I rush down the hall, anxious to leave. Three hours, that’s how long it took me to catch up on my reports. If I didn’t know Finn was meeting with Mason I’d be Beyoncé strutting my way out the door, happy I finished my work. Instead I’m all but stumbling out of here with what remains of my pride.
After four days, I should feel less humiliated, shouldn’t I? That dark cloud with thunder and lightning that followed me all the way back to my place after leaving Finn’s house should be gone and nothing, but a distant memory, correct?
No. Not at all. Those stupid bolts still strike. It’s not just the embarrassment that’s been slapping me around―and believe me, that’s bad enough. Finn hurt me, totally and completely crushed me. He was that one ray of light I looked forward to. The one who caused all my silly grins and giggles.
He was also the one who rocked my world. The way he touched me . . . Oh, my God. I lost total control, thrashing with each orgasm he gave me.
I thought he liked me. It’s what he claimed. And I believed him.
Until he kicked me out of his house.
“Call me when you get home,” he told me.
No fucking way, I didn’t say.
As it was, I cried when I finally collapsed my bed, wondering what I did wrong. It’s not like I get naked in front of just anyone. But I did with Finn because I wanted to feel close to him. And he wanted to feel close to me, too.
Or so I thought.
Every time I reason he simply didn’t want me, I remember how hard I made him by standing in front of him naked. But then I’m reminded of how uncomfortable he seemed when I touched him.
So even though it’s been days since that horrible night, I’m still tempted to crawl into the nearest hole and die. But there’s no hole, and there’s still life, so for now here I am bolting out into the main hall as fast as I can.
I step into the elevator, sighing with relief as I punch the button to the lobby. Yet my relief turns to panic when I hear steps stomping quickly forward and Mason calling, “Hold the door please!”
I can’t hit the button to shut the doors fast enough. But Mason must have been a ninja in his former life because he’s suddenly there, his hand shooting out, catching the doors before they can finish closing.
Oh, and look . . . Finn is right behind him.
“Hello,” Mason says when he sees that it’s me.
“Hi,” I spit out, averting my attention away from where Finn is standing frozen in front of us.
I edge back and to the corner, my face burning hot enough to set off the nearest smoke detector when Finn slips inside. I almost expect him to stay in the front, or march to the opposite corner―as in keep his distance the hell away from me. Instead he positions himself beside me, his back falling against the wall as he crosses his arms. “Hey,” he says.
Mason turns around, smiling politely. “Finn this is my intern Sol―”
His smile abruptly fades, his attention bouncing between my heated face and Finn’s. There are people who can pull off poker faces and then there’s us. Finn’s normally fair skin is red from his neck to his forehead. Although my skin’s olive, my blush is as bright as a woman kicked out of a man’s pad after blowing him, because hey, that’s exactly what went down.
Mason turns back to the front of the elevator, his head falling forward as he pinches the bridge of his nose. Dear. God. What did Finn tell my boss about me?
“I take it you know each other?” he says, dropping his hand away.
“Um,” I say at the same time Finn says, “Ah.”
Freaking geniuses, that’s what we are.
The five levels we have to travel are the longest of my life. I should tell Mason we’ve known each other a few years, and that my cousin is married to his brother―something! But by now, it’s so obvious we’ve seen each other naked, it’s all I can do not to climb through the vent and make my escape.
The elevator dings open at the bottom and Mason steps out. “Goodbye,” he says, going toward the parking lot on the left, while I shoot to the right.
“Sol, wait,” Finn calls out.
Of course, I don’t. As soon as I’m through the double doors I take off in a sprint.
Finn, the MMA trained badass he is, keeps up in a steady jog. He doesn’t say anything, simply running beside me like he has all the time in the world. When it’s clear he’s not going to allow me to leave, I ground to a stop, whirling to face him.
“Did you tell Mason about us? About what happened Saturday night?”
He shoves his hands into his black biker jacket and glances around. “No?” he offers, like he’s not sure what the right answer is.
My stomach skitters down to cower behind my uterus. “Did you tell him what I did to you? About . . .” I can’t even get the words out. But as I catch Finn’s expression, and all the guilt marching across it, I know I don’t have to ask. Everything I wanted to know and didn’t want him to say is right there. I clench my fists, trying to beat back the sting his betrayal causes. “I can’t believe you’d do that to me.”