LUKE: Complete Series by Cassia Leo

think you need this for your family, but I think you need it more for yourself. You won’t be able to live with yourself if you let them down.”
    I stared at my plate of food and tried not to let my emotions get the best of me. “Milo, with all due respect, you don’t give a shit what I need. You’re just waiting for me to fuck this up so you can sweep in and save the day.”
    He leaned back in his chair again and took another sip of his drink. “You’re right. I want your job, but you’re wrong about me not giving a shit.” He gazed at me across the table looking like a fucking high roller at a poker table: drink in hand, poker face, oozing confidence. “I know you’ll do the right thing. You always do.”
    I walked into the office the following Monday determined to get this mission back on track. I couldn’t keep giving in to these urges. I had to break it off with Luke.
    I set my purse on my chair behind the reception desk, Janice’s old chair, and made my way to Luke’s office. I knocked on the door and it opened on its own. I entered and found him sitting at his desk with the face of a young Asian man on his computer screen.
    “Okay, just package the code and send it to me over the network. I’ll take a look at it. Thanks for the heads up, John.” He tapped the screen and John’s face disappeared. “Good morning, gorgeous. Come here.”
    I wanted nothing more than to go to him, but I had to stick to my plan. “I need to talk to you.”
    “Uh-oh. Sounds serious. Is this about what I said last night?”
    I took a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk and he pointed his remote at the office door to close us in.
    I took a deep breath before I spoke. “Yeah, I guess it is.”
    “Hey, don’t let this get awkward. If you don’t feel the same way, that’s fine. We can slow it down.”
    I tried to swallow the lump forming in my throat, but it only made my head ache as the pain built up in my face, stinging my eyes.
    “I don’t want to slow it down,” I said, trying to keep my eyes on his, but my gaze kept darting to the computer screen every time I lost my nerve. “I… I think we should probably… just keep our relationship on a professional level from here on out.”
    Our eyes met and I could feel the mixture of disappointment and anger building inside him with every breath he took. He cocked one eyebrow as he turned to look out the wall of windows on my right.
    “Is this your decision or did someone else put you up to this?”
    My breath caught in my chest. He knew about my meeting with Milo yesterday.
    “What do you mean? Why would somebody tell me to do this?”
    “I mean, your mom or your dad. Did they tell you to stop seeing me?”
    The penetrating glare in his eyes did not match this innocuous insinuation and I was once again overcome with a strong sense that he knew what I was up to.
    “I haven’t spoken to my parents about you.”
    “You haven’t?” He appeared somewhat surprised and a bit disappointed.
    “No. Should I?”
    “I don’t know. I thought you would want to tell them about your new job since you are supporting them.”
    “How do you know that?”
    One side of his mouth curled up in a devious half-smile. “Brina, you’re working for the richest, most powerful nerd in America. Did you really think there was anything I wouldn’t find in your background check?”
    My heart thumped in my ears and pulsated in my fingertips. “I’m not sure I’m comfortable with that.”
    “Brina, come here.”
    “Why?”
    “Because I’m your boss and I’m asking you nicely to please come here.”
    “It doesn’t sound like you’re asking me nicely.”
    “Brina.”
    I stood from the chair and rounded the desk. He patted his lap and I took a seat. He swung my legs over him and wrapped his arms around my waist. Just being near him changed the energy in the room and suddenly I couldn’t resist the urge to rest my head on his shoulder. He kissed my forehead then tilted my