“Ah, good morning. Nice to see you both.” Michael says with a happy grins. His eyes are definitely more on me which is an odd and uncomfortable situation.
“Glad to see you both this morning after our interesting meeting last night.”
Elijah and I take our seats while Michael pours us coffee and talks more about the project he wants Elijah’s advertising firm to work on. He explains what my duties would be if I were to come on board as the copywriter.
It definitely sounds like something I can do, but it’s hard for me to focus when Elijah’s knee is lightly resting on my own.
Holy shit, this chemistry is all too real.
We don’t want Michael to see it, right? We don’t want anyone to know. But I’ll be surprised if he can’t sense what’s happening because passion and desire fill the whole room. It’s hard to breathe with the thick chemistry sizzling in the air.
“So, clearly I want you to work with both of us,” Michael finally announces. “I’m sure you guys have worked that out already. So today would be a good time to sort out all the arrangements.”
I lean back in my chair, wondering what this means for me. How will this work? Does it mean I’ll be seeing them more when we leave the island? Michael doesn’t worry me, but Elijah…God I don’t know how I’ll cope with seeing him. Because here, there is an element that nothing we do can cause any permanent damage as long as Olivia doesn’t catch us.
That whole dynamic will change once we go back and that scares the living shit out of me.
“Hold on,” Elijah suddenly announces as he stares at his cell phone. I can tell he’s got something important going on which he needs to deal with right away. I wonder what it is, but I know I’m not in a position to ask him.
Nothing between us runs that deep. “I’ll be back.”
Both Michael and I watch as Elijah vanishes from the room, taking the warmth and the sizzle away. What is left behind is cold and off putting.
Shit, I don’t think I want to be here with Michael all by myself.
I have nothing to say to him.
“So, this is going to be awesome, right?” Michael wiggles his eyebrows suggestively which coils panic through my veins. “Us working together. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
I smile awkwardly. “It’ll be different for me, for sure.”
“I bet.” Oh God, he’s on his feet, coming around to my side of the table. A part of me wants to move, to get the hell away from him so I don’t get uncomfortable, but the other side of me is being rational, reminding me that this is a business meeting and nothing weird will happen. “Because we will be seeing alotmore of one another.”
Fuck. His hands are now on my shoulders, he’s doing some kind of weird massage. If this was just about me getting a job I’d call him out on it, but I really don’t want to affect Elijah’s position here. I bolt up from my seat and edge away from him, hoping that will give him the hint.
“I was thinking we could go out on a date when we get back. Mix business with pleasure a little bit.”
Fuck, it hasn’t worked. The more I back away, the more he comes for me. Panic rises up within me but I try not to let it show. I don’t want him to see weakness.
Fuck, I feel like I’m in the same position with a guy all over again. “Because you’re hot, but more than that I think you’re a dark horse as well. There is a lot more to you.”
“I don’t know what you mean.” I glance towards the door, but Elijah is nowhere to be seen. No one is anywhere to be seen. “I don’t think a date is a good idea. Mixing business with pleasure never goes well, does it? It’s a disaster waiting to happen.”
Fuck, my back hits a wall. I find myself in a corner. My mind races trying to find a polite way out of this so I don’t mess up what’s going on with Elijah and him. I really can’t deal with this, it’s too much. I’m in over my head, there is no way out…
“Ooh, you really are a sex pot, aren’t you? I like that about you.”
His hands rest on the wall beside me, next to my head actually so I can’t move without making a fuss. I can’t escape this situation with ease. I turn my head and pinch my lips tightly together as he leans in closer, allowing his breath to run all over my face.
He’s making my skin crawl, what the fuck is he getting out of this? Is it some kind of power trip? He can’t think I actually like him or anything like that because my vibes clearly scream the opposite.
“I think I might need to explore you here right now.”
I try and shove him as his hand edges towards me because my fight or flight instinct kicks in. I can’t worry about being polite for Elijah any longer. This has gone too far.
But the shoving does nothing. He’s like a rock, and doesn’t move even an inch. The harder I try to push, the more I realize I can’t, and the more the ice cold panic explodes in my chest.
Fuck, I amnotgoing to give myself up so easily, but I don’t know what I’ll do.