Authors: Claire Adams
CHAPTER
THIRTY-SIX
I
arrived at the
office the next morning, ready to take on the challenges of negotiating a raise
and finding out what the next steps would be in the plan to stop Lincoln and
Sloan. I checked in with Norma. She said Jack was in his office with the door
shut, and she had instructions not to disturb him.
I set to work on
the day's orders and double-checked what had gone out the day before.
"Yo, boss
lady," Burt teased as I walked through the warehouse inspecting the
inventory and making sure the deliveries had been unpacked and stored.
"How much longer before the construction crew is done and gone?"
"I'm not
sure," I said as I looked down at my clipboard and back up at the stack of
diapers on the shelf. "I'll ask when I go to the meeting later, but I'm
fairly certain that it's only going to be another week or so."
"Good, the
guys and I are getting a little tired of them shoving us out of the way while
we're trying to work," Burt said.
"I'll make
sure I mention it to Mr. Yates," I replied, being careful to maintain an
air of distance from Jack. I didn't want anyone to know I was living at his
mother's house, and I especially didn't want them to know that I'd fallen for
Jack.
After lunch, Norma
called down to tell me that Jack was going to visit the warehouse around four
and that he wanted a run down on the status of the new orders along with a
summary of the status of everything we had going out this week. I assured her
I'd have it all ready for him when he came down.
I spent the rest
of the afternoon compiling reports while I fought back the memory of Jack's
arms around me and the feeling of his lips on mine. I had no idea how I was
going to negotiate a raise while I fantasized about what it would feel like to
pull off his shirt and press my naked breasts against his skin.
"Knock it
off, Walsh," I muttered to myself as I typed up a summary report. "If
you're not careful, you're going to get yourself fired for inappropriate
behavior."
I reminded myself
that men like Jack didn't fall for poor, Irish girls from the wrong side of the
city. Any fantasies of that happening would be relegated to nothing more than
my imagination.
But I still held
out a sliver of hope that the impossible could become possible.
CHAPTER
THIRTY-SEVEN
All
afternoon, I'd
been making urgent phone calls as I steadily worked to put the pieces in place
for the plan to save Baby Steps from destruction. By the time I looked at the
clock, I realized I was late for my meeting with Leah.
"Darlin', you
need to get a move on," Norma called from the front office. "You were
supposed to meet with Leah an hour ago. Oh, and the construction foreman said
Leah's office is finished, so you might want to go take a peek at it.
"I know, I
know!" I said as I grabbed the folder with her employee file in it. I
rushed past her desk without stopping to check my schedule for the rest of the
day.
"I'm out of
here in a bit. I’m having a party for my granddaughter tonight, and I still
need to frost the cake!" she called after me as I headed for the back
stairs. "Your schedule is clear!"
"Thanks,
Norma! Have a good night!" I called over my shoulder as I headed for the
back stairs. I quickly ran down the stairs to the ground floor and headed for
Leah's office without stopping to see the progress the construction crew had
made. I tapped on Leah's door, "I'm sorry I'm late, got hung up on a
call."
"No
problem," she said without turning around. "I was just running the
last of the numbers so that I could show you where we are."
"While that's
printing, do you want to go see your new office?" I asked. "Norma
said the construction crew finished it."
"Sure. Let me
say good night to the warehouse crew, and then we can check it out," she
said, finally turning around. I felt my breath catch as I looked at her.
She was wearing
her usual warehouse uniform of a t-shirt and cotton skirt paired with sturdy
boots, but she'd done something different with her hair. It was pulled back. A
few tendrils had escaped and were framing her face. Her eyes looked bluer than
I'd seen them before, and I could see that she'd applied mascara and lipstick
at some point during the day because both were a little smudged. I smiled as I
nodded, leaning against the doorframe and waiting for her to finish.
A few minutes
later, she stood up and followed me down the hallway to the warehouse floor
where we talked briefly with Burt and the guys before heading to the corner
where the construction crew had shaped the space to fit Leah's managerial and
personal needs. I pushed the door open and urged her to go in first. I was glad
I did because hearing her gasp in surprise at the finished office was worth
every ounce of effort I'd put into it.
"Oh, my gosh,
Jack!" she whispered as she looked around the room and took in the entire
office. To the left of the door was a small seating area with comfortable
chairs and a couch that could be converted into a bed should she ever get stuck
in the office overnight. Behind the seating area was a conference table that
could seat all of the warehouse workers comfortably so that Leah could hold
meetings in her office rather than on the warehouse floor. To the right of the
conference table was a desk that held a large computer screen and was connected
to shelving with all kinds of storage compartments neatly tucked into the
design. The whole office was done in soothing earth tones and felt calming.
