Authors: Lacey Black
I reach forward and unbutton his jeans. Will makes quick work at kicking off his shoes and removing his socks and jeans. He’s finally standing before me in tight boxers, his erection straining against the taut blue material. I drink my fill of him. From his muscular shoulders down his hard chest and ripped abs. The delicious V of his trim lower stomach that leads to his strong legs. The man should be hanging in a museum. He’s perfection.
I walk over and lie back on my bed. Placing my arms over my head, I wait for Will to make the next move. Control. I completely give it to him. Willingly.
He’s joining me in bed a moment later. He stretches his long body over the top of mine, covering me from head to toe. The feel and weight of his body on top of me is like an aphrodisiac. Lightning courses recklessly through my bloodstream as Will’s lips find mine. This kiss is urgent. Penetrating. Full of unspoken desire.
Will runs his hands all over my body as he worships me from head to toe. I feel it in his touch and see it in his eyes. No words are spoken, yet I know exactly what he’s doing and feeling because it’s the exact same that I’m doing and feeling. Love. This is love.
Will slides his large hand around my back and with the flick of his wrist, unsnaps my bra. He removes it slowly, kissing each arm as he removes the intimate garment. Then his lips turn toward my exposed breasts. With each kiss and flick of his tongue, I feel it. His kisses are dripping with passion. His touch is full of adoration. Even as he slowly removes my basketball themed thong, he takes his time, worshiping and kissing every inch of my body.
I barely even register the ripping of the condom wrapper or the moment he removes his own underwear. The only thing I register is the intensity in his blue eyes. Like a sea of brilliant blue waters, I could stare at their majesty all day, every day. Lost in the serenity and comfort deep within. Him. Only him.
Will positions himself within my thighs. I open willingly and widely for him, ready to join as one. The first taste of completion is immediate. As soon as he penetrates me, I feel whole. Alive. We’re singular.
The kisses are full of passion and promise as we convey our feelings through this one act. Will nips at my lips with his teeth, but he’s still gentle with his touch. He plays my body like a finely tuned instrument. He knows every groove, note, and melody to hit as our bodies sing together, a slow pace towards the finish line. Though, this is no race. This is something so much more.
This is magic.
Will rubs his swollen lips across mine several times. His breath fans out around my face and his eyes remain glued to mine. In what is probably the most intimate moment of my life, I finally allow myself to give in. Give in to the emotions coursing uncontrollably throughout my body. Give in to Will and the affection I have for him. Give in to love.
“I love you,” he whispers against my lips so softly that it’s like an intimate caress, all raw and pure.
My heart slams into my ribcage and beats a dangerously fast pace. His words, those sweet, beautiful words on his lips are what I long to hear.
“I love you, too,” I whisper back, my tear-filled eyes still glued to those blue eyes in front of me.
Together, we reach for the finish line. The release rips through my body like a tsunami. It’s powerful. Direct. Forceful. It’s amazing because Will is right there with me. Without breaking eye contact, we ride out the waves of our orgasms together. Two bodies with one soul. One love.
If I never have another moment like this again, I know that my life is complete. Having Will beside me, with me, inside me, is my euphoria. He is my one true love. I thought I had this once. But now? Experiencing this kind of love? This is it.
He’s the one.
Chapter Eleven
Will
I haven’t been able to wipe the smile off my face for the last day and a half. I woke up early on Sunday morning and made sure I was dressed and in the kitchen before Zach woke up. Even though he was expecting me to be there, I didn’t want him to find me in his mom’s bed. And I definitely didn’t want to be one of those guys who strut out of the bedroom with crazy bedhead and wearing nothing but a pair of boxers. After a delicious breakfast, Zach and I met Jase and eventually Maddox and Jake at the rec center for some basketball. He was more than eager to show off his five thousand dollar check and the signed memorabilia that he won during his shot.
Of course, the guys all watched the game to see if they could catch us on television so they all saw the shot live. If I would have turned on my phone after arriving back at their place Saturday night, I would have been able to talk to everyone who called and texted with congratulations for Zach.
