Page 33 of Most Likely to Deny Love (Yearbook #2)

MIA

I dragged myself through the automatic doors of Catalyst Digital, my body on autopilot after three nearly sleepless nights.

The familiar hum of fluorescent lighting and distant ringing phones barely registered as I made my way to the elevator, clutching my coffee like it was the only thing keeping me upright. Which, to be fair, it probably was.

The doors opened on the second floor and I peeked out cautiously, scanning for any sign of Jack before stepping into the hallway. The coast was clear. Perfect. Operation Avoid Jack Sullivan was still in full effect, despite the fact that it was slowly killing me inside.

It sure had been a long fucking week and there was still one day to go.

As I approached my office, my eyes immediately dropped to my desk, seeking out the familiar yellow square that had once been the highlight of my mornings.

My heart sank when I saw the empty surface, not even a speck of yellow to brighten the polished wood.

Of course there was no note. Why would there be?

I’d practically molested the man in his sleep and then run out of his house like the building was on fire.

I’d dodged his calls, avoided his gaze, and delegated every task that might put me in his path.

The lump in my throat grew painful as I swallowed around it. I missed those notes more than I wanted to admit, missed the way they made me feel seen and valued. But I’d fucked everything up royally, and those days were clearly over.

I set my purse down and glanced toward Jack’s office, relief washing over me when I saw that it was empty. He wasn’t in yet. Thank god for small mercies.

I had a stack of reports that needed his signature before noon. Of course, i could have delivered them yesterday, but I couldn’t find a moment when the coast was clear and Emily had refused to do it for me.

So I could deliver them myself now, before he arrived, or lurk in the hallway until I could ambush some unsuspecting intern to play delivery person.

Option one was definitely less pathetic.

With the reports clutched to my chest as a shield, I approached his office like it was a lion’s den, ready to bolt at the slightest sound.

The familiar scent of his cologne lingered in the air, making my heart constrict painfully.

I’d caught that same scent when I’d woken in his arms, my face pressed against his chest, my hand.

.. Nope. Not thinking about that. Not now, not ever.

I hurried around his desk and dumped the reports unceremoniously in the center where he couldn’t miss them. Mission accomplished. With a sigh of relief, I turned to make my hasty exit and froze.

Jack stood in the doorway, his tall frame blocking my only escape route.

His eyes widened slightly, surprise flashing across his face before his expression settled into something more guarded.

We stared at each other for what felt like hours but was probably only seconds, the air between us charged with all the things we hadn’t said.

“Mia.” Just my name. That was all he said, but the way it rolled off his tongue, low and rough around the edges, sent shivers racing down my spine.

“Jack! Hi! I was just dropping off these reports. They need your signature before noon. I would have had Emily bring them but she’s home sick with this terrible cold, or maybe it’s the flu, she sounded awful this morning, all stuffed up and sneezy, and I know you’re busy so I was just going to leave them here and go because I have a meeting in fifteen minutes and I should probably prepare for that and. ..”

I realized I was babbling and forced myself to take a breath. Jack hadn’t moved from the doorway, his eyes never leaving my face as words continued to tumble out of me like water through a broken dam.

“Anyway, I’m really sorry about what happened at your house.

Like I said, I was asleep and I didn’t realize what I was doing and I’m so embarrassed and I just want you to know that it won’t happen again and I completely understand if you’re uncomfortable around me now because honestly, who wouldn’t be, right?

And I know this whole fake relationship thing has gotten weird and complicated and it’s all my fault because I’ve been having these feelings and thoughts and I mean, of course I want to bang you, who wouldn’t, you’re gorgeous, but I know you don’t feel that way about me which is totally fine and completely understandable and maybe I should just look for another job because this is all too awkward now and.

..” My voice trailed off as I ran out of breath and sanity simultaneously.

Without a word, Jack stepped fully into the office and closed the door behind him. The soft click of the lock engaging seemed to echo in the sudden silence.

Then he lowered the blinds and dropped his briefcase to the floor with a quiet thud, his eyes never leaving mine as he began walking toward me with slow, deliberate steps.

“You want to bang me?” His voice was calm, almost conversational, but there was something darker underneath, something that made my pulse spike and my mouth go dry.

My cheeks flamed. Might as well own it at this point. “Well, yes, of course. I’m only human.”

His lips quirked up in a smile that could only be described as predatory, and my knees threatened to give out beneath me.

“But you think I don’t want to bang you?”

I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. Was he saying what I thought he was saying? My brain struggled to catch up as Jack continued moving toward me with the focused intensity of a predator stalking its prey.

With each step he took forward, I took one back, until I felt the edge of his desk pressing against the backs of my thighs. Nowhere left to run.

“Jack,—”

In one fluid motion, he closed the distance between us.

His hand shot up to wrap in my hair, fingers twisting in the strands at the nape of my neck, gripping just tight enough to send sparks of electricity to every nerve ending.

He tilted my head back, forcing me to meet his gaze.

The hunger I saw there stole the breath from my lungs.

“I need to tell you something I should have told you weeks ago,” he growled, his face inches from mine.

“Wh-what’s that?” I breathed.

For answer, his mouth crashed down on mine, hot and demanding. This wasn’t the careful, exploratory kiss we’d shared in his office that day. This was possession. Desperation. Pure, molten need. His tongue tangled with mine, claiming every inch like he owned it. Like he owned me.

I melted against him, my body turning liquid with desire. My hands fisted in his shirt, pulling him closer as a whimper escaped my throat. The sound seemed to ignite something even wilder in him. His kiss grew hungrier, deeper, his teeth grazing my lower lip, making my blood hum.

