CHAPTER 5

PENELOPE

Once starving, I now pick at my sandwich.

The whole room is filled with Tanner now that I saw him and I alternate between listening to Marshall and staring over at Tanner. I look to the girl he is with, her hand covering his arm as she smiles and I realize how gorgeous she is. Her hair is a bright pink but her skin and eyes are dark and the tattoos covering her body give her an edge.

Tanner probably likes girls like that. I see them speaking in low voices as he glances my way a few times.

“Pen?”

Marshall is looking at me and I have no clue what he just said, “What did you say, Marshall?”

“Aren’t you hungry?” Marshall searches my face and I gave him a small shrug.

“I think I drank too much coffee today. I’ll wrap it for later,” I offer as he turns his head to look at Tanner’s table. “You know me. I work late anyway.” I think of the text that Mollie sent me about later, telling me to wear something I wouldn’t consider wearing to the office. I plan to leave by seven tonight, or around there. If I’m to change, I need to get to my apartment six blocks away and catch a ride back to the shop.

Am I really going to go?

I look at Tanner again, seeing the intensity in his beautiful eyes as I breathe in. “I’m going to use the bathroom,” I tell Marshall and rise to make my way to the back. I can cancel tonight and just make phone calls to Norm, or have Marshall handle it. Mollie knows her stuff and she could handle this on her own.

I walk into the bathroom and lock the door, looking into the mirror. I’m pale with bright pink spots on my face, making me frown as I splash some cold water on my cheeks. I am a hot mess. I decide to just get out of there, hoping that I could sneak by Tanner and his date.

Pushing the door open, I walk out and right into a body. I raise my hands to stop the collision but I shiver as hands wrap around me.

Tanner.

“Are you seeing him?” His voice purrs into my ear as he pushes me into the wall.

“Who?” I whisper as I hit the wall.

“Your boss. Are you sleeping with Marshall?”

I shake my head at him, staring into his eyes.

I feel my lips parting and suddenly it’s a struggle to even breathe.

Tanner leans down and presses his lips against mine. My knees weaken and I grip his T-shirt as his tongue slides between my parted lips. Tanner is aggressive and his kiss tells me that he knows what he is doing. I surprise myself by returning it. My tongue darts into his mouth and slides along his. He tastes like beer and sex. My body responds instantly and I can feel the wetness and warmth radiating from my pussy.

He lazily pulls away as if we aren’t in a public place at all. I feel scattered and as if I’m drunk as I stare into his eyes.

“Are you sleeping with your date?” I ask softly as I remember the pretty girl waiting for him at the table. What did I do? He’s here with someone!

“No. She’s a partner in my business,” he assures me as I realize that I will see both of them later tonight. I regain my composure and blink as I straighten up, pushing him away slightly in the process.

“I have to go. We have people waiting on us,” I look at the end of the hallway that leads back to reality, “I have to get back to work.”

“Is work all you think about? When does Penelope get to relax and have a little fun?” Tanner moves in for the kill as he brushes the skin under my ear gently with his mouth, stirring up even more desire inside of my body. I never knew that felt so good before. Tanner drags his tongue against my skin and I sigh as I drop against the wall again. What is this man doing to me?

I hear voices coming our way and straighten again, pushing him away. He smirks at me as I try to turn and make my way with grace to the bathroom to check my appearance again. I hear his chuckle as I stumble into the door and rush to the mirror, flooded with embarrassment and something else.

Heat.

It is pulsing through my chest and my nipples are hard and needy for Tanner. My thighs are heavy and aching, my underwear is soaked with desire.

I fix my appearance as best I can through the fog that has taken over my mind and hurry back to the table, seeing that Tanner left.

“Sorry about that. I got a call when I was just outside the door.” I pat my purse to confirm the lie and Marshall looks oddly at me. “Gotta get back. I have to check on something that I left at the office.”

He seems to go for the plan and we leave the already clean table as I hold my sandwich in my hand. Marshall wrapped it for me and I thank him as we walk down the street, still thinking about Tanner’s kiss in the hallway.

I head straight over to my teams for the rest of the day, even though I am not all there. If I have learned one thing in life, it is how to fake it and that is just what I do. They all make a lot of headway in their projects and leave at seven, claiming that plans and friends are waiting.

I go to my office and pull the sandwich out of the small fridge that Marshall provided for me, eagerly eating it now. I feel so hungry and I chew large bites as I consider the kiss from earlier. If I leave now, I could just make it to the shop and I’ve kept myself so busy that I didn’t call Mollie to cancel. I didn’t want to turn down the chance to see a friend since it didn’t happen often. The tattoo shop is just a part of that. I could also tell her something has come up and I could meet her for dinner a little later. I didn’t want to go home feeling as restless as I did.

I did that too much already as it is. I look at my closed door, knowing that the building is near deserted. I get up and look outside my door. No one is around and the cleaners don’t start on this floor for at least another hour. I lock the door and fall against it. My eyes close as my fingers trace Tanner’s lips along my neck. I walk over to my chair and sit down with my legs apart.

I run my hands down my body. I find the hem of my skirt and slide my hand under it with a small sigh. My underwear is still wet as I push it aside to find my pussy a slick mess of need. Maybe if I get myself off, I can relax a bit. I lean back and stroke my wet folds, finding the hard nub that is screaming for attention as I brush my fingers over it.

“Ahh,” I moan lowly as I touch it again, feeling the sensations rush through me.

This isn’t my first time touching myself but it is the first time I have done this at the office and all because I have an image as hot as Tanner in my head. I stroke hard a few times and feel the pressure building. I imagine Tanner’s face as he kisses me, he goes slightly out of focus as he pulls away to go down between my legs. Instead of my fingers, I feel his tongue, his fingers, searching my folds, finding my clit and sucking on it with his mouth as my orgasm begins to build under my busy fingers.

I throw my head back against my chair. My fingers keep going, controlled by some deep need to come that I’d never felt before. I slide two fingers inside myself, and I am amazed at the wetness and press my thumb against my clit as I explode, breathing deeply to avoid screaming Tanner’s name.

That was all him.

I ride out the feeling and drop back into my chair as I close my eyes. I sit there for a few moments shocked that I did that in the office, but so glad that I did. I might be able to get through the rest of the evening now.

I slowly shut down my computer and rise to leave, determined to go out and have a good time tonight. Tanner Lincoln doesn’t own my body and I can make myself happy.

I can handle this account.

I catch a cab back to my house and find a little black dress in my closet that is far too short for the workplace. I do my makeup heavier for tonight, using black liner and some vibrant eyeshadow before I spike out my hair like the girl did at the salon when I got my hair cut recently.