The Night Before I Knew Him (June and Hermes) novel Chapter 6

~Hermes~

I should’ve transferred her.

Yesterday, at my urgent schedule session, my therapist, Alan advised me to, and I agreed, because it was the right move.

But I didn’t, more like I couldn't.

She’s still here, sitting in front of my office, breathing in my space, and making it hard for me to think straight.

So, I form another strategy, if I can’t stop wanting her, I’ll burn the want out, not with distance, but with discipline.

Obsession only has power if you let it stay soft, so I'll make it sharp, cold, and controlled.

I’ll turn it into something I can use. Something like hate.

This morning, she brings me coffee like I can't make mine.

She’s wearing a navy shirt dress, tailored and tasteful. Office-approved, but it hugs her waist too well, and when she leans forward to set the cup down, the top button tugs, just a little, and just enough to show the soft swell of her breasts, barely caged in.

I should be thinking about the numbers on my desk. The lawyer's meeting is in an hour, but all I can think is that if that button gives out, I’d finally get a clean look at what I already fucking remember.

Her breasts.

The feel of her under my hands. The way she gasped when I pushed inside her. The heat of her mouth, her skin, her body.

I take a sip.

Fuck wrong.

"This isn't what I asked for," I scowl, building the anger in me.

"Dark roast, almond milk, one sugar," she says, trying to sound confident.

I don’t look at her. "Then you weren’t listening,"

"Try again. This time, use your ears."

My cock twitches in my slacks and I want to put a bullet through my own temple.

She leaves again. Good.

I rake a hand through my hair, trying to get the blood out of my groin and back to my head.

But it doesn’t help.

She comes back with a new cup, and same dress, same fucking button. It’s hanging on by thread and I hate it. Hate that I want it to give up.

Her brown hair is curled today, tucked clean behind her ears. It's neat and polished, and all I can picture is how wild it looked splayed on a hotel pillow.

I don’t touch the coffee.

"No. This isn’t what I want. I guess I’ll be making my own coffee from now on, since my secretary can’t get it right."

That’s cruel.

She flinches, which is good. Let her feel it.

If she stays afraid of me, maybe I won’t end up pinning her to my goddamn desk.

She leaves again.

Eventually, she brings one that smells exactly right. Exact temperature, and roast. She got help, I know she did. She probably cornered some employee in a panic. I should say thank you, but I don’t. Instead, I check my Rolex.

It’s time for that damn meeting — the first step in saving this goddamn company.

I should go alone.

But I won’t be able to think if she’s not near me.

So she’s coming. "Meeting. Come." I say

She blinks. "But I thought—"

"You’re coming." I stand and walk out, because if I don’t, I’ll say something filthy.

Or worse, I’ll beg to touch her again.

***

We're at the restaurant.

I leave her outside, for my sanity, and so I can talk to Gavin about the next step in saving this company before it burns it to the ground.

"You look like shit," Gavin says as he stands, adjusting his cuffs.

"And a good day to you too, Gavin." I mutter sliding into the seat. I scan the room. "Where’s Jake?" I ask, remembering I was supposed to meet with my two lawyer friends.

"Running late. Something about a deposition running over."

Of course. Jake’s always late.

Gavin pulls out a folder, and tosses it on the table between us. "You sure you want to do this here? In a restaurant?"

"It’s a private room," I mutter, loosening my collar slightly. "Besides, I wanted a neutral setting. Somewhere we don’t look like we’re plotting a hostile acquisition."

Gavin snorts. "Because we’re not?"

I say nothing.

He opens the file. "So, Virex. I’ve gone through every page of that internal leak again, and it’s surgical. No timestamps, no metadata, no traceable senders. The whistleblower knew exactly what to wipe."

"And the press?"

"Circling again. Someone’s feeding them."

"From inside?"

"Possibly. But Virex has more rats than a sewer system. It could be one of theirs trying to drag Apex down with them."

I run my tongue across my teeth. "Xyren-4 was their trial, their dosage, and their approval pipeline."

Gavin nods. "And yet, your father’s name is on the release forms."

A silence drops between us.

"He didn’t say a word," I mutter. “Before the stroke, he just… stared. Like he already knew what I’d find."

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