But the best part
of the place was the small bathroom that contained not just a toilet and sink
but also a tiled shower and radiant heat flooring. I knew how dirty it could
get on the warehouse floor when the orders were deep, and I knew that she'd
probably want to clean up before heading home. It was a relatively small
expense given the large expenditure for the warehouse update, so I'd gone with
it.
"Jack, this
is an amazing office!" she exclaimed as she walked around opening doors
and looking at all of the features. "I can't believe I get to work
here!"
"I'm glad you
like it," I said as I pushed the door shut to show her the storage space
built into the wall for her boots and coat to drip dry when winter finally hit.
"This is
absolutely amazing," she repeated as she turned around in a circle, taking
in all of the elements.
"I'm assuming
that since you like this so much, you're willing to stay and continue working
here," I teased as I gripped the file in my hand.
"You're nuts!
Of course, I'm staying!" she laughed as she reached out and gently smacked
my arm.
"All right,
then we need to talk about your salary increase," I said as I showed her
the file and gestured to the sitting area where I sat on the couch. I laid the
paperwork on the low table in front of it. "In my estimation, you are
overdue for a raise. As best I can tell, my father didn't give you a raise for
over five years. Is that right?'
"No, he
didn't, but he did give me benefits," she said defensively. "He
wasn't a bad boss."
"I didn't say
anything about him being a bad boss," I replied brusquely. "I'm
talking about monetary compensation for a job you've been doing exceptionally
well."
"I'm sorry,
Jack," she said laying her hand on my arm. "I just feel like your
father did so much for me. I don't want you to think he was a bad guy."
"It's
okay," I nodded, feeling my body respond to her touch almost immediately.
"He's a touchy topic for me."
"I
know," she said, sliding closer as she moved her hand lower on my arm.
"You don't have to be so defensive with me, Jack. I understand what it's
like to live with a difficult parent.
I
know they have the nice side that they show other people which is so different
from the one we get."
I nodded, but the
tenderness in her voice and the feel of her touch were almost more than I could
stand. I knew that if I were going to stop anything from happening, now was the
moment to stand up and walk out the door. I felt frozen in place as her thigh
pressed against mine and her fingers gently caressed my forearm.
"Leah …"
I began as I looked down into her deep-blue eyes. I couldn't stop myself. The
dam broke as I reached out and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her body
against mine as I sought her lips. I kissed her hard at first, as all of the
things I'd imagined flashed through my mind. I pulled her onto my lap and ran
my fingers through her hair as I felt her responding to my kiss. She moaned
softly as I undid the clips that were holding her hair away from her face and
slid both hands deep into the soft, beautiful curls.
"Jack …"
she groaned as my hands began to move lower. "We shouldn't …"
"I can't help
it," I whispered into her lips. "I can't help wanting you…"
She moaned again
as I ran my fingers down her back. She put her palms against my chest and
pushed herself up off my lap and out of my reach. Her eyes were as wild as her
hair, and she quickly walked to the door and turned the knob only to find it
locked.
"What the
hell?" she said looking down and flipping the mechanism before trying the
knob again without success. "We're locked in!"
"No we're
not," I said trying to hide my disappointment. "I'm sure it's just
caught."
"Jack, we're
locked in this room," she said trying the door more forcefully. She turned
and looked at me suspiciously, "Did you do this on purpose?"
"What the
hell?" I shot back. "No! Why in the hell would I want to lock us in
this office?"
"Oh, I don't
know. Maybe because it's the one place we could be alone, and you thought I'd
give in to your seduction," she said in a voice that gave away the fact
that she was more than a little irritated.
"Are you
kidding me?" I said, stunned that she'd think this mistake was
intentional. "You have got to be fucking kidding me!"
"Don't get
mad at me," she warned. "I didn't set this up so that we'd be trapped
together here."
"I didn't
either!" I shouted as I strode over to the door and tried unsuccessfully
to force it open. "Well, we'll just have to call someone to come down and
let us out."
"I don't have
my phone on me, so you'll have to call, Mr. Big Shot," she said dryly. I
reached in my back pocket and realized that I had left my phone on my desk
upstairs.
"Shit,"
I muttered as I walked to the desk and picked up the receiver, only to find
that they hadn't yet connected the line. I looked at Leah and said, "We're
locked in."
"You are
kidding me," she said as she turned to the door and began pounding on it
yelling, "HEY GUYS! WE'RE LOCKED IN THIS DAMN OFFICE! COME OPEN THE
DOOR!"
We both listened
for movement outside of the door, but when no one responded, Leah slumped
against the door, looking defeated.
