“Yes, you’re number one in the Boob-Squad.”

“Says who and why?” My hands reached out to grab his perfect ass, hovering in front of my eyes.

He cried out my name in surprise, smacking my ass before answering. “Because you show me a hell of a lot more of your tits than they do. Way more of them, and way more often.”

We reached my bedroom and he dropped me down onto the bed, his body crashing on top of mine. His hands roamed up my arms, moving them, pinning them above my head. The bulge in his pants was being pressed into my hot center, right where I wanted him. My hips tilted upward to grind against him, resulting in a hiss before his hooded eyes came within mere inches of my own. Neither one of us could stop smiling for the next several breaths as he continued to nestle himself between my thighs and rock me a little back and forth.

Then the mood shifted as his eyes darkened.

“Something you want, baby?” His voice was low and husky, and I shivered at his question. I lifted my hips in response, earning another small hiss. “Words, Delilah. Tell me in words what you want.”

“Kiss me,” I replied, wanting to feel his lips against mine, to taste him.

“Where?”

My breathing picked up, hips rocking.

“Everywhere,” I whispered, unable to get any other sound out.

His lips crashed into mine, his tongue sliding in and tasting me.

Sex was where we felt safe; where we knew each other. Nothing else seemed to matter when we took a hold of each other that way. I didn’t have to worry about Caroline, about the next day at the office. None of it mattered because I was with him and we both had what we wanted. There was sanity in the chaos. And breath back in my body.

He released my lips, his eyes staring into mine with a softness that had my heart hammering. “I meant it you know.”

My eyes fluttered at the soft caress of his fingers moving along my cheek and down my neck. “Meant what?”

“When I told Caroline how beautiful and sexy you are.” His lips ghosted across mine before his eyes scrunched in pain and he shook his head. “I don’t know how anyone could ever tell you different, but they were wrong. Believe me, baby, they were so wrong about it all. It kills me and pisses me off to no end to know that there are more of their lies rattling around inside that head of yours.”

Tears welled in my eyes, and I had to look away. “You can’t know they were all lies.”

He cupped my cheek, bringing my gaze back up to his. “Yes, I can. I may be f**ked up beyond repair, but I can still see the truth. You deserve so much…you deserve a loving heart and a caring hand, understanding and kind words to erase the false ones.”

My heart clenched, a tear releasing from my eye and rolling down my cheek. The sincerity in what he said took me by surprise. My arms wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him closer as I buried my face into his neck, a small sob breaking free.

His arms wrapped around me like a secure blanket. He made soothing sounds as his hand brushed over my hair.

“It’s okay, Honeybear, I’ve got you.”

I didn’t know if he knew the implications of what he said, but I wanted all of it, and I wanted it with him.

CHAPTER 20

Later that week, thanks to the Boob-Squad, we became aware of the accused offenders of the alleged affair. Sadie from our accounting department and Will from tax law. They were not only hiding a relationship, but were expecting.

The story running rampant was Benjamin and his wife were at the OB/GYN for a checkup when they bumped into Will and Sadie. Benjamin’s wife told one of her friends about it who told another, who told another, and so on, before it ended up in one of the biggest office gossip’s ear. You didn’t tell Sheila, Mr. Holloway’s assistant, anything that you didn’t want spread around.

I felt bad for them, worrying about when the situation came to a head. I understood Holloway & Holloway’s policy and why it was in place. I was there during the Antonio and Karen blow up. The difference I found here was that Sadie and Will worked in separate departments and never interacted for work, while Karen had been Antonio’s legal assistant.

Mr. Holloway could amend it so that they could keep their jobs because they were in different parts of the business. I knew Jack was kind and just trying to protect his business and his employees, but if he couldn’t amend it for this couple, I knew there was no hope for Nathan and I. Either way, we would be separated at work, both of us fired for our indiscretion.

I feared that day.

Even though I couldn’t express my feelings for him at the office, just having him near soothed me. Thinking about not having him there was enough to almost send me into a panic. I wanted to be near him.

Always.

I was amazed how fast time moved since Nathan had come into my life. Two weeks had passed since Caroline had joined in on our little secret. She’d been doing a great job hiding the fact that she knew anything was going on. In fact, she joined in with me against Nathan and the Boob-Squad in our less than friendly, sarcastic banter in the office, and then laughed all through lunch about the reactions.

I think she was having way too much fun, but that’s what made it great because Nathan would laugh at night about the things Caroline had said during the day.

Nathan laughing was something I wanted to encourage as much as possible. I couldn’t wait to tell him that night that Caroline had called Tiffany a “street-walker-wannabe,” due to the outfit she had picked out that day.

I shuffled the groceries, setting them on the floor of the elevator as I stripped off my suit jacket, revealing the tank top beneath. I sighed as the cool air hit my heated skin.

I hated having to hide my arms, but the bruises…I knew people wouldn’t understand.

While folding my jacket over my arm, I leaned down to riffle through my purse in search of my keys. I found them just in time for the elevator doors to open and picked everything back up. I twisted the key in the lock and made my way inside, kicking the door closed with my foot.

The sound of voices could be heard as I walked to his kitchen to put the bags down. It didn’t sound like the television and one of the voices I was certain was Nathan’s.

“Nathan?” I called out.

There was a pause and some more mumbled words before his voice rang out. “In the living room.”

I crossed the hall and turned the corner before stopping dead in my tracks.