The NSC Boxset: Heart of Stone (179 page)

“Your coffee shouldn’t be a moment. Would you like to sync diaries before we start?” her soft voiced wavered and my stomach clenched at her anxiety.

I stared at her like a caged bloody lion; my lust, aggression, despair and love all fought for attention, each wanting to overrule the other and take lead.

She blinked at me and my teeth sank into my lip when it reminded me of how she would look up at me after making her come, her huge eyes blinking at me in her sated posture.

“Oh, uhh, yes that would be good.”

She smiled a little easier then, as my softer tone relaxed her a little more and she took the chair opposite mine, crossing her legs like the ever sexy secretary.

I puffed out a silent breath behind her then went round the desk and settled in my own chair.

She had already situated her iPad on my desk and it was already logged in to the system. Why couldn’t bloody Fiona have been this competent?

“I’ve already harmonised each diary but I need updating and anything arranged for today, I also need your personal engagements.”

I nodded and glanced at my monitor to avert my eyes from the stunning swell of her breasts against her sexy little blouse. Knowing how fucking magnificent her tits actually looked under that blouse had my cock throbbing even more.

“Uhh, just the usual. Dry cleaning, my car needs a service booking in. Oh, could you get onto that clothing company I use and order me a few shirts, white and black should do.” She nodded and tapped away and I risked a glance at her exquisite face as her gaze was diverted.

She really was stunning and my breath wheezed a little as my eyes roamed down the length of her elegant neck and onto the patch of pale freckled skin that was exposed at the opening of her shirt.

She looked up at me expectantly and I quickly averted my eyes, hoping she hadn’t caught me looking.

“Anything else, Mr Hunt?”

The way she said ‘Mr Hunt’ had my fists clenching and my teeth gnawing together. What the fuck? I mean, I think we were onto first names by now, but if that’s the way she wanted to play then I would participate in her game and perform as she expected.

“I need some flowers arranging for Erica . . .”

I saw her fingers stutter on her keypad and I wanted to swipe that last statement from the air, take it back but I also didn’t want her to see how much she had hurt me, I didn’t want her to know how much I had been pining for her.

“No, in fact scratch that, I’ll pick some up on my way home instead.”

God damn it Lucas! What the hell is wrong with you?

She swallowed and nodded but kept her eyes trained on her tablet. “Is that all?” she asked and I noticed the tightness in her voice but she swallowed again and looked up at me with a smile plastered to her beautiful face.

I nodded simply. She nodded in return then scurried out of my office and I knew she was hiding how upset she was from me.

“You fucking prick, Hunt.”

I couldn’t seem to stop myself saying stuff to hurt her, but if I was honest, I was doing it in attempt to rid her from my system.

It had been two weeks since I had last seen her but she had been in my head for every damn second of those two weeks and I was desperate to move on.

The way she had sobbed over that . . . that bastard. It was unbelievable. How the hell, after everything, she could mourn a man that had hurt her beyond comprehension was just . . . damn fucking insane and I had actually wondered how she could even love me after grieving for a man that would have seen me six foot under; along with already putting her husband there.

I sighed when I realised she hadn’t poured my coffee. “Re . . . Miss Summers. Coffee.”

She wasn’t that efficient after all.

Chapter 33

Layla

WHY THE HELL had I said yes to Nate? Because it was a good regular income Lay, that’s why.

This was torture, utter, utter agony and when he had asked for flowers for Erica, I think the last remaining piece of my heart dropped into my lungs.

It hadn’t taken him long to move on. I thought I had actually meant more to him than that, but obviously he wasn’t as into me as he’d declared.

Then again, thinking about it, his loving statements had been professed during our passionate embraces.

He was just another typical male; whisper words of love and grin whilst they open their legs.

Bloody stupid Lay, bloody stupid.

Well, you know what Layla Summers, you can do better girl and it’s time to show Mr Lucas fucking Hunt exactly what he’s swapping for Erica bloody Tartness.

“Re . . . Miss Summers. Coffee.” he shouted and I stood, inched my skirt a little over my hips and smiled to myself as I swayed into his office.

