“I’ll see you in an hour or two.” I stood and lifted my jacket from the back of my chair, swinging it around to slide my arms inside. Then I buttoned it over my vest, grabbed my laptop, and headed to the meeting.
When I stepped into the room, it was empty. I looked around a couple of times, but it was a large open conference room, there wasn’t exactly anywhere for someone to be hiding. Walking back into the hall, I glanced up and down, finding it empty as well.
What the fuck?
I popped my head into all four meeting rooms on my way back to my office and found nothing. Right before I turned the corner to my outer office, I glimpsed a tall blonde and a much shorter brunette exit the door leading to the associate’s cubicles.
Stopping, I admired the gorgeous blonde and grinned when she looked up and caught me leering at her. Natalie laughed and shook her head, then waved. She and Eden stopped at the elevators, clearly headed out for lunch and right before the doors closed, she blew me a kiss.
Warmth spread through my chest, squeezing my heart before it burst with happiness. I could’ve sworn I felt the laminate on my man card melting, so I shook it off and marched back into my office.
WHAT. THE. ACTUAL. FUCK????
I skidded to a halt in complete and utter shock.
A woman was stretched out on my couch, wearing practically nothing.
My brain caught up quickly and registered that it was Andrea, showing off her plastic goods, in trashy-looking lingerie. Immediately, I began to fill with boiling rage and my balls basically retreated all the way back up into my body.
Her eyes flickered behind me and her lips widened into what would probably be a seductive smile on someone who still had any use of their facial muscles. “You said some other time, so I decided to take you up on your offer,” Andrea cooed in a sickeningly sweet tone.
Before I could fly off the handle another voice piped up, and I found myself even more stunned.
“You did what?” Natalie’s voice screeched from behind me.
Fuck! Fuck! All the fucks!
I spun around, prepared to face Natalie and explain, but her eyes were glued on Andrea. She patted my butt subtly before stalking toward the couch. I was too confused to do anything but stand there and watch as she glared at Andrea, who was slowly getting to her feet.
Despite Natalie’s height, she was still a few inches shorter, but you wouldn’t know it because her presence was so overwhelming.
“You decided to invite yourself to a man’s place of business”—Natalie poked Andrea in the chest for emphasis—“dressed like a two-dollar hooker”—poke—“despite knowing he is engaged”—poke—“and expected him to what? Beg to fuck you?” Damn. She was all riled up and completely magnificent.
Andrea’s eyes narrowed in irritation and she opened her mouth to retort, only to be silenced when Natalie grabbed her lips and pressed them shut.
“You’re lucky I showed up when I did, honey,” she warned threateningly. “I’m going to let you crawl out of here with whatever semblance of dignity you can scrape together”—her thumb jerked back toward me—“Him? He’d be calling the police.”
I grinned at her words. She knew me well.
Natalie released Andrea’s lips and stepped back. “Get out before I let him.”
Andrea pursed her mouth—I think—and glared at my girl. “Listen here, little bitch.”
I started to step forward, ready to protect her, but a small hand tugged on my sleeve. I glanced down and saw Eden shaking her head. “She’s got this,” she whispered. I nodded and returned my gaze to Natalie, willing to let her deal with it, for the moment.
“You could never be enough to satisfy a man like Jax Croix for long. He’ll come to me when he’s tired of using you as his latest little sex toy.”
Natalie threw me an apologetic frown, which confused me until she pulled back her arm and clipped Andrea in a pretty decent right hook.
The room exploded. Natalie started jumping around and shaking out her hand, Eden was laughing hysterically, and Andrea was screaming with her hands covering her mouth.
I snagged the back of Natalie’s shirt and pulled her to me, grabbing her hand and cradling it in mine. I placed a tender kiss along the reddened knuckles. “Are you all right?”
“What are you asking her for?” Andrea screeched like a hyena.
“Holy crap!”
Natalie and I both looked up when we heard Eden’s exclamation. She was staring intently at Andrea. I followed her gaze and . . . was she drooling?
“Andrea, um,” Eden said hesitantly. “I think your lips are leaking.”
“No way,” Natalie whispered in disbelief. I looked closer and sure enough, Andrea’s lip was busted and dribbling collagen. I clenched my jaw, tamping down my hilarity. We could laugh about it later, right then, I wanted her the fuck out of my building.