Like a Boss - Annabelle Costa Page 0,44
Industries protocol is after two months, they lay off half of the staff.”
I frown. “That’s not going to happen here.”
He gives me a pointed look. “Whatever you say. Anyway, it’s pretty clear you have nothing to worry about.”
“Nathan…”
He holds up his hand. “I don’t want to hear it. I never told you this, Ellie, but I used to have a thing for you.”
Gasp.
“I thought you and I had a shot at something great together,” he muses. “But now… I’ve lost all respect for you. You blew it.”
Nathan walks off in a huff, and I’m not sure whether to cry or burst out laughing.
Chapter 17
From Facebook:
Here’s what to expect if you work for Thayer Industries. For the first few weeks, they will pump you for information. They will make it sound like they’re excited about your ideas, but really, they’re trying to figure out who is expendable. They reassure you that you have a spot in their company. Then after two months, 50% of the staff gets a pink slip. No explanation, two weeks’ severance. They are then replaced by new college graduates who will work for a quarter of the same salary. And don’t expect any benefits like decent health insurance. He gives you the bare minimum that’s still legal. How do you think the company makes so much money?
The next evening, I drive out to Luke’s house in Lexington. He offered to come to get me, but I was nervous about the way he would navigate the Brookline to Lexington traffic during rush hour.
When I arrive at Luke’s house, I’m shocked to see that for the first time since we reconnected, he’s dressed casually in blue jeans and a nondescript navy blue T-shirt. The sleeves on the T-shirt are short enough that I can see his well-defined muscles in his upper arms and forearms, contrasting distinctly with his bony forearms and hands. I’m not sure if Luke notices me staring, but he doesn’t comment.
“You look great, Ellie,” he says.
I want to tell him he looks great too, but somehow the words catch in my throat. I’m not used to paying men compliments, even men that I like. So instead, I say, “The food smells great.”
“I would tell you that I made it,” he says, “but I know you’d catch me in that lie. My housekeeper whipped it up. Chicken something. I don’t know. She’s a great cook.”
The food does smell great, but my desire for Luke trumps my desire to eat. And when I look into his eyes, I can tell he feels the same way. “Come here,” he breathes and I fall into his lap.
He kisses me, first on my lips, then on my neck, and I can feel his hand sliding up my skirt. I want to let him do whatever he wants to me, but then I remember last time, how it was all about me, and I start to unbutton his pants. He takes my hand and pushes it away, but I do it again as soon as his hand goes back to my inner thigh.
“Ellie,” he says, lifting his lips from mine, “I’d prefer if… we didn’t…”
My face burns. He doesn’t want to have sex with me. “Why not?”
Luke studies my face for a minute, then sighs deeply. “Look, Ellie… there are things about me, things about my disability that… I just…”
I remember the comment Jenna made about how he probably couldn’t get it up. Could that be true? God, I hope not. It’s not like I’m some kind of sex fiend or anything—I was previously going for the world’s record for celibacy—but I want more than anything to have this man inside me. I’m not sure why Luke brings out this side of me.
“Okay,” I say gently.
His shoulders sag in relief. “Great,” he says. “Can I eat you out again?”
I have to admit, the way he asks is so adorable and hopeful, I fall a little bit more in love with him at that moment. “Yes,” I say. “Definitely.”
He wheels me into the bedroom, which I didn’t get to visit last time I was here. Much like the rest of the house, the furniture in the bedroom seems incredibly stylish and expensive. He deposits me in his queen-sized bed and I fall into his expensive silk sheets. His bed is made, which I suspect is courtesy of his housekeeper, because Luke is the kind of person who’s never made a bed in his life. God, this is a nice bed. It’s so comfortable