“Everyone who works on this magazine will be listed on the contents page,” Griffin says. “Now, writers, get to work. The rest of you, see your mentor for your assigned jobs.” He smiles, looking only at me, pride radiating from his expression. “You are dismissed.” Without another word, he leaves the room.
All the writers go off to work on their assignments. The legal team and the art department also leave—everyone but Carolyn.
I stand and grab my belongings.
“Well, isn’t that nice of Mr. Karlsson?” Carolyn says.
“Hmm?” I ask, turning to face her.
“I just think it’s weird, is all. You come in with a sunburn, and he comes in with a fresh tan. You get to be editor-in-chief of the magazine you’ve been working on exclusively with him. Sounds to me like someone is sleeping with the boss.” She winks. “Kudos to you. I mean, I would’ve jumped at the opportunity, too.”
My mouth drops open. “I am not sleeping with the boss.” I cross my arms over my chest. “How dare you even say that? I mean, I could say that you slept with the owner of the hotel to get this internship, but I haven’t.”
“I haven’t been caught behind closed doors with him all alone, now have I?”
“What are you even talking about?” I ask, anger pushing me to do or say something to make all this go away.
“Chase told us about when he went into his office. You two were all alone, and you both had guilty looks on your faces.”
I laugh. “So you’re listening to Chase now? The guy who tries to sleep with everyone he can while he’s engaged?”
“Chase doesn’t have a reason to lie. You do,” she points out.
I bite my lower lip and think up a quick response. “Chase has every reason to make up a rumor about me. Think about it before you go accusing people, Carolyn.” Without another word, I step out of the conference room and rush to the elevator.
I take the few seconds I have alone to calm down. When the doors open and I step out into the lobby of Griffin’s office, I freeze as I watch a blonde with long, tan legs walk through his open door.
Without thinking, I walk up to his secretary. “Mary, I’m needing something out of Mr. Karlsson’s office, but I just saw someone go in. Is this not a good time?”
She looks up at me with a smile, completely oblivious to what’s going on. “Not now, dear. Mr. Karlsson has a meeting with Ms. Candice Adams.”
My head cocks to the side. “Candice? His ex?”
She holds her finger to her lips. “Shhh, this meeting is supposed to be a secret. If Vincent catches word that she’s here, he’ll blow up after everything she’s put Griffin through.”
I nod once, but a sinking feeling hits my gut like a brick. I turn to leave.
“Would you like me to tell Mr. Karlsson you were here?” she asks behind me.
I stop and look over my shoulder. “No, thanks. I’ll just come back later.” I force a smile so she doesn’t pick up on anything, but inside, jealously rears its ugly head.
Chapter 16
Griffin
“Is everything okay?” I ask as I watch El quietly pick at her food on the opposite end of the table.
“Huh? Oh, everything is fine,” she says absentmindedly.
“You seem a million miles away.” I pick up my wine and finish off the glass. “To be honest, I thought you’d be acting much happier than you are. I mean, you did land the title of editor-in-chief of the magazine.”
She rolls her eyes. “Yeah, because I’m sleeping with you.”
“Janelle? How could you even say that? You know you’re the most qualified.”
“Am I?” She looks up, meeting my eyes, but something is off. “I mean, even Carolyn could pick up on it. She knows about us. At least, she thinks she knows. I did my best to shoot it down, but who knows what she believes?”
“Carolyn?” I ask, trying to catch up.
She nods. “Yep.” The ‘p’ makes a popping sound as it leaves her lips. “After the meeting this morning. I came to tell you, but didn’t want to interrupt your meeting.”
“My meeting?” Oh, my meeting with Candice. Fuck!
I take a deep breath and lean forward. “It’s not what you’re thinking, El.”
One eyebrow arches. “It’s not? Care to fill me in?”
I throw myself back in my chair, pick up my glass of wine, and finish it off. “I can’t right now.”
“You can’t right now?” she repeats.
