“I thought you were at work,” she grunts, her voice laced with disapproval. Leaning forward, as though it will give her a better view, her eyes scan my body. “Why are you dressed for the gym?”
I shrug, turning back to my project. Opening the box, I start to pull out various décor items I collected on my trip this afternoon. “I can wear whatever I want to work,for now.Hopefully, soon, Logan will have a full office staff running the place. When that happens, I’ll go back to my dresses, I guess.”
“But you love dresses,” she mumbles, her mouth latched onto a straw. “I don’t understand what’s happening here.”
Pausing, I stare up at her, my eyes narrowing on her tiny little face. “What are you talking about?”
“You love dresses,” she says again, pointing an accusing finger in my direction. It has little effect on me since she’s hours away and chastising me through a 3-inch screen.
Of course, she’d point out my less-than-professional outfit. Rayvn isalwaysdressed to the nines. Like right now? Her black hair is pulled back into a tight, ballerina bun. Her dark skin has the perfect amount of makeup to accentuate her natural beauty. She’s wearing a pink custom suit that pops against her brown skin. She looks effortlessly stunning, and it’s noon on a Monday.
A Monday!No one has the right to look that good this soon after the weekend. Shit, I still look half-asleep.
Ray says she has to dress a certain way because she’s a lawyer, which is true, but it’s not just that. She’s the most well-put-together, stylish person I’ve ever met. Always has been.
We’ve been besties since we were placed together as roommates at the University of Colorado. We stayed together all four years, then were forced to separate when she went on to law school, and I moved to be closer to the school I interned at.
Ray and I found a way to make our long-distance friendship work. She’s the closest thing I have to a sister.I mean—besides my sister. We tell each other everything. She knows every sordid detail of my relationship with Cole, and I know all about her dirty, nasty, kinky ways. Not that I’m one to judge. She may want to be chased through a forest and fucked on the ground like an animal, but I have fantasies ofactualwerewolves railing me with their massive, knotted cocks, sooo….
Grunting, I drop to my knees to sort through everything. I only have a few more hours before I’ll be off for the day and Logan will expect me home. Apparently, we’re going on a date tonight. I smile at the thought.
He dropped me off this morning since my car is still parked here. He’s been busy all day with meetings, and though we’ve been texting back and forth whenever he has a free moment, it’s not the same. I know I’ve only worked here for a month, but I’ve gotten used to spending our days together in our quiet little world.
“Yes,” I sigh. “I love dresses Ray, but it’s winter. Snowy and cold. Not to mention, there’s no point in me dressing up if I’m just sitting on the floor and sorting through crap all day.”
She lets out a sound of disgust and drops back into her office chair. “That sounds horrendous. Why haven’t you demanded that prick gives you a desk?”
My heart nervously thuds in my chest, even as irritation fills me. No one’s allowed to call my man a prick but me. It’s not her fault, though. I haven’t exactly told her what’s going on yet. “Yeah, about that…” I groan. “Logan’s not a prick, for one. For two, I like the floor. I sat on it for years when I taught the littles. It’s comfortable. For three…”
I glance up at the screen, cringing when I find her wide eyes staring back at me, anticipating my next words. She’s too observant for her own good. “Tell me” she all but screams.
Rolling my eyes, I shake my head, tearing open the packaging on the new curtains I picked up. “Logan and I are—” I break off. What do I say? In love? Living together? Trying to have a baby? Moving way too fast but unable to stop it? Jesus, she’s going to have me committed. Actually, knowing her she’ll come down here kick his ass, and then drag me home for an intervention.
“Tell me!” she squeals. A loud bang reverberates through the phone speaker, drawing my attention back to her. The screen goes black, then wobbly, before she finally returns. “Sorry! I got so excited I dropped my phone. You’re fucking him, aren’t you? Oh my god, please tell me you’re fucking your boss, Shiloh!”
Feeling my cheeks heat, I shrug, unable to stop myself from grinning like a fool. Rayvn screams, then slaps her hand over her mouth, her wide eyes shooting toward her office door. “Fuck,” she whispers. I bark out a laugh. “All the details. Now.”
“Fine” I murmur, sighing my defeat.
I spend the next thirty minutes talking Ray through the last unexpected month of my life. It’s a wild ride, that’s for sure. I hadn’t realized how nuts it all sounded until I told the story from beginning to end, all in one sitting. All the while, I work on my project, excited to see what Logan thinks when I show him. I hope he likes it. I spentwaytoo much money on supplies for this to have been a bust.
When I’ve finally finished, I drop to the office chair. My phone now in hand, and stare at my best friend. She stares back. We sit in awkward silence for what feels like forever but is likely only a few moments.
“So,” she breathes.
My phone slips from my sweaty grip.Shit.What if she thinks I’m crazy?Her, out of all people. Rayvn Porter; the woman with a kink list longer than the Declaration of Independence.
The woman who wants her blood to be sucked like she’s Bella freaking Swan. The woman who wants to basically be abducted,consensually, and fucked like a hostage. Point is, her fantasies and mind are a crazy place to be, and if she findsmyactions to be insane then they probably are.
“So,” I say, biting my bottom lip as I wait her out.
Finally,finally,her face breaks out into a massive smile. “When can I meet him?” Oh, thank fuck.
We spend the next hour catching up. She promises to make some calls to get me out of my lease without any penalties, lamenting aboutshitty-self-righteous-skeezy-bastard-landlords.By the time we get off the phone, I’ve just about finished decorating around one office, but I have a good few more days of work ahead of me, maybe more. We hang up with promises to chat again this weekend.
I hate to admit it but having Ray’s approval of mine and Logan’s whirlwind relationship solidifies my decision to jump into the deep end with him. A wide smile spreads across my face, feeling lighter and more positive about the future than ever before.
“Honey, I’m home!” I call out, grinning ear to ear. Stepping into the living room, I pause when Logan doesn’t respond. My face scrunches up. That’s weird, his truck’s in the garage.