Chapter Four

Clay

Work was long, today. For some reason, there was a whole lot more paperwork than usual—more names to process—and I did it over and over again. But I had barely started on the second pile out of five and was ready to be done for the day. A glance at the clock told me that wouldn't happen anytime soon. It wasn't even lunchtime yet.

I'd nearly called in sick that morning. I felt fine but needed a break from all of this. The place was weighing on me, and time off would do me good. But when I picked up the phone, something stopped me, told me this wasn't the day for that.

Could've fooled me with the piles of tedious work laid out for me on my arrival.

A knock at the door, and, the next thing I knew, I wasn't alone. Only it hadn't really been a knock, more like someone bumped into it. And they hadn't waited for me to say anything, instead opting to come right on in.

And I wasn't mad about it—about any of this. Normally, I'd have been outraged or possibly scared if an alpha came barging in here. But with this alpha? It was different.

He wasn't one I recognized at all, but he scented so familiar—while at the same time being new to me. Not that I was allowed to know anybody here, much less get close enough to scent them. And really the only thing I noticed in the hallway was some chemical layer of I wasn't sure what. I asked the first day, and they said it had something to do with pest control. I believed them at the time, but now? I wasn't so sure. None of that mattered though. Nothing but this alpha standing in my office did. It was as if he was suddenly my reason for being here.

He didn't say a word. Instead, he was standing there, bent slightly forward and gorgeous…no, beyond gorgeous. If I could describe my type, he would be it from top to bottom. Everything about him called to me in a way I couldn't fully comprehend because it was so intense. My cock was standing at attention; all I wanted to do was lick the man from top to bottom. I should've looked away or said something, but for that smidgeon of time, I was frozen, my entire being in awe of the sexy.

Only he wasn't standing there with new papers for me or a delivery to be signed for or any other typical reasons I'd expect someone to be there. No, he was standing there, breathing heavily, sweating, and pale.

I just watched him for a while, not knowing what to do. And, honestly, the view was good and I wasn't quite ready to give it up. Then he turned around and looked at me.

"Hello," I somehow managed to get out.

He froze, and I wasn't sure what to do. I wasn't supposed to be talking to anyone, but also, he wasn't supposed to be here.

"Do you need… Do you need a glass of water?" All I had was my own water bottle, but if that's what he needed, he was getting it.

He just blinked back at me, not answering my offer.

"My name's Clay. You're in my office."

"Fuck," he mumbled under his breath.

"Do you need some water?" I asked again. What was with my obsession to hydrate this sexy stranger?

He shook his head.

"What's your name?" And do you want to come over here and hold me? Maybe kiss me until my knees give out?

"Pop…Jordan. My name is Jordan."

I found myself getting up, even though he had denied needing water. Staying away from him became far too difficult. I had no choice, I had to be near him, and I brought the bottle over to him.

After a few seconds of looking at my bottle, he took it, twisted off the cap, and drank about half of it down. Then he twisted the lid on and handed it back to me. "Thanks." Nothing more. Just one word. Thanks.

"You can keep it if you need it," I offered.

His eyes went wide. "Can't."

"Okay. I… This is weird, but I don't mean to be pushy." I wasn't even sure what I was trying to say. He was stealing my ability to brain. "Why are you in my office?"

"Wrong turn," he said, though he didn't sound so sure. "I was going to grab something out of a closet, and this isn't a closet." That part was true.

"Kind of feels like it some days," I said, using all my strength not to reach up and pet him. Gods, who does that, wants to pet a stranger?

"Why are you here?"

"This is my office. I do, like, bookkeeping and…yeah, that." It wasn't really all that I did, but it was enough and as much of a coherent sentence as I was currently able to form.

"You're beautiful to be doing books."

I wanted to say something in response, something like, "Take me now," which…yikes. But when it came to this man, I wasn't able to focus on anything but him and the way he looked, the way he made me feel, and wanting to know every single thing about him.

But before I could say anything at all, he left, closing the door behind him. I stood there waiting for him to come back in, not that he had any reason to. It wasn't like he felt the connection I did, right? This was just me having a crush on a hottie who stumbled into my office on a day I was feeling lonely. Probably.

When he didn't come back, I sat back in my chair, hugging my water bottle to me and wondering if it really happened or if my loneliness had finally gotten to be too much for me to handle and I was creating imaginary alphas.