HE'S WICKED 😈

CHAPTER TWO

She hated Monday mornings with a passion. Stretching on her couch, she sighed deeply. Unlike most, she didn't have to leave the comfort of her home to work. Her office was here, yet that didn't make the work any easier. By the end of the day, her body would ache, her fingers would go numb, and her eyes would be sore. At least good coffee kept her going. She heard him get into his car and sighed. Son of a bitch. She wasn’t in the mood to spy on him today, still miffed at him for rejecting her coffee offer. He never came over, and they barely ran into each other after that day. She had spent the whole last week waiting for him to knock on her door, but he never did. His loss, not hers.

A knock on the door forced her off the couch. She frowned, knowing there was only one person brazen enough to come over on a Monday morning, even though she knew Beatrice would be busy. She opened the door to find a smiling Brass on the phone. She pushed Beatrice inside and closed the door behind her.

“What the—”

“Shhh.”

“Don’t shush me,” Beatrice whispered back, heading to the couch. Brass finally ended the call and joined her.

“Hey, Bestie.”

“I told you I’d be busy.”

“Oh, please, cut that crap. Look at you. You look horrible. You’ve been indoors for way too long. For the past five months, it’s been you and that laptop. When was the last time you had some fun, girlfriend?”

“I’ll have fun when I’m done with this book.”

“You shouldn’t have to work so hard ‘ALONE.’ It’s bad for your mental health. Look at you, you’ve lost your glow. When was the last time you got some?” Brass pulled her hair up to inspect her skin. Beatrice sighed, pushing her hand away.

“Please, Brass, leave me alone.”

“You will not fade away, not on my watch. That’s why I’ve taken it upon myself to bring light to your life. We’re going clubbing tonight.”

“No, Brass, it’s Monday. I can’t have my head all messed up before Thursday. This project is due then. I’m sorry, girlfriend, but I’ll pass.”

Brass gasped, faking hurt. “I can’t believe you’re turning down an unforgettable night with your girl... Fine. If you won’t come to the party, the party is coming to you.”

“Urgh! Fine.”

“Yah!” Beatrice sighed, dropping her face into her hands. At least a sleepover she could control. A club night could get way out of hand, like the last one.

**FLASHBACK**

The music was loud, her mind spinning. She kept dancing and drinking. Somehow, she ended up against a wall with a complete stranger, and he was burying himself inside her. She didn’t know where they were until she heard a car horn and opened her eyes to see the road. They were on the sidewalk, having sex. The alcohol had truly gotten to her. She pushed the stranger off, and they managed to get back to his house.

**PRESENT**

That messed-up stranger, who had bared his ass to the world, turned out to be her closest friend today. Whenever they joked about stupid things they’d done, Jason and she would laugh until their stomachs hurt. She still felt embarrassed. What if someone had seen them? She was a popular author, after all.

Alphonso had waited a while to see if Beatrice would peek out of the window as usual, but she didn’t. It was strange. She usually peeped at him every morning and evening, but the past two days were different. She totally ignored him. He walked into Claire Enterprise with a frown. The messes Claire had been in were reducing, but new problems kept cropping up. Was this the life Claire wanted? Was she happy? He rubbed his eyes once inside her office. It still smelled of her. Whenever he closed his eyes, he could hear her warm laughter and smell her lavender scent. But the laughter he remembered was from an eighteen-year-old Claire, not a lost twenty-nine-year-old Claire whose life was a complete mess. He pushed back his hair and sighed.

“Please forgive me, Claire,” he whispered, eyes closed. Even though she had gotten older, he had promised their father to take very good care of her. How had he let that promise slip? Her life was now full of debts and sadness. Damn the fool who broke her heart and caused all these problems. If Alphonso had been around, he wouldn't have approved of the guy and he wouldn't have ruined Claire's life. The thought of what she must have gone through made him so angry. He clenched his fists. He should have been there.

“Sir?”

He opened his eyes to find his secretary standing there, gawking at him. He sat up straight.

“Sorry, Paula. How may I help you?”

“These are the documents you asked for.” She placed them on his desk slowly. He raised a brow, suppressing a smile. There she went again, trying to seduce him. Her breasts were visible as she bent down, lightly freckled. If she bent any further, he might see her nipples.

“Thank you, Paula.”

She straightened, biting her lip. She was so obvious, and she had no plans to hide her intentions. She was a good secretary, and he wasn’t interested in any other relationship with her.