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What was my body language like in that meeting for Jacqueline to pick up on my angsty energy, so much so that she gave me the pen to her iPad?

I turned, ignoring my office and heading for hers, determined to give her pen back.

Before I left, I looked around the empty room. Jacqueline’s office was calm, a fig tree planted in a pot against the wall. The colors were painted a neutral warm cream, with no overhead lights on. Only two lamps cast a soft yellow glow. She had a seat cushion on her desk chair and a snake plant next to her monitor.

I trailed my finger up one leaf of the snake plant, before noticing the note attached. I flicked it open, seeing what looked like an apology note from Zaid Ansara.

I snickered, wondering what wrath Jacqueline set upon him to justify such an apology.

Part of me was wondering how I missed the detail of this plant on her desk the last time I was in there. How this plant didn’t get knocked off of her desk during our tryst.

I shook my head, scraping a hand down my face to get my mind back on less perverted memories. I pulled open the first drawer on her desk and found a small pad of sticky notes, before peeling one off and finding a real pen to use.

Thank you

Then I set the iPad pen right next to my note, before strolling out and making my way back to my own office.

This doesn’t mean she wants you to fuck her again, I reminded myself as I plopped down in my desk chair. I would need Jacqueline’s explicit verbal consent to revisit something like that, and nothing less. I used the toe of my boot to kick open my mini fridge, before reaching in to grab a can of soda.

I ignored all the terrible ingredients the US pumped into their beverages and took a few large gulps of the caffeine, Red Dye 40, and all. After setting the can on my desk, I reached over my keyboard to find one of my own pens to twirl in my hand.

I just had one more meeting at the end of the week, and then I could take the weekend to myself to recover. Everything was starting to become too much, but also not enough.

ChapterTwelve

JACQUELINE

“You have a freckle right here.”The pad of Leo’s fingertip gently tapped against the back of my shoulder, but I couldn’t be bothered to acknowledge the random observation. I moaned into the pillow, too focused on how his other hand gripped my hip just as he needed. I relished the feel of his wet tongue gliding over where his finger just was, followed by his warm lips pressing against my skin.

* * *

I was nervous,biting my lip in my office as I held my phone in my hands. It felt like another pinnacle moment. Something that started a new timeline. And yet, I didn’t think I was going to back down. It had been several days since Leo was here. Since I disinfected the surface of my desk immediately upon entering my office after…well.

I knew he was in a less-than-thrilling meeting today. I heard Brandon and Nikhil discussing it yesterday after the random all-hands meeting where we met his unexpectedly handsome brother.

I also had just walked past Leo’s meeting in one of the conference rooms with Brandon and some older men. Probably potential investors. Leo didn’t look as entertained as he usually did. He had dark circles under his eyes. His smile didn’t reach them like it normally did.

It bothered me.

And part of me wanted to shrug that feeling off. Remind myself that I wasn’t responsible for making him feel better or wondering why he wasn’t as elevated today. The other part of me, however, cared. I didn’t think too much about it. I figured it was normal to care. Signe would care if one of her friends was acting a little more lethargic or withdrawn. It wasn’t because I could still remember the feel of him inside of me.

I nodded to myself, clutching my phone in my hand and standing from my desk, leaving my office door open behind me in case I chickened out and wanted to dart back. I rounded the corner, leaving the upper management office wing. There was a vending machine just across the open concept area dividing the break room from where the conference rooms lined the perimeter of the building.

I stood near the vending machine, leaning against the wall and holding my phone to my chest. I nodded politely at some passing employees while I found the conference room Leo was in.

He was facing me, his back to the windows that let the cool morning light in. The marine layer hadn’t quite burned off yet, coating everything in a hint of grey. It was a sleepy morning for a lot of employees, based on the number of yawns I had heard already.

Leo didn’t see me across the way, though. His tired eyes were locked on one of the old men he was meeting with. His head would nod occasionally, but I noticed how he leaned to the side of his chair. How he rested one elbow on his armrest to hold his cheek in his fist. His brow had a small pinch in it, and his pink lips were in a line with a small curve in the corner. The man was struggling this morning but doing a decent enough job of looking engaged with the meeting.

I inhaled a breath of confidence and glanced down at my phone, pulling up my text thread with him.

Me: Were you serious about repeat experiences?

I sent the message off, holding my phone close to make it look like I was still doing important work things on it, even though my eyes kept glancing up at Leo across the way.

He shifted in his seat, using the hand that was propping his head up to reach into his pocket and pull out his phone. I could see him keep it under the table, in an attempt to not be too obvious about checking his messages during a meeting.

I held my breath while I waited for his reaction. Any sort of physical cue that he was excited to get a text from me. But after Leo took a moment to read what I assumed was my message, all he did was turn the screen down on his thigh as he lifted his head and started talking to Brandon and the potential investors.