Xander vol.1 Transmutation (25 page)

Entering the study
backwards, Penelope gripped the handle tightly as she closed the
door, being as quiet and careful as she possibly could. Despite her
efforts, the door clicked, and she felt the tumbling of the gears
in her very skin. Her breath was short, quick bursts. Her hand
shook as she released the handle, and turned to face the horror
that was Hunter Flynn. He was leaning against the edge of his desk
with his arms crossed. His eyes, a striking blue, were intensely
focused on Penelope. His jaw, covered by a rough shave, was
fixed.

Penelope stood against the
door, her eyes wide and cautious. If she was lucky, she wouldn’t be
made to sit in front of him. She kept her shaking hands behind her,
clasping the door’s handle.

“
You wanted to see me,
sir?” she spoke up, keeping her eyes averted.

They stared straight past
his head. He was silent for a moment, his fixated on hers. They
looked as if they were going to burst into tears at any given
moment. And then they traveled. Slowly trailing down her slender
body. They paused around her breasts and her thighs, taking the
deliberate time to analyze them. The lingering silence drove
Penelope mad. She silently begged for him to speak, and for it not
to be what she was expecting to hear. She couldn’t lose this job,
this security. The security of a home and income. If she was made
to live with her step-mother, she wasn’t sure what she would do
with herself. She didn’t think she could bare it.

Finally, Hunter exhaled,
and pushed himself off of the edge of his desk, taking a step
forward. And suddenly, Penelope found herself at a loss. She pushed
herself forward in response, her hands reaching forward to place
themselves on Hunter’s chest. She cringed, her eyes pleading as
they finally looked into his.

“
Please! Please don’t fire
me. I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was your brother’s room. I swear
I’ll never set eyes on it again – please!” Penelope begged, her
hands tightening their grip on his black cotton shirt. “I can’t
live with her again. Please don’t fire me, please!” she sobbed, her
eyes quickly filling with tears. Hunter’s hands stayed parallel to
his shoulders, patiently waiting for her plea to finish.

Seeing his look of what
seemed like discomfort, Penelope quickly backed herself away,
covering her mouth with one hand, and holding her wrist with her
other. She wiped her eyes, which were threatening to spill mascara
down her cheeks. Ashamed at her outburst, she lowered her
head.

“
Forgive me, sir. I didn’t
mean to put my hands on you,” she said between sharp intakes of
breath.

Hunter slowly lowered his
arms, his look of confusion slowly creeping into that of amusement.
He shook his head once, lowering it to hide his chuckle.

“
No … That’s quite
alright,” he mocked in a whimsical tone. “Miss Lawrence?” he
questioned, tipping his head back up, the smirk that had made its
way onto his lips now a full blown grin. Penelope’s head rose as
well, her eyes watering again as the grip on her own wrist
tightened. Her body shook, as she anxiously awaited his next words.
He shook his head slightly, his dirty blonde locks swaying just
slightly.

“
I didn’t call you in here
to fire you,” he said, slowly stepping towards her. Her hand began
to lower, her eyes widening not from fear, but from relief. She let
go of her held breath.

“
No?” she questioned,
wanting to make sure that it wasn’t some sort of cruel joke. Hunter
shook his head again to reassure her, his grin spreading as he came
closer.

“
Nope.”

Penelope let out a nervous
laugh, standing her ground. She expected him to pat her shoulder to
comfort her fears. Hunter chuckled, sliding his hands into his jean
pockets as he now stood in front of her, over a head taller.
Penelope ran the back of her index finger under her eye, getting
the last of her tears as she continued to giggle.

“
My god. I was so nervous.
I thought you were going to-“

“
You know, you look a lot
better in the maid uniform,” he said, cutting in.

He allowed his eyes to
travel again. But this time, Penelope was painfully aware of it.
She suddenly felt very exposed, her hands coming up to adjust her
dress. Her eyes lowered while she did, and by the time they rose to
peer apologetically into Hunter’s, her face was caught in his
hands, and her lips were seized by his own.

It took her brain a whole
second to register what was happening before her eyes widened, and
her hands rushed up to push him away. She stumbled back, nearly
fumbling over one of the chairs that was in front of the desk. She
held onto it and stood on the other side, using the chair as a
divider between them. Her face flushed as the smug look of
accomplishment sprawled across his face. She found herself
startled, and frankly, enraged.

“
What … What was that!”
she uttered, her hand warily coming to her assaulted
lips.

“
A kiss,” Hunter chuckled,
smiling as he slowly stepped to move around the chair. But Penelope
mimicked his movements to maintain the distance. Hunter’s brow went
up as he noticed, and his hands moved in question.

“
Your first
one?”

Penelope’s mouth fell
agape as she moved from behind the chair to in front of the
desk.

“
That’s
hardly
the point,” the
pointed out, only to get a laugh from Hunter. Her eyes narrowed as
he came closer, making her realize her mistake of coming in front
of the desk.

“
Like I said. I didn’t
call you in here to fire you,” he said in a husky breath as his
hands found the desk on either side of her, forcing her to lean
back against its edge.

As he titled his head to
attempt another kiss, Penelope grunted and raised her hand to cover
his mouth while turning her head. Her other hand pushed against his
chest until she was able to move him, and step away from both him
and the desk. Hunter stayed leaning on the desk, looking at her
with a mixture of disbelief and entertainment.

She was out of breath
after such a small exertion, but adrenaline was keeping her
standing. Hunter gave a scoff, as he looked straight at the chair
behind the desk for a moment. He gave a light shrug as Penelope
composed herself, before standing straight.

“
So you like to be chased,
huh?” he said with a tight smile. Penelope glared, straightening
her posture and storming for the door.

“
I wish you
had
called me here to
fire me,” she hissed under her breath as she reached for the
handle.

But Hunter was hot on her
trail. Just as Penelope pulled the door open, Hunter pushed it
shut. And in a flash, Penelope found herself trapped again.
Immediately, her hands came up to keep a distance between them, her
eyes glaring up into his coy ones.

“
Be careful what you wish
for, tuts,” he warned, smirking.

Penelope’s face paled
slightly, at what sounded like a threat. Her bravery wavered for a
moment. But only a moment, before her dignity took hold. She pushed
him back again with a bit of a shriek, her hair swaying in front of
her face momentarily. He let himself be pushed back, enjoying the
game of cat and mouse. Disgusted, Penelope opened the door again,
and rushed out of the room. Hunter chuckled, coming up to lean
against the doorway.

“
Let the chase
begin.”

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reading.

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