Wife and Girlfriend

Chapter 6

Otanyi

Once I finally had both feet back on the ground, I took a step backward away from him and tried smoothing out my suit by running my hands down both sides.

The lighting was dim, practically non-existent, but I was extremely aware of his presence before me.

I could make out the outline of his jaw, which looked as if he was clenching and unclenching it for some reason.

And the chest that I'd just been pressed against certainly filled out a suit nicely.

His breathing was changing just in the few moments that we were standing there together. He was trying to slow it down.

I could feel his impressive maleness hovering over top of me as I watched his broad shoulders rise up and down slightly with each breath.

I needed to get myself checked out after this because this was yet another very fine-smelling man making my mouth and another place on my body water.

"What just happened?"

"You got caught up in a scrum, and I had to bring you back here for a bit," he answered with that accent that was quickly growing on me.

"You 'had' to bring me back here," I sensed rather than felt that I was shaking my head. "What are you talking about, 'had' to?"

"Well, you would've been crushed," he stated flatly.

"I,.." but words failed me. This quickly devolved into the worst possible first day ever in the history of first days.

I could sense that this guy was interested in talking more, but...

I need to find my editor-in-chief.

The thoughts in my head were swirling around the fact that my boss had probably given up on me showing up by now and instead just returned to the office.

I was busily looking for the door to escape out of when he spoke again.

"You could say thanks, you know," if he'd meant to be funny, I wasn't laughing.

My damn reflex was busily forcing down a few choice words for my self-proclaimed hero. Still, I was aware of the fact that I was a part of the media business now and would likely need to secure an interview or, at least, maintain a positive connection with the most popular jerk in town.

If I'd only known that this 'jerk' had more than just a local or national appeal but was a global entity unto himself, I might have reacted a little better. But then again...

"Are you fucking with me?"

That did it.

The way the smirk dropped from his face was instantly satisfying, but what came next certainly wasn't.

"Tani, where have you been this entire time? And how did you even get back here?" My relief at seeing my boss suddenly come into view was two-fold. One, perhaps this day would be salvageable after all, and two, he didn't leave me behind.

"Sorry, I got lost and somehow ended up backstage, I guess," I offered it up even though I could see by the look on his face that he wasn't exactly buying it.

Who could blame him, really?

The silence that followed was anything but comfortable, as the two men before me seemed to be sizing each other up.

For a brief moment, it was giving 'my dick is bigger than yours' energy, but that would be ridiculous. Right?

But then, my boss made the first move by extending his hand toward the star soccer player, and the latter took it into what was a very firm handshake.