Hers by Dawn Robertson

himself at home in the chair on the other side of my desk. He looks at me with regret and apology in his eyes. I still feel bad about the way I treated him the other night. It has eaten at me for days.
    “Listen, Seven. I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't be the one going on this trip, but before you came to Alexander Mobile, I was the one doing all the traveling.” He watches my reaction, as he runs his fingers through his messy hair. Something I’ve noticed he does when he’s nervous. “All the other board members have wives, and families. Then there’s me. I don't have anything or anybody. By default, the trips always fall into my lap.” He doesn't have anything or anybody? Sadness creeps through me, and I take pity on him. I take pity on no one, and yet here I am, slowly opening for a man I want to do nothing but run from.
    “It's okay, Levi. It is just a business trip. I expect we’ll be about a week. Give or take, depending on how quickly this can get straightened out. I have already started working on what I can from here. Olivia, my assistant, will get you all the travel details. It will give us an opportunity to see how well we work together, since it appears we are going to be spending a lot of time together.” I smile at him. A genuine smile, something I rarely give colleagues, or men. A warm sensation burns through my chest and stomach as I continue to work on the file I have open on my laptop.
    “Seven, I just… I didn't want you to think I set this up somehow.” He’s worried, understandably so.
    “Levi, I don't think that at all. You clearly didn't sabotage the supply in London. We work together; this is going to happen. We can't let what happened make things weird.” I shake my head. I just don't even know where to go in this situation anymore. This is the first time in my life that I have truly been at a total loss. I look up to catch his eyes grazing over my body. He is hungry, and it isn't for lunch.
    “Levi?” I ask him, looking up with heavily lidded eyes, trying to put out the fire rushing through my body, fueled by only him. I know if he doesn't leave soon, I am not going to be able to resist him. I will beg him to take me, right here on my desk.
    “Yes?” He smiles at me, a beautiful toothy grin, and I can feel my panties becoming damp.
    “I think you should go. I have a business call here at a quarter to seven, if you are going to still be in the office.”
    I can see the disappointment in his gaze, but all I’m trying to do is save us both a lot of fucking trouble. We just can't keep going on this way, because we’ll only end up hurt. I can already tell he is in over his head, and despite my cool facade, he’s wearing me down. Little-by-little, my walls that I have worked so hard building over the past five years are crumbling for Levi.
    He leaves, and I pick up my cell phone, finally remembering the waiting text. The number is still unfamiliar to me, but I can tell it is a local New York City cell number.
     
    When you trampled Daniel, I had the biggest fucking hard on for you. I love it when you take charge, Seven.
     
    I can't help but chuckle as my body responds to the words, clearly from Levi, who just left. It is probably a good thing I didn't read that before he waltzed into my office, all sex on a stick and shit. Should I reply? Should I play into this little game we have going on here? A very fucking dangerous game for both of us.
    I just can't help it, because whether or not I want to admit it, I think I just met my fucking match.
     
    My office @ 6:45. Don't miss it. I have an idea.
     
    By the time everyone leaves the office for the day, I have interviews lined up to replace the president of operations in London. This kind of gross incompetence won't be tolerated, period. He’ll get his walking papers as soon as I set foot on English soil.
    I have fifteen minutes before my conference call, and still no sign of Levi, which is probably better off anyway.
    I shot Star a