by Sierra Rose
“Yum!” she said. “Soooo good!”
“You’re vicious. Taunting me with that bread.”
“Oh, fine, one bite but do NOT eat it all!” she laughed, holding out her bread to him.
Jack took an enormous bite and grinned. They finished their meal in harmonious silence, looking up at each other and locking eyes and smiling. It made her buoyantly happy just to be with him, sitting near him. He looked less droopy, more resilient already. She felt good that she could help him and improve his spirits by showing up and acting goofy and bringing him food. It was like the best accomplishment of her entire day.
“I love you,” she said, smiling at him.
He sipped the soda. “I love you back. Even though you selfishly denied me bread.”
“You ATE it. I offered you a bite and you just ate it.”
“I have manly appetites.”
She winked. “I know you do.”
“You are amazing for my ego. Meat AND flattery!”
“Right. Look, you’re gorgeous, you’re talented, and you’re even so incredibly charming you can get away with stealing my crusty bread.”
“It’s nice to be appreciated,” he said.
Jack stood and rounded the table, leaned down and touched her face gently. He dipped his head and pressed a soft, sweet kiss to her lips that left her weak in the knees.
“How long is your dad’s surgery supposed to last?” she softly asked.
“Another hour or so.”
“He’s in my thoughts and prayers.”
“Thanks. That means a lot to me.”
He looked off and Britt could tell how worried he was. When she tried to comfort him, he changed the subject.
“Please tell me you brought desert,” he said.
Britt pried the lid off the container and removed a plastic spoon from its cellophane sleeve with a flourish.
“Grand Marnier soufflé,” she pronounced, displaying the pretty golden dessert for his approval.
The faint waft of orange suffused the air and Britt dipped the spoon into the soft custard, offering him a bite.
“Mmmm,” he said. “Why can’t I have the spoon?”
“You’ll eat it ALL before I have a single taste,” she said.
He smirked.
She took a bite of the velvety orange sweetness and then fed him another. They finished the small dessert that way, taking turns, trading bites. After she gave him the last bite, she took the spoon and tray and set it aside
“Can I stay with you?”
“He’ll be out of surgery any time. All my relatives are here and I don’t want to make you spend hours and hours with them. They’ll grill you to the bone. And I can’t take it right now. I just can’t. Please understand. I’ll call and let you know how it goes. It means everything to me that you came here and made a horrible day so much better. I love you.”
He kissed her forehead but she could see he was already abstracted, already thinking of his father’s battle for recovery, and that she might possibly be in the way. She wasn’t offended. She knew he loved his dad and was loyal to him. The best thing she could do for Jack was to be available to him when he had the space of a few minutes for himself, so she could bolster his strength and remind him he was loved. Britt kissed his cheek and let him walk her out to her car. They held hands and walked in silence. He turned and looked at her once, smiling sheepishly as if they’d just gotten away with something naughty, which they had, and then he hugged her at her car.
“Thank you for everything,” he said.
“You’re welcome.”
“I’ll call you.”
“I’ll be waiting,” she said.
Britt was brushing her teeth before bed when she got the text from Jack that his dad had come through surgery just fine and was out of recovery. Jack was going to spend the night on a couch in the waiting room and said he’d talk to her in the morning because he was really worn out. She smiled and texted back that she loved him. Although it wasn’t nearly as perfect as falling asleep in Jack Fitzsimmons’ arms, she liked falling asleep with her phone beside her, knowing his call would be the first one she received. He was thinking of her and he felt nearby, as if their connection could transcend mere geographic distance and encompassed them wherever they might pass the night.
Chapter 3
A week passed and Jack’s dad was doing well. Everyone cheered for his recovery. Jack came back to work and started to work some long hours to catch up. Over the last week, he’d let everything pile up.
