Love in the Dark (LarssonSiblingsSeries#1)

CHAPTER TEN - EDWARD

EDWARD

"Knock, knock."

I glance up from the spreadsheets on my desk to see Ebony resting on the office doorframe, dressed in a black lace slip dress and those fancy strapped heels she loves so much. They definitely do something for those legs of hers, but they really are wasted on me.

I smile, pulling my glasses off my face. "Why, hello there?"

Ebony lifts the champagne bottle in her hand. "Fancy some company?"

I tilt my head to see past her and through the front window, catching sight of the pitch-black sky outside. Another evening wasted by paperwork. "Sure. What's the bottle?"

Ebony saunters into the room with the bottle against her chest. "Dom Pérignon. All the way from France."

I push back on the chair to grab the bottle from her hand, but she's sneaky enough to aim for my lap. It irritates me. "Can't you sit on that other chair?"

The little moans escaping her mouth do nothing in turning me on like they usually would as she places the champagne bottle on the desk with a loud clink. "How have you been since I went away? Miss me?"

I don't miss anyone and she knows it. "You know how things are around here. We've broken our backs all week for clients who don't care. There's only so much crap you can take before you break."

Ebony puts her hand on my chest to stroke over my shirt, trying to nibble along my jaw as she does. "You seem stressed. Do you want me to take care of that?"

It probably would do me some good in fighting this constant frustration, but I have better things to do with my limited time. "I'm not feeling it tonight."

"But, you're always feeling it when we meet up," she says, pushing my seat so the wheels back to give her the room to unbutton my shirt. "I think I can change your mind."

I grab hold of her wrist with my eyes locked on her. "I said that I'm not feeling it tonight. Understand?"

The tops of her plump cheeks glow pink. "You've never said no to me before. I thought we would take it up to your bedroom."

Well, there's a first time for everything.

"What makes you think we'll take it upstairs?" I laugh, stopping her lips from kissing my chest when she moves in on me.

"Let me kiss you," she whines, tugging on the buttons of my shirt.

I frown, pushing her away. "I don't kiss." It takes too much time.

Ebony does as I ask by plopping herself in the seat across from me, the scent of her strong perfume pouring over me. "I slept with someone in Paris."

I glance over at her with my face impartial. "Good for you."

"I think I could love him," she replies, her dark brown eyes filling with tears.

"Yet, you're here and ready to blow me off?"

"Ed," she says, shaking her head. "Do you feel anything for me at all?"

Big red flags. They're flashing up everywhere as my fingers source out an imaginary eject button. "Ebony, we have a deal."

There's anger in her eyes now. "You treat me like a sex toy. It's not right."

I comb my fingers down the back of my head. "I don't treat you like a sex toy, Ebony. It's a mutual agreement where you do the exact same to me."

She laughs. "Yeah, right."

This is the kinds of drama that puts me off being exclusive to anyone. "You came to me looking for something, sweetheart. I didn't ask for you to turn up."