by Paige Cooper
I wondered if he might have been in the bathroom or maybe even in his office and left me to sleep.
The air was cool, and my body shivered as my feet touched the cold tile floor. I needed to make some sense of what was happening here and where Mark was.
I flipped the shades of the blinds on one end to let some light into the room. The bed was a crumpled mess, and one of the sheets was pulled out and wrapped over my body.
There were no clothes on the ground that belonged to Mark, and I couldn’t hear anything coming from his office. I risked a peek, nervous that he was still there. I didn’t know how this would change our working relationship.
Except, when I slipped my head around the corner of the door and looked into the brightly lit office, there was no one.
The office door was shut, but it looked dead quiet inside. There was an ensuite bathroom connected to the room, and even that was empty. There wasn’t even a splash of water on the sink.
He’d left me here. Alone and naked.
My stomach flipped, and I felt nauseous. This must have been Mark’s version of his own gross love nest. I’d fallen for the trap, just like every other woman before me.
I shook my head and held my hand to my stomach, willing the unpleasant feelings to go away.
A quick search of the room produced my dress. It was draped over the sofa.
Damn him and his charm. Damn my own lack of inhibitions.
This was probably where all the secretaries he’d worked with found themselves at one point or another. It was no wonder they quit after sleeping with him. No woman would enjoy waking up confused and alone.
The empty bottle of scotch on the table caught my eye. How much did we drink last night?
I didn’t feel hungover, but maybe that was because I was still drunk? I took a steadying breath, ignoring the two empty glasses on the table that spoke of happier memories.
I slipped my dress on quickly, finding my panties on the floor next to the table.
I felt like a cheap date dressing up in last night’s clothes like this—alone.
I was a big girl. I’d decided to sleep with Mark, and that was my own fault. In all honesty, it had been amazing.
I closed my eyes for a minute, sinking back onto the couch and reminiscing. His hands had been strong and warm.
He’d picked me up off the sofa after ridding me of my clothes and carried me to the bed. Our lips had never left one another’s.
My fingers lifted up to touch my swollen lips. I’d never been kissed the way he’d kissed me. A kiss had never reverberated through my entire being the way Mark’s did.
A soft sigh left my lips, and I hugged my arms around myself. I didn’t regret sleeping with Mark. I only wished he’d treated me better after he’d gotten what he wanted.
I felt used by him. He’d lured me here, gotten me tipsy, had his way with me, and then simply left. Who did that?
I tried to remember every detail from the night before. Why didn’t I leave? The taxi was downstairs waiting to take me anywhere I wanted to go. I could have easily left.
Oh my god! The taxi! I sat upright, my hand to my mouth as I remembered I’d left the cab driver downstairs with explicit instructions to wait. He’d get his cab fare from Mark.
Except I’d forgotten to tell Mark about the taxi. I’d been so flustered when he’d hugged me that all rational thought had left my brain.
For more than a moment, I hoped that Mark saw the taxi when he made his getaway and that his bill was astronomical. It would serve him right for abandoning me like this after having sex with me.
Part of me wished that the sex hadn’t been so amazing. It would be easier to forget about him if it had been sub-par. Only it wasn’t.
My nerves still buzzed with happy energy, and the serotonin flooding my brain kept a smile on my face.
Maybe this was why women risked everything to sleep with Mark. He knew what he was doing in bed. I’d previously thought he was only soft and charming in the courtroom, but I was wrong.
He was soft and charming in the bedroom, too. He’d been tender the entire night. We’d made love three times over the course of those few hours, our bodies seeking one another even after we believed we were done.
A bump from outside the office caught my attention and snapped me out of my daydream. What time was it? I didn’t want everyone in the office seeing me like this. It’d be too obvious what happened.
I darted into Mark’s office after ensuring once more that the coast was clear and checked the time on the clock there: 7:15 in the morning. The cleaning crew was here. They came in a few hours before everyone else and made sure the building was spic and span for the day ahead.
I flushed a furious shade of red as I thought about the implications of being spotted. Sleeping with Mark could cost me my job. I wasn’t prepared to lose this job.
I found my shoes next to Mark’s desk and my purse perched on the sofa that was in the office. I grabbed them both, crushing my feet into the shoes and clinging onto my purse.
Not for the first time in the half-hour since I woke up, I wished I was wearing something different. In the morning light, the salsa dress felt too risqué, too sexy. It felt like everyone else would see it and think I came here to seduce someone.
Which I hadn’t. I’d had no intention of seeing Mark after hours. And yet, I had anyway. I’d answered his call despite my objections, and I’d run to do his bidding.
I pushed away the thoughts of Mark for the moment. I’d save my anger for later, when I was alone with my thoughts. Right now, I needed to get out of this office without being spotted by anyone.
The office door opened up without a creak, and a quick look back and forth let me know that no one was actively in the open office area. A cleaning cart stood outside the office door. That must have been the bump I heard as I gathered my stuff.
My heart raced against my chest as I darted out into the open and made my way toward the corridor that would lead me to safety. A few office doors were closed, and I could hear bumps and scrapes coming from inside them. The cleaning crew was definitely here and busy.