I sauntered past him and smirked when I realised I hadn’t taken his little tiny stupid espresso cup from the cupboard. What a shame I had to bend to get in the cupboard.

So I bent, at the waist, straight over. Oops, my skirt lifted up my thighs and gave him a glimpse of my stocking tops.

Oh dear, how unprofessional.

I scrunched up my face as I heard a slight whimper from behind me and stood up, slowly smoothing my skirt over my hips.

You are one wicked woman Layla Summers.

I placed the minute, don’t even bother, cup under the spout and pressed the button. Why he couldn’t do this simple task was beyond me, but then again, he was of the male variety so that explained everything.

As I waited for his coffee to splutter out I approached his window and turned to Lucas. I had to swallow back the laugh at his pale face as he eyed me curiously. “Ooh, it’s really warm in here.”

I huffed out a breath as I grabbed the front of my blouse and wafted it, making sure my nipples had the full effect of the cool air coming through the window.

I sank my teeth into my bottom lip when Lucas dropped his gaze to my breasts and I sneakily pulled the material taut against my breasts, showing him just how cool the air was on my sensitive little nipples.

His own teeth sank into his lip and he shifted slightly in his chair.

I decided to leave him to suffer for a while as I swayed back over to the coffee and I slipped the top button of my blouse open before I made my way over to Lucas.

“There you are, Mr Hunt” I smiled as I bent forward to place his cup down and gave him an eyeful down my open shirt.

Tart!

Dirty Tart.

Hell, yes!

* * *

“I’m off now Mr Hunt.” I said through the intercom, not wanting to see the disgust he held for me again.

It had been on his face all day, his feelings for me had been sketched plainly on his face and I could read every single thought that had filtered through his mind.

‘How could she love a bastard like that?’

‘Sick bitch, grieving for a monster’

‘Should never have gone near the whore’

“Yeah.” Was all he said. I rolled my eyes as I stood and slipped on my jacket then jumped when Josh, the internal runner, scurried up to me with a huge, and I mean huge, bunch of flowers.

I eyed him questionably and he grinned his super white toothy smile at me. “For you, Miss Summers” he declared as he passed them to me.

My brows pulled together in confusion and my heart skipped as a small smile curved my lips and I risked a quick glance in Lucas’s office.

Was this his apology? Did he really still want me?

Josh raised a brow at me. “If you open the card you’ll find out” he smirked as if he had read my mind.

I smiled at him as I slipped the card from the envelope.

Lay,

Think it’s about time we got together.

I miss you honey.

Please ring me.

Tristan xxx

My heart sank. Not Lucas after all then. I should have known really.

I smiled at Josh. “Just a friend. Do we have vases here?”

He nodded and disappeared before returning with a wide clear glass urn full of water, needing a large container, the urn was perfect and I quickly arranged the flowers and placed them on the desk.

The red roses that were included in the display reminded me of Ry. When he had first pursued me at school he had placed a red rose on my desk every day for three weeks until I relented and accepted his date.

I stroked a soft petal and a small smile lifted my lips at the memory, before the pain sank in again and I pushed it down my throat, forcing it back as I had done every day since he died.

Josh gave my expression a peculiar look and I smiled through my wet eyes. “I’m good.”

He tipped his head at me and his face softened “Don’t usually see that expression from a woman who’s just received a bunch like that.”

“I know,” I sighed heavily “Just thoughts, that’s all.”

He winked cheekily and skipped off back down the long corridor.

I picked up my heart and ventured down the corridor, slowly and achingly. My life was falling to pieces. I had lost Ry, lost a man who had loved me to the death, lost the man I loved with more than just my heart and my best friend had been acting seriously weird for the past week.

Anything else God had forgotten to throw at me this month?

I pressed the button on the elevator and as it arrived I realised I’d forgotten my bag. “Holy Hell” I sighed as I spun round and ventured back down to my desk.

As I walked down the corridor I could see Lucas at my desk and my brow furrowed as I watched him.

What was he doing?

My furrowed brow lifted high when I watched him snip the heads off my flowers, one by one. The way he snapped those scissors showed every inch of his enjoyment as he cut off each bloom.

