by Claire Adams
"She's my sister's daughter," Leah said without smiling back. "Molly disappeared three years ago, so I took over while we looked for her. I guess it's just parenting by default."
"I'm sorry, I had no idea," I said, looking down at the floor and feeling embarrassed that I didn't know more about her.
"It's okay, I don't make it public knowledge usually," she shrugged before giving me a questioning look. "Was there some reason you needed to see me?"
"Norma said you wanted to know where you'd be working during the renovation," I replied as I tried hard to avoid staring at Leah's face. What I wanted more than anything was to feel her hands on my chest and her lips on mine again, but I knew we were a long way from that happening. The problem was that no matter how hard I tried to push it out of my mind, I always found myself right back at the moment when Leah's lips were pressed against mine and everything felt possible.
"So? Are you going to show me?" she asked.
"Oh, yeah, come see what they're going to do today," I said shaking my head to clear the image as best I could.
I led the way to an area that the crew was quickly putting together and showed her all of the amenities they'd be installing. The new office was five times the size of the little closet she now occupied.
"Bathroom,” I said as I showed her the large room where the work crew was installing a stand up shower in addition to the usual elements. "And over here they're going to create a conference area with a big table that will seat all of the workers on your team. Then over on the other side, there will be a seating area with a couch and some chairs so you can have customers here for meetings, if you want. And on the far wall will be your desk."
"You're kidding me?" she said looking around the room with wide eyes and a shocked look on her face. "All of this is mine? Why?"
"Yes, it's all yours," I nodded. "I just figured that you are here working like mad to keep the warehouse running smoothly, and you deserve to work in a space that respects your position rather than being shoved in a closet like at the DMV."
"It hasn't bothered me before," she said defensively. "Your father didn't work in a luxury office, so I didn't feel like I was entitled to anything more than he had."
"Yes, well, my father was a miser," I said, rolling my eyes much like Riley had done earlier, and when I realized it, I laughed out loud.
"It's funny?" Leah asked, eyeing my suspiciously.
"No, just something about your niece," I tried to explain, but decided to let it go. "Look, the business is doing well, and that's thanks, in large part, to the job you do down here. I just wanted you to know that you're appreciated and for you to have a place to work where you feel valued."
"Thank you, Jack," she said as her eyes swept around the room and then settled back on me. "I appreciate that."
"My pleasure," I nodded in an attempt to ward off the urge to pull the clip out of her hair and run my fingers through her curls. "They'll be done with it by Monday, so you can have the guys move your stuff over once the furniture is in."
She nodded as she looked around the room and smiled. As I stood still, taking pleasure in her joy, my phone rang.
"I've got to get back upstairs," I said after hanging up. "Can you come up after lunch so we can talk about a few other things?"
She nodded again, turned, and smiled at me. I'd carry it with me the rest of the afternoon.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Leah
"Why did Jack come all the way downstairs to find you?" Riley asked as we sat at my desk eating the reheated burritos I'd packed for lunch. "Shouldn't he just have his secretary call you and tell you whatever it is he wants you to know? That's how they do it at my school."
"He came down to show me my new office," I said. "He just wanted to be nice and give me tour."
"I think he likes you, Leah," she said before taking a bite of her burrito that was so huge she had to chew with her mouth partly open.
"That's disgusting, Riley," I said handing her a napkin. "Cover your mouth so I don't have to look at your half-masticated food."
"Oooh, masticated is a good word to add to my vocabulary list!" she cried as bits of the half-chewed burrito fell on the napkin.
"Riley!" I protested.
"Sorry," she mumbled with her hand over her mouth. "Got excited."
"You're a piece of work, kiddo," I laughed as I took a bite of my own lunch and chewed thoughtfully.
"I think Jack likes you, Leah," Riley repeated once she swallowed.
"How can you tell?" I laughed. "He's my boss. He needs to be nice to me so that I do good work."
"No, that's not it," she said, thoughtfully tapping the side of her soda bottle as she tried to formulate the same thoughts I'd had but had failed to find words to describe. "I think he likes you because he says nice things, and he wants to hang around you."
"That seems like it could be anybody," I pointed out. "There are tons of nice people who say nice things and hang around."
"But they're paid to do it," she said as she pushed the remainder of her lunch around on her plate while she thought out loud. "He doesn't have to pretend like he likes you. He's the boss. Plus, he's a cute boy and you're a cute girl. That's how it always works out."
"You're kidding me, right?" I laughed. "You're suggesting that my boss likes me because he's nice and he's cute?"
"Yes," Riley said impatiently. "Seriously, Leah, what else do you want? That's how it's supposed to work! The cute boys pick the cute girls, and they live happily ever after. Well, unless you’re gay, then the cute boys choose the cute boys and so on."
"I'm not sure what fairytale land you're living in, but okay, we'll go with it," I said, shaking my head as I chuckled. "What are you going to do after lunch?"
"I'm going to finish my math and spelling homework, and then Burt told me I could come watch the guys work in the warehouse if I was quiet and didn't get in their way," she said. "What are you going to do?"