I tilted my head down as I rushed through the corridor, but I felt eyes on me from the inside of the gym. Damn those windows that let everyone see what was going on.
I was almost in the clear and by the reception area. I pressed the elevator button, tapping my foot nervously as I waited for it to come up.
A chime sounded through the air and the doors opened, revealing a bored cleaner. She stood upright when she looked at me, taking in my heels and a dress that was clearly from the night before.
Slowly, she stepped out of the elevator, her eyes wide as she took me in.
Hot shame flooded my body and I climbed onto the elevator quietly, hanging my head. This was the most embarrassing thing to ever happen to me.
The doors shut as the cleaner turned her back to me. I wondered if this was a frequent occurrence for her. It was definitely not a moment in my life I would ever care to repeat.
The chime trilled into my head, and a slight pounding started. God, maybe I was going to be hungover after all. I never drank scotch, and I had a sinking feeling that I was about to pay for it in a few hours when the tipsy feeling wore off.
I managed to avoid the look of security as I hurried out the front of the building. I’m sure they already got a good look at me on their cameras, anyway.
As wonderful as my night with Mark had been, I wanted to pull him by the ear and tell him off for leaving me alone in the office and letting me endure the shame of walking out in last night’s clothes.
The least he could have done was to wake me up when he woke up. Instead, the bastard had left me lying there like some sort of tart in his love den.
One thing was for sure—that was the first and last time I’d ever sleep with Mark Allen. No matter how much my body begged me for him, no matter how charming he was, and no matter how drunk I got, there was no more Nicole and Mark.
And I’d
make that clear to the asshole when I saw him again.
Chapter 18: Mark
T here was nothing leftover pad thai and a good sleep couldn’t cure. Or at least mostly eliminate.
I still had a slight headache, but other than that, the extra rest had been good for my body. Scotch and a late night never mixed well together. I needed to remember to better stock my liquor cabinet. I added it to my mental to-do list, which seemed to be growing longer every single day.
Ella threw me one of her smiles, and I grinned back at her. I loved a morning where I could come into the office and not feel like the asshole everyone made me out to be.
I strode confidently down the hallway and stopped for a moment outside my closed office door. I sent a silent prayer that Nicole wasn’t still in there. It’d be a bit embarrassing to have to see her after what may or may not have happened the night before.
Despite all the sleep and food, I hadn’t managed to recall everything that had happened the night before. I wanted to ask Nicole whenever I saw her, but I felt like that would be a slap in the face to her.
I took in a deep breath, preparing myself to deal with whatever I found in the office. My fingers grasped the cold metal of the handle and swung the door open. It was silent as I walked in and shut the door behind me.
I was nervous about what my brothers would say, as well, if they found out that I’d kept another secretary in my office.
A quick glance at the curtain and open door made me feel better about Nicole’s presence. There was no purse or shoes on the floor, and I dared to take a peek in the room.
The cleaning staff had clearly already been here as the bed was made and the scotch glasses returned to the cabinet. There was no sign of the bottle we’d drunk the night before, which meant we had finished it. A groan escaped my lips at the thought. No wonder I felt so terrible. There was half a bottle left when I’d started pouring glasses for both of us.
A feeling of satisfaction settled in my chest. Nicole wasn’t here anymore. At least that was one awkward encounter that I wouldn’t have to deal with.
I briefly wondered when she’d woken up. It must have been before seven, because I doubted the cleaners would have come in if she had been in here. I felt a twinge of guilt that she might have had to face them alone.
I closed the door and pulled the curtain back over the wall, once again hiding my room from prying eyes.
It was 9:15. Nicole should have been in the office by now, but her desk was empty when I’d walked past, and she wasn’t in my office.
A stab of annoyance at her tardiness boiled up in my chest, but I quelled it. After last night, I should let it go if she was late. This wasn’t the day to be picking up bones of contention over tardiness.
I decided to get to work without her. It wouldn’t be the first time I’d worked without Nicole. I set my briefcase down and began to chip away at the cases that were piled up on my desk.
All of them were fairly minor in comparison to the Daniels case, but I still couldn’t let my guard down. I needed to be on top of my game—always.
I looked up at the clock. 9:30. Still no Nicole. At least, not that I’d heard. Normally, she’d bring me a cup of coffee first thing in the morning. My stomach grumbled as I thought about her coffee, and I put a hand over it to settle it.
It was useless trying to concentrate. All I could think about was Nicole. For a horrible minute, I wondered if she would even come in at all. After all, I’d left her here in the middle of the night, and I didn’t even know exactly what I’d done or said. I’d be up shit’s creek if she didn’t come back.
My brothers would be up my ass, but more importantly than that, I’d gotten used to relying on her for things in the office. My desk was neater than usual, all of my cases were up to date and in the company system, and I felt freer not having to do every single thing myself.
If there were any other reasons I didn’t want Nicole to quit, I wasn’t ready to analyze those.
I strode over to my office windows, pulling up the blinds. I normally never did this, preferring to work in isolation sequestered away from the rest of the office staff. Today was an exception. I needed to be able to watch Nicole’s desk when she came in.