I leant against the wall and continued to observe his behaviour.

He must have gone crazy. No other explanation for it really.

I stood silent until he had snipped off the last head and I saw his shoulders heave as he pulled in a contented sigh.

“Feel better?”

He spun round so quickly he had to palm the desk to stop himself from falling over.

His jaw dropped and his throat bobbed manically as he swallowed.

“Uhh . . . hay fever.” He declared suddenly and I pursed my lips and nodded slowly.

“Ahh, I see” I answered as I made my way across the floor and picked up my bag from under the desk.

I didn’t say anything else, my silence was clear enough as he regarded me warily.

As I got a third of the way down the corridor he shouted something I didn’t catch and I turned back to him. “Sorry, what?”

“Who . . . who are they from?”

I did an excellent job of hiding the satisfied smirk from my lips. “A friend” I answered vaguely as I turned again and this time made it into the elevator successfully.

I couldn’t hold back the grin as it travelled all the way down the 49 floors with me.

* * *

My Darkest Days ‘Porn Star dancing’ was blasting from the speaker in my end of the room as I twisted around the pole. I had played the upbeat song, hoping to lighten my mood but so far my heart was not with me.

William approached and winked at me as I placed a foot on the floor and smiled at him. “Willow, why don’t you call it a night? You’ve been spinning that bloody pole for three hours with a face that’s frightening the clients.”

I grimaced and picked up my water, downing a large mouthful before I apologised to my boss. “I’m sorry, William. I can’t seem to get into it tonight.”

He shook his head gratuitously, “It’s all good, Willow. It’s quiet tonight anyway.”

I smiled my thanks and headed down to the dressing room to change.

“You fucking Skank . . .” Puss hissed as she held Misty by the throat against the wall.

“Whoa, what the hell?” I shouted as I ran over to a steaming Puss and grabbed her arm.

She twisted round and punched me square in the cheek bone. “Fuck!” I spat as I palmed my cheek.

She stared at me and screwed up her face before throwing her keys at the wall and stormed out, swearing like a sailor as she exited.

“You okay, Mist?” I asked, still gobsmacked at Puss’s behaviour.

She strolled over to me and tilted my head back to observe my cheek. “She’s finally lost it. Wait here.”

I watched her depart the room and slumped into the chair.

The whole world was going mad, completely cuckoo crazy. I shrugged when I realised I was one of those people.

I sighed and shook my head whilst I started to strip out of my dancing gear. The door opened and Misty walked back in with William behind her.

I was used to being nude in front of William, the man was my boss and he ran an exclusive adult club, he’d seen all lady parts a million times over.

“You okay, Willow?” he asked as he touched my chin and grimaced at the bruise that was beginning to develop.

“I’m fine William, its Puss I’m worried about.”

He sighed and nodded sadly, “She’s having a few problems at the moment. Try and not take it to heart girls” he explained.

I snorted as I pulled on my shirt, tucking it into the waistband of my skirt, “I haven’t taken it to heart William; I took it on the bloody cheekbone.”

He grinned cheekily then shook his head and disappeared as Misty held an ice-pack to my face. “That’s gonna go black sugar, keep the ice on it.”

“Wonderful,” I cringed “we have a huge executive meeting tomorrow and I’m gonna look like I’ve done ten rounds with Mike Tyson.”

She sucked on her lips and cringed for me. “Elbow on the table, cheek in the hand. Works every time, sugar” she advised and I laughed.

Oh yeah, that would look really professional. Lucas would eat me alive.

Hopefully.

Chapter 34

Lucas

“YOU ARE GONNA fuck that redhead out of your system, even if I have to find you a tart myself and hold your dick for you” Brad grumbled at me as he pulled me into The Black Panther.

I scanned the poles quickly, checking for a red haired beauty. I didn’t think she was back working here but I examined them just in case.

There was two poles in use tonight and neither possessed Red and I let out a small breath, both relief and disappointment flowing through me.

Brad was on a mission to find me some pussy and work Red out of my system. It was the last thing I wanted or even needed. What I did need was a stunning, intelligent, smiling little pole dancer that smelled of strawberries and tasted like pure fucking sin.