by Leah Holt
Turning my face, his lips hit my cheek. Giving me a weird look, Ash let his arms fall to his sides. “What's going on, Nola?”
Tell him!
“Nothing, it's not personal, Ash, I just have a ton of stuff to do here. And honestly, I don't know if trying to fit a relationship in the mix is a good thing. I hardly have time for myself, I just don't think this will work with us.”
I was mute, never allowing the truth to come out of my mouth.
“Really?” he asked, not believing me for a second.
Turning away from him, I walked over to my desk and started fiddling with the papers on top. “Look, I'm sorry, it was fun, but that's all it was, just fun. You and I both know that this wasn't going to go anywhere.”
“You're not serious.” Stroking his jaw, he rocked it side to side. “Where was this last night when you were riding my face and begging for more? Where was this when you let me fuck you with my fingers in the back of the cab or when I took you on that desk? How about when I held you after you came and wrapped you in my arms until you fell asleep?”
“Ash—”
He cut me off, his voice turning thick. “Where was this when you left my place this morning and kissed me goodbye? People who just want fun, only do it once. They leave and don't look back. They don't accept dinner invitations, they don't look at you the way you've looked at me—and they don't kiss you goodbye.”
Leaning against my desk, I clutched the edge and kept my gaze on the floor. I couldn't bring myself to look him in the eyes because I knew none of this was true.
But my hands were tied, I was bound and gagged. This was the only way out, the only way to make sure that tape never made it to the surface.
“I think you should just go back to work now, Ash.”
“Yeah, that's exactly what I'll do, I'll just go back to work.” With heavy feet, he stomped to the door and tore it open. Slamming it shut, I was left alone, feeling horrible about myself.
You're doing the right thing; for you, for the business, for Dad, and for Ash. . .
Then why do I feel like shit?
Dropping into my chair, I cupped my face and hung my head.
I just forced out the only person I ever actually wanted.
It had to be this way.
But is it worth it?
Chapter Six
Ash
Something happened.
She thought I couldn't see it, that I'd just believe her lame excuse for trying to push me away. The way Clint forced himself into her office, the snark glare he shot me when he left with a stupid grin, I wanted to cut off his face.
Lies—it's all lies.
She wouldn't tell me what happened. I wasn't ready to believe that this was what she wanted. She could try and act like nothing happened, she could try and make me think that this was all moving too fast for her. It was a bold faced lie and I wasn't falling for it.
Bullshit, I don't believe a fucking word she said.
That's what it was, it was all fucking bullshit and I could smell it before I even stepped foot in her office.
Stalking to my desk, the room was full of beady-eyed onlookers, all poking their heads over their cubicles like damn ground hogs, peeping at me as I stormed by.
Dropping into my seat, I grabbed the sides of my skull and growled. I was shaking, my hands balled up so tight I could feel the short tips of my nails as they dug into the skin.
“What the hell was that about?” Vance rolled into my space on his chair, his eyes huge and confused. “Did you just get reamed out or something?”
“You don't have a damn clue, Vance,” I snapped, shaking my head with a deep frown. “Fuck!” I barked, slapping the cup of pens off my desk and punching the top. “Damn it!”
Holding out his arms, Vance's lids shot open, exposing all the white in his eyes. “Whoa, I'm sorry, calm down, Ash. What the hell happened? What did she say? Did she find out about the cock pic?”
“Nothing, it's nothing.” Hanging my head, I couldn't stop thinking about the woman that left my house only hours before and the one that had just been in front of me.
It wasn't the same person. Where was the woman who screamed my name last night and told me she couldn't get enough of me? Where was the doe eyed girl who's cheeks flushed from just a kiss and made my heart hammer inside my chest?
That wasn't her, it was someone else.
Clint. . . What the fuck did he say to her?
Standing up quickly, I squeezed past Vance. “I need to go talk to someone.” My hip shoved into his chair as I forced my way through, rolling him out into the hall.
“Where are you going?” he asked, calling out to me. “Maybe you should calm down a bit a first.”
“Fuck that. This can't wait.”
This woman is special, I won't lose her to someone who doesn't see that.
The hall seemed to go on forever. It was as if it had no end, continuing to grow with every step I took. Clint was the person I had to talk to, I knew he had something to do with this.
Vance was right, I probably should have taken some time to calm down before confronting the guy, but I had to know what the hell he did to force her away so easily.
Reaching his door, I didn't bother knocking. Grabbing the handle, I threw it open with my shoulder.
Clint's head shot up, his face stern and angry. “What the hell do you want?”
Flaring my nostrils, my hands were by my sides, and I had to do everything in my power to not tear him out from behind his desk.
“What the hell did you do? What did you say to her?” Splaying my hands against my thighs, my fingers twitched.
Leaning back in his chair, a pleased smile painted his face. “Wow, that was quick. I thought she'd at least wait until after work.”
Taking a long step inside, my knuckles were tight as I clenched my fists. “What did you say?”
