Chapter 5
(Tanya)
I was working late one evening, preparing the needed documents for the following day when Everett just popped into my head. I pictured him wearing nothing but a pair of sexy briefs, fabric clinging to his bulging manhood. The rest of his body was on full display, abs rippling, shoulders broad and strong. I had to try hard to keep my imagination from getting out of hand but his gorgeous physique was nearly impossible to ignore.
In this lust-filled daze, I wandered through the corridors back to my desk; documents clutched to my chest. My skin felt like it was on fire, cheeks burning with a blush.
Lately, these thoughts had become more and more frequent. With the Christmas Ball approaching, all I could do was imagine all the possibilities. Sure, I was probably just a date, fulfilling some social requirements for such events, but, deep down, I couldn’t help but think that maybe, just maybe, it meant something. After all, what was stopping him from getting someone else? Why me?
To make matters worse, I couldn’t forget the way he had looked at me, eyes burning, desire practically rolling off his body, thickening the air around us. Had I just imagined it?
No. There was something there. I felt sure of it.
Suddenly, my daydream brought me into a head-on collision with someone. The wind was knocked out of me, heels snagging on the tiled floor as I fell forward. Strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me into their chest as we both collapsed onto the ground, landing in a heap.
It had happened so fast.
Cautiously, I opened my eyes, fearing who I might see. I prayed it wasn’t Mack. He had been following me around like a gnat, trying to get me to share some drinks with him. I had declined the offer every single time, but he just didn’t seem to get that I wasn’t interested. How could I when Everett kept haunting my mind?
But, to my horror, the man who held me in his arms was… Everett.
I gulped.
Oh, god. I had just made a huge fool of myself.
In a flustered state, I tried to get up, but his grip tightened. “Tanya,” he whispered, eyes locking with mine.
My heart skipped a beat, our faces only inches apart. I could feel the heat radiating from his lips. I wanted nothing more than to lean forward and kiss him but I was frozen in place, unable to act.
It was as if the entire world had just come to a screeching halt. We were the only two people left, hips pressed together, chests beating as one.
“Are you okay?” he asked, hands lowering to the small of my back as if we were a couple of lovers just casually enjoying a night together on our bed instead of a corporate hallway. What if someone saw us? What would they think? What would they say?
“Y-Yes…” I stammered, heart beating faster and faster the more conscious I became of Everett’s chiseled body underneath mine. Was this another one of my vivid fantasies or was this happening?
“Good.” He smiled, the corner of his lips twitching into a delectable curve.
My heart beat even faster. Just when I thought he couldn’t get any sexier. Lulled in by that handsome face, I leaned forward, forgetting myself for a moment, eyes closed, lips ready for the best of my life.
But it never came.
All too soon, I found myself back on my feet.
Everett placed his hands on my elbows. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked, steadying me from falling.
I blushed like crimson. What was I thinking? I couldn’t kiss this man. He’d never be interested in someone like me. And yet, the air around us felt thick with heat. His eyes burned, his lips stuck in a smirk. It felt like something was happening between us but I was probably just imagining it.
“Tanya?”
I blinked. “Huh?”
“Are you okay?” His expression softened to one of open concern.
“Oh… yes, yes. Sorry… I wasn’t paying attention. It won’t happen again,” I spoke quickly before I rushed to pick up the fallen documents. At this point, I was so embarrassed about what I had almost done that I just wanted this whole thing to be over with.
To my amazement, Everett bent down, helping me. “What are you still doing at the office? You should have left hours ago with everyone else.”
“I needed to get this done,” I mumbled, stuffing everything into a folder. It would be a pain to sort through them, but there was nothing I could do about it now.
“You have plenty of time in the morning to organize such things.”
He had a point.
“It’s the holiday season, shouldn’t you be with your family?”
I bit the inside of my lip, eyes cast toward the floor. I both loved and hated the holidays. On the one hand, all the festivities lifted my spirits, but on the other, spending the holidays alone was just downright depressing. “I guess…”
Everett looked at me. I could tell he saw right through me. He always did. Lying to this man was impossible.
“Is there something you need to tell me?” he asked, standing to his full height, offering me a stack of papers.
Eyelashes fluttering, I took them, tucking them inside the folder. I couldn’t understand why I felt so bashful all of a sudden. Usually, I knew how to keep my cool around this man, but tonight things were different. I felt like a young school girl experiencing a crush for the first time. Get it together, Tanya, I told myself, but it was impossible with this alpha of a man standing right in front of me.
“I live alone.” I finally admitted. “So, I guess I work because I don’t have anything better to do.” I felt so pathetic. Everett probably thought I was a loser or something.
“I find that hard to believe.” He reached forward, fingers under my chin, tilting my head upward until our eyes locked. “A beautiful girl like you?” His arm snaked around my waist, pulling me close, our breaths mingling in the small space left between our faces.
Instantly, my heart rocketed. “I…”
He looked deep into my eyes for a moment before his grip on my waist tightened even further. “You’re going to spend the night with me.”
“What?” I spat, eyes nearly bugging out of my head. “I—I couldn’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“Because…”
He waited for an answer, but it never came.
I felt like a fish out of water gasping for air. Why on Earth would this sexy billionaire want to spend the night with me? It just didn’t make any sense. This had to be some cruel joke.
He chuckled, took my hand, and guided me toward the elevator.
“But… what about these documents?”
“Fuck the documents,” he said, snatching the folder from my hands and throwing it to the side.
Pieces of paper fluttered into the air, creating a mess. Everett paid it no mind as his other hand settled on my ass, cupping my cheek as we both stepped into the elevator.
Oh god, what was I getting myself into?