His voice was low and steady as he said, “No.”

“Then why do you flirt with them?”

“Because I’ve found that being friendly makes people more apt to do what you ask without delay or complaint. You catch more bees with honey, Palmer.”

“Oh, that’s right, I forgot you’re the friendliest person in the world.” My voice was dripping with sarcasm. “Oh, wait, no…” I leaned forward and whispered so that no one except him could hear me, “You’re damaged and hiding behind a f**king mask.”

He snarled, leaning in closer. “You have no idea what the hell you’re talking about.”

He sat back, jaw tight as he focused back on the screen, his demeanor ending all conversation.

CHAPTER 6

He was in a foul mood the rest of the afternoon, but once in a while I found him looking at me again. Though I would almost call it a glare at that point. Kelly never made it back to continue her flirting, but she did stop by to tell me when my meeting was scheduled.

It was almost six when I finished up the contract I was working on, and it seemed Nathan was almost done as well. It wasn’t worth getting started on another one, so I decided to call it a night, packing up and heading to the elevator. I left him working, without saying goodbye or waiting.

It was just my luck, though, that when I was getting out of my car, his own pulled in three spots down from mine. I refused to acknowledge him as we entered the lobby. My eyes avoided Thorne as I greeted Mike, the night guard, and I stayed as far away as possible as I pushed the button to call for the elevator. The air around us was charged as we waited, making me anxious. The ping alerted us to the arriving elevator and we stepped on together, each hitting the button for our respective floors.

As the doors slid closed, I kept my eyes trained to the front, but in the smooth metal, I saw him lean down toward me. I held my breath.

His mouth stopped an inch from my ear, his voice low and mocking. “Were you jealous?”

I tried to hide how he affected me, but the small, jagged breath I took was a telltale sign. “No,” I replied, trying to keep my voice aloof and indifferent.

“You shouldn’t be. I don’t want them, and I don’t want you either.” His words stung, even though I knew why he said them: to push me away. “No,” he whispered even lower, his fingers reaching out to play with a stray lock of my hair, tortured tones replacing all others. “That’s not true, is it? I don’t want to want you, but I do. I f**king crave you, but I can’t…I can’t give in.” He stepped closer, and the current that passed between us grew stronger, want taking over every part of me. “Please, Lila, push me away.” His body leaned into mine, his lips running along the column of my neck. “Don’t let me take you again.”

He was so close I could breathe in his intoxicating scent. It made my legs shake and threaten to collapse out from under me. An inch apart was too far; I needed to feel him pressed against me.

“I can’t stop you, I want you too much.” I turned toward him, my hand resting on his chest. “You’ve given me a taste, and now I want more. I need more.”

I lifted my eyes to meet his. The longing I’d heard in his voice melted from his face and turned to anger.

“Fuck.” He backed away from me. “No. Don’t say that.”

I pulled on his tie, bringing his face down to mine, my lips ghosting his. We were so close. “You’re like a drug, and I’m going through withdrawal.” My tongue snuck out, lapping against his lips. “I need your help.”

My hand slid down, grasping his thick c**k through his pants. I was being forward, a trait I wasn’t used to, but figured it was because I knew he wanted me, and I needed him. He was reacting, his body rocking, pushing him harder into my hand as he released a deep breath, so I kept going. When his head lifted and his eyes met mine, heat rushed through me. His eyes were dark, wild, and clouded with lust, and I knew I was going to get what I wanted.

The elevator pinged, signaling we’d reached my floor. The war that raged within played out on his face. He wanted to follow me, but the part that was pushing me away, kept him inside. The doors started to close, separating us, and his eyes widened before jumping through to join me.

His hands gripped my waist, mouth latching onto my neck, pressing his erection into me as we walked down the hall to my condo. My body was lighting up with each step, the excitement of him soon being inside me, causing a flood in my panties. I was drunk on him.

My fingers fumbled with the lock, unable to get the key in due to the distraction of his chest molding to my backside. With a few more tries, the door unlocked and we stumbled through. I turned and his lips captured mine, walking me back until I was pinned against the wall. My hands wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him closer.

“I want your hands and lips on me. You’ve kept me waiting long enough, Mr. Thorne.”

“Fuck.” His teeth nipped at my jaw. “What about my cock?”

“I want it in my pu**y where it f**king belongs.” I wondered where my assertiveness was coming from. Who was the woman speaking through me?

“I’ll f**k you so hard you won’t be able to walk.” His voice was low and rough. “You make me so hard; you better be ready to work your ass off for my come.”

“More,” I begged. My hands worked at undoing the buttons on his shirt as his hands moved to my ass, pulling me harder against him and his cock. I whimpered, my head dropping to his chest, panting with my need for him.

He snickered. “Excited, my little whore? Yes, that’s what you are, letting me f**k you the way I do. You know that’s not good, letting me punish you. My c**k wants to be down your throat, inside your pu**y, and,” he paused, his grip on my ass tightening, “in your ass. You tease me with it every f**king day.”

I’d never done anything like that before—the idea was scary to me, but somehow I knew I’d do it…for him.

I was able to get his dress shirt unbuttoned, but when I went to untuck the undershirt, he stopped me, moving my hands further down to his belt instead. Odd, but I didn’t ask. As soon as the zipper was down, I slid my hand in and wrapped it around his hot, silky cock. I pumped him a few times before I moved to my knees, lowering his pants as I went. I leaned forward, my tongue peeking out, and licking around the head before taking him into my mouth.