My work alarm jolted me awake. I looked around to orient myself, feeling warm relief at the familiarity of my bedroom. After turning the alarm off, I remained in bed and stared at the ceiling. A headache sprouted behind my eye. Then I tasted the aged remnants of rum and coke in my mouth.
Oh no.
I shot up in bed and grabbed my phone from the nightstand. It was plugged in, so I accidentally ripped the charger out of the wall. When did I plug this in last night? When did I even get into bed? The headache turned sharper and I winced. What happened last night? I couldn't remember going out, and considering it was Friday morning, I highly doubted I did. Besides, just because I went to the bar once didn't mean I had any intention of going back.
When I finally unlocked my phone, I noticed a text from Matt. My tongue ran over my filmy teeth as I opened it. I needed a shower and a toothbrush. His text was brief, but it shocked me nonetheless.
Matt: Hey, sorry I didn't stay. You passed out, and I didn't know if you'd want me to stay anyway. Call me when you wake up.
My panic subsided. Matt must have come over last night and drank with me. From what I remembered of the Mexican restaurant incident last night, that was reason enough for me to ask him to come over. I called his number and put it on speaker while stripping out of my clothes from yesterday. I felt disgusting.
"Mornin'," Matt greeted cheerily. "How're ya feeling this morning, little missy?"
I groaned. "Like crap. So, uh...what exactly did we do last night?"
"You don't remember?" He chuckled.
"This has never happened to me before, mister," I snapped, almost letting out a growl. That would be a mess to explain. Oh, God. What if I said something last night that he wasn't supposed to know?
"I brought over a bottle of Malibu and you pretty much downed the whole thing," he explained. "We tried playing Never Have I Ever, but you were drinking out of turn so it wasn't even fun."
"I'm so sorry, Matt," I whispered as my face grew hot. "Yesterday was rough. I shouldn't have asked you to come over. It's my stupid fault—"
My friend cut me off with a sigh of disapproval. "Don't apologize, Lee. It was my choice to come, and I don't regret it. Friends help other friends get drunk when life gets tough."
A nervous laugh bubbled out of me before I choked, "Okay. Next time, don't let me get drunk. Better yet, let's stick to ice cream."
"But drunk-Lee is so much more flirty than sober-Lee."
"Ugh, no." I rubbed my face and carried my phone into the bathroom. The heat was probably making me do things I wouldn't normally do, and the intoxication certainly didn't help. "Did we...did we do anything?"
He snorted. "Nah, you were too wasted. I like things to be consensual if you know what I mean." I could picture the wink and smirk on his face.
"I get the idea," I muttered, my blush darkening.
After the call ended, I scrubbed my teeth while taking a snappy hot shower and then rushed to get ready for work. I threw on a forest green dress that showed a sliver of cleavage and rushed through my makeup routine before dashing off to work.
Traffic made me arrive five minutes later than usual, so I was almost late. I caught Angelica already inside when I entered the building, but I couldn't smell my mate. Maybe he wasn't coming in today. What a blessing that would be.
The phone was off the hook almost the entire morning. I was booking tours left and right, which earned me a reassuring pat on the back from Angelica. She came up to my desk around one o'clock with a plastic salad container from a local eatery.
"Got you some food," she told me when I ended the call I was on. "I noticed you didn't bring anything today, and you've been slaving away up here."
Her kindness brought a smile to my face. "You're so sweet," I told her. "How much do I owe you?"
"The boss paid for it actually," she said. "I remarked on how hard you've been working and he wanted to get you the food. You'll have to take it up with him."
"Oh." I blinked. "Mr. Coulter's here?"
"Yep. He's been in and out all day to meet clients. You know how he likes to use the backdoor."
To avoid me, probably. "Well, that was nice of him," I said.
"It was, wasn't it? He can be such a sweetheart sometimes. Are you feeling any better?"
It took me a moment to remember my excuse to flee dinner. "Much better, yes. I think it was something I ate yesterday."
"Oh, okay. Well, I'm glad you're feeling better!"
Angelica retired to her office, so I nibbled on the salad while working up the courage to walk down the hall to Tandan's office. I was dreading it, seeing him. Why would he buy me lunch? It was nice, sure, but I didn't want his kindness. I didn't want anything from him except for the things I couldn't get.
That alone propelled me out of my chair and down the hall, wallet in hand. His door was open when I reached it. He didn't lift his head from his computer as I waded in the doorway.
"May I help you?" he inquired.
"Um, thank you for the salad," I said. "It was very...nice. How much do I owe you?"
This time his gaze flickered up to me. He was dressed in a solid white button-up, and his aftershave carried across the room. I could hear the acceleration of his heartbeat and knew mine likely mimicked it. Slowly, Tandan stood from his office chair. I gulped and shifted my weight between my heels. Just answer the damn question.
"It was on me," he replied in a low, sultry voice. "Like a reward for good behavior."
My heart leaped into my throat as a blaze of heat spread through my lower region. I needed to leave. I needed to go strap myself to my chair and bury my head in my work. Otherwise, I would slam this door shut and claim him myself. There would be no waiting for him to go first if he kept torturing me like this.
"Thank you," I croaked. "I appreciate it, but you really don't have to. I'll order something for myself next time."
When I turned away, his warning growl bounced off the walls. Its depth vibrated my chest. I felt the heat intensify and sweat bead on my palms. Though I didn't turn around, I could hear his shoes clap against the hardwood and smell his nearing presence. The suspense was driving me wild. He stopped just behind me, not touching, but I could feel his breath on my neck.
"Whose smell is this?" he questioned quietly. "I can smell him on your skin."
My lips trembled. How could he smell Matt on me when I couldn't even smell Lorrie on him? Matt and I hadn't even done anything, and I had showered since last night. I was totally baffled.
His next words were rougher, a demand. "Tell me," he ordered.
"None of your business," I hissed while stepping forward and spinning around. "Please, Mr. Coulter, refrain from buying me lunch next time. I don't need anything from you."
The chocolate hue of his eyes darkened to a depthless obsidian. His shoulders went rigid and his thick hands curled into fists. Fear coursed its way through me. Mate or not, he was intimidating.
"You need everything from me!" he bellowed. "I am your mate, and you will answer me!"
My mouth bobbed open and closed in shock. So now he wanted to acknowledge our ties? I should have perhaps been a little more excited, but I only felt rash fury. Gritting my teeth and hardening my glare, I took off down the hall. Angelica and I plowed into each other when I rounded the corner, but she held my shoulders steady when I attempted to back away.
"I knew this would happen," she muttered under her breath. "Why don't you take the rest of the day off, Lee?"
I could only nod. Her words were to be contemplated for another time. I grabbed my purse and bolted for the door. Tandan roared my name, but I was already jetting out to my car. This is what he gets for being a class A schmuck.