After basketball, Carmen and Zach went with me to my parents’ house for dinner. They visited and chatted with everyone comfortably like part of the family. And since then, I’ve actually been thinking about making that happen. Of course, we have a few hurdles to jump over first. Namely, our jobs.
I’m still smiling at the end of my eight-hour shift. I plan to sneak up to Carmen’s office to steal a kiss from her lush lips. Lips that I’ve been daydreaming about all fucking day. Mondays are usually her busiest day, but I’m hoping I can steal a few moments before heading home.
Just as I close my locker, Carlos enters the room.
“Hey, man. Gerald’s office just called down here and said they’d like to see you in the conference room. You in trouble?” he asks with a shit-eating grin.
“Who knows? Maybe,” I reply as I grab my coat and throw it over my arm.
“Yeah, maybe Cruella’s gonna can you?” he asks with a laugh.
I tense instantly at the reference to Carmen. It actually takes all the strength I possess to not leap over the bench and slam my fist into his jaw. In reality, he didn’t say anything that anyone else hasn’t said on a regular basis. Hell, what he said isn’t even bad. It’s the fact that he called my woman Cruella. Because she’s so much more than a stupid nickname. She’s dynamic and passionate. And I fucking love her.
I mumble something non-committal as I head out of the locker room. The elevator seems to take forever to deliver me from the first floor to the second. I probably could have used the stairs three times by now and still be at my destination before the elevator arrived.
Walking down the hall towards the small conference room on the other side of the administrative offices, I notice Carmen’s office door open. I decide right then and there that I’ll stop in and steal a kiss before I proceed to the end of the hall to the awaiting administrator. But when I reach Carmen’s office, it’s surprisingly vacant. I’m thrown a bit since her door is open. With the amount of employee crap she has in her office, she’s a stickler for keeping the door closed and locked when she’s not in her office.
I reach the end of the hallway and give the door a firm knock.
“Come in,” I hear from the other side.
When I step inside the room, I notice a handful of familiar faces. First, Gerald Peterman is sitting at the head of the table. To his right is Chris Carter, the assistant administrator and CFO of the hospital. To his left, Janella Crispman, the director of human resources.
“Will, please come in and have a seat,” Gerald says sternly.
My throat instantly tightens as an uneasy feeling takes hold. Something about this situation doesn’t feel right. My stomach starts to churn, bile rising up ever so slightly in my throat.
“Will, do you know why we’ve called this meeting today?” Gerald asks.
“No, sir,” I reply, folding my hands together and resting them on the table in front of me. I hope to look cool, calm, and collected on the outside. On the inside? I feel a roiling mess.
“Will, we have policies in place at this hospital to protect the employees, the board, and the patients. Would you agree that rules are necessary in this line of work?”
“I would agree they are necessary anywhere, sir,” I reply, looking him dead in the eye. Suddenly I know what this is about, but I’m not about to let him know. So, I wait.
“Are you aware that I have season tickets to the Belters?”
“No, sir. Congratulations.”
“I’ve been a ticketholder for almost twenty years. I go as often as possible whenever they are at home. I just happened to go to Saturday night’s game,” he says as my entire being fills with dread. I don’t respond, so he continues.
“I was at the game Saturday night with my sixteen-year-old son. We were enjoying ourselves as we often do at those games when something unusual caught my eye. Not so much something as someone. A couple of someones. Do you know who I’m referring to, Will?” Gerald asks.
“Yes, sir,” I state.
“Can you tell me what you and your boss were doing together at the game? And before you tell me you just happened to run into each other or you’re just friends, I advise you to remember that I saw the halftime show and the KissyCam,” he adds with a pointed look.
“Look, I’m not going to deny that you saw us there. I purchased the tickets as a gift to her son who is a fan. He’s a great kid who I’ve become very fond of. But, it didn’t start out that way. It didn’t start with the kid, but with Carmen. I tried to stay away from her, to keep a professional relationship, but I couldn’t. It’s me. I did this. Not her. Whatever happens here at the hospital, it’s on me. Fire me, but let her keep her job. She has a son to support.”
