Chapter 11

Kendal

I glanced down at my phone as it buzzed, and responded to Dana's messages as Heather sat across from me, watching me with interest that I couldn’t return. She was a huge contributor to the depravity Damon and I let ourselves get sucked into the belly of in college. Where I wouldn't change much, I sure as fuck didn't want to relive any of it.

A smile lifted my lips at Dana's confession of wanting to take out a gallon of ice cream. I'd have my man card taken if I mentioned that I'd done just that on several occasions.

"You like her." Heather's tone was almost playful.

I glanced up. "Yeah. She's a great lady. I'm looking forward to getting to know her better."

"And she's aware of your appetites?" She licked her lips and lifted her eyebrows.

"I'm not who I was, Heather. I don't have appetites."

"Shame, really." She reached toward my desk and slid a piece of paper around in a slow circle. "You're being stubborn for no reason at all. I know you're not seeing anyone. I'm not either. It's a damn shame to not take advantage of us being single together."

"And why would we degrade each other by fucking like rabbits when we have no desire at all to be in a relationship with each other?" I tucked my phone into my pocket as I tried to work through how I was going to get out of the room unscathed. The woman before me had been such a good pet, such a plentiful whore to me only six short years before.

"What does a relationship have to do with any of it, Kendal?" She got up and walked around to my side of the desk before resting her perfect ass against it and lifting her beautiful leg as she dragged her foot up the side of my leg, under the folder resting on my lap and by my sack.

I grabbed her ankle and stifled a groan, biting my lip and glaring at her.

"Don't."

"Why not?" She leaned forward, pressed her knee to my chest as I slid my fingers over the top of her heel and tried not to envision the night we could have together. I didn't want a woman beneath me for just a night. If I was going to try again, it was going to be something long-term, something pure and right that I didn't have to feel like shit over.

"Because, I'm not interested." I leaned over and put her foot back on the floor as she slipped her fingers through my hair and gripped tightly.

"I doubt that's the truth. You might be a little gun shy because of all the shit that's happened to you while you've been here, but you're interested."

I swatted her hand away from me and stood to my full height, tired of her games. I reached out and gripped the base of her pretty neck and leaned against her.

"I would think you had grown tired of being a slut." I breathed in deeply, letting the scent of her perfume and arousal work its way down into my lungs. I wasn't with anyone. Dana was just a pretty girl I wanted to know, but it was futile, wasn't it? She had a man already. Who the fuck was I kidding anyway? She wouldn't want a man like me anyway. I was far too damaged for a hopeful young woman with the world laid out before her.

Heather’s hands slid down my sides and over my hips to grip my ass roughly. "I love being your slut. You know just where to touch me, how hard to fuck me."

"Stop." I slid my hand down her chest, between her ample breasts and stepped back. Every part of me wanted to tear her skirt up her thighs and bend her over my desk for a long hard session of picking which hole would make her moan harder, but I couldn't. If I started down that path again, I'd be stuck there. I fucking hated that guy. "Get out."

"What? No way." She reached for my belt and tugged at it while cupping me with her free hand. "You're hard as a rock."

"I was sexting with my girl before you barged in. If you're here for a reason related to work, we can talk, but if you're here to offer yourself up, I'd rather you didn't bore me." I pulled her hand from my cock and walked around to the other side of my desk. "Close the door behind you."

"Kendal. You're being ridiculous."

"No, you are. You come into my place of employment and hike up your skirt like we're still fucking kids who act like nothing matters but our next high. I'm a grown-ass man. This is my life. This is what matters most to me. Not you..." I pointed to my phone as anger burned through me, "not her. Nothing. No one but this job. It's what I've wanted my whole life. If you're not here to respect that, then get the fuck out."

She laughed and walked toward the door. "You just fucked up big time."

"No, I didn't, but thanks for the threat. I already spoke with Mark today about your bull shit, so expect him to call you into his office soon. Sexual harassment goes both ways, Heather."

"I call your bluff." She opened the door and paused to look over her shoulder. "You'd never call attention to me."

"And why's that?" I put my hands on my hips, hating that she was right. I'd have to go to Mark now that I'd said I'd done it already. There was nothing worse than letting her know she got to me.

"Because that would fling wide the door to the past and the last thing you want is for them to dig just a little into the sorry bastard you were before you walked across that big ass stage and got your ticket to a cleaner life, right? You're still that guy, and I'm going to prove it." She slammed my door so hard that the pictures shook on the walls.

"Fuck." I ran my fingers by my lips and tried to swallow the need pulsing through me. I hated myself for wanting her, but it wasn't some longing for her specifically, but for someone - shit, anyone.

I was in no mood to try and play it safe around Dana tonight, but letting her down sounded far worse than suffering myself. I could get through the night. She had a man, and she was going to New York. I just needed to keep those two things in mind and we would be good.