chapter 9

~Lucas~

I watched Abby storm out of my office, her heels clicking sharply against the polished floor as she slammed the door behind her. The anger was evident in the way she moved, shoulders tense, face flushed with frustration.

I should have felt guilty. I had deliberately pushed her buttons, taunted her, really getting under her skin like I knew I could. But as I sat there, staring at the door she had just exited through, I didn’t feel the satisfaction I expected. Instead, there was something else, a gnawing discomfort…

I didn’t get it.

I had always found Abby… difficult, and headstrong, but in a way that was endearing. She reminded me of her father in a lot of ways, and I always respected her. I still did. But today was different.

When she’d gotten close, too close… I had caught the scent of her perfume, something floral but sharp, and for a brief moment, I had found it impossible to breathe.

Our bodies had brushed, just barely, but I felt it. The heat. The awareness that hummed between us, almost like a live wire. Her eyes had locked with mine, and I couldn’t deny that something shifted there, something unspoken.

The way she looked at me before she left… the anger in her eyes wasn’t the only thing I saw. There was something else buried beneath it. Something I wasn’t ready to name.

I rubbed my temples, trying to shake the feeling, but it stuck to me like a stain I couldn’t scrub out. My body had reacted in ways it shouldn’t have, and no matter how hard I tried to push it down, the attraction still lingered.

This isn’t right, I thought, trying to convince myself.

Abby wasn’t just anyone. She was… well, she was complicated. She was the daughter of my best friend, someone I had known since she was a child. Hell! I watched her grow into the strong, confident woman she was now.

So why the hell was I suddenly feeling this way?

I glanced at the clock, and then at my phone. I had a thousand emails to sort through, and meetings to prepare for, yet none of it seemed to matter. My mind kept drifting back to her, to the way her presence had consumed my office, how her energy seemed to clash with mine in a way that both unnerved and intrigued me.

I couldn’t focus. The numbers on the screen blurred into oblivion. Everything felt static. I needed a break, a moment of clarity.

I grabbed my coat and headed for the door, making my way down the long hallway toward the elevator.

Once I reached the car, I slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine, the hum of the car engine offering little comfort as I drove through the city.

I kept glancing at my phone, debating whether I should call her. Should I apologize? Explain? I didn’t know what I was thinking.

“God, get it together,” I muttered to myself as I slammed my hand against the steering wheel. But even as I said the words, I knew I wasn’t getting it together. The attraction, the chemistry, whatever it was, wasn’t going to disappear just because I told myself it was wrong.

It was there, in every thought, in every breath I took. It was the way her eyes locked with mine, the way we could almost feel each other’s pulse, the quiet space between us growing heavier with every passing second.

But I couldn’t go there.

She was his daughter. My best friend’s daughter. There was no world where this was acceptable.

But damn it, it felt so real.

I shook my head, trying to dislodge the thoughts, but they only grew more vivid. Abby’s sharp gaze. Her confident posture. Her quick temper and the way she always pushed back when things got tough. She wasn’t like other women I had known. She was different, stronger, and more challenging and there was a part of me that appreciated that.

Stop it, I told myself. This is wrong. She’s not the one you want. She’s not even…

*

I groan as I look at the slimy liquid in my hand, I couldn’t bear it any longer and I had to wank myself with her image on my head. “Shit!” I groaned washing my hands before stepping out of the bathroom.

I went to the bar and grabbed a glass of whiskey before going to the sitting room. The glass of whiskey sat untouched on the coffee table in front of me, I couldn’t bring myself to take it.

I leaned back, resting my head on the cushions, staring up at the ceiling. There had to be something anything that could help clear my head. But then, my phone buzzed on the coffee table, cutting through the silence. I reached for it automatically, the name on the screen causing my stomach to tighten.

Gavin.

I swiped the screen to answer the call, trying to push aside the gnawing thoughts of Abby.

“Lucas,” Gavin’s familiar voice came through, gruff and steady, though I could hear the exhaustion beneath the surface. “How’s it going? You holding up?”

I leaned forward in my seat, rubbing the back of my neck. “Yeah, just… the usual,” I said, trying to sound more collected than I felt. “You?”

“We’re getting ready. The operation is set for tomorrow morning.” Gavin paused, a sigh escaping him. “You’ve been busy, huh? I know you’ve had your hands full over there.”

I couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped me, though it sounded hollow. “Yeah, you could say that.”

“Don’t tell me you’re letting the stress get to you,” Gavin teased, though I could sense the seriousness underlying his words.

I rubbed my face with my palm, “I’m fine. Just… thinking a lot, that’s all.”

“You think? Is something wrong with the company?” Gavin’s voice was sharper now as if he had picked up on my hesitation. “Or about something else?”

I didn’t answer immediately. Instead, I looked out the window, watching the city lights flicker in the distance, my thoughts still drifting back to Abby. It was so damn confusing.

Gavin’s voice cut through the silence again. “Well… how is my girl doing? Don’t tell me you are giving her a tough time?” He asked jokingly but I knew he was serious, Gavin would never joke with his daughter.

“She’s good and well I think she’s finding it hard to adjust, she should be able to or might end up running to your company,” I replied nonchalantly grabbing the glass of whiskey, I twirled it a bit before taking a sip, it suddenly tasted too bitter in my mount and I dropped it immediately.

“I know my daughter Lucas! Abby is not the type of girl to give up so easily, you will see.” He said proudly and I truly hoped he was right, I was a bit scared of her quitting the company. I want to see her every day…

Damn it!

Can you fucking stop Lucas!

I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them when I heard Gavin cleared his throat. “Are you with me?” He asked

“Of course! I’m sorry, something took my attention for a moment… let’s see how long she will be able to hold on to you, I know she will do anything for you, she will surely endure.” I replied and Gavin burst into laughter.

“Trust me…” he laughed “I should get going now and please take care of my angel.”

“Alright,” I said, standing up and walking to the window, looking out at the city below. “I’ll make sure of it.”

“Of you should, you know I have only you to trust. Stay safe, Lucas,” Gavin said before the line went. Just before I could respond he ended the call and I ran my hand through my hair.

If only it was that easy to look after her like he had demanded, I let out a deep sigh and threw my phone on the couch, I grabbed the whiskey again and tried to sip, I wondered what she was doing now and if she will be able to make it back to work.

How long is she going to hold on? How long is it going to be when my body finally realizes she is off-limit, I should take my eyes off her.

I ran my hand through my hair again. “Damn!” This is definitely going to be harder than I had truly thought.