Page 30 of The Devil After Dark

twenty-nine

LIANA

Thea was giving me a look as I entered our offices. I crossed to my office to put my things down then I wandered to her desk. “Hey … are you doing okay?” she asked. Her face was looking at me with caution and like someone had died.

“Yes, why are you being weird?”

She sighed and held up her phone. “You haven’t seen it yet have you?”

I snatched her phone from her hand and examined it.

Oh gods. There were pictures of Cassio and me …

Very suggestive pictures from the fundraiser.

I read the title of the news article: Bachelor No More?

A fucking tabloid had photos of us together and was running some stupid article about us being in a relationship.

“It gets worse,” Thea admitted, slowly taking her phone from my hands and tapping the screen a few times before handing it back to me.

It did get worse. I read a statement from Cassio another news source had published.

“I have hired Caldway and Associates to help with a new housing development for the underprivileged. Liana Sutton is a brilliant analyst and is in charge of my account. She gracefully accommodates my busy schedule, which often means we are working together after regular business hours. I look forward to sharing more about the upcoming housing development soon.”

I was staring blankly at Thea’s desk as I mindlessly handed her phone back to her.

The pictures made it look like we had snuck off from the fundraiser to fuck in a closet—okay, we basically could have done that, but now everyone else was seeing it.

Then to have those photos next to a statement that clearly put me in the work associate bucket.

I understood why he would say such a thing, it wasn’t not true, but fuck me.

It was just another way I felt what was between us meant nothing. No, I was being crazy.

“The phone has been ringing off the hook this morning, Liana,” Thea said. “Both reporters and businesses who now want a meeting with us are calling. Since Cassio thought highly enough of us to hire us himself, they all want to see what we’re about.”

“Has Roger seen it?” I asked carefully. Thea nodded, but a small smile crossed her face. “He’s not pissed?”

She shrugged. “He is trying to be a little nosy about your personal life, but he is thrilled for media attention. That kind of marketing you can’t fake. He is taking full advantage and has been talking with potential clients all morning.”

I let out a slow breath. “Well, I am going to go hide in my office. Let me know if things change.”

“Hey. Are you okay? You seem a bit shocked,” Thea pressed.

“I will be fine,” I mumbled and turned to retreat into my office.

I spent the rest of the day screening all my calls and emails. I guess as much as this was violating, it was at least good for business. At the end of the day, Thea knocked on my door. “So I have been trying to give you some space, but I have to know. Are things going on with you two?”

I pointed to the door and she closed it behind her and practically jumped into one of the chairs opposite my desk.

“Yeah, things are going on,” I admitted and she let out a deafening squeal.

I waved at her to quiet down. “He has been adamant to keep things private and not that I want something public, but it feels like a booty call.”

“Well what has he said to you about this?” Thea questioned as she leaned forward in her seat.

Cassio had not even sent a message. I hadn’t either, but I guess I was waiting for him to say something first. “We haven’t talked.”

“No!” Thea gasped. “He hasn’t reached out?

Oh, I am so sorry. Maybe he hasn’t seen it?

” Thea offered. I gave her a look telling her we both knew he was the first to know about it.

He had issued a statement before I even knew the pictures existed.

“Right. Well. Are you going to be okay getting home? Do you need to come stay at my place or something?”

“Gods no. I’ll be fine. I am just going to pretend none of this is happening,” I forced a smile as I replied.

“Right. Well I am just a call away if you need to escape … oh and I need the update when you hear from him. Look at you getting with Mr. Big Dick Business Biker. I love this for you,” she teased and winked at me. I only rolled my eyes as she left my office.

A few minutes later my phone buzzed with a new message. It was Cassio. My heart skipped a beat, maybe he was checking in on me finally.

I’ll be at your office at 7. We need to go over some things regarding the remodeling plans and budget for the new property. I’ll send over dinner.

It was the longest message I had received from Cassio and it was a fucking meeting summons.

I slid my chair back and planted my forehead on my desk.

He was infuriating. No mention of the photos or the article or anything.

Just a demanding message for a business meeting.

I sat up only enough so that I could type a response:

See you at 7

Cassio stepped off the lift right on time.

I was waiting for him leaning against the wall.

I was annoyed. He had a bad habit of just demanding things from me and I had been fighting with him in my head for the past two hours.

I barely moved as his hand found my waist and he kissed me on the forehead.

I turned my head away from him a little and his eyes narrowed at me. “Angel, are you okay?”

“Fine,” I responded and turned, walking down the hallway towards the conference room. Cassio closed the conference room door behind himself—not like it mattered. Everyone else had gone home. “What do you need to go over?” I ask grumpily.

Cassio huffed a laugh and crossed the room to me, taking my hips in his hand and pushing me back to the wall. “First, I need you to tell me what has you upset,” he said, his voice low. I rolled my eyes and his thumb and fingers guided my chin up so I was looking at him. “What’s wrong?”

“Did you not see the photos and the articles?” I asked angrily.

He gently kissed my lips. “Of course I did.”

“Were you not going to say anything?” I pressed him.

He kissed me again and his hand slid from my hip to the button on my pants.

His fingers opened my pants with ease and his hand slid down my front and over my underwear.

His body stiffened and his mouth pulled away from mine.

Anger was in his eyes as he looked at me.

“Angel. What did I tell you about wearing panties?”

“What?” I gasped in confusion.

“What did I tell you about wearing panties to our business meetings?” He asked, enunciating each word.

I swallowed. “You can’t be serious?” I asked indignantly. “I ask you about the press printing photos of us together and you are worried about me wearing panties? I wasn’t planning on a meeting with you tonight,” I retorted hotly. This was ridiculous .

Cassio’s angry eyes scanned my face. “Did I not make myself clear enough?”

CASSIO

I was not happy to feel the lace under her pants. I had been explicitly clear that she was not to wear underwear to our business meetings. It was a small thing that if she could not remember then she was not respecting me.

She squirmed away from me and I let her take a few steps across the room. “You’re being serious right now?” she breathed, panic lacing her tone. “I forgot, Cassio. Is it really that big of a deal? I have been a little distracted with the fact that we are all over the news.”

“I am serious. Take them off right now,” I ordered her. Her mouth just dropped open as she gaped at me. “Take them off.”

“You are more worried about me wearing underwear like a normal person than the news articles with photos of us together? I can’t believe you.

I can’t believe you made that stupid statement about me accommodating you after hours,” she threw her words at me with an attitude I was not appreciating.

Of course I was not okay with the fucking news articles.

“What? Did you want me to publicly announce we are together? I already told you that would put you in danger. I am not going to do that,” I reasoned back. She was being emotional about this.

“No! But you didn’t even check in. If you really think there is something between us, then that extends to the daytime too.

I don’t care about whatever this is between us being public, but I have to exist to you outside of nighttime.

You have to care about me outside of wanting to fuck me,” Liana’s voice raised as she addressed me.

“Liana, calm down. You know you matter to me. Let’s just get this work done and we can get out of here,” I replied, trying to distract her.

“I guess this is all just business for you,” Liana snapped back.

I watched her snatch her bag from one of the chairs and push out of the conference room door.

The only thing I wanted to do was chase her down and punish her for daring to talk to me in such a way.

Instead, I squeezed the doorframe and held myself back.

She needed to cool off. The photos had scared her.

She was not used to being in the spotlight and she did not realize that after a day or two none of it would matter.

The news would be on to something new and the buzz would fizzle out.

I pulled out my phone and called Zac to tell him to give Liana a ride home and come back for me after.