"I have to print out the orders, give them to Burt, and then go up to the office for a meeting," I said as I mentally organized the tasks I needed to complete before the meeting. "Let's work in companionable silence for a while, shall we?"
"What's companionable?" Riley asked, then paused and sighed heavily, "I know, I know. Look it up."
"Good girl!" I laughed as I cleaned up the remains of lunch and tossed everything in the trashcan. "Now, let's work!"
*
"Hey, sugar!" Norma called as I walked into the office. "How's it shaking?"
"Good," I laughed. "I'm here to meet with Jack about the warehouse renovations and how we're going to keep business booming while the construction's going on."
"He's almost ready. Hey, where's that darlin' little girl of yours?" Norma asked as she pulled a bag full of treats from under her desk. "I went on a little shopping spree over lunch, and I thought she might like some of my purchases."
"Norma, you're going to spoil that child rotten!" I laughed as she held out the bag. "She's finishing her homework, and then Burt's got some adventure for her to go on."
"I'll just wander down there a little later and see how that sweetie is doing," Norma said as the phone rang. She turned to answer it as Jack opened his door and motioned for me to join him.
"You wanted to see me?" I asked.
"Let's talk about how we're going to manage the orders that are coming in while the construction is going on," he said as he pulled up a set of plans on his computer and motioned for me to pull up a chair. "The way I see it, we keep the boxes over here, and we have the warehouse crew alter their fulfillment route according to where the construction crew is positioned each day."
I leaned in and looked at the plans as he clicked through each day of construction. He'd obviously spent a lot of time planning the moves, and he knew the warehouse almost as well as those of us who worked in it. I was impressed.
"That's a great plan," I said and pointed to one part of the plan that I thought was a little shaky. "But I think that if you mo
ve things over here rather than here, we'd be more efficient and the crew would be happier."
Jack leaned in toward me, and I suddenly realized that we were only inches away from one another. I turned my head, and he stared at me for a fraction of a second before leaning in. I could feel his lips almost brush mine, and I closed my eyes in anticipation.
"Well, well, well, isn't this just cozy!" Sloan said in an overly cheerful voice as she walked across the office and set her purse down on Jack's desk. "You two working everything out in the warehouse, are you?"
"Yes," Jack said clearing his throat and moving out of kissing range. I suddenly felt ashamed and wondered if he did, too.
"How are you, Leah?" Sloan asked in a voice dripping with fake interest. "Everything working out well down there while we're setting up construction?"
"I'm good, thank you, yes, it's fine," I said, dropping my head and looking at the floor. Jack didn't attempt to rescue me from Sloan's interrogation, and I suddenly felt the need to escape. I got up and headed for the door mumbling an excuse before I made my exit.
"Bye, Leah!" Sloan chirped as I marched past Norma's empty desk and headed back down to my office.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Jack
"Why do you always have to be so mean?" I asked as I stared at Sloan disapprovingly.
"Why darlin', whatever do you mean?" she replied with a fake southern accent. "I thought that was just manners."
"What do you want, Sloan?" I asked as I decided to forgo the battle over manners, knowing she would find a way to worm out of any culpability.
"I want to talk about the plan for the warehouse and how we're going fill all of the new orders I've gathered," she smiled as she held out the customer sheets that she'd filled out.
"You're generating a lot of business," I said, sifting through the new customer orders. It was a good sign that she'd brought in so much new business in such a short period of time, but it was also a concern because construction was going to slow us down a bit.
"I thought you might like that," she said as she sat down and crossed one long leg over the other, exposing her smooth thigh and the lacy edge of the stockings that covered it. She added, "I've got plenty more where those came from."
I swallowed hard and looked away, not sure if she was talking about the orders anymore. As I looked through them, I realized that she'd targeted some of the biggest buyers in all of Manhattan and had brought in orders that would elevate our output by a substantial amount.
"When are these companies expecting delivery?" I asked as I tried to figure out how quickly we could get the warehouse ready to start shipping.
"That's the catch," she said as she dug in her purse. "We need to be ready to start filling orders by next week."
"Sloan, what the fuck!" I said a little louder than I'd intended. "You know we're in the middle of the warehouse renovation. What in the hell possessed you to make promises you weren't sure we could keep?"
"I knew you'd find a way," she said as she held my gaze, daring me to disagree with her. I shook my head and realized I was playing chicken with a woman who liked losing even less than I did.
"You seriously piss me off," I muttered as I reorganized the forms in my hand, trying to figure out just how we could make this work.
"I know," she grinned. "And it makes you want to bend me over your desk and have your way with me, doesn't it?"
"Why do you always revert to sex, Sloan?" I asked.
"Because that's the glue that holds us together," she replied as she flipped open a thick gold compact and applied a layer of fresh red lipstick. She reached out and grabbed a sheet of paper from my desk, blotted her lips, and then shrugged, "You want me. I like what you do when I drive you to the point that you can't hold back. We make a good team."
"You seriously piss me off," I grumbled.
"I know, and you love it," she smiled as she rose up out of her chair and walked around the desk. She sat on the edge of it before spreading her legs and giving me a clear view of the fact that she wasn't wearing anything under her short tight skirt. She dropped her voice and asked, "See anything you like, Jack?"
