Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 36209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
“Seriously.” Lev is pissed. It’s not an act either.
“Babe, tell me.”
“Don’t babe me either.”
“Slipped out. My apologies, darling.”
“I’ll murder you in your sleep.”
“So you are going to share a bed again with me.”
“Fine, I’ll murder you right now.” My hold on her tightens.
“Please.” I try again.
“You just said that if you aren't allowed to bang your employees, then you need to let a few around here go.”
“That is not how I meant it.” Lev relaxes a touch in my arms. “I meant if employees weren’t allowed to sleep together, then there are a few couples that would have to be let go. I am aware of at least two such couples.”
“Oh.” She puffs out a small breath.
“No need to get jealous, Lev. I’m all yours.” Lev rolls her eyes, but I see the hint of a smile.
“Oh, shut up.” I run my fingers up and down her back, getting her to relax more. “Am I fired?”
“I thought you were trying to quit.”
“I need the job, I guess. Even though you kind of sorta tricked me.” Lev chews on her bottom lip. “But we’re friends.” She wiggles, trying to get free. I reluctantly let her go, for now. “So we need rules.”
“Rules?”
“I don’t know.” Her shoulders drop. “It sounded good.”
“You’re not my friend, Lev.” Never in a million years will I see her simply as a friend.
“Eros.” Lev lets out a sigh, sitting back down in the chair.
“Do you want me to lie to you?”
“Sure, I mean you already have.” I wince at that.
“It wasn't a lie.” Lev stares me down. “All right, call it what you want, but I knew if I told you who I was the other night, you wouldn't have been yourself with me. You wouldn't have offered me that dance or that kiss. Tell me I’m wrong.”
“I can’t.” She wrings her fingers together in her lap, and as badly as I want her, I want to put her worry at ease too. I don’t want this to come between us. I knew not telling her the other night was a double-edged sword.
“How about this? I’ll keep my hands to myself. I’ll let you lead.”
“Well, I’ll lead us to a nice friendship.” Lev’s chin turns up in defiance.
“Is that what you want?”
“It’s what I’m supposed to do.”
I lower myself to my knees, unwilling to loom over her at this moment. It’s damn difficult to not reach out and touch her.
“I want to give you what you want.”
“We don’t always get what we want, Eros.”
“All you have to do is ask.”
A half smile pulls at her lips. She is breaking my heart. “Friends, okay?”
I only stare at her. I already told her the deal. But then she holds her hand out for me to shake.
“Darling, I’m not—” I trail off when something catches my eye.
“You can’t call me darling. Unless you call everyone darling.” I gently grab Lev's forearm. “That’s not my hand.”
“I only call you darling.” I turn her arm. “What happened?”
“What?” Lev looks down at her arm. “Oh.” She jerks it back. “It’s nothing.”
“It doesn’t look like nothing, considering the bruise.”
“I’m like a peach. I bruise easily, and I run into crap all the time.”
“Now who’s the liar?” It takes every bit of control I have ever had to keep my temper at bay. My tone is soft.
“Eros.”
“Friends tell each other shit.” I interrupt her before she can tell me another lie.
“My father. He just grabbed me too hard.”
“Has he done that before?” She shakes her head no. I believe that. “Does he scare you?” I try to get some more information from her in another way. Her hesitation tells me all I need to know.
“He, ah—”
“How about we get you started for the day?” I stand, letting her arm go. A look of relief crosses her face that I’m not pushing. “I have to speak with Max and Julie, but Kate is going to show you around.”
“Right, okay.” Lev stands. I step back from her, going around my desk to sit down.
“Kate is normally in the bullpen.”
“Bullpen?”
“The center of the office where people work at times. She likes to keep her eyes on things.”
"All right." Lev hesitates, running her finger across my desk. “I guess I’ll see you later.” I give her a nod. She turns to go.
“Lev,” I call when she makes it to the door.
“Unblock me in case I need to reach you for some reason.” Lev merely nods once more before vanishing through my door, taking a piece of me along with her.
9
LEV
Why am I so disappointed that Eros agreed to the friends thing that allowed distance from me? That is, after all, what I wanted. If I am going to work here, we need to keep it professional. Being friends is the only way. I’m still kind of reeling from the fact that he’s my boss. Caleb did say he’d reached out to a friend about getting me a job.