emma_hillman_hired by Emma Hillman Read Free Book Online Page B

thought as she chewed on the end of
her pencil. Now that Drake had gone back on his earlier promise of an orgasm
per sentence translated, she had no more incentive, sure. But it also meant she
was back in control. Sex had been far too distracting, for her and for him.
Maybe that was why he’d stopped it, or maybe it was because that now he’d had
her he didn’t need her any longer. Who knew?
    She sighed and focused on those unrelenting
Greek letters. They became blurred a second later. She brushed her eyes,
blinked and tried again. To no avail. “Shit!”
    “What’s going on?” Drake asked from his usual
chair in the corner of the library.
    “I... I think I’m getting tired. My eyes have
gone all blurry.”
    “Take five,” he ordered. “You haven’t had a
single break this afternoon. I’ll go get you a coffee.” He stood up and grabbed
his jacket, shrugging it on without once looking at her.
    “I don’t want a coffee.” The words were out
before she could stop herself. They weren’t even true. She loved coffee, always
had. She just hated the fact he hadn’t asked her if she wanted one. God, but
she was contrary today. Her thighs cramped but she pushed the sensation into a
corner of her mind. She wouldn’t acknowledge her need, not until she was locked
in her bedroom.
    “You don’t?” He turned around. “You’re always
up for coffee.”
    “Not today.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
    “Don’t start with me, Jessica. I’m not in the
mood.”
    “No kidding? I’d never have guessed,” she
snapped back.
    “Jessica,” he growled.
    “Oh, I’m so scared!”
    He was on her in two seconds flat. His palms
slapped on the table’s surface behind her, his body trapping hers as if his
arms were a cage. “I said, don’t push me.”
    She looked into his face and asked, “Why?”
    He blinked. “Why what?”
    “Why can’t I push you? You do it to me all
the time after all! I’m here because I’m doing you guys a favor.”
    “No.” He shook his head. “You’re here because
we’re paying you to translate an ancient text.”
    “Is that right? Do you really think I’d have
stayed here after all the things I discovered if I didn’t want to?”
    His eyes went flat. “So, why are you still
here?”
    She couldn’t tell him the whole truth.
“Because I saw something in Faye’s eyes. She’s counting on me. Even your First
Man is. I didn’t want to disappoint them.”
    He snorted. “Is that right?” he mocked her.
“Then why haven’t you already finished your job? Why are you still here,
twiddling your thumbs while they get impatient?”
    “You’re distracting me.”
    He pulled back. “I’m distracting you?” His
voice rose. “Are you freaking kidding me? I’m the one to blame because you
can’t do what you’re being paid to do?”
    “Yes.”
    “That’s rich. Are you sure you even know what
you’re doing? Maybe I need to call a few people and check you’re really the
best in the region.”
    She rolled her eyes. “Like you didn’t do that
before trying to hire me.”
    “I did hire you.”
    “No, you knocked me out and kidnapped me!”
    “You’re still here, aren’t you? It sure
wasn’t that bad if you accepted it all. The pay’s good too, isn’t it, baby?”
     
    * * * *
     
    He saw the intent in her eyes, spotted her
hand moving toward him, but he didn’t move back. Her palm hit his cheek with a
resounding slap, his head snapping back with the force of it. He looked down at
her an instant later but remained silent.
    She was biting her lower lip, hurt and anger
and sadness etched into her face. “Drake...”
    “If you’re not going to work anymore, we
should go. Jake and his wife are expecting us tonight.”
    “Drake−”
    He ignored her plea and grabbed her notepad
from the desk behind her, handing it to her without another word. He slipped
the parchment in his inside pocket and gestured her toward the front doors,
turning the lights off on the way.
    They