Page 10 of The Mistaken Bet

Accountability has to be addressed as part of my daily tasks, Miss. Penner and has to be addressed subject to my contract. The chance of you being at reception at 6pm awaiting my arrival is 100%.

Mr Marshall

Well, I didn’t like being forced into meeting with him after work hours, and my backbone retaliated and straightened in defence. I had already had a shock as it was today, the cocky shit. My body hummed for his touch, but I wouldn’t be the girl that went running. I wanted more.

Subject: Analysis of recent probability

Mr Marshall, unfortunately, since you have not disclosed how your conclusions were reached and have not provided me with the required data, I am declining your proposal and will not be present.

Miss. Penner

With my hands placed against the desk, I pushed back, praying that the chair wouldn’t scrape against the tiled floor and cause a set of loaded eyes to fix on me. I yearned to escape the room and freshen my appearance before a certain man opened that inbox message and caused havoc. My gut screamed that this wasn’t over yet.

I knew where to go and grabbing the file that had been left for me, I walked out of the room without a second glance back.

Chapter9

Logan

It hadn’t taken long to find her email address located within the system. It was quite easy really: each colleague was filed under their departments. The name Penner had a beautiful ring to it. I hadn’t the guts to have stood next to her and discussed everything, but behind the keyboard, I was a warrior, writing my unspeakable thoughts through typed letters.

I enjoyed the bantered messages flying between our inboxes. She had sass, I gave her that, and she appealed to me more and more by the minute. I rearranged myself, easing the strained tension against the seams of my trousers.

The little envelope appeared, alerting me to another message in my inbox. My heart raced at the idea she might finally be admitting that she would indeed be waiting for me that evening so we could clear the air, but as I double read the message, everything crashed around me. Talk about being blown about of the water. My head lifted up and I gazed longingly at her desk, realising she had taken off.

I whispered, “You can try to hide from me, but you can’t run, baby.”

I hadn’t addressed the reason behind the actions of that night, and they were eating me up inside. I knew she was probably unsure of how I would react to her message. To be honest, I felt calmer than I probably looked at the moment. At least Daniel was preoccupied helping Alan so wouldn’t have been able to see the mixed feelings I was displaying all over my face.

I escaped the confined room as quickly as I could and prepared my psyche for a conversation that I hadn’t planned to have until later but that now couldn’t wait another minute. Kara Penner needed my words and I needed hers.

I walked past the fourth door on the corridor and backtracked, recognising the pinned up, rich, chocolate brown hair and curved hips. The tension in the air crackled and fizzed as I took a decision from the abyss of my mind and ran with it. My feet walked forward, I barged into the room and shut the door behind me before locking it and startling away her from her task.

“Stop running away,” I growled in a deep voice I wouldn’t have recognised as my own had it not left my own mouth. I ran my hands through my hair in frustration, unsure where else to placed them.

“I…” She seemed to struggle to pull the words she desired from the depths of her voice.

“I… What? Think we need to talk?” I queried as she shook her head and backed up against the photocopier.

She bit on her bottom, red-painted lip and tugged it between her teeth. “No,” she whispered into the air.

I took a leap, stepping forward and closing the gap between us, causing her breath to hitch.

With a hair’s breadth between us, I leaned my face into her neck and slowly teased upwards until I reached her ear, whispering seductively, “Well can I kiss you?”

“Why?” She asked trembling at my touch.

“Because… I need you.” I uttered against the curve of her collarbone.

“Mmm, take control Logan, we’ll deal with the rest later.” Her eyes glistened with dark desire.

“Okay…”

With our resolve broken, I caged her in with my arms either side of her. She let a whimpered squeal escape as I placed her arse on the opened photocopier and fanned her skirt around her.

“A little memento for later on.” I hit the copy button and saw the machine come to life, scanning those globes my hands were desperate to squeeze and massage.

The fire burned deeper between us and before the machine had finished, she grabbed my tie and wrapped it in her petite fist.