Company Ink by E.L. Lewis

t w e l v e

"What're you doing here?" I whisper, my heart pounding against my chest, my mind hazy from the endorphins and alcohol, from the fact that his hard, lean, and warm body is hovering over me, his intense gaze free of all reservations.

Adrian looks down at me with hooded and wondrously lustrous eyes, his hand moving up my chest to my neck and into my tangled hair, tugging it, forcing me to tilt my head.

"I'm saying fuck it," he says, his tone strained and gruff and completely arousing.

"I thought you said we can't," I breathe, lifting my hand up and mindlessly caressing his sculpted and rising chest.

"I know what I said." His dark, heated eyes pierce into mine so deep that I can feel his hunger in every nerve ending, every atom. "But I don't seem to care anymore."

"Adrian—" I try to suck in some air but it's as if all the oxygen on God's green earth has disappeared and I'm left panting, bewildered, and completely helpless under his powerful and all-consuming gaze.

"Do you know how sexy it is to hear you say my name like that?" he rasps, lowering his head down to the crook of my neck, his balmy and sugary breath filling my lungs, his nose brushing against the soft shell of my ear.

"So smooth—" He drags his rough hand down my jawline, his calloused thumb grazing my bottom lip. "So sweet." He leans his forehead against mine, our ragged breaths playing off one another. "So, fucking irresistible."

My lips part in surprise and Adrian seizes the opportunity, colliding his lips with mine, raw, depraved, and utterly debilitating. My arms wind around his neck, pulling me closer to him, molding our bodies together as his mouth attacks mine in wet, passionate, and controlled kisses.

His hips thrust forward, pushing me flat against the wall, every ridge and crevice of my body plush with his. His hand pulls and tugs at my hair, as our tongues clash and dance and fight with one another. I let out a whimpering breath and Adrian swallows it with a deepening kiss.

He releases me from his grasp, and I steady myself on his firm shoulders, my eyes glazed over, blurry, vibrating.

Adrian rakes his hand through my hair, pushing damp strands behind my ear, his mouth leaving a trail of hot kisses down the slope of my neck. "You will be the death of me, Miss Carrington."

"I think I've already died," I murmur thoughtlessly, my brain clouded in pure ecstasy.

"Get your purse." Adrian lets out a low, raspy chuckle against the pulse point on my neck. "I'm taking you home."

In the midst of Adrian's ravenous attack, I completely forgot where I am. My eyes spring open. Oh my God! I look around, my face turning crimson. How many people walked by and saw us? What if Monique saw us? Oh, my fuck...Monique! How long have I been here? Is she looking for me? I can't believe I just did that after her whole fucking lecture. God, I'm fucked. What am I doing?!

"Cassie, you need to breathe. You're hyperventilating," Adrian says, looking down at me with worried eyes. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"I can't leave with you." The words tumble out of my mouth as I try to get my bearings. "I'm here with my friend. It's her birthday. I—I can't leave. I can't."

A curious smile spreads on Adrian's face. "Can't or won't?" He repeats my words.

Is Monique, right? Do I need to get my shit together? If Monique moves out, then I'll have to pay rent by myself. What if HR finds out and fires me? I really didn't read that policy carefully enough. What if my colleagues find out and torment me? What am I going to do? This is bad. Bad. Bad. Bad. A torpedo of unanswered questions storms my mind, leaving me confused, angry, and... scared.

I don't know anymore," I whisper and push past Adrian, my body paralyzed in tension, anxiety, and uncertainty.

"I just don't want you to end up alone."

Alone.

"I don't do relationships."

Alone.

Adrian turns around and reaches for my hand. "Where are you going?" he asks in a soft voice that contrasts with his heavy-set expression.

"I can't do this right now. I'm sorry," I whisper, emotions flooding my brain, drowning me. I tug my hand away aggressively. "I have to go."

"Cassie!" Adrian's voice calls after me but I ignore him.

I can't. Not tonight. Oh, my God. I can't breathe.

I hustle back to our table, only Axel is sitting there. Everyone else must be dancing.

"What the fuck happened to you?" he asks in a deep whisper. "You look like you just saw a ghost."

"I don't want to talk about it," I mutter, grabbing his drink and chugging until every last drop is gone. "Let's go do shots."

"Cassie are you sure you're, okay?" Axel asks warily.

"Yes, I'm totally fine. Shots, let's go." I grab his arm and drag him to the bar, feeling queasy and jittery.

"Two shots of tequila please," I say to the bartender.

"Tequila? Cass..."

I look at him with desperate and miserable eyes. "Don't start...please. Just let it go."

Axel doesn't pry, we do our respective shots and I order two more, hoping that the alcohol will numb everything that I'm feeling right now. I sit at the empty table, as Axel goes dancing, and stare into my martini glass, swaying side-to-side, trying to block out all the voices in my head that are spewing out worst-case scenarios. I'm okay. I'm just overreacting. Everything will be fine. Tears well up in my eyes, I wipe them away before they have a chance to spill over. Don't cry. This was bound to happen. Did I really think Monique and I would live together forever? How naive. How stupid. Of course not. I grab a twenty from my purse and head back to the bar. As soon as I stand up, my head spins and I stumble.

