“Oh, and why is that?”
“Because you’re the only one who makes me feel this calm.”
Silence.
And I let there be silence, because sometimes it’s through the silence that so much gets said.
Chapter 11
Taylor
On Monday, after a long busy day of meetings and getting to know all the bigwigs at Bennett, Inc., I’m standing in the break room, stirring some sugar and cream into my coffee, wanting to be anywhere but here. Mondays are a punishment that no one should have to endure. This day has felt extraordinarily long. Minutes felt like hours. Hours felt like days. But at least my mood’s good. Hell, I’m sore in places I didn’t know could hurt after sex. It’s a yummy kind of sore. It makes me think of my weekend with Darius, and how we’d shut out the
world, spending all of Sunday together in my bed and very naked.
Warmth slides into my veins at the memory of his touch and his whispering naughty words in my ear with that low sexy voice, just that easily. God, what a man he is, and how alive he makes me feel. My skin begins to tingle and my panties begin to feel wet, instantly reminding me I shouldn’t be thinking these things at work.
Later, I tell myself with a grin, just as my cellphone beeps.
I grab it from my back pocket, looking at the screen, seeing it’s from Allie, and feeling a world of guilt. I’m going to have to tell her about Darius and me. Hell, I want to tell her, but I also need to figure out what we are first. She won’t be happy, and of course she wouldn’t because Darius hurt me before. So I know I need to find a way to tell her, Listen, I’m sleeping with your brother because he’s friggin’ hot as hell and rockin’ my world, but this is strictly a friends with benefits type of thing and you have nothing to worry about. That seemed pretty easy in my head, but not so easy getting it out of my mouth. Because talking about Darius to Allie is weird. And that’s just a fact.
I push the thoughts away for now, knowing I have a lot more to deal with than my great sex life with Darius, and read her text: Missed chatting with you this weekend. Where were you?
Spending it getting banged by your brother, I want to say. Instead I reply: Just lazed around the house. Sorry I didn’t reply yesterday when you texted. I wanted to unplug. You?
We worked on Saturday and then yesterday we spent the day on Micah’s boat. I called you to come. Man, I sunbathed, swam, and snorkeled. Amazing day! Maybe we can go out next time.
While it did sound like an amazing day, I wouldn’t have changed my day with Darius for anything. Next time for sure. I wouldn’t miss it.
Okay, just heading into a showing soon, but Micah wanted me to ask you if you wanted to go to the movies with us tonight. Total guys’ movie, but it has Alexander Skarsgård in it.
Sold, I text back. Not only might it not be a bad thing for me to be photographed with Micah and Allie, showing that I’m very much single, but staring at Alexander Skarsgård for a couple hours sounds great to me. Want me to meet you there?
Nope, we’ll come get you after dinner. Cool?
Cool. See you then.
I place my cellphone in my back pocket. Plans made for the night, and kinda happy with myself too, considering it does make me feel independent not waiting around for Darius to call. I reach for my mug, grab the file folder on the countertop, and leave the break room. I make my way toward my last meeting of the day, so ready to be home again.
In a few short steps, I enter the meeting room, spotting my four o’clock interview, Sally Higgins. She’s sitting at the rectangular table, applying for a secretarial job to the Director of Project Management. She hasn’t noticed me yet, so I give her a quick study. Young and cute, the brunette looks no more than twenty years old. She’s dressed in a fashionable ruffled blouse, wearing big, gold hoop earrings, and she’s got a handful of gold and silver bracelets on her wrists.
I wait for one of my co-workers to walk by me in the hallway before I clear my throat to gain Sally’s attention. When she lifts her head, her round blue eyes, surrounded by dark black lashes, begin to widen. “It’s you.”
Convinced she’s talking about someone else, I glance over my shoulder, checking to see if someone is behind me. “Me?” I ask, turning back to her and pointing at my chest.
“Yeah, you.” Her Juvederm-filled lips curve. “You’re the girl who dated Darius Bennett before he started dating the other chick.”
I blink, realizing she’s talking about Alex and Darius’s attempt to stop the tabloids from focusing on me. I’ve already decided not to hire Sally because of that one line. Darius doesn’t need anyone working for him who cares about the tabloids as much as this girl does.
Sadly, I also can’t walk out the door now. I have a job to do.
Not too happy about it, I shut the door behind me. “Yes, that would be me,” I say, taking my seat across from her.
“Do you hate him?” she asks, all bright-eyed.
“Um, no.” How is this any of her business? Trying to stay on task, I begin, “Today, we’re—”
“What was it like dating him?”