Lila

She didn't sleep at all that night. She couldn't. Everything was… too much. Every time she thought she'd made a decision to go one way, she had a thought that made her doubt… She kept the flashdrive John had given her on her keychain—it looked no different than any other drive she'd ever had. A simple tool.

​​

But the ability to blow up her world. And possibly that of others, too.

The stress was immense and she wondered if she would simply not sleep until the moment she lost her mind.

She'd heard that could happen.

She dragged herself to the office the next morning because she didn't know what else to do. But as soon as she stepped out of the elevator, it was clear there was more stress ahead.

The receptionist trotted around the desk and leaned into her ear. "The lawyers are here and Chris is yelling, and… I think you need to go talk to them. They asked for you."

Lila thanked her and headed to her office, dropping off her purse and keys, but keeping her new phone, before she walked quickly down the hall to Chris's rarely-used office. But the door was locked and there were no lights on inside. Which meant… which meant they were using Dane's office.

Lila's stomach clenched, and she stood dumbly in the hallway, staring down at the door which she could now see was slightly open, and light shining through it.

They were in Dane's office.

She had to go into Dane's office. With a bunch of other men.

She would do it. She would. She just needed a second.

"Are you okay?" Tonya's voice was little more than a whisper, but Lila whirled, and groaned at the catch in her ribs.

"I… yes, I'm fine. I'm just… bracing for impact."

Tonya gave her a sympathetic smile and a pat on the shoulder. "You're doing amazing," she said, her eyes shining. "If I was in your shoes… I'd be a basketcase."

"But I am!" Lila blurted, then clapped her hand over her mouth. But Tonya just nodded and patted her shoulder again.

"You're hiding it well. Go get them," she said with a wink.

Lila took as deep a breath as she could and started toward the office, reminding herself at every step that he wasn't going to be there. That it didn't matter what room they were in. She needed to speak to the lawyers. And Chris would be there…

Then she stepped inside and was bombarded with all the feelings, every sensation, the smell of him and it almost took her to her knees—

That first brush of his lips was so soft she almost wasn't sure it happened. But she wanted it, wanted him.

"Are you sure?" he'd whispered.

She'd never been more sure of anything in her life. "Yes, Dane, I—"

He'd taken her mouth and she'd gasped with the rush of his touch. His fingers in her hair sending fireworks, sparks down her neck and back, she arched like a cat into his chest as he held her. And she clung to the storm of him, sliding her hands over his chest, his shoulders, his neck. She couldn't get enough of him, aching to touch every part of his iron strength.

Then he'd sighed against her mouth and she tipped her head back into his hand. He'd made a humming noise as he kissed along her jaw, to her neck.

And she clung to him, her heart swelling.

He shook, trembled under her hands.

She swung wildly between aching for more of him, and aching to reassure him, to tell him what she saw in him, what she knew he couldn't see about himself.

But his lips were at that spot under her ear, and she shivered deliciously, arching her back more, burying her fingers in his hair to pull him.

"Lila," he whispered against her skin. She wanted to purr in response. "So beautiful. I've wanted this. Wanted you…" He made a noise deep in his throat as his mouth latched on the spot where her neck met her shoulder. Lila sucked in and nipped his earlobe and he groaned—

"Lila? Lila! Are you okay?" It wasn't Dane's voice. It was the wrong voice, the wrong smell, the wrong… everything. But she blinked and came back to the present and somehow managed not to cry when she found Chris standing in front of her, his hands on her upper arms, staring at her with genuine worry in his eyes.

"I'm… I'm sorry… I hadn't been in here since…"

"It's fine, Lila. It's fine. I'm sorry, I should have thought—"

"No, no. Don't worry. I just—"

—She slid her hands under his sweater, delighted to find he had no shirt underneath it. Running her hands up the ladders of muscle on his sides, he shivered and swore. Lila smiled into his kiss and let her fingers trail over his chest and down, down his rippled abdomen until she reached the belt of his pants—

She shook off the memory and the pinch in her throat and took a step past Chris, who looked like he wanted to stop her. There were three men in stiff suits, sitting around the table in Dane's office, all wearing glasses under their gray—or non-existent—hair, and none of them looked happy.

"I'm Lila Daniels," she said as brightly as she could, walking to them with her hand extended to shake. They got up one by one and took it, gave her their names, though she didn't remember them. Then she looked at Chris before she continued. "I understand that you wanted to speak with me?" she said carefully.

The men nodded, and two of them looked to the one who was seated at the narrow end of the oval table. "Mrs. Daniels, we're here because there's some action that needs to be taken today on behalf of the organization, and only you and Mr. Daniels—Chris—have the authority to make it happen."

Lila nodded. "Okay, what's needed?"

The men looked at each other. Chris had come to stand next to her, his arms folded, glaring at the men. "They're telling us we have to legally take possession of Daniels Security—that Dane made that possible—because if we don't, when Dane gets arrested, the whole company will be shut down for the investigation."

*****

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