Beauty And The Liar: A Liar, Liar Novella

s i x

A/N: sorry for the long wait ❣️

The heat from the house viewing still filled you inside as you tried to focus on your screen...and were  failing. You couldn't do this — he was your boss! Not only that, he was kind of an asshole and totally not your type but that just made you crave him all the more.

Whatever. This was just some random crush that was bound to end soon and you could resume back to normal activities.

Speaking of, after his apology, you were afraid that he would return to his old demanding ways but surprisingly, he's gotten off your back. You left work on time and he didn't fill your inbox with unreasonable requests. Gone was the man who bit off your head and he was replaced with someone who shot you tender looks when he thought you were looking. You noticed. Of course you noticed.

The tapping of your desk pulled your attention to your coworker who was raising their eyebrows at you. "You coming with us to grab a drink after work?"

"I've been looking forward to it all day," you chuckled. Usually, ever Friday, everyone got together to unwind from the stress the week brought but you often made excuses of why you couldn't join. You saw these people every day and spending your personal time with them felt...invasive.

Then all of that with him happened and you felt like you could kind of relate to your workers, alleviate each other's stress by venting all about the man who was the cause of all the distress in their lives and yours.

A few hours later, you shared a booth with everyone, including your coworker that had a habit of hitting on you whenever you were alone. He didn't really bother you because he didn't make you that uncomfortable, but drunk him was something else.

"Y/n," he burped. "You're like so hot and your ass, gosh your ass was meant to be worshipped."

Before you could say anything like, get a grip, a weird hush fell over the booth you were sharing with your coworkers and you just knew he was here. Shit. You slowly looked over your shoulder and there he was, staring daggers at your poor coworker who was openly confessing about your ass.

He looked undone, the top button of his shirt was open and the tie was gone. Your tongue went dry at the small strip of his collarbone that was exposed and you looked away before you did anything ridiculous like jumping up and licking it.

"Care to repeat that?" His voice was like ice and ironically, it was feeding the fire in the pit of your stomach, the fire that always seemed to come alight whenever he was near by.

"Big boss man! Don't you agree though?"

"I legally cannot say anything," your boss replied as he slid in right next to you, jaw flexing as he continued to glare at your coworker.

Okay. Time to put an end to this before the night ended with your coworker being punched. You pulled the bottle from his grip. "You're getting cut off, buddy." He whined but then plopped his head down on his arms, fully going to sleep.

The hushed whispers grew to a constant chatter as the activities resumed and people relaxed around him. Not you though. You felt like a live wire as he sat next to you, arms crossed. The heat from his body was tempting you and you were a few seconds away from giving in.

"What are you doing here?"

He glanced at your sideways. "Am I not allowed to hang out with my employees?"

You scoffed. "You never really showed interest and everyone knows it's a mood killer when the boss shows up."

"Doesn't look like it," he muttered and you followed his gaze towards the small dance floor at the back of the bar, a dance floor where some of your coworkers were currently on.

"Leave them alone." You took a sip of your drink and contemplated if you should join them or not. "They work hard for you. Letting loose like this is how they rid themselves of the weight they pile on during the day. It's healthier than bottling it all up and exploding."

He didn't say anything, just continued to look ahead. You watched him as you nursed your drink, wondering what he was thinking. His brows were pinched together and you wanted to press the wrinkles until they relaxed.

"I don't know how to do that," he admitted after a few heartbeats of silence.

"What?" You looked at him but he wouldn't meet your eyes.

"Unwind. Have fun." He added. "My entire life has been planned down to every second. My parents worked hard and they wanted the same for me. No distractions equaled success."

You blinked back the sting in your eyes as you looked away. All of a sudden, visions of him as a kid sitting at a desk working away filled your mind. "My parents were the opposite. Life is short, have fun."

"Your parents did a good job with you." The compliment was random but it made you feel warm.

"You're freaking me out," you blurted out. The way he switched between temperatures was hard to keep up with. One minute he was hot and the other he was cold and distance, gaslighting you into believing that the small moments with him were all in your head.

"What?"

"This whole Mr. Nice guy routine you got going on. It feels like I can't keep track of who's the real you."

You felt mortified that you admitted all of that. Way to go, Y/N.

"What makes you think you know the real me?"

"I'm the only one who works with you on a close basis every single day. I've picked up on a few things," you answered instead. Wanting to disappear, you stood up. "I need to get by."

He seemed deep in thought, as if he was contemplating your thoughts, as he moved his legs to the side, leaving you just enough space to walk through yet your thighs brushed against his legs. You bit the inside of your cheek to fight the moan that was no doubt trying its best to crawl out of you.

You made it to the bathroom and used it quickly and then washed your hands. You should've cancelled going out tonight. You could've been curled up in the couch watching your favourite show but instead you were here, flirting with your boss who, despite you felt like you knew, felt like the world's greatest puzzle.

Taking a quick glance in the mirror, you wiped your hands with a paper towel and threw it into the garbage bin. You pulled open the door to leave and then suddenly, your back was against the wall in the narrow hall. "It was a mistake, coming here."

You looked up at him, at his dark gaze as he stared at you. "Then leave." You levelled your voice so the overwhelming need you felt for him wouldn't be revealed.

"I can't." He sounded hoarse as he stared down at you like you were his salvation.

"You can't what? Use your words," you breathed.

He groaned and the sound was music to your ears. "Cross the line. I just know I haven't been the same ever since I saw you. I wonder how you taste, how you feel."

You felt like you were possessed as you stepped up close to him, close enough to feel his breath fan against your face. You didn't even recognize your voice as you whispered, "Why wonder?"

He groaned as he pushed you against the wall and took your mouth in a kiss that was savage as it was soft.