Love me or hate me it's still an obsession

Chapter 6

"Board meeting, two minutes", Ace snapped as he passed Effie's desk.

She scrambled her things, grabbing a notebook and pen and followed him into the board room. She still hadn't got used to these big meetings and felt lost, especially now that Ace wasn't talking to her. She found an empty seat near the door and tried her best not to look at Ace in his dapper navy suit near the front sitting with Alastair.

Steve arrived and walked to the front looking angry, "right, let's commence then. We need to raise money for a few charities this quarter. I am not wasting my time to do this so you young one's please, I don't care what you do but sort it. Effie... Effie, where are you?"

All eyes turned to face her, including Ace's. She caught his eye making her body tense, God she wanted him so badly but she was still so angry with him from the event the few days before. "I'm here Sir!" she said loudly, raising her hand.

"Excellent. Ace, you and Effie need to come up with a plan. I want it on my desk tomorrow morning. Right, meeting adjourned."

Ace got up abruptly as everyone started to filter out and walked up to his dad, throwing his hands in the air. Effie watched, trying to get hold of anything he was saying but couldn't hear a word. Steve kept looking at her then back at Ace, but Ace was completely blanking her. She pulled out her chair, grabbed her things and walked back to her desk, not wanting to work with him as much as he didn't want to work with her. She sat down, placing her notepad and pen neatly on her desk and turned to face her computer. Minutes later she noticed the familiar aftershave getting closer and closer to her desk. She noticed his shoes first and then his trousers as he approached her. But rather than speaking to her he walked straight into his office and slammed the door loudly. The other receptionist next to Effie, Rita, a woman from South Africa who had an amazing dress sense, leant back in her chair and flapped at her face, "my oh my Effie, you really riled him up this time!"

Effie shrugged, "I actually haven't done anything, he is just being a massive jerk!" She tried to concentrate on her screen but couldn't, all she kept thinking of was Ace's lips on hers the other night and how good he tasted.

Rita got up and spun Effie's chair around, "come on, let's go get a snack, I need some coffee."

Effie smiled, "alright then. Good distraction."

Rita smiled, "I'm working on it."

They walked to the end of the hallway and into the little café area. It was dead, a strange time to go inside as they had only been at work a couple of hours. Steve liked to look after his employers and made sure they were always equipped with snacks and coffee if needed. Rita and Effie ordered themselves a coffee and went to sit down. "Effie, duck..." Rita said, staring through the transparent window behind Effie's chair.

Effie didn't have to be told twice and bent down, pretending to look for something. 

"Effie, can I have a word?"

Effie sat up slowly, keeping her eyes on Rita, knowing exactly who it was she was trying to make her hide from. "Sorry Ace, my fault. She wanted to bat ideas with me before coming to you about this charity."

Ace put his hand up, "Rita, don't make excuses for her."

Effie turned her face towards him and narrowed her eyes at him, "no need to be rude Ace."

He grabbed her wrist, pulling her up and dragged her the few metres to the café archway, ignoring the stares from the people in the other offices nearby. He turned her round to face him, his face so close to hers she could smell his minty breath, "god I hate you" she seethed.

Ace broke into a laugh, pinning her against the wall and leant into her ear, "you don't hate me Effie, you hate how I make you feel."

She pushed him away, not caring how aggressive it was and looked over at Rita, "I'm going Rita, Ace and I have some things we need to discuss."

Rita gave her a thumbs up and looked back down at her phone, not wanting to get involved. Effie turned around and looked at Ace, his face making her heart race but she couldn't get distracted, "come on then, seeing as you are actually talking to me now."

Ace followed her down the hallway and into his office, he pulled down the blinds aggressively and turned to face her. She was standing in the middle of the office, frozen to the spot, breathing heavily. "Seriously Ace, what the fuck?" She crossed her arms in front of her chest angrily, not knowing how she was going to carry on working with someone who made her stomach erupt with butterflies every time she saw him.

He went over to the door and locked it then slowly turned to face her, "Effie, I can't keep doing this."

"Doing what?" she snapped. She wasn't going to back down easily.

He took a few steps towards her, feeling her body craving him as much as he craved her. "Effie... I..."

She put her hands down by her side and breathed deeply, surrendering everything to him, her anger towards him melting away, "what?" she whispered.

He kept his confident gaze on her, making her knees weak. He didn't have to say how he felt, she could feel it. Caving in to his every move. He put his hands on her waist and pulled her close. She caught her breath, staring into his eyes curiously. She put her hands up to his face, brushing his bristly skin, following his jawline with her fingers. "Ace, what are you doing?" she breathed, tracing his skin, not wanting him to ever stop touching her. She slowly pulled her hands down but he caught them in his. She opened her mouth slightly, not taking her eyes off of his. She put her hands gently back up to his face as he stroked her hand and with the other brushed her cheek. He leant into her, her eyes closing as his nose brushed past hers, tickling her skin. Their lips almost touching, her skin prickling. "What do you want from me?" she whispered.

She opened her eyes, catching his eyes sparkle, "everything."

She snapped back to reality as Ace's phone rang. She stepped back from him and made her way to the door, "I'll let you get that... When I have my ideas written up for the charity thing I will come to you; I have a few things we organised at Sevens that might work."

Ace looked at her, craving every inch of her bare skin on his. He looked sternly at her, trying to resist everything his body was telling him to do, "great, thanks Effie." She slowly unlocked the door and walked out, not glancing back. Ace picked up the phone and leant on his desk in frustration, his hands gripped in a fist, "what?" he shouted down the phone.

"Ace Wesley, I believe you have something of ours", the voice creaked deeply.

Ace furrowed his eyebrows, "what?"

The voice continued, "do you know a girl called Effie Reynolds by any chance?" the deep voice asked.

Ace looked at the phone then put it back to his ear, "I'm sorry, who is this?"

The voice cackled down the phone, "oh Ace. You not wanting to reply is all we needed to hear. Thank you."

Ace held the phone to his ear, his grip tightening in fret, "hello? Thank you for what? hello?"

But it was too late, whoever it was that called had gone. Ace stormed out his office, "who just forwarded me that call I received?" he shouted out.

Everyone looked at each other in confusion, blank expressions. Effie turned to face him, "what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Ace looked at her, his beautiful Effie, and felt his pulse quicken, worry etched into his face. "I'm fine. Send me those ideas once you have them."

Effie shook her head, their love/hate relationship back in full force. "No problem Mr Wesley." She turned her chair round to face her computer, feeling pissed off at him once again.