Britt came up to the office with a bottle of wine and a bag slung over her shoulder that contained wrapped up wine glasses so they wouldn’t break. Jack had already eaten but she thought maybe they could have a romantic moment. Nothing major, maybe just a long kiss and a little chat over wine. At this late hour, nobody would be there. She wouldn’t stay long. Just long enough to hear about his day in person. What she didn’t expect was to run into Jim Marten.
“Hi, Britt,” he said. “What are you doing here so late?”
“Same as you.”
He smiled. “What’s with the wine?”
She bit her lip pondering how to explain why she was heading to Jack’s office with a bottle of wine.
She laughed. “We’re having a secret affair.”
He roared in laughter. “That was a good one, Britt. I bet you screwed up and you’re trying to make peace with him.”
“You caught me red-handed.”
“I’ve never seen you screw up. What did you do?”
She blew out a long breath. “Those forms, I...”
“You don’t have to tell me.”
Britt smiled. “You have a good night, Jim.”
“I’m on my way out. I can wait while you drop that off, then walk you to your car.”
“I’m a big girl.”
“Oh, just FYI. Next time, I wouldn’t do wine. He has a girlfriend.”
Britt’s heart skipped a beat. Did he really have a girlfriend? Was he just dating her for a little side action at work? She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“Wouldn’t want his girlfriend getting jealous now, would you? That could cause a lot of trouble. Just get him a fruit basket. It says the same thing, ya know.”
Britt nodded. “Okay, then. Um, I didn’t know he had a girlfriend.”
“I don’t know who she is. He’s really top secret about it. But he said she’s hot.”
Did Jack have a girlfriend Britt didn’t know about? She wanted to press for more info without looking suspicious.
“I wonder where he met her,” Britt said.
“Some restaurant where he brought her a Margarita.”
Britt grinned. It wasn’t another girl, but her. “That’s the best news ever.”
“I’m glad Jack is so happy.”
“Me, too. I better drop this off and get back home. Or else I’ll miss my favorite show. And I can’t be late for that.”
“You like home shopping shows? Right?”
“No, home DIY shows.”
“Well, have fun,” he said and walked off.
Britt trailed down a byzantine path of corridors, uniformly lined with matching gray doors with a continual blast of air conditioning from the ceiling vents, making her shiver.
Britt knocked on his door and Jack invited her inside.
“I brought wine.”
He greeted her with a long and passionate kiss, sweeping her into his arms and kissing her ardently. She felt like swooning as he dipped her low for a romantic kiss. It seemed unbelievable that this was her life, a life with a true leading man of her own. Still, as she straightened, she drew back from him with concern.
“Are you too busy? Because I came here, to the office, to cheer you up and chat some, catch up over a little wine. I didn’t come here to seduce you, only now I really want to, but I’m afraid it would be wrong. Like morally, seriously wrong. It’s too soon after everything you’ve been through. And you’re way too busy.”
“Morally wrong? No.
I think it’s morally, seriously exactly what I need. You are exactly what I need. And for just a few minutes, my mind can be totally blank except for sensation. It’ll be the best thing for me. I’m worried and I feel powerless and this will give me a temporary escape. So, basically, any reasonable doctor would insist that you have sex with me. It would be therapeutic.”
“That sounds very reasonable to me, Jack,” Britt said, trying not to giggle.
There’s a dozen people on my team working late tonight.”
“I saw that. I wasn’t expecting that. Want to come back to my place?”
“I can’t wait that long.”
“That’s what locks are for.”
“I don’t have a lock.”
“Want to risk it?”
He smiled and turned off the main lights.
It felt so naughty to hook up with her boyfriend in the office, in theory. But in reality, it also felt perfectly right. She would do anything she could to comfort him. Her body cried out for his, cried out to bring solace to him in any way possible. She loved him so overwhelmingly that she would have done anything for him, not only this simple, sweet thing to relieve his worry for just a few minutes.