“So, you don’t deny that you have a relationship with Carmen Brady?”
“No, sir. I very much have a relationship with her. I’m in love with her.”
“And you are aware of the handbook you signed which clearly states that sexual relationships amongst employees and their direct superiors are strictly forbidden and will result in immediate termination?” Gerald asks while the other two look on.
“Yes, sir. I am aware of the handbook.”
“Then, you leave me no choice, Will, but to terminate your employment at Rivers Edge Health Center. You will be escorted down to your locker where you will remove all of your personal belongings. Anything of the hospital’s property must stay within the locker. Your final paycheck will be mailed to you at the end of this next pay period. Do you understand?” Gerald asks.
“Yes.”
“Do you have any questions?”
“Yes, sir. What happens to Carmen? With all due respect, she works her ass off for this hospital and is the best person for the job. Firing her would be a mistake,” I tell him.
“Well, you’re already too late there. We met with Carmen before you. She is no longer an employee of this hospital, either. She didn’t even fight it, though we expected her to put up a great fight. She took responsibility and left without confrontation or conflict,” Gerald says just before standing up.
“I’m sorry it had to happen like this, Will. I’ve always heard great things about you from many people, Carmen included. Best wishes to you,” he says as he approaches and sticks out his hand. I want to slap his hand away and walk out in a childish manner, but know that I need to remain calm. I don’t need to burn any bridges here.
Chris escorts me down to the locker room where I remove my personal blood pressure cuff and gloves. I leave my hospital identification badge and other supplies in the locker, closing it one last time. I turn and shake Chris’ hand before exiting the room, the emergency room, and the hospital. I head out into the unknown. I have no job. No income.
But first things first: find Carmen.
*****
My car races toward her house. I’m not sure how many traffic violations I have committed, but I’m pretty happy about not running into law enforcement on my way to her house. Especially a certain oldest brother and his partner. I would never hear the end of it. Not that I care, right now. No, the only thing I care about is getting to Carmen and making sure she’s all right. It’s not every day that you lose your job for having a relationship with an employee. Even though we knew we were taking the risk, to see it all brought to light is a little unsettling.
When I reach Carmen’s place, I see her car parked in the driveway, which I take as a good sign that she’s here. I race up the front steps and pound hard and relentlessly on the front door. When she finally appears after the world’s longest ten seconds, I can tell that she’s been crying.
“William,” she states matter-of-factly without moving a muscle or showing any emotion.
“Carmen, are you okay?” I ask, practically pushing myself through the small opening she left between the doorframe and her body.
“I’m fine,” she states.
“I just left the hospital,” I say, removing my coat and dropping it on the chair before turning back to face her. She’s standing there, hand still resting on the doorknob, and looking at my shoes as if they are the most interesting pair of shoes she’s ever seen.
“So, you’re aware that we’re no longer co-workers,” she states in a monotone, professional voice. This isn’t my Carmen. This is my boss. Or former boss.
“Yeah. We were aware that this could happen at any time, though. We knew going into this that we could be ousted and jobless. Yeah, it sucks that it happened, but so what?” I say, but am cut off before I can continue.
“So what? William, how am I supposed to raise my son with no job? How am I supposed to pay my bills and make sure he has food on the table every night? How am I supposed to explain to Zach that I lost my job because I was screwing around with an employee?” she fumes.
“First off, you will get another job, Carmen. It’s that simple. You put your resume out there and go to interviews. Eventually, you find a new job to replace the one you lost. And second, I’m more than your employee, and you know it,” I say through gritted teeth.
“Yes, well, it’s so simple for you. You can get a job just about anywhere. Everyone is looking for paramedics. Me? Who’s looking for administrators? How far am I going to have to uproot Zach’s life so that I can be employed?”
“You’re acting like this is the end of the world. This could very well be a blessing, Carmen. It means we can actually be together publicly now.”