Tongue Tied

Chapter 32

We rode the elevator up to the sixty-eighth floor in silence. The doors opened to reveal a large glass sign on the wall that read Clearwater Media Group Headquarters in bold white letters. A tall blonde woman in a pencil skirt met us at the front desk. She looked like a runway model and I suddenly felt very out of place.

"You said you already took the job here?" I muttered to Alec while the woman paged Madison.

He nodded, glancing around the lobby. I wondered if he'd even given it a second thought before saying yes.

"Alec!" An entirely too cheerful voice nearly startled my coffee cup right out of my hand when another tall blonde, whom I assumed was Madison, came clicking down the hall in five inch stilettos and pulled Alec into a hug.

Jealously hummed to life inside me but I put on a broad grin as if it didn't bother me at all.

"And this must be the incredible Brittany Laughlin we've heard so much about," she smiled brightly, shaking my hand. Incredible?

Alec rested a hand on my lower back and an ounce of pride rose in my gut when Madison noticed.

"Bree, this is Madison. She's the director of public relations at Clearwater," Alec introduced.

"It's so nice to meet you, Brittany," Madison beamed.

Hearing my name was grating on my nerves. "Please," I emphasized the word. "Call me Bree."

Alec chuckled. "She hates her real name," he told Madison. Damn right, I do.

"Well, let's get started. Shall we?" Madison smiled, leading us down the hallway she'd come from.

We ended up in a boardroom similar to the one back at Corbin and Hilliard's now former office.

"I will be right back," she told us. "Have a seat while I go fetch Troy."

Alec sat down and I followed suit, taking a seat beside him. He looked exceptional in his gray slacks and white button-up. I could feel my pulse hasten just glancing at him and it crossed my mind that if there wasn't the threat of getting caught, I'd have no problem jumping on him right here. In fact, I'd love to see him lying on this long wooden table while I drove him to the brink of ecstasy.

"I know what you're thinking," Alec whispered, leaning against me and sending a chill up my spine.

"Oh, do you?" I tried to play it off like I had no idea what he was talking about.

He smirked. Fuck, that was so hot. "Mhm."

I decided to have a little fun with it and placed my hand on his thigh, slowly sliding it closer to his crotch. "What am I thinking, Alec?"

"You're flushed." His smirk never faltered. "You're imagining me having my way with you right here. Right now."

I could feel my panties dampening at his words. Damn him. Still, I tried to act like his seductive tactics didn't faze me.

"Close," I raised a brow. "But not quite."

Rather than explain, I let him try to figure out what I'd been thinking.

My hand quickly left Alec's thigh when I heard voices down the hall. Seconds later Madison and Troy entered the room. She was holding a green folder and he looked like he hadn't gotten any more sleep than Alec and I had last night.

"Alec. Bree." Troy acknowledged us, taking a seat at the head of the table while Madison sat across from me.

"Troy," we said in unison.