by Parker, Ali
It was intimidating but unbelievably soothing. Jance was on the verge of pushing his son over the edge, and I for one couldn’t wait to see someone putting the arrogant beast in his place. “Get your head out of your ass, Jeremiah! I understand you’ve always been the young, irresponsible one. But it’s time for you to realize you need to grow a pair and let go of your naive, youthful ideas. Start acting more like your brother. Now there was a man I could respect.”
I saw Neil wince and the last remnants of Jeremiah’s self-control snap. He exploded like fireworks lighting up the night sky. “I’m not my goddamn brother.”
All the pressure that kept building up starting from Jack’s death was unleashed in one long, but powerful stream. He spoke with the passion and conviction of a man possessed, surprisingly eloquent given the charged and heated atmosphere in the office.
“It’s time you realized that I’m not Jack, father. I’m my own person, and I’m proud of who I am. When you and Jack were looking the other way, I grew up. I did my own thing, and I was good at it. I came back here because you needed me to, not the other way around. I sure didn’t come back here to suffer through your infernal rants every other day or to continually hear I’m not good enough to fill Jack’s shoes. I’m here because he’s not. End of story.”
He took a deep breath and carried on, sadness mingling with anger in his words. “Jack’s gone, Dad. No amount of yelling at me or wishing I was him is going to make him come back, and it’s time you realized it. I can do the best I can do here, but I can’t do what Jack did because I am not now, and I never will be, him. If you can’t accept that, or if you keep waiting for him to walk into the room wearing my body, I think it’s time you go see a therapist. I can’t replace him, and I’m done trying to do it for you.”
He was breathing hard. Instead of being wild as I thought they might’ve been, his eyes were clear. Focused. A lot of stuff was coming out that probably should’ve been talked about a long time ago. I thought he forgot I was in the room until he turned his head to look at me.
“As for Stephanie, she’s intelligent, funny and brilliant at her job. I don’t think it’s necessary to give you a rundown of her admirable qualities, but this company would be lucky to have her publicly associated with us. We’re lucky she chose to come work for us, and I’m lucky if she chooses to spend a minute of her free time with me, let alone an evening.”
Taking a beat to let his eyes slide to mine, his shoulders squared. “For the record, not that I can honestly say I care about your opinion, she also happens to be the most beautiful woman in this building.”
One of the tears welling in my eye broke free and leaked down my cheek. No one had ever stood up for me the way he was, least of all to a veritable powerhouse in the city. Emotion flooded me, and I wanted to fling myself into his arms and never let go.
Jeremiah flashed me a smile, but his features turned hard again when he looked back at his father. He seemed to be running out of steam, but he wasn’t done yet.
“To be frank, I’m twenty-six years old and who I date is none of your damn business. If it’s going to be this big of an issue for you going forward, you should just cut your losses now and fire me.”
Jance turned a scary shade I could only describe as puce, sputtering as veins became prominent in his forehead. He looked at Jeremiah like he’d never seen him before, then snapped his eyes to Neil’s.
Neil shrugged and backed out of the office with his hands in the air. Probably a smart move. He closed the door behind him with a soft click, leaving Jance, Jeremiah and I locked in a silence so heavy it made my ears ring.
Finally, Jance turned on his heel and stormed off, stopping in Jeremiah’s door to narrow his eyes at his only son. “This discussion isn’t over, Jeremiah. Think about what you said here today. I’m not leaving it at this.”
The door slammed behind him, so hard I could’ve sworn I saw the windows in Jer’s office shake. My knees buckled under the weight of relief that he was gone. I didn’t think I could’ve stood another uncalled-for insult hurled my way or another insinuation I could personally be responsible for the downfall of the entire company if Jer was ever seen with me again.
He was by my side in the next instant, wrapping his arm around me to steady me. I looked up to see a small crowd had gathered outside my door, looking right into Jer’s office. Horrified they were all witnessing my breakdown and heard Jeremiah confronting his father, I turned my face into his shoulder.
His shirt felt wet against my face. It took me a beat to realize it was from my tears. I fought so hard to keep them in check while Jance was here that they were flowing freely now that he was gone.
Jeremiah kept one arm around me while using his free hand to wipe my tears.
“I’m sorry you had to hear all that, Steph. I’m so damn sorry.” He repeated it over and over again as he kept stroking my hair and wiping under my eyes with his thumbs.
Someone made a noise in my office, drawing his eyes to our audience for the first time. His jaw twitched, and I heard people scurry away when Jeremiah looked over at them.
He kept his arm around me but started walking me toward the couch. When I sat down and buried my face in my hand, he strode over to the door connecting our offices and closed it purposely.
“There,” he said, sinking to his knees in front of me. He pulled my hands away from my face and placed a finger under my chin, urging me to look at him. “Now there are no more prying eyes.”
Chapter 43
JEREMIAH
I felt sick by what my father said about Stephanie. My stomach turned, and my throat burned from the bile that kept rising. I swallowed it back, focusing my attention where it was needed. And that was on Stephanie, not me.
My heart was racing from the altercation with my father. There were so many things I said today that I almost couldn’t believe I’d finally said out loud. Things that had been festering for years.
