FALLEN: A New Adult Romance (First of the FALLEN Trilogy)

Dancing With Our Hands Tied

I try to not let it seem like we've barely slept. We got maybe three hours of sleep from the time we fell asleep and the time I woke up from my nightmare. And we haven't slept at all since. We were so consumed by each other, I think we fucked for two hours until it was time for me to get ready.

I feel very energised and new. I'm wearing the most expensive clothes I own, a gorgeous pearl blouse under a black pantsuit. I've learned to get used to the black velvet heels I wore when I met Mace. I do not feel the discomfort as bad anymore. I feel powerfully sexy. I feel like I mean business.

It's with this confidence that we head together to the conference hall. It makes me so happy to have him by my side today. At times, I need to restrain myself from reaching for his hand. I feel so proud of us, and even more so to not be a secret to his mum anymore. And having Marcel with me today, I have a new strength to make it through the day. I wasn't in the greatest of mindset yesterday, and it might have affected my interviews. Now, Mace is here, and we're ready to show Paul we are in this together to fight whatever twisted plot he's making.

I can't begin to wonder about how Marcel might be feeling about this whole situation. Paul made him the black sheep of the office. He doesn't deserve any of this. Marcel is more qualified than anyone in the company. I doubt anyone else has a PhD in Literature. He shouldn't be to blame or be mocked in any way. He should rule this company by merit and not by name. And neither is happening...

If it were only up to me, I'd disregard my morals of non-violence and encourage Marcel to beat Paul up. I can't believe I found him nice yesterday morning when we settled in! Argh!! Maybe he was trying to win me over or something. Perhaps it's part of his plot?

I have to admit, I would much rather find the purpose of his manipulations and tear him down, but I get Marcel's impatience to get some satisfaction for all of his years of self-doubt and hard work.

It might not be this way, but I feel like everybody is looking at us, making our way to our display. I wish I was holding his hand, but the look on Paul's face when he sees us is rocking my world. He looks so upset. It literally makes me smile. I look up at Mace's face and see him smiling also.

"Look at him." I let out as I get comfortable behind my table and pull the chair next to me closer now that Marcel's here to sit in it.

"I so badly want to break every tooth in that arse's mouth." He whispers to my ear with a hand on my thigh as he leans in.

"I thought so." I chuckle and look away as I'm blushing from all the love he makes me feel in this forbidden environment.

"That's my girl." He replies, and it gets my sight back on him. I swoon entirely to his words. It makes me bite my lip in response. "Stop that. It only makes me want to fuck you again."

"Oh yeah?! Haven't you had enough this morning?"

"Of you?! Never." He leans in closer, the tension building between us, my core getting wetter just with the gaze he has on me. "I want to lay you on this table and eat you in front of everybody."

I swallow hard and breathe uneasily. The arousal he is making me feel burning hot under my suit. I don't know how to stand or how to act. I instinctively look around me to see if anyone might have heard us, but the coast is clear. I clear my throat silently for my murmur to be soft but clear.

"I think... I would like that..." I very shyly respond and try to caress his hand on my thigh with the tip of my fingers.

I look around again, making sure we're in the clear, which we are. I step away from him and reach for my purse on the ground, remembering that I had saved a copy of the book for him. I offer it to him the next moment. He thanks me, but I see Paul heading our way, so he hides behind the book, faking reading it.