He slid his arm around my waist and lifted me, planting me on top of his desk.

Reports scattered, a stapler clattered to the floor, but neither of us cared. Jack stepped between my thighs, pushing them wider to accommodate his hips as he pressed against me.

The hard length of him ground against my center, and I gasped into his mouth. There was no mistaking his desire now, no room for doubt. He was rock hard, straining against his pants, and the friction against my already throbbing core made stars explode behind my eyelids.

He broke the kiss, both of us panting, his forehead resting against mine as his hips continued their maddening pressure.

“You have no idea,” he rasped, his voice rougher than I’d ever heard it.

“No fucking idea how much I want you, Mia.” His hands gripped my thighs, pulling me harder against him.

“I’ve dreamt about this for months. Dreamt about spreading you out on my desk and burying my face between your thighs until you scream my name. ”

I shuddered at his words, heat flushing through my entire body.

“I’ve imagined bending you over this desk,” he continued, his lips brushing against my ear, “hiking up that fucking skirt you wear that drives me insane, and taking you so hard you feel me for days after.” His teeth grazed my earlobe.

“I’ve wanted to watch you fall apart beneath me since the first moment I saw you. ”

I was practically panting now, my body on fire, my core aching with need. “Jack, please,” I whispered, not even sure what I was begging for. Just more. Everything.

“In fact,” he growled against my throat, “I can’t wait another minute.”

In one fluid motion, he wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me effortlessly from the desk.

Instinctively, my legs wrapped around his hips, my skirt bunching up around my thighs as he walked backward, his mouth never leaving my skin.

He dropped into one of the guest chairs across from his desk, settling me firmly on his lap.

The new position pressed his hard cock exactly where I needed it most, and I couldn’t stop the moan that tore from my throat. His hands gripped my hips, guiding me against him as his mouth found mine again in a searing kiss.

“That’s it,” he whispered against my lips as I began to move, grinding down against him in a primal rhythm I couldn’t control. “Just like that, Mia.”

His words sent fresh heat flooding through me. One of his hands slid up my body to cup my breast through my blouse, his thumb circling over the sensitive peak. Even through the layers of fabric, the sensation was almost too much.

“You feel so good,” he murmured, his voice strained with need. “So fucking perfect. I’ve imagined you just like this, riding me, taking what you need.”

Something wild and desperate was building inside me, a tightening coil of pleasure that threatened to snap at any moment. I arched against him, seeking more friction, more pressure, more everything. The rational part of my brain had completely shut down, leaving only sensation and mindless need.

“You’re so beautiful like this,” Jack groaned, his hips rising to meet mine. “So fucking hot when you let go.”

His hand slid to the back of my neck, pulling me down for another kiss as our bodies moved together, faster now, more urgent. I could feel myself getting close, teetering on the edge of something explosive.

“Jack, I’m going to...”

“Let go for me,” he commanded, his eyes locked on mine, dark with desire. “Come for me, Mia. Let me see you fall apart.”

His words pushed me over the edge. The tension inside me shattered, waves of pleasure crashing through my body as I gasped out his name. Jack held me tight against him, whispering encouragement as I rode out the aftershocks, my entire body trembling.

We stayed like that for a long while, his arms wrapped securely around me as my breathing gradually slowed and my heart rate returned to something resembling normal.

The world had narrowed to just the two of us, the feel of his solid chest beneath my cheek, the gentle stroke of his hand along my spine.

Finally, I raised my head to look at him, suddenly shy despite what we’d just done. He brushed a strand of hair from my face, tucking it behind my ear before leaning in to place a gentle kiss on my lips.

“You are even hotter than I imagined,” he murmured, his thumb tracing my cheekbone. “And trust me, I’ve imagined it a lot.”

I felt my cheeks flush, but I didn’t look away. “That was... I’ve never...”

“Lost control like that?” His smile was knowing but kind. “Good. I like being your first.”

The possessiveness in his tone sent another shiver through me. “And to think I spent all week avoiding you because I thought you were disgusted by me.”

Jack pulled back, his expression fierce as he cupped my face in his hands. “Disgusted? Are you serious? Mia, I’ve wanted you since the first day I walked into this office. That morning at my house nearly broke me. Do you have any idea how hard it was to watch you run out that door?”

I bit my lip, overwhelmed by the intensity in his eyes. “It’s just... hard to accept that someone like you would want someone like me.”

“Why the fuck would I lie, Mia?” His voice was rough with emotion. “I’ve been dreaming about you for longer than I care to admit. There’s nothing about you that doesn’t drive me completely out of my mind with wanting.”

“I’m sorry.” I rested my forehead against his. “I was embarrassed and scared. Running is kind of my default setting.”

His arms tightened around me and his voice was low and serious when he said, “I should never have let you leave that morning. I should have stopped you, made you see how much I wanted you. I’ve been losing my mind all week, thinking I’d ruined everything.”

I laughed softly. “Well, that makes two of us.”

The sudden sound of voices in the hallway made us both freeze. The sales team was starting to arrive for the day. Jack glanced at his watch and sighed.

“We have the worst timing,” he muttered, pressing a final kiss to my forehead before helping me stand on legs that still felt wobbly.

I smoothed down my skirt while Jack straightened his shirt. He reached out to fix a strand of my hair. “You’d better go.”

“Yeah. But maybe you could kiss me one more time, before I do.”

His answer was to cup my face in his hands and brush the lightest, sweetest kiss to my lips. Then I slipped out of his office on still-trembling legs, my body humming with aftershocks of pleasure and my mind spinning