a meeting with him.
Lexi’s expression was petrified, and I ran my hand over my face. What the hell was this woman doing to me? Would I ever get over her if we kept playing this ridiculous game?
“Go out with me,” I said, in a low voice, still rough from kissing her. “One dinner. We’ll get rid of this stupid tension once and for all.”
Her expression shifted fast, like I’d shocked her. She shoved her hands against my chest and stepped back, eyes blazing.
“Never,” she snapped.
The word hit me hard. I exhaled hard, my chest tight with frustration.
I ran my thumb over her lips, and I could see them tremble slightly. “What was this, then? This kiss? This crazy tension you obviously feel around me?”
She paled, visibly shaken, and then after a moment, she said clearly, “I can put up with it, I can avoid you, but I simply can’t go out with you.”
“Whatever the problem is, I can make it disappear.”
“I don’t doubt it,” she said, casting a glance around the lavish office. “But you haven’t earned the right to know about my life or my problems. So, my answer still stands. It’s a no.”
“Lexi,” I called as she stepped back toward the door.
She tossed her red-gold hair over her shoulder and gave me a pointed look.
“How many times did you come by my floor today?”
There was no point in avoiding the truth.
“Four,” I admitted. “I’m not done with you, Lexi. Go out with me. Just one dinner.”
She groaned, bringing her hand to her head. “Stay off my floor,” she breathed. “I can’t risk losing my job over you. Stop being interested in my life. And stop wasting your time by keeping track of who I talk to at work.”
She turned to head for the door, but I caught her hand. “Miles is waiting outside,” I reminded her. “I’ll leave first, and move our meeting to a conference room. You can follow after a few minutes.”
I strode out, and when I told Miles we’d be meeting down the hallway, his eyebrows shot up in surprise. Still, he followed without question.
As we walked, one thought consumed me. What had come over me? Why did I want her so badly?