The Consequence of Falling: (An enemies-to-lovers office romance)

by Claire Contreras

  I never would have guessed the buyer being Nathaniel. Had I missed the signs there as well? After all, I hadn’t known the full extent of Adam’s transgressions. Dad hadn’t been subtle in his acknowledgement of Nathaniel’s successes. Had he been grooming him all this time, especially given I’d shown no signs of interest?

  “Would you like to join us, Nate?” Dad asked.

  My eyes widened. I’d never heard Dad call him that. But, what the hell was he doing? Inviting everyone to father-daughter time? He may or may not have seen my hesitation at this idea, but in true Nathaniel fashion, he grinned and said, “I’d love to go.”

  I groaned. Out loud. I didn’t even care.

  “Presley.” Dad cut me a look.

  “I didn’t say a word,” I said, smiling as sweetly as I could muster. “I’ll work on getting the tickets.”

  “Leave them on my desk. Top—”

  “I know. Top right corner.” I pushed away from the table. “If that’s all you need from me, I’ll be on my way. I want to make sure I get the same row and my ticket girl leaves in”—I glanced at my watch—“twenty minutes.”

  The three of them stood. I gave my dad a kiss on the cheek first. I was unsure how to say goodbye to Nathaniel, so I gave Victor a kiss on the cheek next. Yes, he was our lawyer, but he was also a good friend of mine. But Nathaniel? I wasn’t sure what I should do. I’d been sort-of friends with him once upon a time . . . if you could call two people bickering about everything friends. His lips had been on mine once though, and that hadn’t felt like friendship. My cheeks burned at the thought of that kiss and I swear to God he knew it, with the way his gaze darkened on mine.

  “What?” he asked. “No kiss for me?”

  My eyes felt like they’d bulge out of their sockets. Dad and Victor were already halfway out the door as Nathaniel grabbed his briefcase, so I know they hadn’t heard, but even if they had, so what? It wasn’t out of the ordinary. He was just being his usual self. He had the reputation of being a cheeky, charming, gorgeous guy . . . and he was. There was no denying it. I hated that he knew I wasn’t immune to him. I looked toward the door and back at him, and decided what the hell. As I reached up to kiss his cheek, he held my elbow. Maybe it was to steady me, maybe it was to control my movement, but I felt the warmth of his touch spread through me as my lips touched his cheek. His gaze seared into me as I pulled back.

  “I guess I’ll see you Saturday,” I said.

  “You’ll definitely see me Saturday.”

  “Should I get you an extra ticket?” Was I seriously fishing for information on his personal life? Is that what he would think? I mean, it was definitely what I was doing, but would he know that? I wanted to slap myself. Of course he’d know.

  “I’m good with just the one.” He cocked his head slightly, amusement clear in his eyes.

  “Okay.” I nodded, heart pounding, and walked away.

  This was too weird for my liking. Once again, I blamed Adam. It was his fault I was reacting this way to Nathaniel. I hadn’t been with a man in a long time. It had to be that. Please let it be that.

  Nine

  “It was so weird.” I put a hand over my face. “First he gets the company and then that awkward experience.”

  Morgan laughed. “Oh, honey.”

  “What?”

  “Nothing.” She bit her lip. “Have you told Jamie?”

  Morgan and Jamie were my go-to people for everything. If the world were ending tomorrow, I’d probably make sure of it in our group text. Otherwise, I wouldn’t believe it. This thing with Nathaniel was not something I wanted discussed in the group text though. Not yet. Not ever.

  “Hell no, I haven’t told Jamie. She’s on the other side of the world. The last thing she needs is to hear about this and ridicule me. Besides, what’s there to tell?”

  “You’ve always been attracted to each other.” She raised a hand to stop my impending complaint. “I know, you hate his guts, but you also think he’s hot. I mean, he is. There’s no denying that.”

  “I’m not saying he’s not, but that doesn’t mean I’m attracted to him.”

