Read Online The Refrain (The Bridge Series) by Ashley Pullo - Free Book Online Page B

hand on my hip then slowly slides her fingers into the waist of my pants. Her lips hover close to mine as she presses her chest against me. “How about sex?”
    “I like it.”
    Chloe licks her lips and giggles adorably. “Come to The Bridge tonight. I put the address in your phone under the name Walnut Grove .”
    “I’ll try to make it,” I say flatly.
    She grins as she places her finger on my bottom lip. “Oh, you’ll come, Adam Ford.” Chloe reaches in to kiss me, but does a fake-out by adjusting my tie instead. She turns to walk away, stopping briefly to look back over her shoulder.
    She owns me – and she knows it.

    M EANWHILE . . .
    “Adam, how was your lunch? You missed your partners meeting.” Caroline invades my personal space, batting her eyelashes and swirling a teabag in a mug. “I think you would be impressed with my ability to lie on my first day as your secretary,” she flaunts.
    I back away from her and slip into my office. She follows me.
    “Caroline, I’m sorry you had to lie, but don’t think you’re doing your job by looking out for me,” I say firmly.
    “I – I just, what I mean is, I want you to like me and I didn’t want you to get in trouble.”
    “Relax. I like you. Hey, can you page Fiona Dawson to meet me in the conference room with the Parker files.”
    Caroline stares at me blankly.
    “You can find her extension when you log in to the firm’s directory. It’s 4768.”
    She nods her head and walks out to her desk. I follow behind her with my glasses and a notepad and wait at her desk while she pages Fiona.
    Caroline is definitely pretty, but there’s something about the way she uses her looks to manipulate men that’s unsettling. I know her type – I’ve slept with her type. She thinks by being my secretary she’s privy to my personal life or worse, that one flirtatious wink will send my dick into an involuntary boner any time she’s here.
    “She’ll meet you there now, Adam.” Caroline puts down the phone and sits at her desk. She busies herself with the mail but I can see she’s upset and possibly a little jealous. If I say something nice, she’ll take that as invitation to continue the flirtatious banter. If I say something professional or harsh, she will assume I’m ignoring her flirtatious banter and will only try harder. Caroline will prove to be my greatest work challenge.
    “Thank you Caroline. Say, what type of tea do you drink?” Earl Grey.
    “Oh, usually Earl Grey,” she says. She looks up at me from her computer and flashes a playful smile.
    “Me, too.” I don’t. “Okay, off to work.” Smooth.
    “Right. I’ll be here if you need me.” Fantastic.
    I meet Fiona at the door to Conference Room Six. She’s smiling like a smug five-year-old that stole a lollipop and I think I know why. We close the door behind us and sit across from each other at the table. She stares at me with a condescending smile . . . waiting for me to say something.
    “Jesus, Fiona. Just say it,” I snarl.
    “Say what? That you seem to be having a good day with the ladies.” She laughs.
    I take the file in front of her and start to flip through the documents. “A good day would be some pizza and tickets to the Red Bulls.”
    “Hilarious. I knew you couldn’t handle an actual relationship!”
    I lift my head and cock my eyebrow. “And what about you? How’s your friend?”
    She shakes her head in disappointment. “Not happening. Do you ever think that casual sex is the best way to go? Because if you separate the sex, relationships just make you hate your partner, or worse, make you hate yourself.”
    “That’s deep Fiona – and depressing. I don’t do relationships, so I guess I’ll never know.”
    “We’ll see, Adam.” She nods unsatisfied. “Okay, so congrats on your promotion and thank you for leaving me with your shitty cases.”
    “What? I’m here aren’t I?” I put on my glasses and look over the documents in Raymond Parker’s file.