Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 95311 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95311 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Men who had never even cast a glance in her direction before were outright leering at her now. Apparently, everyone thought she was the office whore. And some of the men thought it appropriate to whisper suggestive things to her as she passed by. They would pinch or pat her ass in the elevator and wink at her when she shot them a look. She resisted the urge to turn around and slap them, to scream in their faces, to give them a withering ear lashing. They would only throw her reputation back at her.
Then there were the notes. They were never ending. Every time she went back to her office, there one was. Many were similar to first one- calling her a slut and declaring that EM was not hers. She managed to shrug those off without it much effort. But whomever the sender was must have sensed their lack of impact and decided to get more pointed, more cruel. Almost threatening.
You stupid bitch. How many times do I have to tell you to back off? Elliott Michaels is not yours to throw yourself at. Don't think that just because you caught him in a weak moment and seduced him that it means anything at all. He would never want someone as stupid and wanton as you. Why won't you just quit already? You would do us all a favor for not having to see your slut face around here anymore.
Hannah could feel anxiety pulse like electricity underneath her skin. It was a constant, uneasy sensation that made her feel dizzy and unsteady.
Quit now or you are going to regret it.
She didn't know why she didn't just quit. Every aspect of her job was draining her of her sanity. EM was as demanding as ever, his hectic schedule a constant drain on her own mental capacities. And she had never really gotten over the night in her office.
Despite telling herself she wouldn't think about it, she would lay awake at night, clutching her pillow and replaying the whole event in her head for hours. It left her feeling unfulfilled and edgy. She was never the type of woman who was often overcome with sexual frustration. Her experience, the one time she let Sam pull off her clothes and fumble with teenage inexperience, she had felt such embarrassment and pain that she never thought she would ever want to do it again.
She had pretty successfully avoided all those pesky sensations until EM came charging into her life.
Why he was the exception was beyond her comprehension. She had met men, especially in college, who she had been much more attracted to. They were always charming with warm eyes and easy smiles. They had good senses of humor and boyish charm. She had never been attracted to the cold and distant types before- the law majors and pretentious art students. She had dated many who fit into her category and it had never gone much past heaving necking sessions on tiny college beds or in front seats of their cars.
Somehow, she had always lost interest before the guys would get too eager to get her into bed. Then there was Elliott Michaels who was everything she had never wanted who had her feeling things she forgot existed.
He just wants to use you. You're not unique. He has taken countless women like you into his bed. And every one of you lost their jobs. And everyone at this office knew why. Slut after slut. Don't delude yourself to think he thinks of you as anything else.
Her nights were getting longer. She would leave the office and go home to cry. What was keeping her there? The money? She looked around her apartment that she barely ever got to see anymore. She hadn't even used any of it. She worked most weekends running all the various errands for EM that she couldn't get to during work hours. She didn't have a bunch of new clothes or jewelry. Her furniture was as shabby as ever. Sure, it was nice to see the money piling up in her bank account. And she knew that if she quit, it would only get her so far and she wouldn't be eligible for unemployment again for a while. The money was important. There was no way to deny that. But there was something else and she didn't want to even explore what it was.
Where do you get off all high and mighty? Do you really think you are on the same level as him? He built a multi-million dollar company out of his own determination and guts. You make coffee and file his paperwork. You are the dirt beneath his feet. Hand in your letter of resignation before you regret staying.
She liked the challenge. She liked the idea that if she stayed in his good graces, she could expect to make an actual career out of her job. EM Corporation was known for giving exceptional workers better positions in time. If she stuck it out and proved herself, she could see herself being in a position of more power, making money she could only ever dream about.