“See, this is why office romance is against the rules. . .” His voice faded as his eyes held mine. “Except when it comes to Nola and I, we're the exception to the rule.” We stared at each other, the testosterone heating the room as a silent battle brewed. Letting out a sigh, he tilted his head and spoke. “You'll never understand what we have, Ash. Nola and I, we're supposed to be together. I didn't have to say anything to her, all I had to do was show her.”
“What the fuck does that mean?”
Pressing the tips of his fingers into the top of his desk, he leaned forward. “It means you're out and I'm back in. You were just a rebound fuck, that was it. She doesn't really want you, she never did. I told you she was mine, I warned you to stay away from her.”
Did she use me?
The thought lingered for a moment, but I slapped it away. I know what I felt and I know what I saw in her eyes.
“You're fucking wrong. I know what she wants and it's not you.”
“If she really wants you then why are you here?” His eyes flicked back and forth, head tilting into his shoulder. I didn't answer him. “Ash,” he said, holding out his arms. “We both know that whatever was going on between you two wasn't going to last. Nola's a smart woman, she can see right through you, she knows your a fucking lowlife scumbag who could never give her what she needs. She doesn't want someone like you, she wants a real man.”
Baring my teeth, my muscles trembled, begging me to let them take over. “You don't get to decide what she wants.” Stepping to the edge of his desk, I hovered over him. “But I want to know what the hell you said to her to make her do this.”
“I told you, I didn't have to say shit.”
My fingers itched to snag his collar, ready and willing to draw blood. “You can't keep me from her, I won't go away that easily.”
Arching a brow, Clint folded his hands. “You'd be doing her a favor if you just make this easy on all of us. You guys have known each other for what—a few days?” A condescending chuckle escaped his mouth as he sighed. “Look, you don't want to see her get hurt, I know that. But if you don't keep away from her, it's g
oing to hurt her a hell of a lot more than it will hurt you.”
“Fuck you.” My eyes turned to razors, slicing him to pieces as we glared at each other.
Clint raised his finger to the small speaker on his desk. “I think it's time for you to go,” he said, gently pressing the button. “Beth, can you call security for me?”
“Is everything alright, Mr. Strauss?” Her voice crackled, her tone fearful and worried.
“Just call security.” Sitting back in his chair, he braided his fingers over his chest and smiled. “I'm going to make this really simple so you can understand it. I know what you two did that night, I have it all on tape and I'm willing to use it to keep her. She knows what to do, she knows how to help herself. There's no need for this to go any further, that woman belongs to me, so let's just—”
He taped us?
My blood boiled as I finally understood what she was hiding from.
Jerking my body across his desk, I grabbed him by the throat. “Make it simple—” growling through clenched teeth, I tore Clint up from his seat. “Let's get one thing clear—Nola isn't your fucking property.”
Clint's lips peeled back, exposing a raw, sinister grin. “She is now.”
Pulling my fist back, my brain shut down as nothing but emotional chaos flowed through my veins. This guy was a dick, plain and simple. He deserved to have his ass handed to him on the silver platter he thought he was born on.
With one quick punch, I knocked his head back, drawing blood from his nose. The red stream flowed out quick and smooth, slithering over his lips.
Blinking slowly, Clint smiled, his teeth tinted red. “You just made this so much easier. I won't have any trouble getting in her panties now.”
My arm started forward again, but it stopped in mid air as I was yanked back by two sets of arms. The security guards tore me away, dragging me on my heels.
I fought them, I fought them the best I could. Any control I had was gone, lost to the insane desire to fuck up Clint's face and make him pay for what he was doing.
Nola and I had something, we felt something. I knew she felt it too, I could see it in her eyes, in her smile, in the way her body melted in my hands.
He wasn't going to take her from me, not now, not ever.
“Let me go!” I snarled, jerking my body and trying to break free. “Let me go!”
“Come on, you're done here,” one of the security guards said as they pulled me away.
Clint adjusted the collar of his blue button-up, his eyes zeroing in on mine. “And just so we're clear,” he called out, “You're fired.” His smile returned as he winked at me, sitting back down in his chair and pressing a tissue to his nose.
“Fuck you, you piece of shit!” Kicking my feet, I wriggled my arms, trying to escape the hands holding me tight. “This isn't over!”
Firm fingers dug into my arms harder, my feet scraped over the granite tiles as I was forcefully removed. All the other employees popped up from their seats, their eyes huge and afraid as I was pulled through the office towards the exit like a rabid dog.
“Okay, alright,” I barked at the guards. “Can I just grab my stuff first?”
The men paused, both of them looking at each other for a brief moment. The taller red headed guy on my left arm shrugged his shoulder and nodded.
“Fine, we'll let you get your stuff, but if you try anything—”
Cutting him off, I calmly said, “I won't, I just need to grab a few things and I'll go without a problem.”
Standing me upright, they released their grip, but stayed at my side as I walked with my head down to my desk. Everyone watched me, following me through the room, nervously waiting for me to go off again, and wondering if I'd lash out at someone else.
Taking a quick glance at Nola's office, she was standing in the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest. Her hand was resting at her lips as she covered her mouth.