"I didn't do
this on purpose," I said a little defensively.
"Oh, I know
you didn't," she replied. "No one is that stupid."
"Hey, there's
no need to get mean," I said, realizing that she was really upset.
I looked at my watch and said, "I'm sure
that someone will come looking for us in a bit. It's only … six thirty."
"What if
everyone's gone home for the night?" she asked.
"Then the
cleaning crew will find us," I replied trying to sound certain of the fact
that a cleaning crew would be coming in tonight. I cursed myself silently for
the tenth time for leaving my phone on my desk. I looked at Leah, who was now
sitting on the floor with her back against the door and her knees drawn up to
her chest. "What's really going on?"
"Nothing, I'm
just upset about being locked in an office with my boss!" she shot back.
"Leah, look
at me," I said as I walked over to her and held out a hand. She looked up,
hesitated, and then took my hand so I could pull her off the floor. "At
least sit on the couch or somewhere more comfortable, and tell me what's going
on."
She sat down on
the couch and dropped her head into her hands as she massaged her forehead. I
could tell that she wanted to say something, but the words refused to come. I
decided to be patient and wait for her to tell me what was going on.
As the minutes
ticked by I could feel my anticipation—and my worry—growing.
CHAPTER
THIRTY-EIGHT
As
I sat on the couch trying to figure out what to say to the man who had sparked
the flames of desire in me but was also my boss, I was torn between wanting to
toss everything aside to just follow the path we'd been heading down since his
father's funeral and maintaining my professional demeanor so I didn't lose my
job. As the war between the two raged, I felt my frustration at being trapped
rising.
Trapped in a life
that I hadn't chosen, but had made the best of. Trapped in a constant battle
with my family. And now, trapped in a room with my boss who I desperately
wanted. It all seemed like a cruel joke played by the universe, and I was sick
of towing the line and being the good, responsible one.
"Jack …"
I said as I looked up into his eyes and searched for a reason to let go.
"I … I … I want …"
The next thing I
knew, he'd leaned down and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me up off the
couch and into his strong embrace. He set me on the ground and ran one hand
through my hair as he held me tightly against his body. I struggled for a
moment, and then let go and melted into his arms.
"Leah …"
he said as he bent his head so that his mouth was inches from mine. "I
need you."
My sigh was all he
needed as encouragement before he pressed his lips to mine. I let go and
returned his kiss as I reached up and wound my arms around his neck. Our mouths
desperately tried to do what our bodies had been aching for. I felt the need
welling up in me as Jack ran his fingers through my hair and down my back.
With our lips
pressed together, I began unbuttoning his shirt as he removed mine before
quickly dispatching with my bra. I felt him breathe in deeply as his hands
cupped my breasts and began teasing my nipples. At first he rolled them between
his thumb and forefinger, but as I moaned softly into his lips, he increased
the pressure until I was groaning with every squeeze. He pulled away and dipped
his head so that he could capture one of them between his lips. As he licked
and sucked it, I pushed his shirt down his arms and dug my nails into his bare
back. I heard him inhale sharply.
In rapid
succession, he stripped my pants and underwear off until I was standing stark
naked in the middle of the room. Jack pushed me gently backwards until I fell
on the couch, looking up at him with my legs spread.
"My God,
you're so beautiful," he said as he yanked his pants down and kicked them
to the side. He dropped to his knees and lightly ran his fingers up the insides
of my thighs as he watched my expression.
I'd never wanted
anyone so much in my whole life. When his fingers reached the soft, sensitive
spot between my legs, he stopped and began lightly stroking a path from top to
bottom with his thumbs. I moaned as he slowly increased the pressure before
splaying my lips and sliding his fingers into the slippery wet folds.
"Oh
God," I groaned as he spent long moments just stroking from top to bottom
while never quiet reaching my point of pleasure. The teasing was exquisite torture,
and he reveled in the way my hips involuntarily moved in time with his strokes.
"You like
this, don't you?" he whispered as he stopped and traced a cruel path
around the outer edge before dipping back down and slipping a finger inside me.
"Oh yes,"
I sighed as I pushed my hips forward, trying to force him in deeper. He pulled
back, keeping just out of reach and frustrating me beyond belief.
"Mmm, you're
so wet," he observed as he dragged his fingers lazily up to spread the
wetness around before rubbing just enough to elicit a deep groan from me.
"Jack,
please!" I begged as I pushed my hips up to meet his fingers.
"Please!"
"Please
what?" he said, bending forward to give me a soft kiss before pulling back
to await my answer.
"Please, I
want you," I begged again. "I need you."