  “Okay. When he walks in the room, how do you feel?”

  “Like I want to take a stapler to his lips and seal them together.”

  Morgan laughed. “Sure.”

  “I’m serious though. I don’t like him like that.”

  “Remember in college when you practically begged him to kiss you?” She raised an eyebrow.

  “I should have never told you that.” I lifted my vodka soda and sipped. “Besides, I slapped him when he actually did kiss me.”

  “That was because it was poor timing.” She shook her head. “But now here you are, both are, single.”

  “I don’t know if he’s single. I never asked.” I frowned. “And I don’t care. I’m not even divorced.”

  “Oh, please. You’ve been separated for well over a year and you’ve been acting like a nun in a convent for just as long, too. You need to get over this hump.”

  “I’m not in a hump, I’m just taking time to heal.”

  “Does that mean you’re not over Adam?”

  I shot her a look. “Don’t be daft. You know I’m over him. It doesn’t mean I have to jump into bed with Nathaniel, of all people.” I shivered at the mere thought. “I hate him.”

  “So you say. Can you imagine how happy your dad would be if you guys actually dated?”

  I scoffed. “He’d probably be scared I’d totally mess up his prized possession.”

  “You say that like he’s innocent or something. I remember him in college, with his motorcycle and his girlfriends.”

  “He’s not the settling-down type.”

  “That’s not true. He dated that one girl for a couple of years . . . what was her name? She was pre-med.”

  “Larissa.”

  “Right. Larissa.” Morgan smiled. “You didn’t need to reach very deep into your memory for that one, huh?”

  “Oh my God, will you stop?” I laughed. “You’re impossible.”

  “I’m just here for the entertainment.” She winked, taking a sip of her drink. “Tell me more about this baseball game situation. Are you guys planning on going to every single park? So like, one a weekend? Won’t that leave you with no time to date?”

  I laughed. “Have you not been paying attention? I don’t want to date.”

  “Sure. That’s what you say now. Let’s see what a few weeks working with Nathaniel does to you.”

  I rolled my eyes, because that would not make a difference. I had too many reasons not to like him to like him. “Why don’t you tell me more about this new venture you have going on?”

  “Oh my God. The dating app.” She clapped her hands, shimmying in her seat. “So, it’s like a regular dating app—”

  “Like the one your boss came up with?” I supply.

  “No. He came up with a friendship app. This is a legit dating app, but it’s a group date. So like, you know how it’s super awkward to go on a date one-on-one?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Here, you get a group together on the app, like four or six, and then you go on a group date. Something that interests all of you. Cool, right?”

  “Very cool.”

  “I’m going to launch the speed dating aspect first to get my name out there, which is why I would love to rent out a few tables at the brewery when it opens at the end of the month.”

  “Totally. Count me in.” I smiled at the light in her eyes. “Will your boss care? That you’re going all out with this dating app project? Is there a conflict of interest?”

  “Nope. The company only focuses on e-games and stuff like that. The app I’m making for them is so people can sign up e-game events.”

  Morgan was only two years my junior. She had been my Little in our sorority, and while two years didn’t seem like a big difference in age, it was, at least in our case. Despite wanting to explore love apps, she wasn’t looking to settle down any time soon. From where I
was sitting, she looked like a damn genius. I seriously needed to learn a thing or two from her, starting with not letting Nathaniel get to me.

  Ten

  I’d just placed the envelope on Dad’s desk with the tickets and walked out of his office when I spotted Nathaniel on the other side of the hall. As usual, my body reacted—blood racing, adrenaline pumping, mouth gone dry. I hated it. He wasn’t even doing anything that warranted this reaction from me. He was on a phone call, pacing the hall, looking broody as fuck and God help me, all I could do was picture him turning turning that potent energy my way as he pressed me against the wall and kissed me . . . or maybe more. I gasped as I stood there gaping. What the heck was wrong with me? Maybe Morgan was right. Maybe I did need to get laid. Or maybe you need to get laid by him. No. Absolutely not. No. Jesus. I shook the thought away and started walking again. I had to go that way in order to get to my cubicle. Yes, cubicle. Nathaniel Bradley had a damn corner office with a view, and I had a freaking cubicle with the peasants. And they said life was fair. In Dad’s defense, they were working on the offices and I wasn’t really going to be in here often. I mostly expected to be working at the brew house.

