Page 24 of Defensive Hero

“I should get back to work,” she whispers, pulling back from the embrace. “I bet the coffee is cold now, but you should eat the buttercream cake. I’ll get you a fresh cup of coffee later.”

I help her down from the desk and button up her shirt as she straightens up her skirt. There is a pleased smile on her face that I can only hope will stay there the rest of the day until I take care of the storm, I am sure is brewing.

I love you.

It’s at the tip of my mouth to make that confession, but I hold back. I need to clear everything up before I can fully offer my heart to the girl.

Soon.

Chapter Nine

Sandy

I find myself smiling at random times during work. One moment I will be going through a police report about a guy who is being charged for armed robbery in the next town, and the next, I have my face buried in my palms, giggling like a school girl.

I’m in love.

I haven’t felt anything like this…ever.

It’s been over a week since Wilson and I started our…relationship. We still haven’t defined what we are doing, but I don’t mind. He calls me his good girl, and he’s Sir, the man who owns my body and my pleasure. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so happy or so settled. Though we haven’t fooled around in the office again, we have spent nearly every night together.

A part of me was always envious of my friends back in high school who fell in and out of love. They had relationships with multiple people throughout the years, sometimes even more than one at the same time, and all the while, I couldn’t make a connection with even one guy.

I tried. One time I agreed to have a work colleague set me up with her friend ,and during the date, there was no chemistry whatsoever. When he tried to kiss me, I jumped backand awkwardly offered him a handshake instead before hurrying home. Alone.

With Wilson, there is nothing like that.

The attraction was instant, and the first time he kissed me, I was practically vibrating with the need to feel the firm press of his lips against mine.

My first kiss belongs to my boss.

I shake my head to rid it of thoughts of the man and try to focus on the police report in front of me. Lover or not, Wilson is still my boss, and he will be expecting me to give him a full report of the case by the end of the day.

“Okay, Sandy, time to get back to work.”

I push a strand of hair behind my ear and turn back to the report, flipping to the next page only to realize I am missing one. I look around to make sure I didn’t just forget to staple it, but it’s nowhere to be found.

Huh, I must’ve forgotten to print the last page.

I consider sending the document to Wilson’s printer, but I know if I go in there, I’ll only distract us both, so I decide to use the one in the common area. I really should talk to someone about getting my own printer, seeing as almost every other assistant has one.

With a sigh, I send the last page of the report to the printer and get up to go grab it.

I expect the trip to last a few minutes, but something seems off when I step into the room. There are several people gathered in pairs or small groups gossiping, but the room suddenly falls silent when I walk in.

It’s odd, but I try not to let it bother me as I walk to the printer.

It is pretty obvious that whatever it is they are talking about, they don’t want me to hear, so I decide I might as well get out of here. Still, their silence and the looks they keep throwing my way unnerve me.

Don’t think about it. Just go.

So, I do that, except I don’t walk away when I leave the room. Something tells me whatever the staff was talking about concerns me one way or another. Is it another bet? Have I not shown everyone that I am determined to stay? I am damn excellent at my job, and I don’t plan on quitting anytime soon. It’s been over two weeks now, surely most of them have lost their bets.

The murmurs start again once the occupants are sure I have left, and I slowly catch what they are saying, horrified by what I hear.

“Oh my God, did you see her just now? I would never have expected such behavior from a girl like her,” says a somewhat familiar voice.

“No, she exactly seems like the type,” says another.