Bittersweet Memories (Off-Limits #4)(56)
“Mr. Sinclair,” I mutter, my voice lacking the confidence I tried to inject in it.
He chuckles and shakes his head. “Call me Silas, like you did last weekend.”
My eyes widen, and I shake my head. “I can’t. We never should’ve… can we please just forget that even happened? Please.”
“You regret sleeping with me?” His tone is harsh, and when my eyes meet his, all I see is anger in his gaze.
“Don’t you? I’m your brother’s ex. It never should’ve happened.”
“Alanna, even if I wanted to, I’m not going to forget about the way your lips felt around my cock or the way you moaned my name. You were hungry for my cock, baby, and you know it. That pussy of yours is the best I’ve ever had, and I won’t pretend otherwise.”
I stare at him in shock, my cheeks blazing. “It was barely memorable,” I lie. “I’ve had better.”
Silas sits up, his eyes flashing with anger. He looks away, but not before I catch a hint of agony in his gaze. It hits me straight in the chest and makes me wish I could take my words back.
“I see,” he says simply. “It looks like I’m the only one who was affected then, huh? Very well. I read too much into it, clearly. As you wish, I’ll pretend nothing happened. You’ll be working directly with me, after all.”
I nod, but I feel oddly defeated, even though I got exactly what I wanted. I watch Silas as he runs a hand through his hair and sighs. He looks… hurt, and my own heart aches in response.
“Has Amy informed you about our mentorship programme?”
I nod, unable to face him.
“Congratulations,” he says drily. “You’ll be my mentee from today onwards, meaning you’ll be shadowing me closely. I’ll be overseeing your training myself, and I’m far stricter than most of our other mentors. I expect you to be at your best, every single day. Fail to meet my standards, and you can kiss your job goodbye.”
I tense and narrow my eyes at him, my earlier remorse fading away. “Did you become my mentor so you could find a way to get rid of me? I promise you that I won’t let my personal life interfere with work, so there’s no need for you to worry. I’m not going to give you a chance to fire me. This job is everything I’ve ever wanted, and I won’t let you down, no matter what you throw at me.”
He stares at me for a moment, his eyes moving over my face. “You think you have what it takes to be part of the Ψ division?”
My confident smile wavers for a moment. I don’t think I’m worthy of being here, but now that I am here, I’m going to fight to maintain my place. This is my dream job, and I won’t let him sabotage it for me. “I do, and I’ll prove it to you.”
He looks away and nods. “We’ll see. This department is only for the best of the best. It only takes a small mistake to lose your job… and I’ll be watching you closely.”
I cross my arms, mimicking him. “Watch me all you want. You won’t catch me slipping.”
His eyes roam over my body, and then he chuckles. “Well… I do love watching you.”
I stare at him in shock for a moment, heat rushing to my cheeks as I remember the way he looked at me in the mirror. “You… I…”
“Yeah?” His voice is husky, his eyes filled with that same look he wore when he took me home.
I shake my head, praying I’m not blushing. “I look forward to learning from you,” I tell him, a wide smile on my face.
He chuckles and nods. “And I look forward to teaching you a lesson or two.”
My eyes widen a fraction, and then I shake my head. He’s trying to get a rise out of me, and I won’t give him the satisfaction. Instead, I merely nod at him before turning and walking away.
There’s nothing he can throw at me that I can’t handle. He thinks he can get rid of me easily, but he’s wrong. Silas Sinclair doesn’t know it yet, but he’s met his match. I won’t go down easily.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Alanna
Yesterday was my first official day of work, but since it mostly consisted of setting up my laptop and learning about the numerous company rules and security measures, I didn’t do any actual work. I’m nervous and worried about far too many things that shouldn’t even be a factor. I keep thinking of Silas and the way he touched me last weekend, the way he provoked me in his office. Then my thoughts inadvertently turn to Ryan, and shame hits me hard.
I run a hand through my hair as I walk toward where Jessica and Josh are seated. From what I understand, I’ll be receiving my first assignment today, and I’m equal parts excited and scared. I’m worried that I truly don’t belong in this department, and that it’ll show. My team members all seem so extraordinary, and I don’t fit in. Josh graduated at the top of his class at Astor College and then worked for Grayson Callahan’s IT firm for years, and Jessica worked for the government before joining Sinclair Security. Though she’ll neither confirm nor deny what she did exactly, I know it’s something impressive. From what I can tell, our other team members are equally impressive.
“Alanna?” I freeze a few steps away from my desk, my stomach churning at the sound of his voice. Ryan. My heart starts to race, a familiar ache making me take a step back. The last time I saw him was when I overheard him talking shit about me… the night I slept with his brother.