Chapter 26 My Underwear
Chapter 26 My Underwear
Zoey
A loud bang yanked me from sleep. The second one almost sent me tumbling out of bed.
“Zoey!”
I scrambled to the door, my hair a mess and my shirt only half-buttoned. When I flung it open, there stood Leo, dressed to the nines in a black suit, tie perfectly knotted, and his hair looking like he’d just stepped out of a salon. He seemed like he’d been up for ages.
“What are you doing in my house?” he asked, his voice flat.
I blinked in confusion. “You…You told me to stay.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Did I?”
“Yes! You said it wasn’t safe—”
He interrupted me with a sigh, glancing past me at the chaos I’d created in the room. “You really made yourself at home, didn’t you?”
I felt my cheeks heat up. “You said—”
Before I could finish, a sudden shriek echoed down the hallway. I turned just in time to see a small gray cat leap off the dresser and dart between Leo’s legs, its tail fluffed up like a duster. The sight was so absurd, this stoic man recoiling from a fluffy little creature, that I couldn’t help but laugh.
He shot a glare at the cat, then at me. “You think that’s funny?”
“Yes,” I managed to say between giggles. “Absolutely.”
The corner of his mouth twitched, almost betraying a smile, before he muttered, “She’s supposed to stay outside.” He bent down to grab the cat, but it immediately clung to his sleeve, hissing in protest.
“Looks like she disagrees,” I remarked.
He let out a frustrated breath, clearly losing the battle, and shoved the cat into my arms. “Congratulations. She’s your problem now.”
I cradled the tiny, purring bundle against my chest and looked up at him. For a brief moment, the tension between us eased, just a hint of normalcy breaking through the heaviness.
Then he straightened up, his serious facade back in place. “Don’t bother telling me,” he said, his tone icy once more. “Just make sure you’re at the office before I am.”
With that, he turned and walked away, his footsteps echoing down the hall. I stood there, holding the cat, staring at the spot he’d just vacated. He was already dressed to the nines, looking like the chaos of the night before had never even affected him.
By the time I stepped out of the shower, the steam hung in the air like a thick fog, and my skin felt warm and flushed. I had just managed to wrap my towel around myself when there was a knock on the door.
Seriously? Again?
I sighed, gripping the towel tighter as I rushed to the door. Without a second thought, I swung it open, only to freeze at the sight of him.
He leaned casually against the doorframe, one hand tucked in his pocket, his expression was blank, except for the way his eyes slowly traveled down my body, stopping right where the towel barely covered me. My breath caught in my throat.
“You’re lucky I don’t—”
“—What are you doing here?” I interrupted quickly, because there was no way I could handle hearing the rest of that sentence.
A lazy smirk played on his lips. “Relax, princess. I’m not here to ravage you.” He lifted a neatly folded outfit from his arm and handed it to me. “You’ll wear this.”
I blinked, glancing between him and the clothes. “You… brought me something to wear?”
“Consider it an act of mercy,” he replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Ten minutes. We’re leaving for the office.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but he was already turning away.
“I’ll pay you back,” I called after him, clinging to the last bit of pride I had left. “As soon as I get home and grab my card!”
He let out a low chuckle without looking back. “Sure you will.”
I slammed the door hard and leaned against it for a moment, trying to calm my racing heart. Then I finally looked at the outfit. A fitted white silk blouse. Pencil skirt. No bra.
Oh, of course.
When I slipped into the outfit, the silk hugged my skin like a second layer, and the skirt was tighter than what decency would typically allow. The mirror wasn’t on my side; I looked like someone who’d just stepped out of a scandal waiting to unfold. I looked like someone who was sleeping with her boss during lunch breaks.
“Fantastic,” I muttered to my reflection, smoothing the hem and trying to ignore how much skin the blouse revealed with every move.
Ten minutes later, I stepped outside just as Leo was about to get into the car. He looked up, his eyes scanning the outfit he had picked out. The corner of his mouth twitched, clearly pleased.
“You’re staring,” I said flatly.
“Just admiring my taste,” he shot back.
I stood there, waiting.
He raised an eyebrow. “What? You waiting for me to open the door for you?”
“I was hoping for a little basic human decency,” I mumbled under my breath.
“Good luck with that.”
He slid into the back seat, and I rolled my eyes before joining him. The driver started the car, and the silence felt heavy, pregnant with all the things we weren’t saying.
I could feel his gaze on me the entire ride, it wasn’t a burning look; it was worse. It lingered. I kept my eyes glued to the window, pretending the city lights outside were suddenly the most interesting thing in the world.
Every now and then, I’d catch his reflection in the glass, smirking faintly, as if he knew exactly how uncomfortable he was making me. When we finally pulled up to the office, I practically leaped out of the car before anyone could see us together. My heels clicked too loudly against the floor as I hurried to my office.
But Ethan was already there, leaning against my desk like he owned the place. I nearly jumped when I saw him there.
“Morning,” he said casually. “Got that report ready?”
“Almost,” I lied, setting my bag down and trying to play it cool.
Then, as if summoned by my rising anxiety, Leo appeared at the door. His timing was almost like something out of a movie.
“You left too quickly,” he said, his voice smooth and almost teasing. “I wanted to hand you this in the car.”
Before I could respond, he tossed something at me. I caught it on instinct, soft fabric, small, lacy.
My eyes widened.
It was underwear.
My underwear.
He smirked. “You forgot that in the shower.”
Ethan’s brows shot up, and my soul momentarily left my body.