Free Suddenly Beautiful (Entangled Covet) by Boone Brux

down, checking her phone. Only eight o’clock. Now that’s what she called starting her day with a bang.
    Tor’s office door was locked, which meant he hadn’t arrived yet. Poor thing was probably sleeping off their night of passion. She shuffled some papers, read e-mails, and tried to stay busy.
    Just before nine, Tor strolled in, looking fabulously delicious.
    “Sleep in?” She stood, attempting a pose that looked natural but still gave him the full effect of her dress.
    He stopped and stared, his eyes tracking down her body. If it hadn’t been for his furrowed brow, she would have been pleased by his reaction. “What are you wearing?”
    His comment was like a pie in the face, and suddenly she felt ridiculous for wearing the outfit. “A dress.”
    “I’ve never seen it before.” His tone sounded suspicious and slightly accusatory.
    She reined in her growing irritation and fumbled for an excuse, though she didn’t know why she needed one. She looked great. “It’s laundry day. I didn’t have anything else.”
    He continued to frown as he unlocked his office door. This was not at all how she’d imagined their first encounter would unfold after last night. “Is everything okay?”
    He spoke over his shoulder but didn’t look directly at her. “Yes, it’s just…” He paused.
    She moved around the desk but stopped about three feet from him. Intimacy was not the vibe she was getting from him. “Just what?”
    He turned the key and pushed the door open. “Nothing, everything is fine.”
    He stepped inside, leaving her staring at an empty spot. Her worst nightmare had come true. Obviously he regretted their encounter. Anger surged through her, taking Nikki by surprise. Usually she was more passive aggressive, doing things like not returning phone calls or sticking in ear buds when she wanted to ignore the chatty person that insisted on sitting next to her on the subway. But this morning she felt anything but passive.
    Well, screw him, she wouldn’t let him see how much it hurt. Scrambling to appear unaffected, she fell back on routine and scooped up her phone, the pile of files, and followed him into his office.
    “What do we have today?” He plopped into his desk chair and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and index finger. “Creed, right?”
    “Um, yes,” She swallowed the diatribe threatening to erupt. She’d always dealt with situations rationally. Now should be no exception. There was probably a perfectly logical excuse for being a complete jackass. “Nine o’clock.”
    Tor glanced at his watch. “Can you order me a pot of coffee from the dining room?”
    “Coffee? But you never drink coffee.”
    He collapsed against the back of his chair and rubbed his hands over his face. “I’ll make an exception this morning.”
    “Do you have a hangover?”
    “It would appear so.” He leaned forward and wiggled his mouse to wake up his computer. “I don’t remember drinking that much.”
    She took a step toward his desk. “What do you remember?”
    Nothing that I’m going to share.
    It had happened again. He hadn’t moved his lips, but she had clearly heard his words. What the heck was going on? “Did you say something?”
    “Please, Nikki, coffee.”
    Her spine stiffened at his impatient tone. “Sure.”
    She exited his office and tossed the files onto her desk, trying to compose herself. What had she expected, roses and a marriage proposal? No, but a little acknowledgement would have been nice. Of all the outcomes, Tor pretending their night together never happened had not been one of them.
    She picked up the phone and punched the executive dining room button. “Could I get a pot of strong black coffee delivered to Mr. Stephanos’s office, please? Yes, thank you.”
    She sat down, hanging up the phone. The morning morphed from euphoric to depressing. What was up with the voices in her head? Maybe she should make an appointment with her family psychiatrist. It had been years since she