By the time 9:45 rolled by, I was getting frustrated. I hadn’t had my morning coffee, my notes from yesterday weren’t organized and on my desk, and the smell of freshly cut flowers was nowhere to be found.
I missed her. I’d never realized how much Nicole’s presence added to my day. I wasn’t sure I enjoyed this realization.
I sunk my head back down, trying to focus on the timeline of events for my next case. This one involved a family business and a disgruntled employee. The employee was suing the company for wrongful termination and abuse. Luckily, the company had tape recordings of all events and times in which the employee claimed they were harassed. My lucky job was going through it to determine what kind of case the opposing team might build.
It wasn’t going so well so far. Every minute, I glanced up, trying to see if she’d arrived yet.
Eventually, I was rewarded. I looked up from my string of papers and noticed Nicole walking into her desk. Her hair was thrown up into a low messy bun, and a few loose strands sat around her face, framing it. She looked a little off from her usual self, but maybe that was because I saw her every day and had started to pick out minute differences.
I knew when she’d had a hard day with her dad because she came in to work with bags under her eyes from crying. I also knew when she had a good day because those were days she wore earrings.
Today, there were no earrings. I suddenly wasn’t sure what I should or shouldn’t do. She was there, only a few feet away from me. I’d wanted her to come in all morning, and now that I was faced with her, all I wanted to do was disappear.
I strode over to my blinds and flipped them back down. I couldn’t look at her. Knowing that this wasn’t a great morning for her made my heart sink. Maybe avoiding her would be better.
Over the next hour, I buried my head in work, forcing myself to concentrate and forget about Nicole.
I quickly realized I needed one of those rubber bands on my wrist to snap whenever my mind wandered off of work and to Nicole.
It wasn’t helping to know that she was beyond my door and hadn’t come in yet. For the first time, I wondered what she must have thought of me. Up until now, I’d only considered my needs and feelings, but she had them, too. I didn’t want Nicole to hate me.
My office door opened, and Nicole came in with a few documents and a cup of coffee.
“Here you go,” she said simply, putting the coffee in front of me. Smells of cinnamon and honey reached my nose, and I was tempted to pull the cup up for a sip right then and there. I held back for some reason. My body cried out for the caffeine, beating behind my eyes in a terrible headache.
“Thanks. You can go. I’m busy,” I said gruffly, not bothering to look up from my work.
She stood in front of my desk for another moment before turning on her heels and storming out of the office. Avoiding Nicole was going to be difficult. I needed space to think about what I wanted, but I wasn’t going to do that here. Not with a mountain of work staring at me and Nicole’s body 20 feet away.
A flash of the night before and the naked curve of her hips entered my mind, and a rush of arousal claimed my body. I wanted her still. I hated myself for not remembering the night before.
I gave up working around eleven. My mind wouldn’t stop wandering to Nicole, and at this point, I could no longer control it. I wanted to bring her in here, soothe her, ask her all about last night, and delve into her feelings.
She was a major distraction and had been since day one. I needed a distraction from my distraction. I needed to get away. I thought about exercising over lunch, but that was still in close proximity to Nicole.
I picked up my phone, calling my best friend and confidante. If he didn’t have an answer for me, I wasn’t sure anyone would be able to help.
“Fancy hearing from you, Mr. Bigshot Lawyer,” Joel answered on the first ring, already taking a stab at me.
“I’m sorry. I’ve been swamped at work. I’ll make it up to you—lunchtime squash?”
“When have you known me to ever turn down a squash game? I’ll meet you at the courts in half an hour.”
It was that simple with Joel, which was what I loved. We hung up the phone without so much as a goodbye.
It didn’t matter how long we went without speaking to or seeing each other, he got me and I got him. I looked forward to the squash game. I hadn’t seen Joel in over three weeks. Marriage and a newborn baby kind of kept a man busy.
Plus, I was married to my job, so it wasn’t always easy for us to see one another and meet up for a drink or two.
I left my briefcase in the office, taking with me the squash bag that lived in the closet. It had been a hot minute since I’d played squash, too.
I thought about simply passing by Nicole without a word, but I didn’t want to come off any ruder than I already was. The smell of flowers hit my nose as I stood by her desk. I was becoming enamored with that smell.
“I’ll be out for an extended lunch. Hold my calls, take my messages, and review the documents I sent you through your email. I need some contracts typed out,” I said quickly, barely giving her time to look up at me before I was on my way down the corridor.
Interacting with Nicole felt like a minefield right now. I looked forward to the peace of the squash courts.
The building that housed our courts was a short walk from the office, so I left the car behind and took my time breathing in the fresh air of the city. The taxi from the night before came back to mind. I really needed to talk to Nicole, but how would I approach the exorbitant taxi bill she’d cost me if I couldn’t say anything about the night before.
I’d forgotten to pre-book a squash room, but thankfully, other people had better things to do this Friday afternoon than throw and hit a ball at the wall. I was let into an open room while I waited for Joel.
The rooms were simple and clean, boxed in with walls of varying height for our game. I took out my racket and bounced the ball from the floor to my racket when the door opened.
