The Desire Variable | Rewrite

⸻ ELEVEN ⸻

The dry sound the chair makes when he settles it down takes me out of my naughty daydream. Since that dreaded wet dream, I've been masturbating like a lunatic, but it's obviously not enough to contain my libido.

He literally just moved a chair, and that's enough to make me a little wet.

We end up exploring my work together while I avoid glancing at him as much as possible. But his smart brain is enough for my body to maintain a constant flushness. He continually impresses me with how quickly he catches up with my intentions, and how fast he comes up with ways to correct or improve problematic elements.

Forty-five minutes into it, I send a text to Oli. It's clear that I can't make it, as we barely scratched the surface. Oli's reply comes quickly, and my heart twinges as I read it. He insists that it's fine and expresses how proud he is of me. I feel extremely guilty about it, because a small part of me is relieved we won't be having our date tonight. And I hate myself for it.

But I'm distracted away from that as we go back to work. We spend a further hour on everything, and I can't get enough of Lex's appreciation for my work. He's aware of the immensity of what I programmed, and he voices it a few times throughout.

Eventually, when we reach the end of it, he leans back in his chair and silence fills the air. I slip my hands under my thighs, not sure what comes next. When it becomes awkward, I glance at him sideways. He's holding his folded glasses in his hand, and his eyes are on me. There is something in his gaze that is unfamiliar, almost as if he is enthralled. It's strange, coming from the brooding man he is, but I guess this app could really be game-changing for the company. I can practically hear the gears running in his brain.

For several seconds, he keeps looking at me strangely, until I clear my throat to break the awkward tension and move on with whatever should happen next. That snaps him out of it, and he returns his attention to the complex script displayed on my laptop.

"We're supposed to wait for the sale to come through before we can start working on it," he says. "However, I would like it if we could start as soon as Monday. The app could be ready in four to six months, and I don't want to waste a day."

Wow, that's even faster than what I imagined. "I don't see why we couldn't. Maybe we can sign some kind of contract, stating that Kelex will make me a fair offer for the app, so I'm sure I won't get scammed?"

"I'll have it prepared."

"Oliver is already involved in the project, so I thought maybe I could work with him on it," I suggest.

"No," he counters dryly. No? What does he mean, no? "Mason and Steven are more qualified to work on it. They are far better when it comes to movement recognition and deep learning algorithms. We'll also get two or three people from the graphic department so they can start sketching and find a concept."

Mace and Steve? Well, I have no problem with them. But I do feel sorry for Oli. He would love to work on it with me. It isn't rare for us in the Troll's Lair to help each other out, so maybe we'll get to, anyway.

"Fine, I'll work in tandem with them, then."

"No," he rebuts with the same authority as before. "I'll have a desk set up in here. You'll work with me."

Naturally, I'm confused as fuck and think he's messing with me. But his serious expression proves he isn't, in fact, joking. Upon understanding that, my amusement dies instantly, and blood leaves my face.

What the hell? How did I end up in this position? This cannot be happening. Not only do I fear the arguments that would most certainly occur, but my sanity is also at risk. I can't be near him all day long for weeks and be tempted by him constantly.