I stand and walk to the drink cart, pouring myself a stronger drink and tossing it back. I pour another and take it back to the table with me, but this time, I sit at her side instead of at the end of the table. “You have nothing to worry about, El,” I breathe out, praying she believes me.
“Then tell me what’s going on. She’s your ex, and she came to your office today. You were in a room alone with her. And don’t think I didn’t notice her stripper heels or leather skirt. I mean, who dresses like that?” She stands and begins pacing.
I hold up my hands, showing her my palms. “Janelle, I’ve never given you a reason to doubt me. Please, don’t start now. I will tell you everything the moment I can.” I stand directly in front of her, placing my hands on her shoulders. “Please, there is nothing going on between us romantically. Everything that’s happening is work-related, and it’s time-sensitive. The moment everything is ready to come out in the open, I’ll tell you everything. I swear.”
Her facial expression softens and her shoulders visibly fall with relief. “You promise? If you want out of this,” she motions between the two of us, “just tell me. I’ll go. I will. I won’t put up a fight or try ruining things for you at work. I’ll just…go.”
I pull her against my chest. “Of course I don’t want you to go! I’ve meant everything I’ve ever said to you. Candice and I are done. It’s you and me now. Please believe that.”
Her sad green eyes meet mine and she slowly nods. “Okay. If you say it, I’ll believe it.”
“There’s nothing between Candice and me. I want you and only you.” Slowly, I lean in for a kiss, testing the waters.
Her lips are tight and stiff at first, but then all her resolve falls away and she gives in to me. Her lips soften, moving with mine and allowing me the entrance I’m demanding. Her body molds to mine when I pull her flush against me. Our kiss deepens, and I pick her up, carrying her to the bedroom.
Placing her on her feet, we strip each other of our clothing before I walk her backwards, into the bathroom. Stepping into the shower, I break the kiss long enough to turn on the water, then I press her back against the wall as I pick her up and slide deep inside, right where I’ve been craving to be all day.
Our time away wasn’t nearly long enough.
Oh, how I’d love to whisk her away and stay locked up with her for eternity.
Her fingers thread into my hair, pulling me closer as she deepens the kiss. Using one hand, I position myself at her entrance and push my way back inside her over and over again. She gasps every time we connect, and she clamps her muscles around my cock like she never wants it to leave her. If it were up to me, it wouldn’t.
I wake up to my phone ringing. I roll to my side and grab it off the bedside table.
“Hello?” I answer in a whisper, trying not to wake El.
“Grif, I can’t do this,” Candice says, panic flooding her voice.
“Calm down, Candice,” I whisper, pushing myself from bed and into the bathroom. I close the door behind me and flip on the light. “There’s nothing to worry about.”
“Everything is on the line for me. You don’t understand.”
“I do understand. You fucked up, but you’re making up for it all. I won’t let anything happen to you. You know that. It’s time to make things right.”
She takes a long breath. “I’m sorry for interrupting. I didn’t mean to bother you. I’m just worried. I don’t want her to find out. Not before it’s time, anyway. It’s just that, I know she saw us together today.”
“Who cares? She doesn’t know anything for sure. When she asked me about it, I sold it. She believed my every word. There’s nothing to worry about,” I assure her.
“So, tomorrow? Lunch?”
“Tomorrow,” I agree.
“I’m staying at the Castille. Room 709…in case you forgot where you booked me,” she says with a sugary sweetness on her tongue.
“I’ll be there.” I hang up the phone and go back to bed.
The weeks pass quickly, and before I know it, the magazine is going to print. Only two weeks of the internship remain, and to me, that means only two weeks left to keep our relationship a secret.
