The next morning was uneventful, the whispers in the office about it being hump day causing everyone to chuckle and be inappropriate in hopes of garnishing a laugh. Bethany worked to avoid everyone, her thoughts depressing her further. She would have one more week before she needed to start working along with her classes. Her masters was important to her and would be needed in order for her to sit for her CPA certificate, but going back to a non-work environment seemed odd.

What would Krista and Jake be like around her? It was bound to be a bit awkward for a while. They were probably enjoying the week with her gone. Maybe she needed to think about getting a place of her own, away from campus, and just driving in for classes.

A knock at her door caught her off guard, a soft sound of surprise leaving her. She stood as a guy about her age waved, the smile on his face friendly, his eyes blue like the ocean.

"Sorry to scare you. I'm Philip, the newbie." He smiled and moved into the room, his accent putting him from Australia or somewhere far away. He extended his hand, and Bethany reached out to shake it, his grasp firm, his gaze moving around her face.

He was handsome, and his voice could melt chocolate, but she ignored all of that, her own emotions locked up in a battle over what to feel for Damon and what to seek counseling over.

"No problem. I was just deep in thought. I do that a bit too often." She smiled and pulled her hand back. "I'm Bethany."

"I've heard. There's a red-headed girl out to get you, I believe." He smirked and moved back toward the doorway, leaning against the frame and crossing his arms over his chest. His dark blond hair fit his tanned skin perfectly, the set of his jaw giving him a masculine appeal. He was probably just like Jake and used his rugged good looks to have women think the opposite. All guys were like Jake, except Damon.

"Sadie. Yes, she's a peach for sure."

"Says you’re dating the boss."

"Oh yeah? That's new to me." She shrugged. "We're all going dancing tomorrow night. You should come. Would be good to get to know everyone. I plan on doing so myself."

"So you'll be there?"

"I plan to." She smiled as someone tapped Philip on the shoulder, the voice soft and muffled. He looked back over at her and waved.

"Seems the boss wants to see me. I'll catch you later. Pleasure meeting you, Bethany."

He left, and she stood beside her desk, leaning over and putting her hands on the smooth surface. Why was an office setting so seductive? Was it the taboo of thinking about getting caught being intimate with someone at work? Was it the smooth, hard surface of the furniture that you might leave prints along, your evidence etched into the office?

She smiled at the thought, her expression changing drastically as she looked up to see Sadie standing in her door, her hand on her hip.

"So, just so you know. The new guy is mine."

Bethany stood up and moved toward the other girl, stopping beside her file cabinet and tilting her head as a smirk drew her lips up.

"The new guy, Philip?"

"Yes, Philip, you ogre. He's mine, and don't think for one minute whatever is going on with you and Damon matters. He uses everyone here. We've all had our turn in his lap." She smirked and looked out into the hall before turning to focus on Bethany. "Philip is mine. You can play with Damon until he's tired of you, but once that's done, no going after the new hottie in the office."

"And if I do?" Bethany asked, her voice soft and almost menacing.

"Then I'll make sure you lose your job here. Quite simple really. Kent thinks of me as a daughter. I'll tell him something about your ethics being a bit off, and you'll be gone. Try me on it; just don't come crying to me when the cards fall the way they will."

"Interesting. I think I'll leave my and Damon's love affair up to fate. I haven't sat on his lap, by any means, but he sure has bought me a lot of jewelry lately." She picked up the small heart on her chest and rubbed her fingers along the diamonds as she let her stare beat into the other girl.

"He does that to everyone."

"Doubt it."

Bethany turned and walked to her desk, reaching into her bag and beginning to pull out various cords. She ignored the other girl until Sadie huffed loudly and left. She was trouble and the kind that Bethany planned to dispose of. Damon was right about one thing—the girl would scream rape from the rooftop if she thought it would get her fifteen seconds of fame. Sad, really.

Bethany checked her watch, her appointment with Damon set for later in the day. She still had twenty minutes but hated to be late to anything. He would point it out if she wasn't early anyway. She stood up and stretched, walked down the hall and slipped into the bathroom to make sure she looked good for her meeting. After checking her teeth, she reached into her shirt and readjusted her breasts before tugging at the material of her navy-blue skirt to make sure it lay flat. Her white button-down shirt made her breasts look too big, but maybe that wasn't such a bad thing, seeing that she wanted to see him squirm like he had made her do since the moment they met.

She turned around and checked her back, a soft growl at the size of her butt. She hated it, and yet it seemed as though all of the guys on campus coveted big butts. Why, she'd never understand.

She walked to the elevator and took it up to Damon's floor. Linda was not to be found sitting at the large desk she usually occupied. Bethany walked around the small lobby for a few minutes before pressing her ear to Damon's door.

Nothing.

She walked around Linda's desk and looked at the flat desk calendar that lay on the woman's perfectly clean office space. Damon had nothing before her and nothing after her. Maybe he was in his office, and Linda had needed to leave. If he got angry with Bethany for coming in early, she'd just deal with it. He was going to be her brother, so whatever he threw at her would be invalid. Her excuse of wanting to be on time was more important than his tantrum over losing control of his calendar, thanks to her.

She knocked softly on the door, no sound coming from the other side. Pressing her ear to it, she heard the soft mumble of his voice and knocked again. She thought she heard him tell her to come in, but apparently, nothing could have been further from the truth.

Being careful to open the door quietly, she slipped her head in and looked toward his desk.

The vision of him seared into her memory. His eyes were closed, and his head was back as he sat in his chair. His hand bobbed up and down, his chest rising and falling much too fast for anything he should be involved in at the office. He bit at his lip as he whispered to someone.

Bethany wanted to shut the door, needed to close it and run. He had someone under his desk, and she could only imagine what the woman was doing.

As badly as she needed to go, her curiosity wouldn't allow her to. Her eyes moved down toward the top of the desk, and she saw a mop of blonde hair being pulled up, but only slightly. His hand was lost in someone's hair—a blonde. Linda?

Surely not.

He groaned softly and shifted, his hips gyrating forward as he opened his eyes, his focus on the door. A smile touched his mouth as Bethany caught his attention.

Her heart stopped in her chest, fear freezing her in place.

"That's it, baby. Take it all. Such a good girl, so talented to fit so much in your pretty little mouth. Suck harder, and let me fill you up."

He never took his eyes off of Bethany, his hips lifting again as Bethany moved back from the door. A soft moan echoed from the room as she moved back, and she heard the sound of her name on his lips as he beckoned the woman kneeling in front of him to do exactly what he told her to.

Bethany carefully shut the door, turning and pressing her back to it as she tried to catch her breath. Thankfully Linda wasn't in the lobby or embarrassment would have stained them both. Sadie was right about Damon. He was a player and had plenty of women on his lap and everywhere else.

What had she thought? She would show up, and things would change?

"This is what you get. He's your fucking family. Grow up and stop being a pervert."

She walked away from the office, numb to everything around her. Ben tried to stop her to talk, but she blew him off, her excuse the swirling pain in her stomach. She hadn't lied, and there was no drama in the soft echo of her voice. She was physically ill, not at the fact that Damon was a disgusting bastard but at the realization of how badly she wanted to be the blonde kneeling before him.

She left without telling anyone, her care not for her job or anyone else but for the desperate need to get away. She needed to breathe fresh air and clear her head. She needed to talk with Krista, who would be the only one to understand.

A text message caused her phone to buzz as she walked toward her car. She waited until she was seated in the blessed silence to check it. Shock slammed into her.

It was from Damon.

I'm coming to dinner at Dad's tonight.

Be there.

No lies between us.

No drama from you.

No complaining when I give you exactly what you want.