Britt kicked off her sandals and held out her hands. When Jack gripped her hands like a man drowning, a man desperate for the comfort only Britt could provide, she led him toward the desk. The room was dim but for the evening light filtering through the blinds.
“We’ll have to be quiet,” he whispered.
The very idea of possible discovery, of the risk involved in a swift, silent coupling in a semi-public place gave her a thrill of anticipation. Britt took the hem of his soft t-shirt in her hands and pushed it up, revealing his washboard stomach, then his muscular chest and broad shoulders. He raised his arms and she stripped away the shirt. Britt ran her hands over his chest, his shoulders, and his arms in sheer appreciation and carnal possession. He was hers, body and soul, and she would give him what comfort she could. She kissed his shoulder, her mouth trailing up to his throat and her lips tugging at his earlobe. He responded with a very satisfactory hiss of breath that made her nip at his earlobe lightly with her teeth. His hands fisted in the skirt of her sundress, hauling her against him.
Jack’s mouth found hers and he kissed her, his tongue questing for hers, his very mouth desperate to mate with hers. Britt’s hands clutched his muscular arms as if holding on for dear life. She had known she missed him in the hours they were apart but the touch of his lips ignited a fiery need within her that she hadn’t acknowledged. His touch was essential to her, his kiss, the movement of his hands, warm through the thin fabric of her dress. Jack’s mouth moved to her jaw, her neck, her collarbone. Soon, her hands were in his hair, her back arching toward him. He lifted her effortlessly onto the desk. Jack’s big hand closed warmly over her breast, his thumb bringing her needy nipple to a ready peak that ached with want. He rolled her nipple between his thumb and fingers, tugging it slightly, which sent shivers of sharp pleasure rippling down her stomach and legs. She moaned and he set his hand over her mouth playfully.
“Shh,” he said and she nodded eagerly.
Britt was astonished to find that she reveled in the feeling of restraint, of being unable to make any sound she chose. It seemed to heighten every sense, to enliven every inch of her flesh to his touch. Each brush of his calloused fingertips trailed shudders of anticipation through her limbs. He slid down the zipper of her dress and pushed the straps down her arms, pulling the dress free of her long legs. She kicked her bare feet in sheer delight at the fun of sneaking around with him. He stepped between her legs as she leaned back on her elbows, waiting for him to join her.
Jack touched her neck, cupped her breasts in his hands and stroked them gently until she was twisting and writhing with need. Britt trapped him with her legs, wrapping them insistently around his hips. As his hands trailed down her bare stomach, she sat up with a shiver and unzipped his pants, freeing him. He was already hard for her, already rigid with need and desire. He took her hand just before she could touch him and guided her fingers to his back pocket where she found a foil wrapped condom in his wallet. Ripping it open, she rolled it onto the length of him with a sly smile. She nodded and reached up for him, wrapping her arms around his neck.
“Remember, you have to be quiet,” he whispered seductively.
Britt bit down on his lower lip.
“So do you,” she teased mischievously.
He gave a low growl and gripped her hips. With one single powerful thrust, he was within her, stroking in and out, piercing her with his hardness. She wanted to moan in rhythm with his thrusts as they rocked her so hard she had to hold on to his shoulders just to keep steady. Knowing she had to remain silent, to accept everything he did to her without making a single sound was incredibly erotic. She practically purred with the excitement of it. As he thrust in and out of her, his fingers quested between them, rubbing her until she squeaked and bit down on his lip, coming hard in waves, shuddering against him.
Jack pumped into her, lengthening her shattering orgasm to the point that she started to make a high keening sound involuntarily. He covered her mouth with his hand and it turned her on even more. She bucked her hips wildly against him, grunting a little as the last of her explosive climax peaked and ebbed. She lay back across the desk, spent, but he hammered away, his lean hips between her thighs, his cock within her, pulsing and pounding his way to oblivion. With a hoarse cry that she stifled with her own palm, Jack came and came, finally collapsing onto her, pressing her down onto the oversized desk, his hard body filmed with the sweat of exertion.