We’ve managed to stay off everyone’s radar, even Carolyn’s. I’ve noticed sidelong glances from the group, like maybe she’s filled everyone in on her thoughts, but no one says anything, and I’m grateful. There’s no reason to make something of nothing. Sure, El and I are together, but El isn’t looking for a job and I don’t plan to hire her, unless she comes to me down the road and asks for a job, that is. For now, her plan is to go to grad school here in Chicago. It’s all she’s talked about these past two weeks since she received her acceptance letter. She’s also received several others all across the country, but has decided to stay in Chicago like she originally planned, and deep down, I pray that at least part of that decision has to do with me.
We haven’t talked about what we’ll do when this internship ends, but I hope that we’ll only grow closer as a couple. I’d love to have her move in with me, and maybe even one day get married and have children. I’d gladly give up my “big fancy house,” as she calls it, and trade it in for a small two-story home in the suburbs. Granted, that would make traveling to work a bit more of a commute, but I’d do anything if it meant she’d be mine and only mine for the rest of my life.
It’s Friday night and El plans on going out with the interns to celebrate the magazine going to print. Sadly, that means I’ll be all alone until she gets home. I’m lying on the bed, watching her move about the room, getting dressed and fixing her hair. Over these past couple weeks, she’s been staying here more and more, to the point that she now has her own space in the closet and bathroom.
I kick back and watch as she pulls on a skintight black dress. The dress ends high on her thigh and shows enough cleavage to make me salivate. When she bends down and pulls on a pair of heels, the dress rides up another inch. Her long blonde hair is hanging down her back in soft curls, and she’s wearing a deep red lipstick, making her lips appear fuller and more juicy than they already are.
She turns to me with a smile. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Stay home,” I beg, readjusting my growing erection.
She giggles and rolls her eyes. “I can’t,” she breathes out. “I haven’t gone out with the group in weeks. There are only two weeks left in this internship. I have to go. These last few weeks, I’ve shacked up with you, and they’re growing more suspicious of us. If nothing else, I can go and get them off my back.”
I stand and close the distance between us. Placing my hand on her hip, I pull her against my body. “You look too good to go out without me. You’ll end up with a line of men waiting in line for you.”
She rolls her eyes. “It doesn’t matter, because all I want is you.”
“Can I kiss you?” I whisper, leaning in, afraid that I’ll mess up her lipstick.
“You have to ask?”
With that, I press my mouth to hers and kiss her like it’s the last time I’ll ever kiss her. I want her to remember this kiss when she’s out there with men falling over themselves for her attention. I want her to be able to close her eyes and feel my lips against hers. I want the taste of me on her tongue for the rest of the night.
She pushes me away when we’re both breathless and I’ve managed to press her against the wall. “I have to go. But when I get back, how about we pick up where we left off?” she asks with an arch of her brow.
“I’ll be here waiting,” I whisper, going in for one last kiss.
Chapter 17
Janelle
I manage to leave the house in the Mercedes after refusing to take the limo a hundred times. The last thing I need is for the interns to see me in a limo and put two and two together. I give the driver directions to the club, but ask him to park a block away because all the interns know I don’t have a car of my own, and they definitely know I don’t have the kind of money that’s needed to pay my own personal driver.
He stops the car a block away and lets me out. I thank him and step out onto the sidewalk. It only takes a few minutes to get to the club, and I find everyone but Chase gathered around one table. I step up to Carolyn and wave hello to everyone.
“Where’s Chase?” I whisper in her ear.
Her eyes grow wide. “Since the weekend his fiancée caught him cheating, he’s been MIA socially. And did you happen to notice he wasn’t in this morning’s meeting?”
I think back to this morning. Now that she mentions it, I did notice. I was just preoccupied at the time—too busy watching Griffin to notice. “Yeah, now that you point it out, he wasn’t there. What’s up with him? It’s not like him to miss a meeting.”
“His fiancée broke up with him, and since he was only here because of her—living in her apartment that her dad pays for—he had to quit the internship and move in with his parents.”
My mouth drops open. “That’s terrible.”
Her nose wrinkles. “Terrible? That’s one more open spot for one of us.”
“Where do his parents live?” I ask, suddenly feeling ill.
