Taming the Alter Ego Read Free Page B

it.
    Licking my lips in anticipation—wanting to do the same to his—I could barely wait for the end of the day. The remaining hour and a half seemed a lifetime.
    I briefly contemplated whether I should have reacted differently. Made him work harder by playing hard to get, but the regret was fleeting. Nothing could surpass the pure delight resulting from the seemingly insignificant conversation with the near stranger.
    A period of clock watching made me realize he had made his request late in the day, causing speculation on why he hadn’t asked earlier. I fancied he was intimidated by me, unsure of how to make an approach and practicing what to say.
    If I were being nice, I would have reassured him with a compliment, but I had no intention of being nice. Kindness was unnecessary to seduce him when I could demand what I wanted. And he would find out I was the demanding type.
    In the meantime, I would have to be satisfied with the scent he left behind, which only made me crave a more potent hit like the proverbial drug addict.

    ****
I could have sworn that time was running backwards, but all the frustration dissipated when the moment finally arrived. While colleagues made their way out, rushing like they were at risk of capture, I worked against the tide. Heading to the hallowed confines of Tom’s office, I returned a few good nights and see you tomorrows to people I barely looked at.
    I had no time for them. Anything unrelated to Tom paled into insignificance.
    Eagerness swelled inside me until it felt ready to burst through my chest, my fervor destroying any hint of patience. Carrying a notepad and pen in a show of professionalism, I firmly planted each step in a purposeful stride.
    Slightly ajar, his door stood like an invitation for me to enter. Two sharp taps to the wood pushed it wider, improving my view of the room beyond, the sight making a rumbling sigh tickle the back of my throat.
    Facing me from behind his desk, Tom encouraged me in with a gentle smile that suggested a tinge of nerves. His hands splayed on the desk as if braced for an expected shock. Either it backed up the unease his expression betrayed or it was a subtle display of his lack of wedding ring. However, that was something I had noticed a while ago—almost immediately after first encountering him—much like never having heard him talk about a girlfriend in any of the conversations on which I had eavesdropped.
    Returning a smile, albeit a confident one that masked my true feelings, I stepped inside and closed the door behind me. Seclusion caused a familiar tenderness to sweep through my body, instantly alert for what was to come.
    The sensation grew to a powerful whirling surge, my heart and clit thumping in unison.
    With a deep breath, Tom brought his hands together and laced his fingers, tightly clasped atop the table. I almost laughed at his apparent need for self-calming techniques to deal with me, not least because I had merely entered the room.
    His awkward greeting came as I walked toward him, my nostrils flaring from detecting a distinct aroma. “Hi.”
    Looking into his eyes, the deep brown shade invitingly warm, I lowered myself into the chair opposite without awaiting an invite. “Hello, Tom.”
    If only you knew what I would do to you , I thought in the pause that followed.
    For a moment, we both seemed contented to remain silent, his unwavering stare making me wonder whether he could read my thoughts from my face, whether he had already calculated that I was the culprit who left the unexpected gift. With one look, he could make my heart flutter like it attempted to beat its way free.
    The instant he began to speak, stuttering nervously, he shattered the image he unconsciously created, giving me back the control. Relaxing allowed me to recognize the woody smell of cigars mingled with his aftershave, rich and potent, more than I could want.
    Laying my notepad on my lap as he began to speak, I looked at him closely to give the