Flex Time (Office Toy) Read Online Free PDF Page A

only had about a million, most of them wildly inappropriate. “I guess I’m supposed to be learning about the challenges of dating three men.”
    “Oh, but that’s not the difficult part.”
    “It isn’t?”
    “Not if they love you.”
    Stunned by the raw pain in Bianca’s voice, Elle took a moment to pull herself together. “I’m sure they cared about you.”
    “Seven figures in my bank account say they didn’t.”
    “Seven figures?” To go away quietly? Did Cunningham think he was being kind?
    “Oh, yes. I figured if they were going to treat me like a whore, I might as well be a well-paid one.” She opened her eyes, tilted her head and studied Elle. “Can I offer up some advice?”
    Chewing on her lower lip, Elle nodded. “That is why you’re here.”
    “Imagine the pain of a breakup, but tripled. The heartbreak is unbearable. Your life goes from full to empty in a flash.”
    “But—”
    “Run.”
     
    Elle found Nolan hunched over his phone, his fingers flying across the screen. He stowed it and stood quickly when she approached. “Where’s Bianca?”
    “She said she needed a two-hour massage.”
    Nolan raised an eyebrow.
    “So explain to me—” 
    “No. What she told you is her side of things.” He steered her toward the exit. “Cunningham feels strongly that we not … disrespect … Bianca’s experience by trying to absolve ourselves.”
    “Did you love her?”
    The question clearly caught him off-guard because he stopped walking for a moment. “What did she say?” he asked, wary.
    “She said she loved Cunningham, that he didn’t love her and paid a lot of money for her to go away. She thinks you felt she was a whore, and she’s in a lot of pain considering it’s been a year since she left.” Bianca had downed two more martinis. Elle suspected that she only started drinking like that after the breakup.
    “Oh, Elle.” Nolan gathered her into his arms and held her tight, his hand smoothing her hair. She felt so safe with him, which was stupid considering what she’d just learned.
    “Did you love her?”
    “Elle—”
    She struggled out of his arms and glared up at him. “Answer the question.”
    “It’s complicated—”
    “Answer the question!”
    “We didn’t love her. Fuck, Elle. She was so closed off, and she was always half-drunk. It was impossible to even know who she really was.” Nolan blinked. “Cunningham tried to get her into therapy, but she refused. Then everything went south.”
     “Oh. Actually, Bianca didn’t mention any of that.” 
    “I told Cunningham this was a stupid idea. Forget Bianca.” Elle expected his eyes to fill with anger, expected his intensely blue irises to get darker, but they didn’t. “Elle, I love you . How can you still not understand that?”
    Now it was Elle’s turn to blink. “What?”
    “I said that I love you. I’ll do whatever it takes to make this relationship work. Including flying to London to bribe our ex into coming over.” He stared straight at her. “The idea of you suffering Bianca’s fate fills me with revulsion, and at the beginning I wanted nothing to do with them hiring you. But you’re special. You’re smart and kind. You keep me on my toes. Plus, shoot me, but you’re hot as hell.”
    He caught her face in his hands and Elle lost herself in the liquid depths of his eyes. Then he kissed her the way she’d craved when they were in the bar, his lips firm yet soft, his hands holding her still while he publicly claimed her, his tongue dipping deep, exploring every centimeter of her mouth because she was his and he wanted the world to know it.
    When he released her, Elle nearly fell over. “Oh God,” she breathed. Her lips tingled as if his were still pressed there. He loved her. She hoped he would kiss her again. Smiling, he took her elbow and guided her to the curb where a sleek limousine waited.
    Elle shot him a interrogatory glance, but Nolan helped her into the vehicle without any