“You’re very peculiar, Delilah.”

“I’m just a woman, Nathan. Nothing special,” I replied before focusing back on his computer.

“Do you have to do that?” My teeth were grinding after almost five minutes of pen clicking from my new office mate. The sound was so loud it was echoing off the walls, distracting me from the contract in front of me.

Nathan continued his assault on the pen’s button. “It’s my thinking tool.”

I glared at him. “Well, your thinking tool has me thinking about all the ways I could harm you with it.”

He stared back at me, defying my request and clicking it again. “That time of the month, Palmer?”

“You’re an ass**le. Get back to work.” I forced my attention back down to the papers in front of me.

“Which leads me to the question: what have you been doing for the past four months?”

Death wish. He had one.

I knew the blood vessel on my forehead had to be protruding from the annoyance and anger he was eliciting. It had been three days since he began, and Vivian was looking like a ray of sunshine compared to him. I swear he was trying to get under my skin, provoking me. I just wanted to know why.

“Hi, guys!” A feminine voice called from the door.

I wanted to scream.

Women had been coming in all week to “introduce” themselves to Nathan. The amount of cle**age I’d seen that week alone was more than I’d seen in the entirety of my life, and I had br**sts. They all had me wondering if every woman in the office bought a whole new wardrobe full of low neck collars the night after he started.

I was also about ready to snap. Nothing was getting accomplished with their constant interruptions.

I watched for a moment as Kelly flirted with him. My nose wrinkled in distaste, wondering if I’d ever be able to tolerate him, and if he’d ever stop baiting me.

He was a good lawyer, but it didn’t excuse his after-hours activities presenting themselves in my office during business hours.

He was hot; there was no denying that. I could agree with them there. I was a single, straight woman, not blind, deaf, and dumb.

Nathan smiled at Kelly. “What can I do for you?”

My hand was resting on my stapler. I resisted the strong urge to chuck it at his head while I stared him down.

He was encouraging them, causing me to want to strangle him. There was a witness, and I valued my freedom, so that plan was a no-go. If I was going to take him out, it wouldn’t be at the office. Maybe some dark alley late at night, where I wouldn’t get blood all over my desk.

With my annoyance at its limit, I got up and headed out, leaving what was bound to be a peep show. I was almost running as I muttered about refilling my coffee.

Upon entering the break room, I heaved a sigh at the sight of the empty coffee pot. Oh well, it meant fresh coffee for me and more time away from him.

“Hi, Lila! How are things going with Nathan today?” Caroline, my one friend and ally, asked in a teasing tone. I’d told her all about the situation with the ass**le. The smile on her face faltered when she saw my expression. “Homicide is not an option.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at her dead-on comment. “Are you sure about that, Carrie?”

“Yes. The Boob-Squad still coming around?”

“Boob-Squad member number seven is in my office as we speak.” I plastered a fake smile on my face, attempting the best impersonation of them I could muster.

Boob-Squad was the name Caroline had bestowed upon all the women who now seemed to have a route past our – my and Nathan’s – office.

She attempted to reassure me. “I’m sure it’ll get better. Everything has an adjustment period, right?”

I laughed at her optimism. “Sure, why not? Maybe hell will freeze over as well?”

I watched the coffee pot fill up, and pulled it from the burner before it finished. I wished her a good afternoon with my now full cup in hand, and turned to head back. As I left, she begged me not to end up in jail, but I couldn’t make her any promises.

When I returned, Boob-Squad number seven was nowhere to be found, and I let out a sigh of relief.

“Which girl do you have your sights set on?” I took my seat, caffeine injection number five for the day in hand.

“Excuse me?”

“Which one? They’ve all been vying for your attention; wondering which one of them you’ll pick to screw first. I’m amazed they’re throwing themselves at you, not even caring about their jobs.”

“You’re talking about the non-fraternization policy.”

“Holloway is very strict on it now, ever since the Antonio and Karen incident. Lots of drama and problems there as a result. So, now they get rid of one or both parties. That’s why it surprises me so many of them are willing to give up their jobs for your junk.”

His face lit up with that smirk which made me – and every other woman in the office – wet. “I do have pretty impressive junk.”

I snorted, rolling my eyes. “Please.”

“Do I need to prove it to you?” He stood, hands at his belt buckle, pulling the leather through the first loop.

I hid my eyes behind my hand. “Keep it in your pants, Casanova.”

“I’m surprised you care about them.”

“I don’t.”

“Then don’t worry. One of the reasons I agreed to come here was because of their strict enforcement of no office fraternization. I thought it would keep them away, but it doesn’t seem to be enough.” He sighed, his expression becoming dark; turbulent.

“Do you want me to throw you a pity party because women are throwing themselves at you?”

My eyes widened at the look on his face. His eyes were now dead, holding none of the light and humor they did a moment before. The smile fell from my face. The arrogant look I’d been viewing over the last few days was gone. His playful glint replaced with tortured darkness. My jaw slackened as the atmosphere changed.

“They should all stay away from me.” His voice was barely above a whisper as he spoke, right before getting up and leaving.

I couldn’t help but stare after him for a few moments before my gaze moved back to the work in front of me. A shiver ran through me as realization dawned.

There was much more to Nathan Thorne than what appeared on the polished surface.

CHAPTER 2