He’d pulled back Saturday night, but he’d also pulled back other times only to get close again. I wasn’t dumb enough to push the issue, but my daydreams had me holding out hope that maybe we’d find ourselves in another position where some of my fantasies could come true. Maybe I’d get to feel him against me again.
I lightly knocked on the cracked door to alert my presence. Erik waved his hand for me to come in without looking away from Jared who sat in front of his desk talking. When I got halfway to his desk, Erik’s eyes slid my way as if he couldn’t help himself. They started at my legs and as I moved closer they slid up until they rested on my breasts. When I finally reached his desk, I expected a quick dismissal, but he was too busy staring at my chest to tell me to go. So, as Jared continued to talk about reports, I stood there, letting him look his fill, slowly burning from the inside out under his gaze. Thank goodness for the padded bra otherwise he’d see the way my nipples pebbled underneath.
“Erik,” Jared called his name. “You with me?”
Erik’s eyes snapped to mine. The usually grassy green eyes burned like melting emeralds. One side of my mouth ticked up, letting him know I noticed his heated gaze. His brows dropped and his lips pinched in frustration at being caught. A wall fell over his eyes and any heat became a blank slate of nothing.
“Yeah,” he said to Jared without looking away. “Alexandra, you may leave now.” I set the coffee down slowly, not letting my smile drop. Before I could close his door behind me, he called out, “I’m leaving early today. I’ll have Laura take you home.”
I nodded and headed back out to my desk, feeling the warmth of his gaze for the rest of the afternoon.
He left fifteen minutes before us, only talking to Laura as he walked out. I wondered if I’d see him tonight or if he would try to avoid me all weekend. Only time would tell, but my stomach fluttered at the possibilities. I told myself I was only being optimistic that I’d get to feel that kind of pleasure again with someone I trusted. I took Erik’s words to heart and didn’t romanticize him. I didn’t picture a future with him. He didn’t seem like the relationship type. But I couldn’t help but hope to enjoy my time I was with him.
“Ready to go?” Laura asked.
“Yup.” I shut down the computer and grabbed my things.
The elevator had just opened when she snapped her fingers. “Shoot. I forgot the file on Erik’s desk. Go ahead and head on down and I’ll meet you by the car.”
I stepped out of the elevator and any warmth I’d had lingering from earlier vanished as a bucket of freezing water crashed over me. Across the lobby against one of the pillars off to the side was Erik. And his date for the evening.
He had her pinned to the wall, their lips locked. One of his hands was buried in her hair and the other was smoothing along the curve of her ass.
As much as I talked myself up about not romanticizing him, about how I knew he wouldn’t want a relationship and I only wanted pleasure while it lasted, my heart still seized in my chest. Rocks still sank to the pit of my stomach.
I felt like a voyeur watching a private moment. The lobby was completely empty and most of the lights were out. I went to step back into the elevator and pretend I hadn’t witnessed anything when the doors slid closed and I was stuck. I stepped softly not wanting him to witness me catching him when all of a sudden his lips separated from hers and he looked right at me.
His eyes trapped me in place. His lips tipped up on one side, giving me the same cocky look I had given him earlier today. With his smirk firmly in place and his eyes locked on mine, he slid his hand lower until it eased under her skirt and shifted up. The woman gasped and Erik didn’t look away from me as his arm flexed and made big movements so there was no doubt what he was doing. Her moans came faster and harder, the sound hammering like a chisel against my chest. I wasn’t going to stand there a second longer to listen to her come.
Not caring if I made noise alerting my presence, I stomped off to the front door needing to get out of there. I would have to walk the long way to the garage, but I didn’t care. I held my chin high even when I left the building. I didn’t let any emotion show until I rounded the corner and was out of view.