Athena\u00a0<\/p>\n
The drive to work was comfortable. We didn\u2019t talk much but it wasn\u2019t awkward. Just two people who\u2019d learned to be at ease in each other\u2019s presence\u00a0<\/p>\n
When we pulled into the parking lot, I saw Orion\u2019s truck already there.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe beat us again,\u201d Tristan said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe always does,\u201d I replied.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We walked into the building together and went our separate ways to our offices. Mine was\u00a0<\/p>\n
between Tristan\u2019s and the conference room, close enough that I could slip away to see him when I\u00a0<\/p>\n
needed to.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019d barely settled at my desk when the familiar warmth started building again. I tried to focus on\u00a0<\/p>\n
the invoices in front of me, but my mind kept drifting to Tristan down the hall.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I lasted maybe thirty minutes before I gave up and headed to his office.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I knocked once and let myself in, closing the door behind me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tristan looked up from his computer, and a slow smile spread across his face. \u201cThat was faster\u00a0<\/p>\n
than yesterday.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShut up,\u201d I said, but I was smiling too as I walked over to him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He pushed his chair back from the desk and I climbed onto his lap, straddling him. His hands\u00a0<\/p>\n
went to my hips automatically.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know Orion is going to figure out what were doing if you keep disappearing into my office,\u201d he said, even as he was already pulling me closer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOrion already knows we\u2019re together,\u201d I pointed out. \u201cHe can think what he wants.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFair enough,\u201d he said, and then he was kissing me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
=\u00a0<\/p>\n
O\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
15:05 Fri, Jan 16 =\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 259\u00a0<\/p>\n
78%\u00a0<\/p>\n
We tried to keep it quick, we really did. But one kiss led to another and soon clothes were being\u00a0<\/p>\n
adjusted and I was moving against him, both of us trying to stay quiet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Afterwards, I rested my forehead against his, both of us breathing hard.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe really need to get better at this,\u201d I said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAt what? The sex? I think we\u2019re pretty good at i,\u201d he teased.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I smacked his shoulder. \u201cAt being professional at work.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere\u2019s the fun in that?\u201d he asked, but he was already helping me fix my clothes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I climbed off his lap and checked my reflection in the window, making sure I looked presentable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI should get back to my office.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou just got here,\u201d he protested.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I\u2019ll be back in a few hours,\u201d I said. \u201cProbably.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He groaned but let me go.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I slipped out of his office and headed back to mine, feeling more settled. The heat was still\u00a0<\/p>\n
there, simmering under my skin, but it was manageable now.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Around lunchtime, there was a knock on my door.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCome in,\u201d I called.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Orion walked in carrying two bags from the deli down the street. \u201cFigured you might be hungry.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So I decided to beat Tristan to it.\u201d A smile escaped my face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Of course he did.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cStarving actually,\u201d I said, clearing space on my desk. \u201cThanks.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He sat down across from me and handed me one of the bags. \u201cHow are you doing?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m good,\u201d I said, pulling out a sandwich. \u201cWhy\u00a0<\/p>\n
III\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\u00a0<\/p>\n
15:05 Fri, Jan 16\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 259\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cJust checking in,\u201d he said. \u201cYou seemed off earlier this week.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
78%\u00a0<\/p>\n
I took a bite of my sandwich to buy myself time Orion could read me better than anyone except\u00a0<\/p>\n
maybe Tristan now.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d I said. \u201cJust been adjusting to some changes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGood changes?\u201d he asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I smiled. \u201cYeah. Really good changes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He studied me for a moment, then nodded. \u201cThat\u2019s all I needed to know.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
We ate in comfortable silence for a while, and I was grateful he didn\u2019t push. That was the thing\u00a0<\/p>\n
about Orion. He knew when to ask questions and when to just be there.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSarah wants to have you guys over for dinner soon,\u201d he said after a while. \u201cShe\u2019s been bugging\u00a0<\/p>\n
me about it all week.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat sounds nice,\u201d I said. \u201cWhen were you thinking?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhenever works for you,\u201d he said. \u201cShe\u2019s flexible.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I thought about the baby news we were keeping secret. We needed to tell them soon. Keeping this from my brother felt wrong.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cActually,\u201d I said slowly. \u201cWhat if we hosted instead? This weekend maybe?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Orion raised an eyebrow. \u201cYou want to host?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Memories Drifted Into Soft Silence by Kyx Frost 259 Athena\u00a0 The drive to work was comfortable. We didn\u2019t talk much […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[77],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26416","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-second-gear-of-love-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26416","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26416"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26416\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26416"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26416"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26416"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}