“Oh, Britt, I’m so glad you’re here,” he gasped.
Breathing hard, they held on to one another tightly for a few minutes before clambering to their feet and rearranging their clothing. He zipped her sundress back up for her and dropped a kiss on her bare shoulder. She leaned back into his arms and shut her eyes, completely happy to be exactly where she was at that moment. Then she ducked into the bathroom and straightened her hair, wiped the smudges from beneath her eyes.
When she came back in, he kissed her. She still saw fireworks every time they kissed. The way he held her, Jack made her feel so wanted and needed.
Just as the office door opened, Jack broke the kiss.
Almost busted! Britt thought. She was pretty sure they pulled away just in time.
“Britt,” Amy said, pushing up her glasses. “I didn’t know you were working late too.”
Britt looked at Jack and smirked. “Yeah, Jack’s been keeping me pretty busy.”
“What can I say?” Jack said. “I’m a slave driver.”
“Yeah, he just keeps going and going and going.”
“Like the Energizer bunny?”
“Exactly,” Britt said. “The man is amazing.”
“He works way too hard,” Amy said.
Britt fanned herself. “Tell me about it.”
She glanced down at the wine glasses.
“We’re celebrating,” Jack said. “I got the contract from the Sharpario company.”
“That is great news!” she said. “I’m surprised you didn’t break out the champagne. We’ve been trying to land them for a year.”
“Come join us in a toast,” he said, pulling her over. “I was just about to invite the others. Bring everyone in and let’s celebrate!”
“There all getting ready to leave, sir.”
“You can celebrate with us,” Jack said. He went to pour Amy a glass of wine when she held up her hand. “Uh, no, I don’t drink.”
“Well, Jack, I better let you get back to work,” Britt said. “Congrats on the new contract.”
“Thank you. And I can’t believe neither one of you ladies want to celebrate with me.”
“I’m heading out so I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
“Goodnight, Britt.”
He smiled, his eyes sparkling. “I’ll walk you to your car.”
Britt smiled. “Such a gentlem
an.”
“Can’t have my employees getting mugged at this hour.”
“No, we can’t.”
“Then you’ll walk me out too?” Amy said. “I’m leaving too.”
“Sure,” Jack said.
Jack walked Britt to her car and waved goodnight. Amy was parked further.
Damn. Why didn’t I park further? So we could lose Amy first. Secret office romances were so difficult to manage. But it was okay, Britt called him the second she left the parking lot.
“I so wanted to kiss you goodnight,” Jack said.
“Not with witnesses around.”
“I was tempted to say I didn’t give a fuck who knew about us.”
“I know. But I don’t want to mix business with pleasure.”
“But you are. You just fucked the boss’s son on his desk in his office. I’d say you’re mixing business with pleasure.”
“So I am.”
“But I get it. You don’t want gossip. I totally understand, Britt.”
“You know how fast rumors can fly. And I can’t work with people whispering behind my back. Dating you would be a huge rumor.”
“The biggest.”
“It’d be the talk of the office for months to come.”
“I haven’t said anything to anyone. At least I never mentioned your name. But when people see me smiling, they know I’m in love. And then I can’t stop talking about you, even if they don’t know who you are. Deep down, I want to scream...it’s the beautiful, gorgeous, and talented Britt.”
“And they’d say, ‘The bookkeeper’?”
“And I’d shout, ‘Yes!’”
“You so better not!”
“Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me. We’ll handle our relationship responsibly It won’t be disruptive to work in any way.”
“What about our lovemaking on your desk? I think I disrupted your work.”
“That was at night. And I was almost done anyway.”
“There were people working late. Was that very responsible of us?”
“I got carried away. You do that to me.”
Britt smiled. “I do, huh?”
“Yep. But I’m talking about a normal work day. I think we’re handling it very responsibly. Nobody suspects a thing.”
