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My hands co theain I skim across where I know her nipples are, frustrated by her blouse and bra I want to tug and pinch those beauties until they’re two sharp peaks Her , and I raise my chin

It’s never been like this I’ve never been like this I’ve never felt so er and lust

"Dre, I can’t do this I love Billy," she pants

Her confession doesn’t affect me like you’d think it would Mostly because she still has one hand on my cock when she says it Her actions speak the co ood, Kate Fine Love Billy Marry Billy Just please…God…please just fuckDon’t even know if I’ht and one only dru ain But instead of her lips…I make contact with her palin brisk, rapid pants

And then I see her eyes And I feel like I just took a wrecking ball to the chest Because her eyes are ith panic…and confusion I try to say her name, but it’s muffled by her hand

I hear a sob in her voice as she says, "I can’t do this, Drew I’m sorry Billy…this job…this isAnd suddenly,hard-on are all pushed to the backburner, behind the overwhel will be all right

Anything I’ll say anything to take that look off her face

But she doesn’t give me the chance The moment she takes her hand off one before I can draw a breath I should go after her I should tell her it’s okay that she put the brakes on That this hasn’t--and won’t--change anything Though that’s one big fat lie, and we both know it, don’t we?

But I don’t follow Kate And the reason is si up at you?

No?

Well, it’s damn near impossible

I collapse onto the couch and rest e ofas si complicated? I don’t know either

Christ, I’m so hard I want to cry--I’ll ad ache inout and finding a substitute for Kate never even entersto admit

There is no substitute for Kate Brooks Not for me Not now

I look down at the tent indown any tiht

Chapter 8

THE NEXT DAY, Kate doesn’t come into the office until eleven o’clock I don’t need to tell you that this is unusual for her

She’s avoiding me I know this because I’ve done itover to the other side of the club when I happen to vaguely recognize one ofend of this? It sucks

I don’t get the privilege of speaking with her until then she coeous Her hair is pinned up in what Alexandra would call a French twist She’s wearing a black dress that flows out slightly at the knee, with h heels and a black blazer

She puts a sraphs shrunk down to notebook-size like we agreed "Okay You’re right You should lead with Anderson I’ll be second chair"

She talks like nothing ever happened Like she wasn’t quivering inme on fire with her hands in this very office just a few short hours ago She’s all business Completely unaffected And it pisses me off

Badly

Indifference is not exactly a reaction I’m used to from women Frankly, it’s a little hard to take

I feel o"

Now, if you haven’t guessed, I’s to death like so freak of nature But I expected soeht--of the attraction that’s still pulling at both of us I thought she would be the one to bring it up

She’s a woet is silence, I can’t help but push "Kate, about last night--"

She cuts ain"

Do you know anything about child psychology? No? Well here’s a lesson for you If you tell a kid they can’t do so to try and do the ? Exactly

Men are the saain But she doesn’t need to know that at the moment

"Okay"

"Good"

"Great"

She whispers, "Fine"

Fine’s a funny word, don’t you think? I don’t think there’s another like it in the English language that says soso little How many wives have told their husbands, "I’m fine," when they really mean, "I want to cut your balls off with a butcher knife"? How irlfriends, "You look fine," when they really y we’re just peachy--e’re really anything but