“About three hours north, in God-knows-where Wisconsin,” she answers, picking up the pitcher and filling her glass. She looks over at me, silently asking if I’d like some.
I wave it away.
“Are you okay? You’re not looking very good.”
I shrug. “I don’t know. I just got really nauseated for some reason.”
Her eyes widen. “It was probably those nasty sandwiches we all had for lunch. Who knows how long they’d been on that cart. What kind did you get?”
“Egg salad,” I answer. Just thinking about that sandwich makes my mouth water like I’m going to vomit.
“Did you eat it all? I heard one person down on the first floor left work early after eating lunch. It’s a miracle we all don’t have food poisoning.”
“I only ate about half of it. It just didn’t taste right. I thought it was just me.”
“Not good, girl.” She shakes her head.
“Excuse me.” I quickly run to the restroom, needing to empty my stomach. I’ve felt slightly off all day…since I ate that sandwich, now that I think of it. But now, it’s not just an icky feeling—it’s overwhelming. I’m sure the smell of alcohol mixed with all the sweaty bodies crammed in this little club hasn’t helped matters. My skin feels hot and sticky as I double over and empty the contents of my stomach.
When the wave of nausea subsides, I stand and rinse my mouth. Placing my hands on either side of the sink, I examine myself in the mirror. There are dark circles under my eyes, and my cheeks seem hollow. My skin is now covered in a sheen of sweat, and I’m slightly pale.
I head back to the group and tell them all goodbye, no longer able to stay up on my feet. Instead of calling for the car to return, I grab an Uber that’s nearby and have it take me back to my place. I don’t want Griffin to see me this way, or feel obligated to take care of me.
When I walk in, Sam is in the kitchen.
“Hey, it’s me!” I yell so she’s not scared about who just walked into the apartment. I walk straight to my room and start stripping out of my tight dress and heels.
Sam sticks her head in my room. “Hey, you’re home early. I thought you were staying with Griffin again this weekend.”
“I was going to, but I had a work thing to go to, and got sick. It must have been that egg salad sandwich. Stupid sandwich cart,” I grumble.
She giggles and walks into my room,
sitting on the foot of my bed. I notice her gaze off at something on my wall, and I turn around quickly to see if there’s a giant spider about to attack me. All I see is my calendar, a month behind because I’ve been so busy with work and Griffin that I forgot to change it. Something on the calendar catches my attention: the giant red dot I drew on the twenty-second of last month.
We look at each other at the same time.
“It’s not possible, is it?” she asks, panic covering her face like she’s the one who missed her period.
I scoot myself up the bed into a sitting position. Mentally, I begin counting back. “I’ve just been so busy,” I mumble.
“Have you missed a pill?” she asks.
I bite my bottom lip. “I did about a month and a half ago, but I doubled up the next day like I was supposed to.” Panic washes over me. It makes my heart pound and sweat pour from my skin.
“You have to take a test.” She stands and rushes to her room. She’s back within a minute, tossing it to me. “Go! Now!”
I quickly grab the test and bolt to the bathroom. My hands are trembling as I try to open the box. Finally, I give in and rip it open with my teeth. I’m so nervous, I’m about to pee my pants, but I squeeze my thighs together until I’m in position.
I place the test on the counter, wash my hands, and open the bathroom door.
“Well?” she asks, leaning against the open door.
“I don’t know yet,” I mumble, not pulling my eyes away from the white stick.
Slowly, the minutes tick by, and gradually, two pink lines appear.
In a panic, I fall to the floor and gather the shredded box. On my knees on the bathroom floor, I piece it back together until I can see the directions.
I look up at Sam. “Two lines means positive,” I admit.
She gasps and covers her mouth with her hand. “What are you going to do?”
Tears fill my eyes and fall down my overheated cheeks. I can’t think. I can’t talk. I can’t move. I can do nothing but cry.
Claimed By Him: (Contemporary Romance Box Set) Page 68
