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“Why have you reappeared now? Why not then when I gave you a chance?”

“Circumstances changed. It was out of my hands then. But it’s in my hands now and I intend on changing your mind.” He raises his glass of sparkling water as if making a toast, some kind of vow, to affirm what he’s said.

I almost smirk and follow his lead, picking up my glass for our toast.

I don’t tell him… but he already has.

* * *

“Finkle! There you are,” I say, rushing toward him. Other employees at the station scurry past me in the hallway, headed off to fulfill some kind of rapidly approaching deadline.

Finkle looks no less frazzled, clutching a clipboard he’s reading from. He looks up at the sound of his name, his eyes widening behind his Harry Potter-like glasses.

“You called me up here?” I ask. “What do you want?”

“It wasn’t me,” he replies. “It was theboss. He wants to see you.”

Finkle steps aside to reveal a double door he’s been standing in front of this entire time. A frown inches onto my face as I step forward and reach for the door handles. I’m not even sure what’s going on or who this boss is, but I walk through the doors and then jump as they promptly swing shut behind me.

I’m in a huge office. The back wall consists of floor-to-ceiling glass overlooking Newport City.

At the far opposite side of the room is an executive-sized desk and leather chair. The chair’s turned toward the window, whoever’s occupying it admiring the view of his office.

I give an uncertain clear of my throat. “I was told you wanted to see me… sir?”

“Ms. James, yes. Come here please.”

I draw in a breath and then pad closer, stopping a few feet before I reach his desk. He still hasn’t turned around to face me.

“Are you aware why I called you in here today?”

“Finkle didn’t… I mean… no, not really. I wasn’t told why.”

“I’m sure you can figure it out.”

I rack my brain for any potential answers, though I come up short. It feels next to impossible to think straight. I’m not even sure if I can remember what I was doing before I ran into Finkle in the hall…

“Close your eyes.”

Such a short, simple command that I find I can’t disobey.

My eyes close and I stand still as I listen to the sound of his movements. He’s risen up from the chair. His footsteps thud slowly as he walks around his large desk to make it to me. I can feel him coming up from behind.

His larger body framed over my shorter, smaller one.

He bows his head so that his lips graze my ear. The slightest contact between him and me that makes me shudder.

“Dolcezza, it’s time. Time that you admit the truth.”

“Wha… I don’t know… OH!” I cry out as he grips my throat from behind, tilting my head to the side for his mouth to devour.

He plants hot kisses along the arc of my throat. One after another until he’s traveled up to my jaw and his teeth nip at me like an animal would.

A love bite that’s feral and needy and makes lust pool inside me.

He holds me against him, my back to his front, and takes his time marking his territory.

Me.