  I remind myself for the millionth time that I brought no money into this company—he did. It didn’t make me feel any better, but at least by the time I reached him, my attraction—or whatever—was replaced by annoyance. He glanced at me and my pulse kicked again. It was the way he looked at people that held them captive. I wasn’t a stranger to the look, as Adam had the same effect on people, but Nathaniel’s was raw, like he didn’t give a fuck whether or not you liked him, he’d take you prisoner anyway.

  “Princess,” he said by way of greeting. “I wasn’t aware you functioned this early in the morning.”

  “I wasn’t aware successful businessmen took calls in the hall.”

  “Yet here I am.”

  “Yeah, it seems you’re also effectively blocking the path to my desk.” I shot him an impatient smile.

  “Your father’s in?” He stepped out of the way, closer to his office so he was no longer in my way. The move brought him closer to where I was standing, close enough that I could smell the scent of his cologne.

  “Not yet. Doctor’s appointment.”

  “I thought I saw you come from that direction.” His nodded toward my dad’s office.

  “Well, the elevators are in that direction.” I tilted my head. “But if you must know, I dropped off the tickets to tomorrow’s baseball game on his desk like a good employee.”

  His mouth twitched. “Trying to get your own parking spot next month?”

  “I don’t know. Is it in the budget? You would know such things, right?”

  “We can work something out. Do you also want to wear a crown and a sash for the marvelous effort it must have taken for you to do this task all on your own?”

  I felt a muscle tick in my jaw as I crossed my arms. There was definitely no attraction. I could never be attracted to a man who made my face do things that would surely cause premature wrinkles. I glared at him and he stared right back, unblinking. His eyes were like an endless dark hole, a place people got lost in, and I would not be one of those people. Yet, the longer he looked at me, the more I felt the air between us shift. This was the problem with staring contests—no one got out unscathed, and I swear the longer we stood there the more stifling the air got. They must have turned up the heater. I needed to say something to break this spell. I licked my lips to do just that, but then his eyes shot to my mouth and I felt myself breathe a little faster. Oh my God, what was happening?

  “I really hate you,” I whispered. He raised an eyebrow, a challenge, a question. I continued. “I hate how rude and arrogant you are. I hate that you . . .” My chest was getting heavier with each word I spoke, so I stopped. Why bother? He always had an argument ready.

  “Go on, princess. It seems like you have a lot to get off your chest today,” he said, his voice was a soft purr. Something I could envision in my ear, in bed, and that made the whole thing worse. It made me want to keep going, like he asked. And after a beat, I did because I couldn’t hold it in any longer.

  “You make me feel like I can’t breathe.”

  My mouth clamped shut the minute the words left my mouth, as if I could shove them back in and hold them there. Nathaniel’s lips parted slightly. He looked completely caught off guard by my words. Shit, I was completely caught off guard by them. Where did they come from and more importantly why had I said them? I felt hot suddenly, my face burning. Instead of getting completely out of the conversation, completely out of the building, I continued . . . because I was an idiot.

  “In conclusion, I hate you,” I said.

  His eyes crinkled. I was sure if I stood there longer I’d finally see the charming smile I’d only seen in pictures, because he never smiled at me, but I couldn’t. I didn’t. I walked to my cubicle, sat down, and pretended to busy myself with things—sorting papers (all blank, for the printer I needed to refill), counting the pens in the jar, powering up the computer. I really did have things to do, but I couldn’t even think of one right now. I needed to look at my calendar. I closed my eyes as my computer came to life. Why had I said those things? Had I hurt his feelings? Not that I should care. He’d said some pretty mean things to me without caring if he hurt mine, but I didn’t want to hurt his feelings. I just didn’t want to feel this way. I was seriously going out of my mind. Thankfully, I got to my calendar and read through the tasks of the day: meet with the contractors at three, settle on the floors for the inside portion of the brewery, decide on the five beers we’d showcase the first month of opening.

