Chapter 34 - 34

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and my stomach started rolling as I realized this had to be the woman that I had seen Reed with.

"And can I ask who's calling?" I asked, my voice shaking as badly as my hand that was gripping the desk.

"No, you may not. Just patch me through now," she remarked snidely.

"Yes, Ma'am."

I hung up the phone having put the woman on hold and pressed the intercom to get Reed's attention. Fear and anger rolled inside my stomach and my hand was trembling so hard I could barely hold down the speaker button.

"What?" his voice came whipping across the speaker.

"You have a phone call, Sir," I said.

I winced when I heard the meekness in my own voice and how easily I slipped back into the habit of calling him "Sir".

"Take a message. I don't want to be disturbed, girl," he growled back.

I cleared my throat and gathered myself up for another round of the verbal boxing match we seemed to have started.

"I don't think she'd like that very much, Mr. Callaghan," I replied back.

My voice dripping with the same sweetness that was in the voice of the woman on the phone.

There was silence for a moment and I was scared he was going to make me take a message anyway. A beeping at the base of the phone indicated he had picked up the other line. I glared at the phone and started thinking of every nasty name I could use to describe Reed and this mystery woman. I even thought of a few tortures that I could implement on him during the next six hours I was stuck at work. I had finally come to the end of my fantasy where Reed was begging for mercy. I was giggling like an evil witch about to turn him into a toad when Lizzie popped her head in.

"Can I steal you for lunch?" she asked.

The bright welcoming smile on her face was a nice reprieve from the darkness that shrouded my life at this moment.

"Of course," I said.

I hurriedly grabbed my purse out of the bottom drawer of my desk and jumped out of my chair hoping to be out of the office before Reed got off the phone.

"I'm sorry, Lizzie, I need to have a talk with your friend," Reed said from his doorway.

I spun around startled but seeing Reed standing in the doorway looking angry instead of repentant revived my steam once more and I straightened up ready for the coming fight.

"I'm going to lunch with Lizzie. I've already told you I am not interested in anything you have to say," I snapped at him.

I shuffled slowly towards Lizzie afraid to turn my back on him. Reed advanced on me like the hungry predator I thought of him as and gripped my arms to hold me in place.

"I don't care if you're interested in what I have to say, I'm going to talk to you anyway," he said as he began to lead me to his office.

"You talk, I'm going to lunch before I do something stupid like hit my boss," I growled at him.

Looking over my shoulder I searched for Lizzie to see if she was going to back me up on this only to find her already at the elevator.

"Traitor!" I shouted to her guilty face as it got swallowed up in the already closing doors.

"She's not a traitor. Do you notice how she is moving? I have a feeling her loyalty to you last night cost her a hefty punishment from Jordan. I have a feeling she is just trying to make sure she's not stuck in a gag as well as the plug I bet he made her wear today. Can you imagine answering a phone with a gag in your mouth?" Reed asked rather pointedly.

My mouth hit the floor when I realized that he was talking about an anal plug. I began to giggle a little as I recalled a few times in the past when Lizzie had complained of little things like her ankle was hurt which is why she was walking funny. The last thought that sent the giggle into an all-out belly laugh was the one time she had complained about her bottom being sore and I surmised she was sitting on it too much.

The tension had finally relieved itself between us and I looked back up at him only to have my laughter die instantly at the starving look in his eyes as he gazed at my mouth. My breath caught when our eyes met and I found his filled with desire, amusement, and something else I was too afraid to name.

He stepped back and gently guided me into his office and I let him unable to fight the look in his eyes that my heart was telling me was genuine.

"I'm glad you find it funny, I bet it'll look just as amusing on you," Reed said trying to sound stern as he closed the door behind us and locked it.

I backed away instantly and put my hands behind me to protect that part of me as if he was going to pounce right then and punish me the same way. My stance brought forth a round of laughter from him as he put his arms around me and pulled me close.

"Mia, I have deeply missed you. Please tell me what is going on," he begged unabashedly.

I stiffen, his words making me remember why I was here in his office and why I was so mad at him. I put my hands on his chest to shove him away, but his arms just tightened on me not allowing me to budge even an inch.

"How many times do I have to remind you that I can't read your mind? If I have screwed up, give me a chance to fix it as best I can.. But I can't if I don't know what's going on," he continued to beg.