I had suppressed it all and never said a word about it, never wanting to push my dad that far. Never believing he was ready to hear it and always questioning whether he had recovered enough yet to be able to set the record straight.
The truth was I knew in my heart of hearts it needed to be said, he was right about that much. I tried not to think of the ramifications of it being said here at the office. We probably could’ve chosen a better location.
A lot of tongues were going to be wagging about everything they heard for a long time, but it was too late to change anything now. I could only manage the fall-out, not take it back.
Stephanie’s hands shook when I took them, pulling them away from her face. They were ice cold and didn’t close around mine.
I dropped to my knees in front of her, but she still refused to look at me. Hooking my finger under her chin, I tried to reassure her that the coworkers who were going to be talking about what went down in here for months to come couldn’t see her anymore.
“There. Now there are no more prying eyes.”
She lifted her wet eyes to mine. Tears clung to her long eyelashes and sat in the corners of her glassy eyes. “I’m sorry. You should be the one having a breakdown. Not me. That was intense.”
“It was,” I said. “For both of us. All three of us, probably. You have nothing to be sorry for though. He should never have said what he did. You have every right to be upset.”
Stephanie nodded and pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes. She choked back a sob, shaking her head. “Are you okay?”
“I’ll be fine,” I said, reaching up to cup her cheeks in my palms. I rubbed my thumbs over her cheekbones, trying to soothe her. “It’s you I’m worried about. You didn’t deserve that, especially not on top of everything else you’re already dealing with because of me.”
“You sure are interesting to be around, I’ll give you that.” She smiled through the last remaining tears, lightening the mood. God, she was something else. I didn’t know who I had to thank for sending her across my path, but I was serious
when I told my dad how lucky I was she wanted to spend time with me.
I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into my chest. “I know, and I’m so sorry about that. I wish I could take it all back so you didn’t have to hear any of it.”
“Not hearing it wouldn’t have changed what he thought about me.” She released a shuddering breath. “At least now I know where I stand.”
“It doesn’t matter to me what he thinks,” I told her honestly, pressing kisses to her soft hair. It smelled like soap and sweet shampoo. I buried my face in it, taking breaths to soothe myself while I tried to be there for her. “All I care about is what you think. If you don’t want to work here anymore, I’ll understand.”
It killed me to think of her leaving, of not driving to work with her every morning and seeing her smile whenever I walked into my office. If it was best for her though, I would let her go. Help her get the best damn job I could not working for a tyrant.
Bart, Shawn, Tanner, and Neil would all help. Between us, we could probably get her any job she wanted. “I’ll help you find somewhere else if that’s what you want. You shouldn’t feel forced to stay here if you don’t want to after everything he said. And Jannie. Just all of it.”
She stayed quiet for a moment. My heart beat like a bass drum in my chest waiting for an answer. Selfishly, I hoped she would stay. For me. But if she didn’t want to…
Finally, she reached up and took my hands again, this time closing her fingers around mine like little vice grips. “I don’t want to leave Williams Inc.”
“You don’t?” Hope sprang into my chest. “You’ll stay?”
“I’ll stay.” Some of her usual warmth lit up her eyes as the girl I knew slowly came back to me. “I’m just starting to settle in. I don’t want to have to start over somewhere else. Plus, I’m kind of fond of my boss.”
A smile tipped my lips upward. “He’s kind of fond of you too.”
“Just one thing.” The light in her eyes dimmed again, and I could tell she was about to say something serious. Maybe even something that would change her mind about staying if I couldn’t make it happen. “I don’t want to have to be around your father. I just don’t think I can face him for a while.”
“I’ll see what I can do about that.” The man was already pissed as hell with me, but I felt like I had more control over the situation with him than I ever had before. It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to him if I asked him to stay the fuck away from my office for at least a couple of weeks.
It was probably better if we met on more neutral ground, and away from the office workers who already witnessed showdown number one. No need to give them any more of our family drama to talk about. “I can’t make any promises since he owns the building and all, but I’ll do my best.”
“That’s all I can ask for.” She squeezed my hands in hers. They were warming again, small but so strong. “I’m not going to run off if I see his face or anything, but I would prefer if I could come to work knowing I wasn’t going to run into someone who thinks you’re an obnoxious, immature idiot for spending time with me.”
“If spending time with you makes me an obnoxious, immature idiot, I’ll happily be one.” It wasn’t the kind of thing I usually said, or even thought, but in this case, it was true. “I understand why you feel that way. I promise you I’ll keep him as far away from you as I can.”
“And so I repeat, that’s all I can ask for.” The corners of her mouth tilted up. “Thanks for understanding. I know it’s a big ask.”
Anything for you, I wanted to answer. Instead of saying that, I pressed a kiss to her lips and decided I’d been sappy and clichéd enough for one day. “It’s a reasonable ask.”
Looping her arms around my neck, she pulled me closer. I ran my nose down the length of hers and nuzzled her neck, placing soft kisses there when she didn’t pull away from me. “If it keeps you in the office next to mine, it’s an ask I’ll bend over backward to make a reality.”
