Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 1 - Chapitre 10

The heat in the conference room was cranked all the way up.But it still couldn't stop the chill racing from my feet to the top of my head.The man at the head of the table was my roommate of three months, Nathan Prescott.Today, he was dressed in a perfectly fitted designer suit.Gold-rimmed glasses rested on his nose. He looked calm and composed, with an air of authority that made him hard to approach.He was nothing like the man I'd seen last night. Last night, he'd been in SpongeBob pajamas, pinned helpless beneath me.I'd had too much to drink.The walls in our apartment were thin, and he'd been watching financial news late at night with the volume turned way up.Drunk and irritated, I'd marched out of my room to confront him.Somehow, things had gotten physical.I shoved him onto the couch and, just to shut him up, grabbed his... pants and ripped them.His boxers didn't survive either.And now, there he was at the head of the table, staring at me with those dark, unreadable eyes.

The next morning, I showed up to work with dark circles under my eyes.I'd spent half the night searching every second-hand site I could think of...The result? Even the secondhand ones were way out of my budget.So I came up with a new plan.I'd work hard, make myself useful, and somehow convince Nathan to forget about the debt.The moment I reached my desk, Derek called me into his office."Claire, what exactly is going on between you and the boss?"Derek looked dead serious.My stomach dropped. "N-nothing. There's nothing going on between us.""Nothing? Then why did he have Sandra transferred to the mailroom because of you?"What?Sandra got transferred?I stared at him in shock."The order came straight from the executive office yesterday afternoon. She was transferred immediately."Derek studied me with a complicated look."Claire... I had no idea you had connections like that."I didn't even know how to explain myself.Nathan and I really are just roommates!Well, maybe things ha

I didn't answer right away. Every sensible part of me was screaming that something was wrong."Why?"I asked him again."Just because I ripped your boxers?"It was the only reason I could think of, even if it sounded ridiculous.If that's really why he likes me, this guy's tastes are... something else.The corner of Nathan's mouth lifted slightly."Of course not. I'm not a creep."I sighed in relief.Good. At least he's not a creep.Nathan continued."I first noticed you a month after you joined the company."I froze.My first month?I'd been a complete rookie back then. I got yelled at almost every day.What could possibly have caught his attention?"Your former boss stole one of your clients and embarrassed you in front of the whole department."Nathan spoke calmly, but my eyes immediately began to sting.That had been the worst day at work.I'd spent three months working with that client. Then, right before the deal closed, my boss stepped in and took all the credit.He took my prop

"Go home and wait for further notice."I couldn't believe what I'd just heard."What? Can you say that again?""I said you're suspended."Nathan's voice was completely emotionless."It's the board's decision."The board's decision?Right. The board's decision!So he was staying out of it and letting the board take the blame.Just last night, he'd told me he liked me. He'd even asked me to be his girlfriend.But the moment trouble hit, he cut ties and threw me under the bus.Of course.I must've been blind to ever fall for him."Wow, Nathan. I'm impressed."I laughed bitterly."I was an idiot."I should've known a man like you wouldn't actually care about someone like me."Don't worry. I won't be a problem for you anymore."From today, we're done!"I hung up before he could answer.If I'd stayed on the phone another second, I knew I'd start crying.I went back to my desk and packed my things while everyone watched.Then I picked up the box and walked out without looking back.I didn't g

The next morning, Nathan woke up with a terrible headache.He stared at the ceiling for a long moment before he realized he was back in his room.His head was still foggy from the hangover.All he remembered was drinking. A lot.And then? Then... Claire came.He jerked upright and looked around.The room was empty.Did she leave again?A crushing sense of loss washed over him.He threw off the covers and got out of bed so quickly that he almost fell over.He caught himself against the wall, then stumbled into the living room.On the dining table was a bowl of hot oatmeal with some buttered toast beside it.A sticky note sat next to the bowl."Eat this when you wake up. It'll help with the hangover."He recognized the neat handwriting immediately. It was Claire's.Warmth spread through Nathan's chest. He picked up the spoon and slowly ate the oatmeal.It was the best oatmeal he'd ever had, even if it was salty enough to kill him. Clearly, Claire had no business being in the kitchen.Aft