SOLO by Deborah Bladon Page B

glad you came to my office today."
    Are you now? I should say something. I should tell him what a jerk he is. I should let him know exactly what I'm feeling but it's just a waste of time. I heard the stories. I knew about him. It's my own fault that I didn't listen to the whispered warnings about him.
    "I better go." I turn and without looking back I walk out of his office.
     

Chapter 20
     
    Alec
     
    We all have defining moments in our lives. For some people it's when they graduate from college. Other people claim it's the day they got married, while there's some who will tell you that it's the day their child was born. My defining moment was today. It was an hour ago when I let Libby Duncan walk out of my office. I didn't exactly let her walk out. If I'm being honest with myself I practically pushed her plump, perfect ass right out the door. Jesus, fucking Christ I am an idiot.
    "Mr. Hughes, do you need anything before I leave?" Lance is back. Goddamn Lance is back in the doorway of my office chirping about doing something for me. Maybe he can tell me why I acted like the biggest bastard on the planet after I ate Libby Duncan to orgasm. Maybe he can tell me why I didn't whip my cock out and fuck her senseless.
    "I need a redo of the last two hours of my life," I say through clenched teeth.
    "Did something happen with that girl?" he whispers before stepping through my office door and slamming it shut.
    I look past him to the door. "Did I ask you to come in here?"
    "She looked pretty upset when she stormed out of your office." He crosses his arms over his chest. "Is she your girlfriend? I mean I know what people say about you and women."
    "What the fuck do people say about me and women?" That was purely a reflexive response. I don't need Lance to spell it out for me. I've got a pretty good handle on my own reputation.
    He rubs his hand over his forehead. "Let's just say you do well with the ladies."
    Let's just say you're fired and call it a day. "Libby is different."
    "Was that Libby?" He circles around with his hand flying towards the door. "That's Libby Duncan?"
    "That's her." I raise both brows. "That's Jensen Duncan's daughter."
    "She looks nothing like I expected."
    "What the hell does that mean?" I push my chair away from my desk. I desperately need a drink. I've got to get to a bar now.
    "I pictured her differently in my mind. I thought she'd be taller and brunette. I also thought she'd..."
    "Who the fuck cares what you thought?" I'm paying his salary. He knows it. I know it. I'm allowed an occasional outburst.
    It doesn't faze him in the least. "What happened, sir? My friends come to me for relationship advice. I'm kind of a guru if I'm being honest. I can help."
    All of that bullshit didn't just come from his mouth, did it? Did I seriously just hear that? "What the fuck, Lance? I'm not talking to you about Libby."
    "It would help," he says the words with conviction.
    "You're not my therapist." I tuck my smartphone into the pocket of my pants. "You're not going to be my assistant anymore either unless you get out of here now and get back to work."
    "It's after six."
    "So?" I toss the question out as I brush past him towards my office door.
    "I'm done for the day, sir."
    "I'm done for the day too. I can't wait for this fucking day to be over."
     
    ***
     
    "Wait a minute." She places her hand on my knee as she teeters on the very edge of the stool next to the bar. "You're telling me that there are two different kinds of sex?"
    No, this is not a repeat of the Lucy clusterfuck. I'm not about to run back into a hotel room with just any woman. I should. I should be watching a woman blow me right now, but I'm not.
    "There is a hell of a lot more kinds of sex than just two, sweetheart."
    "Oh, I know." The words flow from her with a purr. Judging by the way this redhead is grabbing my knee, no, wait, my thigh, she's not afraid to try anything.
    "I'm talking about sex with feelings and sex just for the sake of