Her mouth falls open then shuts. “No.”
“What are the rules anyway?” I ask, closing my laptop. “You might want to clarify since I’m supposed to be following them for the next week and a half.”
Viola stands and snatches her Kindle from the couch.
“Wear clothes. No skanks in the house. And I don’t want you to say anything that’s even remotely sexual. Basically, you stay away from me, and I stay away from you.”
“Other than when I need your help, right?” I arch an eyebrow and watch as her eyes stroll down my body.
“Did you just check me out?” I flash a knowing grin. “That was a major eye-fuck.”
She gasps. “Rules!”
“Don’t make this a double standard. If I have to follow the rules, so do you, princess.” I’m amused by the way her face contorts when I’m right.
“I can see we’re done here. Good luck with that. Looks like you’re going to need it.”
“You too,” I mumbled back, eyeing her tight little body, and by the way she reacts to me, she knows exactly what I was talking about.
I reopen the laptop and start researching the parent companies and their past marketing efforts. If we want to stand out in the crowd, I can’t come up with some mediocre plan. I’m actually pissed that I didn’t pay more attention in class when it came to foreign trade and policies. While I wanted and wished for a project such as this, now it feels more like a burden instead of a blessing. But Viola may be my secret weapon.
After making detailed notes, I feel pretty good about what I’ve compiled so far. I stuff my laptop in its case and catch a glimpse of the pink vibrator sitting on the couch, right where I left it. I pack my things and head down the hallway with it tight in my hand. The images that fill my mind are dirty, but fuck, I love them.
I tap the door with the head of it and wait. After a few seconds, Viola opens the door, and I’m pointing the pink cock right in her face.
“Forget something?” I ask, with a smirk.
“Rules.” She glares. “Stop. Breaking. Them.” As she rips the vibrator from my hand, I notice her voice isn’t as confident as it usually is.
Right now, I want to break her.
“Don’t you know, some rules are meant to be broken?” My voice is silky smooth, and my eyes roam down her body. I give a little nod toward her nipples that are begging to be sucked and flicked, and she slams the door in my face.
On the other side of the door, she screams, “Can you be any more cliché?”
I can’t hold back the smile as I walk into my room and climb into bed.
I’m getting to her. Eventually, she’ll crack. Eventually, I’ll find her limit.
I close my eyes, and it takes me no time before I fall asleep and even less time before my alarm is buzzing.
After my normal workout routine, I drive home and stand in the living room brushing my teeth with nothing on but dress pants. The sun hasn’t even risen yet, and I feel more energized than I have in a while, though an annoyed buzz swarms inside my body. I’m actually dreading going to work today. It’s the first time that’s happened since I started.
Before walking back into my room, I stop in front of Drew’s door. I stand there for almost a minute before I open it and peek in. Viola is sleeping like the dead with her body sideways across the bed. I almost feel bad for staring at her while she sleeps, but it seems the only time I can without listening to her bitch.
“Travis,” she says in a light whisper, and for a moment, I think I’m busted. But the glow of the lava lamp Drew refuses to get rid of gives her away. She’s asleep, whispering my name. If I had my phone on me, I’d record it for evidence later, but I don’t. Instead, I finish getting dressed and head out the door. Before I make it to work, Alyssa is already blowing up my phone. Is it still considered sexual harassment when it’s the CEO’s daughter?
Fucking hell.
Alyssa: Can we meet this morning? ;) I can’t wait to see you.
Alyssa: I miss you.
Alyssa: We make a great team.
Dammit. I know what that wink means. The meeting isn’t to discuss our project, but rather for me to be her project. I sit in the car and listen to the mean growl of the engine as I decide what to text her. I’m walking a thin line that is becoming blurrier with each step forward.
Travis: Yeah, what time? I have a meeting with Blake at 10.
I let out a huff.
Alyssa: The earlier the better. I’m feeling the urge. If you know what I mean.
I don’t like this.
Travis: Your office or mine?
Alyssa: Mine. And I’ll be on my knees waiting for you when you enter.
And now my suspicions have been confirmed. Alyssa wants me to put in, but I don’t want to put out. Now to figure out how to break the news to her without fucking myself and this project in the process.
My annoyance must have been written all over my face because the administrative assistant actually asked me what was wrong when I walked by her this morning. I wasn’t in my usual flirty mood and didn’t say good morning to anyone because I know exactly how the day is going to play out.
I walk into my office, closing the door behind me, and stare at a blank computer screen with a bright green sticky note from The Office of Blake James. He wants to meet now instead of later. Fucking wonderful.
I don’t bother turning on my computer before I make my way down the hallway toward Blake’s office. His door is open, and he’s busy pecking away at the computer with his pointer fingers. The dude needs to get with the times, but instead of making a slight-handed joke, I just stand in the doorway.
“Sit,” he demands but continues to type.
I don’t say a word. Instead, I sit in the big bulky office chair that’s most likely been in this building since the 1970s, and I wait for him to finish. My patience for the day is quickly depleting with every second that passes.
“We need to discuss your new project,” he says with a tinge of jealousy in his voice.
“Okay.” I want to tell him to take the project for himself because I know that’s what he wants. While he’s my boss, and I respect him because of his title, he’s one of those supervisors who wants attention. He wants to be heard in a room full of people and tries to take credit for tasks he didn’t do. But people see through the façade, and they talk, and what they are saying isn’t good. The corporate world is a fish tank full of sharks, and if you don’t watch your back, it’s easy to get eaten alive. I’ve been crossing my t’s and dotting my i’s since the first day I stepped foot into his office.
“I don’t agree with you being assigned to it. I think you’re a hard worker and have a lot to offer the company, but…”
Usually when people say “but,” it’s to negate every positive thing that was said before. He continues, but I stop listening. The last thing I need is to be double pounded today. Alyssa in the front and Blake in the back, it’s miserable.
“…you’ll still be responsible for your current assignments. Sloan agreed that it was okay, and that you could handle the marketing research along with your day-to-day tasks. After I spoke to him, of course.”