Page 19 of Devil in the Details

Olive

I shut down the computer and stood, walking over to the small closet that was nearly hidden in the wall. I pulled out my jacketand slipped it on before grabbing my purse and putting the strap over my shoulder.

It was a miracle I was leaving at a normal time and actually excited like a teenager going on her first date with the idea I’d get to see Pope. He said he’d make me dinner, that he wanted me at his house, to see his things, to be around him.

And I was hoping tonight was the night.

I was hoping things would just naturally, organically move in the direction I desperately wanted. And that was finally being with Pope, giving myself over to him and saying screw everything else. Screw the rules. Because I felt when I was with him nothing else mattered.

I heard someone approach and I smiled, immediately picturing Pope in my mind. “Hey, you.” I turned around, a smile on my face, assuming it was Pope, but my grin faltered when I saw it was Logan, one of the employees at the office.

He was a nice enough guy, a hard worker and knowledgeable in his field, but the way he looked at me, winked at me as if it were appropriate, told me he probably wanted something from me I wasn’t about to give him.

And I hated confrontation. It wasn’t like I had a lot of experience with letting guys down—or with guys in general—but I knew turning Logan down would definitely be awkward and make things uncomfortable.

He stopped on the other side of my desk and grinned, his front teeth a little bit crooked but in kind of an adorable way.

His nose was on the bulbous side, and his dark blond hair always looked a little unkempt and greasy.

But I thought it was because he put more gel in it than was necessary, giving it that wet, dirty appearance.

“Hey, Olive. Finished for the day?”

Right away, I wanted to come back with a smart-ass response, because obviously I was getting ready to leave, as I had my jacket on and my purse slung over my shoulder. Not to mention it was the end of the workday for everyone in the office. But instead, I smiled and nodded. “I am.”

I didn’t need to be a bitch even though I was on edge because of my emotions and everything else going on in my life. We stood there for a moment not speaking, but he kept staring at me, this weird little smirk on his face.

He cleared his throat and looked around before settling his eyes back in me. “I was—I was wondering if you would…”

He was stammering over his words, and I already knew where this was going. But I kept my smile in place. When he finally did get the words out, I’d just let him down easy.

“I was wondering if maybe you wanted to get a drink… or dinner or something with me after work one night?” He lifted his hand and rubbed the back of his neck, glancing away so he wasn’t making eye contact with me. “Maybe even tonight, if you’re free?”

He was nervous, and I couldn’t help but compare him to Pope, how Pope would look me right in the eye as he asked me out, how he’d show me he was assertive and dominant, that he knew what he wanted.

“Oh,” I said softly, even though I wasn’t surprised that he asked me out. “Well...” I was trying to think of a nice, gentle way to let him down.

“Mr. Richards.” The sound of Pope’s deep, authoritative, and very disappointed voice seemed to fill the space around us.

Instantly, my body reacted. I felt my heart start to race, felt my mouth dry. I looked to the side to see Pope standing there, the position he was in right around the corner making it so neither of us would have seen him.

And I knew he’d heard Logan ask me out. I knew by the way he stared at Logan. It was in his predatory expression, the proprietary tone in his voice.

Pope stepped more fully into view, and I glanced at Logan to see him straighten. He was uncomfortable; that was clear. Although it was a completely innocent gesture on Logan’s part, the threat I felt from Pope was as if he were all but roaring out “mine!”

Pope hadn’t taken his focus off Logan, and the stern, hard set of his expression was a little intimidating, a little unnerving.

“Mr. Richards, are you finished working for the day?”

Logan cleared his throat and nodded. “Yes, Mr. Shelby.”

Pope made a deep sound from within his chest. “Fraternization between coworkers is frowned upon, is it not?”

I could’ve called Pope out in that moment, but I kept my mouth shut. I did glare at him though. Lord, did I glare at him.

“I—I….” Logan kept looking between Pope and me, and I smoothed my hands down my skirt, never really seeing this side of him before.

“Mr. Shelby. Logan was inviting me out for drinks with some other coworkers.” It was a lie, and I didn’t know if Pope had been standing there the whole time and knew I wasn’t being honest. But I thought he was being hard on Logan.

Pope slowly turned and looked at me, his expression hooded, this wave of possessiveness slamming into me so forcefully I actually took a step back.

“I better get going then,” Logan stuttered, turned, and left after a prolonged moment.

I didn’t bother looking at him, just focused on Pope, saw him staring at me still. For long seconds, we stood there in silence, neither one of us saying anything, but I felt like my heart was going to burst out of my chest.

“What was that about?” I asked softly, a part of me liking that he was acting so possessive, but another part of me slightly annoyed that he saw me as some kind of property he owned.

“You lied,” he said matter-of-factly.

I lifted my brows. “What?”

He took a step closer. “Telling me that Logan asked you to go out with him and other coworkers.” He stared at me right in the eyes. “You lied, Olive.”

I swallowed, tightening my hand on the strap of my purse, and refused to back down, refused to break eye contact. I straightened, pulling my shoulders back and tipping my chin up slightly. “You were too hard on him.”

Pope didn’t say anything in response at first, but he did take a step forward, crowding me, his body heat slamming into me.

“I don’t think it was acceptable the way you talked to him,” I scolded and narrowed my eyes in defiance when he kept a stoic expression.

“What I or any of us do outside of office hours is not your concern.” My back was pressed against the wall now, Pope so close that if I inhaled sharply, my chest would brush against his.

The office was pretty quiet, with the majority of everyone already having left for the day. But just around the corner I heard a couple people talking, laughing. They could see us at any moment, see how close Pope was to me, inappropriately close.

But it was apparent Pope didn’t give a shit.

“What you do is my concern, Olive.” He said those words with so much authority, so much assertiveness, that I actually believed him.

He turned his head and looked in the direction Logan had disappeared and then slowly looked back at me.

“I don’t want you talking to another guy who’s interested in you.

” There was a deep rumble in his voice, and I couldn’t help the arousal that moved through me so swiftly it actually took my breath away.

“Because even though Logan works for me, even if he does a decent job at his position, the fact that he wants you…” Pope said on a growl.

“The fact he fucking wants you pisses me off so much I want to be one of those hooligans in the alleyway that would beat the shit out of him for even looking at you.”

A shiver moved through my body from his words, at the low pitch, the way he said it so only I would hear. He seemed so fierce right now, so possessive.

“You’re acting crazy.” My voice was so soft I didn’t even think he heard me.

“Do you know what I think, Olive?” He was looking at me right in eyes now, his tone brokering no argument.

“I think you like the fact that I’m so jealous.

I think you love how I don’t even want another guy looking at you, let alone speaking to you.

” I felt that familiar, sexually charged shiver race up my spine. “I want you to admit it.”

I couldn’t speak, not for the life of me. He leaned in an inch closer, and I felt his warm breath move along my cheek. It took everything in me not to moan.

“Tell me you like that I’m jealous,” he said in a whisper.

I should have told him to fuck off, that I wasn’t going to bend to anyone, but instead, I whispered back, “I like it.”