I wanted to say so many things to her. I wanted to tell her that what Clint was doing didn't mean anything. We could fix this if we both tried. I wanted her to know that I had never felt this way about anyone else before and that made her special.
I wanted to tell her that I'd gladly lose my job if it meant we could still be together, that I'd never just walk away from her, I'd only run toward her.
But I said nothing.
I could feel the air between us, I could feel her heartbeat as it pulsed hard and fast despite the distance of where we stood. I could hear her rapid breathing and knew deep inside that she didn't want any of this.
Her lips mouthed the words, 'I'm sorry,' as a single tear streaked down her cheek.
Nola's moment of weakness quickly faded. Wiping the tear away, she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and stiffened her back as people began to glance between us.
Blinking, I let my eyes harden, stuffing my shit into my bag and tossing it over my shoulder. With two men at my side, I was escorted out the door, and told to never step foot on the property again.
Taking one last look over my shoulder, I was hoping she would let her voice out and tell them to release me. I wanted her to speak up, to shout out that the devil was still inside and they were taking the wrong person.
Nola did nothing. She didn't step up, she didn't stand at my side. She let me dangle in this halfhearted expectation that we shared the same breath, the same heart, the same love.
That should have been enough to make me see through this girl, to understand that her heart didn't beat like mine. She wasn't a woman who found beauty in the tones trembling down her spine from my touch or the way her knees buckled when I kissed her behind her ear.
Nola York was paper thin, withering under the weight of one man manipulating her world into tattered fragments.
She could tell me we were moving too fast, she could tell me that she didn't have time for a relationship. Nola could give me a million different reasons that we were wrong together.
But I knew the truth. I knew what he was doing to force her away.
And I wasn't going anywhere.
The heart wants what the heart wants.
And mine only wanted Nola York.
Chapter Seven
Nola
Closing my door, I tried to find the good in what happened. With Ash gone, Clint would have no reason to show that tape to anyone. This company would remain safe, my father's name would stay clear.
My world would remain whole.
That's all that matters.
Is that all that matters?
I wanted to believe myself. But it was really hard to think of any of this as good. If it was truly good, I wouldn't feel like I had lost something so amazing. If my life had been so great to begin with, I wouldn't feel so hurt that Ash was gone.
But what was I supposed to do?
I had never felt like my life was so out of control.
Every magazine and newsroom would have a field day with a story like that. My name would be in the headlines, my father's reputation would be shot. We'd never see the light of day if my ass was on the front page of newspapers and every blog or competitor was blasting our name into the ground.
I was saving my father from complete embarrassment. I was saving his creation—our creation.
He would be destroyed if he learned that his protege—his own daughter had done something so stupid. I would never be able to look him in the eyes again.
What the fuck did I do? How could I be so reckless?
“Nola, Clint would like to see you in his office.”
“Tell him I'm busy.” The last thing I wanted was to see that man.
“He says it's important.” Beth's voice was vibrating, still shaken by the scene she just watched.
Tapping my desk with the tips of my fingers, I debated if I should go.
Go, you can end this now. Tell him he got what he wanted, now the tape could be destroyed.
Walking with my head down, I dragged my feet through the hall. Standing outside his door, I lifted my knuck
les and knocked lightly.
“Come in,” he called out, as if he didn't know who was behind the wood.
Opening the door, I let it swing inward, staying outside the threshold. “What?”
“Do you understand what come in means?”
“I understand it perfectly, but I'd rather not. What do you want?”
Taking in a deep breath, he tilted his head as he stared at me. “Please, just come inside. Unless you want the entire office to hear our conversation, maybe they can give you some tips on angles and lighting for your next movie.”
Grounding my teeth down, I held my tongue. I wasn't going to make this worse, I wasn't going to give him anything else he could use against me.
Stepping inside his office, I shut the door behind me. “Better?” I asked, making sure he could hear the annoyance in my voice.
“Stop, you're acting like a child.” Waving his hand, he pointed. “Sit, come on, lets have a normal conversation like two adults.”
“I'd rather stand, and don't give me that shit about a normal conversation.” Snapping my hip out, I tipped my head up and looked down at him. “You got what you wanted, Ash is gone, and it looks like you made sure he was gone for good. Nice job with that one, really smooth on your part. It's not bad enough that you're blackmailing me, you had to get him yanked off the property by security, bravo. You are so fucking lucky that our fathers are friends, otherwise you wouldn't be here.”
“Babe, stop. You'd never fire me, I'd slap a lawsuit on you so fast it would slice you in two. We both know I'm good at what I do, that's why I'm second in command here.” Softening his eyes, he pouted his lips. “Look, you're upset, I get it, but you know this is for the best.”
“Don't, don't you dare try to make this into something good.” Taking a firm step forward, I gripped the back of the chair. “This isn't what I wanted. And if you think you can just keep holding this over my head, you're wrong.”
“Wrong? I'm never wrong.” Pressing his chest against the edge of his desk, he stabbed the top with a firm finger. “I did what had to be done. You're my girl, no one else's.”
Thinning my lips, I cocked my head. “I will never be your girl, not ever again. Did you really think that doing this would make me come running back to you? Are you that fucking deluded?”