"I want you,
too," he said as he slid his hand across my skin and squeezed my nipple as
his fingers slid into me once again. I thought I was going to lose my mind as
he teased my g-spot with his fingers. "I want you to come for me,
Leah."
He lowered his
head and sucked a nipple into his mouth as he buried his fingers deeper inside
me, stroking as he sucked. I let loose with what felt like one continuous moan
as his thumb pressed harder and his fingers dived deeper and deeper. He stroked
me insistently and I felt myself getting perilously close to the edge.
"Let go,
Leah," he urged as he lifted his head and kissed me deeply. As his tongue
probed mine, I felt the wave of pleasure begin to roll deep inside me, and I
let go.
Two more strokes
and my body was swept up in the orgasm. I let go as it washed over me. I moaned
into Jack's lips as I contracted around his fingers. As I came down from the
high, I looked up at him watching me and gave him a quizzical look as he pulled
his hand away.
"Why
stop?" I asked. "You didn't join me."
"No
condoms," he said with a shrug and a grin. "I didn't want to miss
that just because I wasn't prepared."
"I appreciate
that," I said smiling gratefully. "That's one thing I do not need to
add to the mix right now, but about you …"
I looked at him
with a playful grin as I sat up and ran my fingers down his chest. He raised an
eyebrow as I reached between his legs and wrapped my fingers around his
engorged erection.
"Oh my,"
he said as I began squeezing.
"Indeed,"
I replied as I let go and brought my hand up to his mouth and instructed him,
"Lick it."
He did as I asked
and soon my hand was sliding up and down his shaft as he groaned. With my other
hand I reached up and grabbed a fist full of his dark, curly hair, bringing his
mouth down to mine so I could kiss him hard. I could feel his body tensing as I
stroked up and down, harder and faster, and the release of pre-cum made my hand
slick and slippery.
"Oh
God," he moaned as I teased the tip with my thumb before stroking the
underside. "Leah, I'm going to …"
He jerked in my
hand and bit down on my lip as he released. I cried out in pain but held firm
as I coaxed him to ride his own wave of pleasure. His lips softened, and he
wrapped his arms around me as I felt him start to soften in my hand.
"That was a
little quicker than I usually like," he said sheepishly.
"I didn't
even notice," I replied as I kissed the side of his face and enjoyed the
warmth of his body pressed against mine.
He climbed up onto
the couch and pulled me on top of him, wrapping his arms around me as he held
me tightly against his bare chest.
"Are you
okay?" he said as he twisted a strand of my hair around his finger.
"Mmm-hmm,"
I nodded as I rubbed my cheek against his chest and inhaled his musky scent.
"I'm more than okay. Are you okay?"
"Oh
yes," he said softly. "I'm definitely more than okay."
"We're still
locked in this office, you know," I said bringing us back to reality.
"I know, I'm
not sure what to do about that, but I'm sure we will figure a way to get
ourselves out," he said caressing my back. "Or we'll wait until they
find us. Either way, I'm okay with us being trapped here together."
I didn't quite
know how to respond since my brain was swirling with all of the disastrous
possibilities that could occur now that I'd officially had sex with my boss.
Would I lose my job? What would happen to Riley? What would happen to me? The
anxiety set in, and I could feel it building inside me.
"Leah?"
Jack said. "What are you thinking?"
"Do you think
we could pick the lock?" I said, pushing myself up as I looked around the
room for an implement that might work.
"Oh, okay,
sure," he said. I could feel his confusion at my sudden shift, but I was
intently focused on trying to get us released from our prison before anyone
discovered what we had done. "Let's get dressed and see what we can
find."
I was up off the
couch like a shot and back in my clothes in minutes. I dug through the new desk
drawers and was surprised to find that they were already full of office
supplies. I chose a few that I thought might work and handed them to Jack.
"What am I
supposed to do with these?" he asked in a slightly irritated tone as he
finished buttoning his shirt.
"Pick the
lock," I said.
"Do I look
like MacGyver?" he asked with a wry grin.
"Okay, good
point," I said looking at the door and realizing that the hinges were on
the inside. "Let's take the hinges off!"
"Now, that I
can do," he nodded as he took the letter opener from me and began
loosening the screws that held the hinges together. In short order, he'd taken
out the hinges and we'd pulled the door away from the frame.
"Nice work,
MacGyver!" I laughed as I headed for my office to grab my things. "We
need to get home, or your mother and Riley will be calling the cops on
us."
"God forbid
they do that," he muttered as he nodded and headed for the stairs.
"I'll meet you at the car in a few minutes."
Once he'd left the
office, I took a deep breath and flopped down into my desk chair, wondering
what in the world was going to happen next.