Chapter 34: Office Gossip

AVA

We lay there, unmoving, for the longest time.

Cyrus hadn’t said anything after, and I’d been too preoccupied trying to make room in my head for all the events that had taken place in the last couple of days to even realize I hadn’t replied.

I’d just lain there, basking in his love, and hadn’t even told him I loved him back.

I bolted up. Cyrus tensed and looked at me worriedly.

“What?”

“I love you too!” I blurted out before kissing his face all over.

He chuckled and stroked my back with his fingertips. “I know.”

My widened eyes narrowed into a squint. “Hey… What do you mean, ‘you know’?”

He wrapped his arms around me, encasing me in his warm embrace and enveloping me in his intoxicating scent. “I know, baby. I can feel it. Just like you can feel me loving you.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but I closed it again. Did I?

I laid my head on his chest, right over his heart. His heartbeat sounded almost like a drum pressed directly into my ear.

The rhythm was so calming that it almost lulled me to sleep. I tried to focus on feeling his love.

I ~did~ feel loved. I felt supported, protected, accepted, and adored. Cyrus pressed his lips to my forehead and inhaled deeply.

“Now go to sleep. We have to go back to work tomorrow,” he closed his eyes.

And I was asleep before I had the chance to start worrying about returning to work after having spent the weekend I just had with my boss.

***

We woke up still intertwined. I noticed a dull ache between my thighs, proof of last night. It made me blush just thinking about what had happened.

We took a shower, and I put on yesterday’s clothes and sat back on the bed while Cyrus got dressed, covering the parts of his body that were for my eyes only.

My heart fluttered at the thought of watching him stride through the office, knowing that he was mine.

And that he loved me.

We went by my place on the way to work, and Cyrus made me pack an overnight bag, just in case. Then we drove to the office. Right before we turned the corner onto our street, I grabbed his arm.

“Wait. I should get out here and walk the last bit. So people don’t see us arriving together.”

He didn’t respond but instead drove to the upper level of the garage and parked.

“Walk to the elevators,” he said. “I’ll meet you there.”

I looked around and saw no one, so I quickly got out and put as much distance between me and Cyrus’s car as I could. I even went to my own car and pretended to get out of it.

I looked over at Cyrus, who was chuckling at my attempts to look casual. I rolled my eyes at him and walked toward the elevator.

I could see him exiting his car in my peripheral view, and I sped up, trying to stay ahead. I got to the elevators mere seconds before he did. Damn his long legs.

I made sure to stand as far away as possible and not look up at him. More Brentstone employees joined us. One of the elevators arrived, and the doors opened with a soft chime.

Half the people waiting stepped in, including Cyrus. He noticed, right before the doors closed, that I hadn’t, and his brow furrowed. I smiled mischievously at him.

I got on the next elevator and stood in the very back. When the doors opened on the sixth level, my heart sank as I saw Cyrus standing there. His eyebrows were still lowered, but he was smirking at me.

Butterflies surged through my stomach as I tried to hide behind a particularly wide-set man, but Cyrus had obviously seen me, and he made his way over.

He stood beside me, looking straight ahead. I pretended not to see him as I tried to keep control over my buckling knees. He inched closer and closer to me, and suddenly his hand was on my butt.

I whipped my head up to look at him, but his face was blank, still looking ahead. I squirmed, unable to suppress the smile I felt growing on my face.

Then the elevator stopped at the twelfth level, and he made his way to the front of the elevator and got off as soon as the doors opened.

I walked to my office to drop off my purse, then made my way over to the coffee corner. I was soon joined by August, Tobias, and eventually Ella. They told me about their weekends while I made them all coffee.

Suddenly Ella’s hand shot out and pulled my collar down.

“What is ~that~?”

I brought my hand over the patch of skin she was pointing to, and I noticed it was tender to the touch.

“Is that a hickey?!”

I almost choked on my coffee. “No!”

I covered the spot with my hand. Tobias and August leaned over to try and see, but I quickly turned away.

Ella jumped up and down with excitement. “You had a ~funnnn~ weekend, didn’t you?” She tried to pry my hand away.

“Shut up!”

To my horror, Cyrus’s door opened. He stepped out and walked over to the water station next to where we were standing, talking on his cell phone.

“Are those teeth marks?!” Ella yelled loud enough that most of the people around us looked up.

“COULD YOU KEEP IT DOWN?!” I shrieked.

“Sorry… ~But are they?~”

I felt Cyrus’s eyes burn holes into the side of my head. I made a point of not returning his gaze as I answered Ella.

“Eh…yes.” I felt my cheeks turn a deep shade of pink, and I quickly took a few sips of coffee, trying to regain my composure.

“Oh my ~gawwwd,~ tell us everything!”

I noticed Cyrus lean back against the counter, putting his phone away and crossing his arms over his chest. He had an amused look on his face.

“Well,” I said, “I met someone. In a bar.”

“Is he hot?” August asked, clearly invested.

“Yes.” I squinted at Cyrus briefly. “~Very~ hot.”

Tobias’s face clouded over. “What does he look like?” he asked, then looked away as if he couldn’t care less about my answer.

“He has a man bun. And his nose is pierced.” ~What on earth, Ava?~

I could hear Cyrus chuckling, and I shot him a look.