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“I’m pretty excited about the possibility. I have to get accepted first.”

“How’d you do in high school?”

“Good. Mostly As and Bs. But I never got to take my exams because I couldn’t afford them. So, we’ll see how those go.”

“Erik will take care of those fees.”

I tried to stop from rolling my eyes, but it didn’t work. “Yeah.”

It only served to make Jared laugh. “He’s not so bad. A little rough around the edges, but mostly good.”

I was saved from responding when there was a thud against Erik’s door causing both of us to jump. We jerked our heads waiting to find out what the hell was going on when all of a sudden another softer thud hit the door, followed by a moan.

My eyes bulged and heat infused my cheeks.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The heat in my cheeks turned to a fire burning through my whole body. I wanted to crawl under the desk and plug my ears. The last thing I wanted to do was hear that woman getting screwed against the door.

‘I’ll uh…I’ll just head to my office,” Jared muttered, walking away.

Lucky bastard.

The thuds came faster and the groans got louder. I squeezed my eyes shut and pressed my fingers against my ears, praying for it to end. I was only granted my wish five of the longest minutes later when she moaned his name just before a deep groan followed.

I’d heard my sister and Oscar go at it many times, but this was worse.

Even though I’d been pissed at Erik for his cold attitude, I still hadn’t been able to stop the small embers of my crush from staying lit. It was such a minor lingering crush, but pain and embarrassment spread and took up every spare inch when I heard him fucking that woman. Blinking, I fought to hold off the fire burning the backs of my eyes.

I was just as stupid as he claimed me to be—just as naive.

A few minutes later, the door opened and I did my best to keep my eyes glued to the screen, not seeing anything.

“When can I see you again?” the woman asked.

“We weren’t supposed to see each other this time,” came his terse reply.

I glanced up from under my lashes to see her hand on his chest. He stood like a statue, his hands in his pockets and his face stoic.

“You didn’t seem to mind.” She dragged her nail down his dress shirt and he stepped back.

“Go, Angela.”

She stomped her foot—literally stomped her foot—before finally giving in and walking out.

I didn’t look up again, but I could feel him there as she went to the elevator and waited. As soon as the doors shut, he sighed like he’d been holding his breath and prepared to fight her off.

I still didn’t look up.

But before his office door could close, my mouth had ideas of its own that didn’t include ignoring him.

“For someone who’s all high and mighty about respecting a woman’s body, you sure are a dick to them.”

I looked up then and watched him slowly turn back to me, his brows lowered. His green eyes sparkled like emeralds under thunderclouds. He took two long steps away from his door and smirked down at me. “Trust me, I didn’t disrespect her body at all. Didn’t you hear?”

He’d wanted me to hear. That asshole wanted me to hear him fucking some woman. Why? So I wouldn’t romanticize him? I stiffened and took a deep breath to push down the anger. He turned to walk away again, but I wasn’t done.

“No, you just disrespect women as basic humans.”

He turned back, taking another step closer. “Are you jealous?”

He hit a little too close to home. What did that woman have that made him decide to give in to her and not me? Why was her body worth disrespecting but mine wasn’t? I scoffed. “No.”

He walked slowly around the desk until he stood right in front of me. His hands moved from his pockets to the arms of the chair and leaned down, bringing his face too close to mine. I stayed upright, unwilling to pull back and cower.

“Disappointed then?” he asked softly. “Disappointed that I didn’t bend you over and fuck you in the disgusting hotel room? Even more disappointed now that you know how good I can make a woman feel?”

“Fuck you,” I ground out.

I remained still as he dragged his nose along my cheek, only letting my eyes slide closed a little. They snapped back open when he pushed away to stand upright.

“Maybe it was your ploy all along. Maybe you’re not even a virgin at all. This is just your way of guilting some poor man into giving you so much more than a measly ten grand. You sure didn’t feel like a virgin when you rubbed yourself all over me as you came.”