Chapter 3

“Evie, what’s so great about a piece of trash like Ryan?”

“We’ve been together since college. Six years, and you still won’t go public with me.”

“He’s only been at the company a few months, and suddenly you’re ditching me for him. You even took him home to meet your family.”

“Office relationships are against company policy…” The more he talked, the angrier and more worked up he became.

“Believe me, I can have him packing his things tomorrow!”

“Adrian, stop it.” His hair tickled my neck. I couldn’t help turning my head to nuzzle against him.

“You always do this. You never tell me what’s on your mind. You always think you have to handle everything yourself.”

Adrian Cole turned me around to face him, looking thoroughly displeased, and captured my mouth in a heated kiss.

He kissed me until my face burned and I could barely breathe. But we’d been apart for over a month, and I really had missed him. So I rose onto my toes and wrapped my arms around his neck.

He lifted me, kissing me all the way from the elevator to his car in the underground garage.

He pressed me beneath him. In the narrow back seat, I had nowhere to escape.

“Where did he touch you?”

“I didn’t let him touch me.”

That answer improved Adrian’s mood considerably.

His voice softened. “Can I?”

“Mmm… be gentle.”

After so long apart, being one with the person I loved again drew a satisfied sigh from both of us.

Afterward, Adrian held me, looking thoroughly content.

“Evie, you’ve always known your own mind. I won’t interfere with your plan. But how much longer are you going to make me suffer?”

I narrowed my eyes lazily and teased him on purpose.

“What? I told you back when you were pursuing me.

“If you wanted to be with me, you had to be prepared to stay my secret for the rest of your life.”

“…I’ve already waited six years.”

After a brief silence, Adrian lowered his head and bit my neck.

“Forget keeping me a secret forever. I’d even spend my whole life as your side piece if that’s what loving you takes.”

He sounded so aggrieved that I couldn’t bear to tease him anymore. I kissed the corner of his mouth to soothe him.

“Soon. Be good. I know this hasn’t been fair to you. Just wait a little longer.”

Adrian said nothing, reluctantly swallowing another vague promise. Then he caught my waist and pulled me astride him.

“I’ve suffered terribly. You owe me a lot more compensation than that…”

After a night of indulgence, I finally managed to calm Adrian’s anxiety for the time being.

Utterly worn out by my efforts, I took the next day off and stayed in bed. Ryan didn’t check on me, but Natalie sent another message.

The pictures were so explicit that one glance felt like a threat to my eyesight. My mouth twitched as I saved them in disgust.

I tapped the audio file, and Natalie’s and Ryan’s voices filled the room.

“Ryan, you’re not going home tonight. Won’t Evelyn be angry that you’ve left her all alone?”

“That boring workaholic? She’s probably still at the office!”

“You said last time that she won’t even let you touch her. How can she treat her boyfriend like that?”

“Exactly. She has no idea what she’s missing as a woman. You’re so much better, Nat…”

What followed was a string of sounds that needed no description.

My lips curved. Sorry to disappoint them, but I hadn’t spent last night alone.

Remembering just how wild it had been made my back seem to ache even more.

I shifted uncomfortably as another taunting message from Natalie appeared.

“Sorry, Evelyn. I’m getting your boyfriend, no matter what.”

“No way! Ryan is my boyfriend. Even if he’s done all those disgusting things with you, I’m still the one he’ll choose in the end!”

After sending my suitably defiant reply, I turned off my phone and slept until I woke naturally.

Over the following days, I continued working late at the office.

Natalie really did have some talent. She had Ryan revolving around her day and night, which made my life considerably more pleasant.

Adrian noticed, too. At first, he’d only dared to arrange the occasional late-night “chance encounter.” Now he was bold enough to summon me to the private lounge attached to his office under the pretense of work reports.

“Evie, how long has it been since you last fed me that empty promise?”

Adrian held my thighs down, working away with his head lowered, and still found time to complain.

“How long are you going to let that scumbag keep calling himself your boyfriend?”

“Mmm… that’s not up to me…” His forceful movements left me trembling. I clung to his neck, unable to hold back the sounds escaping my mouth.

“Just a little longer…”

“What exactly are you waiting for?”

“I’m waiting for…” My eyes were hazy, and I was about to stumble through an answer when my phone, lying on the couch, began to ring.

Seeing the familiar number, I pointed at it and smiled.

“If I’m right, that’s it.”