I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Don’t I know it.”
I return to my office, collect my speech, and then I head down to the press release. I take my place at the podium in front of the reporters.
“Hello,” I say as I shuffle through my papers.
“Where is Prime Minister Holsworthy?” someone asks.
“He’s unable to make it today. He has a prior engagement.”
“He was scheduled to take this meeting,” the male voice replies.
I glance over to who asked the question. Fuck, Gerhard. The sniffer dogs of all sniffer dogs. Reporter of the fucking year or some shit. If there’s a story, guaranteed, he’ll uncover it.
“Theodore sends his apologies. He had an important call from an overseas colleague he had to take,” I lie.
Gerhard’s eyes hold mine, and I know he doesn’t buy my story for one moment.
I fall into my role and address the press, anyway. “Thank you for coming. We are here to talk about the proposed boarder control changes.” I turn the page of my dossier. “As usual, please hold all questions until the end.”
My intercom buzzes. “Sebastian?”
“Yes, Rebecca,” I reply, typing on my computer.
“Bart is here.”
I hit enter. That means she’s here.
“Send them in.” I rearrange my tie and run my fingers through my hair. There’s a knock at the door. “Come in.”
The door opens and Bart comes into view, smiling broadly. “Hello, Sebastian.”
“Hi.” I stand, and my eyes drift past him to April. She’s wearing a fitted navy dress. Her blonde hair is down in soft curls, tucked behind one ear.
Her eyes find mine, and she gives me a soft smile.
My stomach twists.
“Hi.” She smiles awkwardly.
“Hello.” I put my hands into my pockets and try to hide the star struck look on my face.
Dear fucking God, she’s beautiful.
I gesture to the chairs in a fluster. “Please take a seat,” I tell them.
They both sit down, and April crosses her legs. I glance down and see the muscle in her thighs. I snap my eyes up to her face.
Stop it.
I shuffle the papers on my desk to distract myself. This damn woman turns me into a horny teenager.
“What’s the problem?” Bart asks as he unpacks his laptop.
I glance up at him.
You’re my problem. Get out so I can fuck April on my desk.
I get a vision of her lying naked on my desk, her legs open. She’s all pink and wet and…
My cock throbs, and I hesitate, trying to remember what I am supposed to be talking about.
Focus, fool.
“Theodore is having a few problems and I need to get him into a private facility,” I finally say.
"What kind of problems?"
"Substance abuse."
Bart pinches the bridge of his nose. “Are you kidding me?”
“I wish I was. He’s turning up to work high.”
Bart closes his eyes. “For how long?”
“A few weeks. It’s been escalating, and I don’t know how much longer I can cover it up. The staff are beginning to notice.”
“For fuck’s sake,” Bart snaps. “Why haven’t I been told about this earlier? Isn’t my job here for crisis management?”
“It isn’t a crisis.” I glare at him, this man pushes my buttons sometimes. “I do not need you to tell me your position, Bart. I’m telling you now.”
“I’m just saying—”
“Don’t,” I bark, cutting him off.
My eyes float over to April who is watching me from across the desk.
I can't deny that there's an electric current between us.
She moves to the left and a little hint of her lace bra peeks through the material of her dress. I clench my jaw so that I don't look down.
How the hell could any man not want to look down?
"How bad is it?” Bart asks.
"Bad," I reply. "I don't know what I'm going to do with him. We go to election in eight weeks, with the campaigning to start on Monday, and I have a Prime Minister with a major drug problem."
"Fuck."
April picks up her pen and places the tip in her mouth as she listens. My eyes drop to her lips. I feel the long, deep throb inside my pants as I imagine myself in her mouth, looking up at me.
Fuck this. The woman drives me to distraction. How the hell am I supposed to do any work around here?
You hate her, remember?
I get back to what I'm supposed to be doing: working.
"I'm not sure what we’re going to do or how we are to address his absence, but I need you to find him a facility and get him checked in to get help. Hopefully then, in a week or two, he'll be back to his best and we can move along." I shuffle the papers on my desk. I don't want to be distracted by April for one more second.
Damn, this woman is fucking driving me mad. I need to get up before I begin to stare at her.
"That'll be all for now. I've got another meeting I have to attend. Sorry." I stand and walk to my door, opening it in a rush. April frowns as she looks at me, and I glare back at her.
That's right, get out of my office, you temptress. I know what you're doing and it's not going to work.
I got two hours’ worth of sleep last night. Images of that damn forbidden fruit, April Bennet, were running naked through my mind.
"What's wrong with you today?" Spencer asks
"Nothing."
"Then why do you look like someone has stuck something up your ass?"
"Get off my fucking case."
"Listen here, you little bitch," Spencer says. "I've got enough fucking hormonal women busting my balls at home. I don't need to put up with a moody prick like you at breakfast."
"Will you two shut the fuck up?" Julian sighs as he reads his paper.
I roll my eyes at Spencer. "Oh, you've got it so hard. A beautiful woman you love who's pregnant with your fourth baby," I mutter dryly before I sip my coffee.
"I have, actually," Spencer says. "Charlotte is either trying to fuck me to death or she’s so hormonal that she wants to kill me. Either way, I'm a dead man walking, Sebastian."
I smile because Spencer's dramatics always cheer me up.
"There is nothing wrong with me, so leave me alone,” I tell him.
Masters looks over his paper. “When is your blind date with that friend of your sister?"
"Don't even mention it. I'm not going."
"That's not what I heard," Spencer says. "I saw Marina this week, and she said that your sister has already set it up."
"Oh, for Christ’s sake." I exhale heavily. "I’m not in the mood for fucking blind dates. I don’t have time for this shit when everything is going wrong."
"Like what?"
"I'm about to catch on fire. The temperature in my office is rising, and that woman is driving me crazy," I say.
Spencer frowns. "What woman?"
I stare at them for a moment, knowing that I may as well fill them in now.
I exhale heavily. "There's this girl."