Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 147128 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 736(@200wpm)___ 589(@250wpm)___ 490(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147128 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 736(@200wpm)___ 589(@250wpm)___ 490(@300wpm)
‘I didn’t like the way he was talking to you.’
My heart melted a little. I gave him a small smile and crossed my arms against my chest so I wouldn’t be tempted to hug him. ‘I’ll get some work done. You go do what you need to do. Text me if you need me; I’ll be here. I need to make a few calls.’
He studied me for more than a few seconds, then, giving me a nod, he turned and headed towards his office.
I pushed my door open and took a seat behind my desk. My phone pinged with a new message.
William: I need you.
I looked up and found him looking at me from his office door.
Quickly, I texted back.
Charlie: I’m right here.
William: Good.
I watched as he turned around and headed towards where Stan and Trisha were working. So he really was going to make my dad wait.
Letting out a long and heavy breath, I turned on my laptop and picked up my phone right as I received a new text.
William: Check your book.
Then I remembered he had left me a note. I reached for it and found it in a heartbeat.
Meet me at the stairway in 1 hour. 19th floor.
* * *
An hour later, I was waiting exactly where William had asked me to. It’d already been a few minutes since I’d showed up, but he still hadn’t come. It helped that I knew nobody would be coming out of the door behind me, since the office space on the 19th floor was empty at the moment.
I paced on the small landing, then stopped as I heard a door open. The buzz of the office reached my ears for a second or two, then it was all quiet again. A few moments later, I heard footsteps. My heartbeat picked up at the sight of him. He came straight towards me, which did nothing to help my nerves. But the way his eyes tracked my every move, jumping from my eyes to my lips… and that hungry look…
I was done for, and I didn’t even mind.
He pressed my back against the wall, covering the back of my head with his hand, and rested his forehead against mine. Something settled in my stomach; I loved doing this. Slowly, he took another step and fitted his body against mine. His eyes closed, and he released a long breath.
‘Your dad is… something else.’
‘Is there something I can do?’
‘Just keep doing whatever you’re doing right now.’
I couldn’t not take in his features, and as I watched him let out another breath, all the signs of stress melted off his face and he gave me a soft smile.
‘You’re staring,’ he murmured, his other hand reaching for my waist and gently squeezing, as if that would make me stop.
‘Was I not supposed to?’ I raised my hands and placed one on his neck and the other atop his heart.
The smile tugged at the corners of his lips again. ‘I can do this all day.’
‘You okay?’ I couldn’t help but ask into our quiet little bubble.
‘I am now.’
His eyes opened and he took me in. He sighed as his hand came up and cupped my cheek with his palm.
‘I like this,’ he admitted. ‘I like this a lot, Charlie.’
‘Secretly meeting in stairways?’
‘That, yes, and having you in my arms like this.’
This time it was my turn to let my eyes fall closed and tilt my head.
‘Your turn to tell me something you like about me.’
He hummed right next to my ear, and a shiver worked its way down my body. I clutched at his shirt and slid my hand up to his neck to gently massage the tense muscles.
‘I love the feel of your hands on me in the dark hours of the night,’ he whispered, and my body swayed just a little. ‘I might love it even more than having my hands on you. And that should tell you something, because I can’t keep my hands off you.’
‘Will,’ I whispered, my body burning as bright as the stars in the night sky.
He leaned even closer, pulled his hand away from my head, and placed his palm against the wall, securely trapping me in. His lips brushed the shell of my ear, his stubbled cheek against mine, and he sneaked his hand to the small of my back, pulling me closer. Just like that, I could feel him hardening against me.
‘That’s another thing I like. That you call me Will whenever you’re half-lost in me. Coming from these lips…’ I felt the pads of his fingers move over my bottom lip, ‘you have no idea what it does to me.’
‘I think you like me very much.’
‘I think you’re right.’
‘Are you going to kiss me?’ I whispered, forgetting the rest of the world around us.
Even though I still hadn’t opened my eyes, I could feel his smile.