  I took a deep breath. I could do this. I was dying to look over my shoulder. I knew Nathaniel wouldn’t be standing there, but I could see into his office from here unless he shut the blinds. My phone vibrated in my purse, and when I brought it out I saw Adam’s name on the screen. I answered.

  “This better be about the statement.”

  He breathed into the phone. “It’ll be on the eleven o’clock news.”

  “So like, fifteen minutes?” I looked at the time on my computer. “You didn’t even send it to me.”

  “Jill wrote it.”

  “Okay.” Jill was the only person in his camp I trusted to get anything done right, especially when it came to our personal lives. “Send it to me anyway.”

  “I did.”

  I clicked my email and sure enough, he’d sent it fifteen minutes ago. “I’m nervous.”

  “I’m outside your building. I’ll be up there in five. We can read it together.”

  “You haven’t read it?” My voice came out a shrill.

  “I was waiting to do it with you.”

  “It’ll be on the news in a few minutes.”

  “I’ll be right there.”

  I looked around. I was sitting in a fucking cubicle. I needed more privacy than this. Dad said the reason he didn’t give me the other corner office was because they were working on it, and there were two guys painting it right now. I didn’t exactly want to go to my father’s office. I could use the conference room. I grabbed my phone and walked over to Nathaniel’s door, knocking lightly.

  “Come in.”

  I turned the knob and poked my head in. “Hey, are you using the conference room in the next hour?”

  “I have a meeting scheduled at eleven.” He glanced at his watch. “Do you need it?”

  “Um.” I bit my lip and looked around his office. It was completely plain. He hadn’t decorated yet, but he had a television, a desk, and a computer and that was all I needed, really. “Can I borrow your office?”

  “Sure,” he said, slowly.

  He clicked something on his computer, gathered some papers and stood, buttoning his suit as he walked around his desk. He did everything effortlessly and it made me a little jealous, because despite what he may think about my upbringing, nothing came effortlessly to me. I opened the door wider as he walked toward me, his gaze set on mine. I l
icked my lips.

  “About earlier . . .”

  He shook his head. “Don’t sweat it, princess.”

  “Okay.” I breathed in and out, losing my balance as I fully inhaled him.

  “You okay?”

  “Yeah. Of course.”

  He looked over my head and his expression hardened. I turned around and caught Adam heading toward us. He looked handsome in a form-fitting navy suit, crisp white shirt, and blue tie.

  “This is what you need my office for? To impress your husband?”

  My temper flashed as I turned back to him. “Think what you want, Nathaniel. I don’t give a shit. I need a private place to have a conversation, and it’s either your office or my supposed office.” I pointed across the hall, where the painters had stopped working and looked over. They both threw a wave in our direction. I waved back. Nathaniel didn’t. Jerk. I met his gaze again. “Or the conference room. I would meet in my dad’s but he’s due to get here any minute and I don’t want another fight.”

  Adam reached us by the time I was finished talking. He glanced at Nathaniel and down at me, placing his hand on my elbow. “You okay?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “You’re bright red. You look like—”

  “I said I’m fine.” I clenched my fists and glared at Nathaniel, who thankfully, walked out of the office and signaled for us to go inside.

  I stomped in, leaving them behind me to make small talk. They still looked like old buddies when I’d finished setting the television to the news network and logged into my email from Nathaniel’s computer. It was his laugh that did me in. That was what made my temper come back full force. My face snapped in their direction.

  “Are you coming inside, Adam, or are you going to blow him out in the hall?”

  Both of them blinked at me. It would’ve been comical, but I was too anxious to laugh.