“I don’t need you to bend over backward,” she whispered, turning her head to allow me easier access to her throat. “I just need you to try.”
“I’ll make it happen,” I said, kissing a path down her neck. “How about we see about bending you over backward? How’s that sound?”
She released a pleasurable sigh and nodded. I lifted my head, capturing her mouth with mine. She kissed me back eagerly, winding her hands into my hair.
Acutely aware that we were in the office and had already put on a bit of a show this morning, I didn’t give a fuck about anything or anyone outside. Stephanie’s lips on mine, moving passionately and her fingers curled my hair around them was all that mattered.
Showing her my dad was full of shit. That she was beautiful and sexy as all hell. That was what mattered. I wouldn’t allow his words to break her down, to bury their malicious roots in her heart or to dampen her wild spirit.
She was my feisty girl, and I wouldn’t let him make her doubt herself. Her soft lips pressed harder against mine. She tasted like coffee and mint, her tongue stroking mine rhythmically.
I felt her melting against me, her breasts pushing into my chest. What started out as a slow, reassuring kiss changed quickly after that.
Stephanie let out a soft moan, and the needy sound was like a well-lubricated fist around my dick. It strained against my zipper, getting more and more eager to get out.
The material of Steph’s maxi dress was soft as I reached for its hem, pushing it up over her shapely calves. I ran my fingers over the bare skin I found there, warm and smooth. Her legs opened of their own accord as we kissed. An invitation I fully intended on taking her up on.
I kept one hand on her leg while I let the other travel up her side, tunneling into her hair as I deepened our kiss. The feel of her against me, opening for me drove me crazy.
There was something about this girl I was addicted to. That made me want more despite where we were or what else was happening around us.
I ran my fingers up and down her thigh, feeling the heat radiating from her center. Groaning, I dragged my fingertips higher.
Her back arched, and she pushed her breasts harder against my chest. Receiving her message loud and clear, I let go of her hair to close my hand over one of her full breasts. She gasped into my mouth, winding her hands tighter into my hair.
“I got you,” I whispered against her lips, brushing her panties with the backs of my fingers. The wet heat I found there ripped a low growl from my chest. Hooking my fingers into the elastic, I pulled the scrap of fabric aside.
She wrapped her legs around my thighs, holding them tight in the crook of her knees. Her breathing grew faster, more ragged. “We shouldn’t be doing this.”
“You want to stop?” I pulled away from her just enough to look into her eyes.
They were heavy, hot. She shook her head. “If you even think about stopping right now, I’ll never bring you the hazelnut coffee again.”
I slid my finger into her slick core, loving the way she felt so silky and clenched my hand. “I can’t have that.”
“Better not stop then.” Pleasure filled her eyes as I crooked my fingers and rubbed inside her.
“Not on my life,” I promised her, adding another finger to the first.
She stifled a moan and let her head fall onto my shoulder. One of the most responsive women I’d ever been with, she flooded my hand and writhed against me. “That feels so good. Oh god, yes. Please, Jer.”
“You never have to beg for anything from me, Steph. I’m going to make you come so damn hard for me. You hear me, baby?”
She moaned in affirmation and edged forward on the couch. I kept stroking, rubbing the spots I was learning made her moan. When tiny spasms started wracking her inner walls, I brought my thumb to her clit and circled it.
Once. Twice. Again. As my circles became tighter, Steph’s soft moans began running into one. She pressed her mouth into my shoulder, against my throat to muffle the sounds I hated that she couldn’t let o
ut properly. I pinched her nipple and pushed down on her clit when her body reached its crescendo, and she cried out into my flesh.
Trembling as she moaned and spasmed around my fingers, she whispered my name like a plea and the answer to it at the same time. “Jeremiah, yes. I’m coming. I’m coming.”
I didn’t really need the confirmation, but it felt good to hear her saying it. Made me desperate for my own release, but it felt good anyway.
I stroked her through her orgasm and placed feather soft kisses on her temple. Her sweat dotted forehead. She lifted her head when she came down, drawing me in for a long, leisurely kiss. I returned it, so damn horny from watching and feeling her come undone I could hardly focus.
But I would get over it. Or I thought I would until she whispered against my lips. “Please tell me you have a condom with you.”
“I do.” I kept condoms everywhere. A throwback habit from my wilder days that meant I had a box in my desk even if I’d never hooked up in my office before. Well, not in this office.
Pushing to my feet, I went to grab one and undid my pants when I got back to her. She moved to the side of the couch, patting the spot next to her.
The white leather was slippery under my butt when I sat down, but I hardly had any time to think about it before she slung her leg over my hips and moved to straddle me. She watched with hooded eyes as I rolled the condom on, then lowered herself slowly onto me.
She sure didn’t waste any time. Thank god.
Both of us moaned when she buried me in her all the way to the hilt. She was so damn tight, so velvety and wet. My balls tightened and skin tingled. “I’m not going to last long.”
She shivered in my arms, her eyes half closed. “Right there with you.”
Moving like she was racing toward her own pleasure, I dug my fingers into her hips and met her thrust for thrust. The base of my spine exploded in white heat just as Stephanie clapped her hands over her mouth to keep from crying out and trembled on top of me.
