crave | 16+

XVI

JOSIE

A MUSCLED ARM WRAPS around my waist and I gladly welcome it, moving closer to the source of warmth and to my satisfaction the warmth welcomes me by grabbing me and pulling me into a muscled chest. I smile a drunk smile and inhale the sweet cologne. My eyes flutter open way sooner than I'd wanted and I see a black room.

When I turn my head I'm met with floor-to-ceiling windows and watch as the sun creeps over the skyscrapers of New York City. When I turn the other way I see a dark muscled tattooed body. I blink a couple of dozen times as my eyes zoom in on the owner of the body. His nose piercing. His plump lips. His eyes that are staring down at me.

"Aeegh!" I scream scurrying out of my bosses bed, pulling the drapes with me. He laughs putting an arm over his eyes. Oh my God this is bad, this is so bad. I rethink everything that's happened in the past 24 hours. Elijah and I in his office. My shopping with Dev. Elijah finding me. Elijah taking me back to his penthouse. Elijah carrying me to his kitchen counter. Elijah...Oh. My. God.

My pleas and begs echo in my head. The promises I made to him. The things I agreed to, all while squirming and scratching at him. The bed ruffles under Elijah and he sits against his headboard studying me. Then his eyes fall to the drapes I'm using to cover my already clothed body.

"Josephine," he pipes, amusement dripping from his vocal cord. I hum in response, refusing to look him in the eyes. Nope. Nuh-uh. Not happening. "Necrophilia isn't on my list of kinks, nor is undressing passed out women."

I blow raspberries at his words. "You don't take me for the type to not like CNC," I say faster than I get to register my words, and I hear as the sheets ruffle again. Footsteps approach me and I look at the windows wondering how much force it'll take for me to be able to break one and jump out of his building.

"Fucking you in your sleep, knowing you'll wake up moaning for more isn't the same as undressing you and taking advantage of you," he says, a sharp edge to his voice. I gulp, not even knowing how to reply to that. I wasn't even meant to say it, for crying out loud.

He holds my gaze in a matter of challenge and if I've ever needed to know when to let a fight go down, now definitely was the time. No, instead, I decide to take him up and I end up glaring right back at him. Elijah is a successful businessman who probably had these glaring contests since he was born, which for some reason only makes me angrier.

So like 2 idiots, him still shirtless in a pair of sweatpants, and I with his sheets draped around me, we stare at each other as the sun comes over New York city. And none of us back down. Until the sound of a phone ringing slices through the air. Elijah holds my gaze, still, letting the phone ring. Without looking away he grabs it out of his pocket and answers.

"Elijah Christ speaking." He listens to the voice on the other side and I catch the sides of his mouth tug a bit. "Mhm. No, I've given her the day off. Her leave is authorised." My eyes go wide. I look at my wristwatch seeing it's 7 a.m. I should be at the office now. My heart shrinks when realization hits me. Sabrina probably brought us coffee and got scared when she didn't see me at my desk. "Oh?"

This makes me look up at Elijah again. I hadn't even noticed I'd dropped the sheet while frantically looking at the time. When I meet his eyes, I see they're no longer mine either. I follow his gaze down to my button down that's buttoned up a few, exposing my cleavage. Elijah being how he is, he inspects it all the while talking to Sabrina (I think). Something changes when he looks back up at me.

The shadow of a grin is gone, now replaced with a hard face. "I see. Was security informed?" Elijah asks into his phone and I mouth, what happened? but get no reply whatsoever. "Good. Do you have access to Miss Moore's files?" A pause. "Great. I want you to book someone to clean up what's happened. Inform me if anything else happens." A longer pause. "No, I won't be at the office today. I have some...errands...to run, so I'll work from home. Thank you, Ms Ruth."