A hand coils around my upper arm and I look up. "Let go of me," I whine. "I'm getting a drink." Why is he still here? Fucking stalker alert.

"You need to go home, Cassie," Adrian states in a low tone, his jaw tightening. "You're wasted."

I try to tug my arm away, but his grip is too tight. "I'm fine!"

Adrian reaches for my purse on the table, his hand still wrapped around my arm. "I'm putting you in a cab."

"You're not the boss of me! Let go!"

Adrian's cold eyes meet mine, a slight smirk on his face. "Technically I am."

I roll my eyes, struggling under his grasp. "We're not at work right now."

"And yet, for some reason, I still feel responsible for you." Adrian loops my purse over my shoulder and places his other hand on my waist, leading me out of the bar.

After several squirming attempts to unlatch from his strong grip, I give up. "I didn't know taking care of drunk employees was part of your job description, Mr. Cavallero," I slur, trying to blink my vision into focus.

Adrian hails a cab wordlessly, ignoring my comment. Before I know it, my bare legs come into contact with cold leather, and Adrian slides in beside me. "Address?" he asks sternly.

I mumble my address to the cab driver then cross my arms, facing away from Adrian in a huff. "Why are you here? I'm not inviting you upstairs if that's what you're thinking!"

A sardonic laugh slips out of Adrian's mouth. "Trust me, I don't want to come up. Not when you're this drunk and acting like an insolent brat."

I whip my head around and narrow my eyes. "A brat?" I exclaim. "Maybe I'm acting like a fucking brat because you're basically kidnapping me!"

Our cab driver looks through his rearview mirror, his face full of horror.

"Don't worry, sir. I'm not actually kidnapping her; she's just being very dramatic," Adrian says coolly, making direct eye contact with our jumpy driver.

"Sounds like something a kidnapper would say," I mumble under my breath then jolt in my seat. "Oh my God!"

Adrian's tired eyes widen from my outburst. "What?!"

"I didn't say bye to Monique!" I fumble through my purse for my phone and begin to type out a text. Jesus, when did these letters become so small?!

Backspace. Backspace. Backspace.

Adrian lets out an exasperated sigh, yanking my phone from my hand. "Tell me what to type."

"Give me back my phone!" I try to reach for it, but Adrian catches my hand in his.

"Right now," he commands.

"Fine!" I scoff. "Say: Mon Mon, I got a little too wasty-pants and went home. Love you—heart." I lean over to see if he's typing it verbatim, but I can't see the screen properly. "Don't type heart, use the emoji, but not the red one, the two pink ones, dancing."

Adrian sighs, shaking his head but following my directions...I think. "Here." He hands me back my device.

I slide my phone into my purse. "Thanks," I mutter begrudgingly.

We sit in tense and awkward silence for a few minutes before Adrian comments quietly, "you smell like tequila."

"Regular Sherlock over here," I retort flatly. "Probably because I drank tequila."

Adrian shifts in his seat. "You are just a treat right now."

I turn my head and give him a scowling smile. "Oh, I'm sorry! Am I not being amiable enough for you right now?"

Adrian's mischievous eyes darken as he jerks his hand towards my face, cupping my chin between his domineering fingers. "If you weren't drunk right now—" His thumb caresses my bottom lip as he shakes his head slowly. "The things I would do to this smart little mouth of yours."

My jaw drops in utter astonishment. "Uh—er—" I stutter, lost for words.

"What's wrong, Cassie?" Adrian smirks, dropping his hand on to my thigh and giving it a firm squeeze.

I close my eyes and take a deep stabilizing breath, while running my fingers over my lips. Images of all the dirty things I'd let Adrian do to my willing body flash through my mind, and I mentally have to stop myself from panting. Get a fucking grip, Cassie!

The cab comes to a halt and I open my eyes. We're parked outside of my condo. I reach for the door handle at supersonic speed.

"See you on Monday, Miss Carrington," Adrian sings menacingly slowly. "We have lots to discuss."

I scramble to get out of the cab and bolt through the front doors. When I'm inside my apartment I flop down on my bed and reach for my makeup removing wipes. What the fuck happened tonight? What did I get myself into? The line has been crossed. No, the line has been fucking destroyed. I close one eye, scrolling through my phone. Huh, he actually used the correct heart emoji when he texted Monique.

Just as I'm about to turn my side light off my phone vibrates.

Adrian: There's no going back now, Cassie. You've opened Pandora's box

I sit up against my headboard. Holy fucking shit. He's never texted my personal number before, only my work cell. What have I done? Oh no... this is bad. My thumbs begin typing before my brain can register what I'm writing.

Cassie: Close that shit

That was a bit aggressive. I bite my lip, watching the text bubble ebb and flow.

Adrian: Hah, are you scared?

I scoff. Scared? Pfft.

Cassie: No

Adrian: You should be. Goodnight, Cassie. Sweet dreams

What. The. Fuck. This is not happening right now. What am I going to do?

I slam my phone on my nightstand and flip the covers over my head, forcing myself to sleep. I'm dizzy and tired and so fucking confused.