shameful secret that I found Asher Harding irresistibly sexy--and equally infuriating. I wrapped up my notes for the meeting and clicked the 'print' button.
"You sure? Looks like you have all the inspiration you need right here judging from your cheeks."
I glared at Asher, my hand flinging up to my cheeks. I was always an easy-blusher, but it certainly didn't help that he was always staring at me.
"It's hot in here," I snapped, grabbing the notes and standing from my seat.
Asher chuckled in response, but before he could shoot back a witty response, I was saved by David, one of the Quality Assurance employees who had found his way to my desk.
"Lane, a bunch of us are going out to The Pub, wanna come?"
"I'd love to," I responded, relief flooding in me for the interruption and for the fact that I'd get a drink after this. I need a drink after this. Even if it was at a bar with the most unoriginal name in the world.
"What an excellent idea," Asher said in his most proper tone, flashing us his cockiest grin. "A drink after work sounds marvelous."
I squeezed my eyes closed as I felt my nerves fray a little bit more. He's coming to spite me, I just know it. I could practically taste it.
Asher was eyeing me devilishly, his icy blue eyes gleaming, as he shrugged his suit jacket on.
"Actually-" I started, thinking it wasn't too late to back out yet.
"We have a meeting to attend. Miss Lane?"
I bit my tongue and nodded. I could see Theodore Harding waiting in the conference room already. There was no backing out now. I'll just have one drink and go home, I thought, but I already knew this was going to end up being a terrible idea.
The countdown to 5 PM felt like an eternity. Meetings were never fun, but they were even more intimidating when there was not one, but two , Hardings in the room.
After I'd gotten back to my desk, Clara gestured to my phone with her head and I noticed the flashing blue light, indicating I'd received a message. The message was from her and it linked to a series of news articles.
What is this? I wondered as I clicked it. People around me were already packing their belongings up for the day, so I knew I only had a moment to read it before the rest of my coworkers came to get me before heading over to The Pub.
The page loaded slowly, but my eyes widened as soon as words began to form on the site. I quickly wished that it had loaded even slower. The picture in itself was pretty incriminating: it was undoubtedly a naked Asher (his ink is telling) with his genitals blurred out. He was towering above a skinny little blonde thing, a fistful of her hair in his hand and her mouth around his... I stared, transfixed by the image, and a stab of jealousy pierced my chest. I tore my eyes away, reading the caption instead, which read: "ASHER PUTS THE 'HARD' IN HARDING & CO WITH SHOCKING SEX SCANDAL... AGAIN!" My eyes skimmed the article and widened as phrases like SECRETARY and PRISON SENTENCE practically jumped out at me. I felt sick to my stomach.
Clara was next to me in a flash, excitedly whispering, "I know, right? It's so crazy! We were all wondering why Mr. Harding brought him here when he was running the other Harding & Co location just fine. Apparently, he told his secretary that he'd fire her if she didn't sleep with him in the office." Somehow, Clara's voice became even more hushed as she added dreamily, "Not that that'd be the worst thing in the world. But anyway, all of this was just leaked last week but it happened over year ago--one of the girls from marketing found it. She said that he'd received an 8-year prison sentence for it but was able to shorten his plea to one year."
My eyes widened and I turned to look at Clara's round face. " What? "
"Right?"
She was absolutely loving the office drama and continued excitedly sharing all of the juicy details she'd learned. Meanwhile, all I could do was gape at her like a lunatic. As much as Asher pissed me off, he wasn't dangerous enough to warrant an
"You sure? Looks like you have all the inspiration you need right here judging from your cheeks."
I glared at Asher, my hand flinging up to my cheeks. I was always an easy-blusher, but it certainly didn't help that he was always staring at me.
"It's hot in here," I snapped, grabbing the notes and standing from my seat.
Asher chuckled in response, but before he could shoot back a witty response, I was saved by David, one of the Quality Assurance employees who had found his way to my desk.
"Lane, a bunch of us are going out to The Pub, wanna come?"
"I'd love to," I responded, relief flooding in me for the interruption and for the fact that I'd get a drink after this. I need a drink after this. Even if it was at a bar with the most unoriginal name in the world.
"What an excellent idea," Asher said in his most proper tone, flashing us his cockiest grin. "A drink after work sounds marvelous."
I squeezed my eyes closed as I felt my nerves fray a little bit more. He's coming to spite me, I just know it. I could practically taste it.
Asher was eyeing me devilishly, his icy blue eyes gleaming, as he shrugged his suit jacket on.
"Actually-" I started, thinking it wasn't too late to back out yet.
"We have a meeting to attend. Miss Lane?"
I bit my tongue and nodded. I could see Theodore Harding waiting in the conference room already. There was no backing out now. I'll just have one drink and go home, I thought, but I already knew this was going to end up being a terrible idea.
The countdown to 5 PM felt like an eternity. Meetings were never fun, but they were even more intimidating when there was not one, but two , Hardings in the room.
After I'd gotten back to my desk, Clara gestured to my phone with her head and I noticed the flashing blue light, indicating I'd received a message. The message was from her and it linked to a series of news articles.
What is this? I wondered as I clicked it. People around me were already packing their belongings up for the day, so I knew I only had a moment to read it before the rest of my coworkers came to get me before heading over to The Pub.
The page loaded slowly, but my eyes widened as soon as words began to form on the site. I quickly wished that it had loaded even slower. The picture in itself was pretty incriminating: it was undoubtedly a naked Asher (his ink is telling) with his genitals blurred out. He was towering above a skinny little blonde thing, a fistful of her hair in his hand and her mouth around his... I stared, transfixed by the image, and a stab of jealousy pierced my chest. I tore my eyes away, reading the caption instead, which read: "ASHER PUTS THE 'HARD' IN HARDING & CO WITH SHOCKING SEX SCANDAL... AGAIN!" My eyes skimmed the article and widened as phrases like SECRETARY and PRISON SENTENCE practically jumped out at me. I felt sick to my stomach.
Clara was next to me in a flash, excitedly whispering, "I know, right? It's so crazy! We were all wondering why Mr. Harding brought him here when he was running the other Harding & Co location just fine. Apparently, he told his secretary that he'd fire her if she didn't sleep with him in the office." Somehow, Clara's voice became even more hushed as she added dreamily, "Not that that'd be the worst thing in the world. But anyway, all of this was just leaked last week but it happened over year ago--one of the girls from marketing found it. She said that he'd received an 8-year prison sentence for it but was able to shorten his plea to one year."
My eyes widened and I turned to look at Clara's round face. " What? "
"Right?"
She was absolutely loving the office drama and continued excitedly sharing all of the juicy details she'd learned. Meanwhile, all I could do was gape at her like a lunatic. As much as Asher pissed me off, he wasn't dangerous enough to warrant an
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