Chapter 48 A Man Works Better When He's Full
"Hey, Ms. Smith."
"Hey."
When Thalia walked into the law firm in her sleek black knit dress, heads turned.
"Where's Mr. Brown?"
"He's in a meeting."
"Great," Thalia muttered, clearly annoyed. Every time she came looking for him, he was either out or tied up in a meeting. He was a tough guy to pin down.
"He'll be done soon. Let me check..." The new young secretary was quite intrigued by Thalia and her story.
A pure-hearted actress and a ruthless legal mogul—wasn't this straight out of the romance novel she had just finished? It was indeed captivating.
"Thanks!" Thalia, with her innocent façade, knew how to get what she wanted. And this young girl, fresh out of college, was easy to manipulate.
When William finally emerged from the meeting room, he saw Thalia standing by his office window, gazing at the cityscape.
"Mr. Brown, do you think I could use your office as a location if I ever shoot a city drama?"
William glanced at her, took a sip of water, and replied, "Sure, as long as you can afford it."
Thalia turned and raised an eyebrow. "With our relationship, can't you cut me a deal?"
"What relationship?"
"A relationship of both body and soul."
William paused, holding his cup. "Body, I admit. Soul?"
"An advanced soul is disciplined and self-loving. Is Ms. Smith's soul advanced?"
She was implying he was a player! He really had two faces.
Boring...
Thalia was speechless. She noticed William was dressed differently today—leather jacket and sweater instead of his usual suit. He looked more like a mischievous older brother next door.
Thalia's eyes scanned William from head to toe, her intentions clear.
William felt a shiver down his spine under Thalia's blatant gaze.
Just as he turned to put down his cup, Thalia quickly grabbed the hem of his sweater, her soft hands slipping underneath.
William shuddered.
"Thalia," William's voice was strained.
"What?"
"What, Mr. Brown?" Thalia asked as she traced William's abs, her long nails sliding down his V-line...
Just as she was about to go lower, William grabbed her wrist and pinned her against the desk.
"Stop messing around."
"We've already slept together. How is this messing around?"
Thalia was confused.
William regretted it. He had always been good at hiding his emotions, both in school and in society. No one had ever made him lose control, except Thalia. She constantly challenged his limits, trying to drag him down and taint him.
Once was enough, but twice? And the worst part was that Thalia had an irresistible charm.
He could control himself off the bed, but in bed, she was a master, guiding his every move and making sure she was perfectly satisfied.
Seeing William's cold and reluctant expression, Thalia nudged him with her knee. "You're hard..."
William: ...
Thalia, her hands held by him, smiled sweetly. "Mr. Brown, it's a long afternoon. This is risky. What if one of those single, boyfriend-less girls in the office sees us? It wouldn't look good!"
"Thalia, are you refusing to be a decent person?"
Thalia shivered at William's harsh words, shocked. "What?"
William grabbed her hand and pulled her away.
...
Half an hour later.
William...
He was carrying Thalia to the restroom in the break room, holding her like a child.
He was full of boyfriend energy.
Thalia tugged at his sweater. "Will you help me with Emma's case?"
"I'll consider it."
"What do you mean by 'consider'?" The person who had been leaning softly against his shoulder suddenly sat up, hitting the bathroom door frame with the back of her head.
She cried out, tears welling up from the pain.
"Bend over," William couldn't help but laugh.
"It hurts. What's with this stupid door being so low?"
William, both annoyed and amused, said, "You hit the side of the door."
"It hurts..."
William reached out and touched the back of Thalia's head, seeing no bump, and gently rubbed it.
Thalia looked back at him. "So? Will you help or not?"
William remained expressionless. "I said I'll consider it."
"Don't pull up your pants and pretend you don't know me," Thalia said, displeased.
William tightened his grip on her hand. "Say that again."
"Then tell me, what do you want?"
"If I help you with this case, can you behave?"
"I can, I definitely can," Thalia nodded. As long as William agreed, she would promise anything. She'd just forget about it later.
William's eyes darkened. "Aren't you going to ask how I want you to behave?"
"It doesn't matter. I'll do whatever you ask."
"Remember what you said," William tilted Thalia's chin up and planted a kiss on her lips.
"If you can't... some messy things."
Thalia: ... Pervert? Most people think about others, but he thinks about messy things?
Thalia thought for a moment. The most important thing was to get him to help with Emma. She didn't want to let any of the Wood family off the hook.
"Turns out, my mom was right."
"Men are easier to deal with once their desires are satisfied."
William's expression changed. "Ms. Smith, do you have any misunderstanding about my abilities?"
Satisfied so easily? Who was she looking down on?
Thalia: ...
She awkwardly touched her nose. "Since you're helping with Emma, about the inheritance..."
William casually tossed the tissue he was holding into the trash. "Know when to stop?"