“Are you coming or what?” She said, her eyes blazing with fury.
Luke pushed back the bar stool and stood to his full height. He reached into his pocket and pulled out some money, placing the bills on the bar to cover his night. He followed her down the hallway where the bathrooms were, but they didn’t stop there. She kept walking down the narrow passageway until they reached a door that had a sign on it that read “Employees Only”. She slipped her hand into her back pocket and pulled out a single key.
Once she had turned the key in the lock, she opened the door and stepped inside. Luke followed completely unaware of where this was going. She closed the door behind them. The only light illuminating the office was the screensaver of the computer. Luke took in his surroundings for a moment before turning around to face Cara.
She placed her hands on her hips and glared at him. “What’re you doing Luke?”
He squinted and looked at her. What the fuck could he have done? He followed her here didn’t he? She had asked him to, didn’t she? “Excuse me?”
She started to undo the buttons on her shirt. “Is this what you want?” She said through gritted teeth. “Huh?”
Luke’s eyes widened as he took a step backward. The backs of his legs hit the front of the desk and he swallowed the lump in his throat as he watched her unbutton the last button. “Cara…” He warned.
She pulled her shirt off vigorously. “Everyone can see it, you know… the way you look at me.” She reached behind her unclasping her bra. She cocked her head and brought her hands in front of her. She crossed her arms at her chest as her fingertips trailed over the straps of her bra. “Like I’m some forbidden fruit.”
He should deny it and run the hell out of there, he thought, yet his feet didn’t move. His eyes fell from hers to her chest as she freed herself from her bra, dropping it to the floor in front of her. She stepped over the lace bra and closed the distance between them. He looked down at her, realizing for the first time how tiny she was compared to him. He towered over her by at a foot or so. Her leg brushed against his and he inhaled sharply.
He needed to get control of himself. He made a promise, he reminded himself; a promise to his brother on his deathbed. He was only supposed to look after her. Her eyes found his in the darkness of the office. She was right. She was his forbidden fruit. “I’ll never be yours, you know.” She whispered.
“I know.” He heard himself say as he lifted his hand to touch her cheek. His hand hesitated for a moment, afraid of what would happen when it actually connected with her flesh. She flinched as if he had smacked her when all he did is run his knuckles softly against her cheek.
She closed her hand around his wrist. Luke noticed her eyes were green when they looked into his. “Every time I turn around, you’re there.” She said without any emotion in her voice. It was just a statement. “And you’re looking at me. I pretend not to notice half the time because I see the look in your eye. I know what you want.” Her voice began to catch and she tightened her hold on his wrist. She brought her free hand up and wrapped it around his neck. “Yet here I am offering you what you want and you haven’t grabbed me and taken it yet.” She tilted her head to the side and glared into his eyes. “I knew you wouldn’t follow through with it.” Her fingers worked the back of his neck. “Mr. Responsible always lets his conscience win in the end.” She all but whispered, each word taunting him.