Forever Blake (Once Upon a Player Book 3) by Elena Matthews (motivational novels for students .txt) 📕

normal way I act. I don’t even get stressed. But seeing you as Edwin’s daughter and not the amazing chick I’d met on Friday night made me feel dirty. Like I’d taken advantage of you. I’m really sorry. I hope you can accept my apology,” I say, pointing down to the coffee, which I’m sure is getting colder by the second.

Her posture relaxes a smidgen, and she takes hold of the coffee cup in her hand.

I expect her to say she forgives me, but she puts my head in a tailspin when she says, “You said that was one of the things you wanted to apologize for. What else is there?”

I can’t keep the smile from breaking free, and I pivot my body a couple of inches to the left, so I can see her better. Her feisty attitude is back, and today, like over the weekend, it’s something I like about her.

“Mostly the way I spoke to you. I was a dick, plain and simple.”

Bringing the coffee cup to her lips, she whispers, “Yes, you were.” She takes a leisurely sip, her eyes never once straying from mine.

As she sets the cup back down, she doesn’t offer any other words, and I don’t blame her really. I treated her poorly yesterday.

“I had a really good time last weekend. I don’t want to pretend like it didn’t happen. We had fun, but you’re my new intern, so regardless of your age or whose daughter you are, we need to keep things professional. Plus, you’re here to learn and become a lawyer, and that’s where I come in. I only want to work with those who aim to be the best, and the fact that you’re in before any of the first-year associates tells me you have bigger balls than all of them combined.”

She lets out a breathless laugh as she circles the lid of her coffee with her forefinger.

“I wish it had been motivation that got me out of bed this morning, but truthfully, it was my broken air-conditioning unit. I needed cool air before I melted,” she tells me, smiling. “I’m not used to this Texas heat after four years of being at college.”

“Weren’t you in California?” I ask, surprised this heat would bother her so much.

“Yeah, but Stanford never got hot. It was sunny but cool. Here, it’s hotter than a witch’s tit, and it isn’t even June yet.”

I can’t contain the snort that escapes. “Still, any first-year associate would have lied to me and fed me some bullshit about how much of an honor it was to work here, blah, blah, blah. You? You’re honest, and you say it how it is. It’s refreshing.”

“I mean, I am honored to be here…but I’d appreciate a working air conditioner more,” she says with a twinkle in her eyes.

“An AC definitely trumps everything else. You have anyone coming out to fix it?”

“Yeah, but not for another couple of days.”

“My brother Logan could probably take a look at it.”

“The cop?” she asks, obviously remembering that I mentioned him along with my other siblings during one of our sex breaks.

I nod. “Yeah, but he’s a trained engineer. An air-conditioning unit should be a piece a cake for him.”

“If he wouldn’t mind, that would be amazing. As much as I like sleeping naked, it isn’t fun when you want to peel your skin off.”

We both pause at the mention of her being naked, and the way her eyes glaze over tells me she’s thinking the exact same thing as me.

Her, me, naked, sweating and lost in the ecstasy of hot sex.

I find myself transfixed in her hooded stare, but the sound of footsteps entering the associates’ office awakens my senses, and I come to the realization that we almost forgot where we were, easily reverting back to the two strangers from Friday night.

I clear my throat while she blinks rapidly as we’re both brought back to the now.

“Yeah, no problem. I’ll give Logan a call.”

An awkward pause lingers between us, and I know it’s going to take more than knowing she’s my boss’s daughter before the sexual tension between us lessens.

“So, are we good?” I finally ask after a few more beats of silence.

She nods before taking another sip of her latte. “Yeah, we’re good. Thank you for apologizing. I take back what I said yesterday. You’re not a lying son of a bitch who only has your own back. You’re just a guy who has flaws, like the rest of us. And don’t worry,” she says, beginning to lower her voice as more people sit down at their desks. “What happened between us will stay between us. It’s nobody’s business but ours.”

Standing from my perched position, I smooth down the lapels of my suit before clutching hold of my coffee. “No, no, it isn’t.” I smile. “Again, I’m sorry about yesterday,” I say, my smile fading away.

“It’s fine. I forgive you. You made up for it with the latte.”

“I’m glad. Well, it looks like you’re busy, but if you need anything, you know where my office is.”

“Actually…I don’t. I mean, I couldn’t even find the HR department. A cleaning lady had to show me the way.”

I cringe, realizing that she indeed doesn’t know where my office is.

Wincing, I let out a painful chuckle. “How about I do what I was supposed to do yesterday and show you around the place?”

“That would be really helpful. Thank you.”

“Let’s go then.”

She begins to stand, but her eyes land on her computer screen. “Oh, actually, I should probably get this report finished first.”

Tilting my head to the side, I edge in a little closer. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but no intern does any legal work during the first week. I mean, they do, but it doesn’t count toward anything.”

“Really?” she asks with surprise, amusement dancing in her eyes.

“Yes. I bet you wish you had gone to some big-ass corporate law company in New York for your internship, don’t you?”

She laughs, shaking her head. “Not