"Sloan, stop . . ." I said before tearing myself away from the view she was giving me.
"Oh, c'mon, Jack," she whispered as she shifted a little and spread her legs wider. "You know you want it."
I could feel the heat radiating off of her body and knew that I'd made a deal with the devil. I pushed myself up out of my chair and stood facing her as I ran one hand up the inside of her thighs. She smiled lazily as she spread her legs wider to give me full access.
"Sloan," I leaned in and spoke quietly in her ear as I caressed her soft thigh, reaching higher with each movement of my fingers. "I know what you want. I can smell it, and you know what, darling?"
"Mmmm," she purred as she stretched against my hand. "What?"
"I'll give it to you," I whispered as my fingers splayed her wet warmth and stroked the soft skin that lay between her lips. She moaned softly as I slid two fingers inside of her and flipped them up so that I was stroking both of her most sensitive spots at once. She moved her hips forward to meet my hand as she dropped her head backwards and closed her eyes. I concentrated on keeping the pressure and rhythm consistent and building steadily to her climax.
When she began to move her hips more insistently, I picked up the pace and stroked harder and faster, feeling her wetness cover my hand. As she headed for the finale, I could feel her gripping my fingers as I thrust up and into her harder and harder.
"Oh God, yes!" she moaned as she planted her palms behind her on the desk and violently shoved her hips forward to force my hand deeper inside of her. She whispered hoarsely, “Oh Jack, yes! That’s it! Right there!"
I felt her clench around my fingers as she reached her orgasm, and I thrust up into her, hard, and held my hand in place as she writhed on it. I watched her face as she enjoyed the rippling waves of her climax, and then once she had ceased pulsing on my hand, I withdrew it and stepped back to look at her.
"And that's the last time we do that," I said in a tone that slammed the door shut.
"What? Jack, no!" she protested as she stood up and made her way to the bathroom in the corner. "Don't be a spoilsport!"
"I mean it, Sloan," I said looking out the window. "That was the last time I'll be your personal dildo."
"I wouldn't count on that if I were you, Jack," she said, smiling mysteriously as she returned to the office and grabbed her purse.
Then she turned on her heel and marched out the door, leaving me to wonder exactly what she'd meant by that.
BAD BOY BILLIONAIRE VOLUME III
Chapter Twenty-Four
Leah
The ride home that night felt like the longest one ever, and by the time Riley and I got off the train, it was well past dinnertime.
"How about we go home, change our clothes, order a pizza, curl up on the couch, and watch a movie?" I suggested as we rounded the corner and saw that a fleet of fire trucks were parked halfway down the block with lights flashing and equipment strewn across the road.
My heart sank as I picked up the pace and raced toward our house. I was stopped by a captain in a crisp uniform who told me that she needed to see identification.
"That's my house!" I cried as I stood looking at the charred exterior, broken windows, and the muddied lawn in front. I could see the firefighters in their bright yellow jackets and red helmets walking out of the house holding axes and yelling at one another. I thought of Mama. I yelled, “Where's my mother? My mother was in the house!"
"Ma'am," the Captain said as she put a hand on my arm. "Your mother was evacuated, treated for smoke inhalation, and transported by ambulance to the hospital."
"She's okay?" I whispered. "She's not dead?"
"No, ma'am," the Chief said with a grimace. "She was very much alive and kicking when my team pulled her out of the house."
"Did Gram swear at you?" Riley piped up as she looked expectantly a
t the Chief.
"Indeed, she did," the woman nodded. "She was quite vocal."
"Don't take it personally," Riley said as she patted the chief's arm. "She does that with everyone."
I couldn't contain a small smile as I listened to Riley describe the way Mama talked to those of us who lived with her. I turned my attention back toward the house and realized that we had nothing and nowhere to go.
"Ma'am, your mother told us you have a brother close by. Is that correct?" the chief asked as she pulled out a small notebook and began writing something in it. I nodded as she continued to write. "So you have someplace you can go tonight? Because if you don't, we can have the Red Cross provide you with resources for a hotel room and clothing and things."
"No, my brother will put us up tonight," I said not wanting to think about what came after tonight. I asked, "Do you know what caused the fire?"
"I can't say for certain, but we're pretty sure the blaze originated in the living room," she said as she continued writing. "And it looks like it was probably a cigarette or something similar. It's definitely not arson."
"I see," I said swallowing hard and fighting to keep the tears from falling. "Is the house salvageable?"
"I'm pretty sure it's going to need a whole new living room, but the rest of the house seems to have escaped severe damage," the chief said. "I'd be willing to bet that you can have it back in livable condition in a month or two. I'll give you the case number for the insurance company once the inspectors come out and investigate in a couple of days."
I ran my hand through my hair and, again, fought back the tears as I realized I'd let the insurance policy lapse a few months back when we'd been short on the mortgage payment and Riley had needed new clothes and shoes for school. I didn't want to alarm Riley, so I put my arm around her shoulder and led her away from the burned house.
"Let's go see if Patrick has somewhere we can crash tonight," I said as cheerfully as I could. "Then we'll order pizza and figure out where we're going to live for the next few months, okay?"
