“Just ‘sort of,’ huh?” Libby said with a laugh, dabbing the corners of her mouth with a napkin.
I laughed too. “I didn’t mean it like that,” I said. “I like working with you guys. It’s just been an adjustment, that’s all. Actually, I think the bigger adjustment has simply been getting used to Chicago again, after living in Miami for so long.”
A faraway gaze crossed Libby’s face. “Miami,” she said in a longing tone. “What I wouldn’t give to live there and not deal with Chicago winters!”
“Yeah, getting away from the wind and snow was nice,” I said. “But getting away from Zander became more important. I’ll take wind, snow, hail, and sleet over his fists and temper tantrums any day.”
“Well, that’s a given,” Libby said, snapping out of her reverie. “Enough about Zander for now though. Are you going to get yourself back out there?”
“Back out where?” I asked.
“Back out in the dating game,” Libby said, as if her question had been obvious. “You’re too young and pretty not to, Joanna.”
Warmth crept into my cheeks and I took another bite of my sandwich, deliberately chewing slowly to keep myself from having to answer right away. “Yeah, I guess… Eventually. If someone catches my eye. I’m not exactly looking or rushing to jump into anything right now though. I need some time to myself for a little while.”
“That’s perfectly understandable. But just don’t let Zander hold you back forever, all right? You’ve got to get back out there sooner or later,” said Libby. “I mean, have you been getting out? It’s going to be hard to meet people if all you’ve been doing is going back and forth from the office to your brother’s place. Even though we do have some pretty nice eye-candy in the office. And don’t worry, I don’t mean your brother. That’d be weird.”
I accidentally spilled some of my lemonade as I tried to take a sip.
Libby chuckled. “Oh, so you’ve noticed, have you?”
“Noticed what?”
“How drop dead gorgeous Anderson Lawrence is. Come on, you must think he’s attractive. You’d have to be blind not to!”
I cleared my throat. “Well, I’ve known him for a long time. Ever since I was a kid. He and my brother are best friends. They grew up together.”
“Bummer,” Libby said. “So he’s like a brother to you, huh? Maybe you don’t realize how hot he is then.”
I pressed my lips together, knowing that couldn’t be further from the truth. Fortunately, Libby was looking down at her salad, and I had time to recompose myself before she placed a forkful in her mouth and looked up at me again. “He’s seeing someone though, right?” she asked.
I felt a swoop go through my stomach, and was pretty sure some of the blood had drained from my face.
Anderson, seeing someone?
“What makes you say that?” I asked with bated breath. I gripped my glass although I didn’t want another sip.
Libby’s mouth twisted into a contemplative pout. “Seems like I remember hearing that he was seeing someone at some point. Or several someones, more accurately. That man has quite a reputation, from what I’ve heard. But that’s to be expected, right? He’s too good-looking for his own good. I’m sure he’s got women fawning at his feet everywhere he goes, worshipping the ground he walks on. And he’s a natural flirt. Was he always that way?”
I cleared my throat. “Um…Yeah, he was like that in high school.”
“That figures,” Libby said. “It’s just not fair. Some of us have to go through an awkward phase as teenagers, but Anderson, he was probably born beautiful.”
I took another bite of my sandwich although my mouth had gone quite dry and I’d lost my appetite. “So, you think he’s with someone right now?” I asked, trying to keep my voice level and ignoring the knots forming in my stomach. I hated how jealous I felt, knowing I had no real claim to Anderson. There was nothing official between us. We were merely sleeping together occasionally. He hadn’t made any serious commitment to me, and I hadn’t made one to him. I had no right to feel jealous about what was possibly going on between him and other women…
But I still hated it.
Sitting across from Libby and working myself into a silent fury, I was forced to acknowledge that I wished I had a claim to Anderson.
I wanted him, badly. All to myself…
“If I had to take a guess,” Libby said, “I’d say he was single and just playing around, if you catch my drift. But I don’t know… There’s just something about him. He seems like the kind of guy who wouldn’t ever really settle down and get serious with anyone. He reminds me of an uncle I had. The whole family knew Hell would have to freeze over before that man ever got married.”
I tried to force a laugh, but it sounded so disingenuous that I stopped instantly and took another sip of my lemonade, even though it had begun to taste like water.
While I enjoyed Libby’s company, I was suddenly ready for lunch to be over so that I could be alone with my thoughts.
My thoughts which were filled with Anderson.
CHAPTER 15
Anderson
It was a new work week, which meant new trials and tribulations, as well as new projects and frustrations. And most of all, more boring meetings to attend.
Earlier in the day, I had almost forgotten about the upcoming staff meeting entirely. I supposed that wasn’t surprising though; my thoughts were so preoccupied with Joanna these days, I sometimes thought I would forget my own head if it weren’t attached to my neck.
As the meeting got started, my co-workers all put forth a valiant effort in paying attention. I, on the other hand, couldn’t even muster the energy to pretend. I stared down at the table before me, drumming my fingers on it and letting their voices turn into distant drones, knowing Tobias would fill me in on the details later. Granted, I’d caught his irritated glances, informing me that he knew I wasn’t paying attention. Yet I couldn’t bring myself to care.
I suppose part of the problem was that I’d had too many sleepless nights. It seemed that every night when I closed my eyes, I would have visions of Joanna’s soft eyes, her beautiful face, the feel of her soft skin, and the pleasure of her body on top of mine…
And then the frustration would kick in as her face slowly morphed into that of her brother’s. Her seductive eyes would turn into his judgmental ones, and I’d spend the rest of the night wondering how Joanna and I were going to carry on once he eventually found us out.
I kept telling myself that Joanna and I needed to have a serious discussion about it. We needed to be mature and fess up before things got too far out of control. I knew that it would be best if we told Tobias rather than letting him find out on his own. As long as we continued to sneak around behind his back, it made it seem like we were consciously deceiving him, which we were. The realization of this had started to make me feel disgusted with myself.
What kind of friend was I to do this to my best buddy?
I just didn’t know how much longer I could keep all the bullshit up.
I sighed and let my hand fall flat on the table, making more noise than I intended and subsequently causing a hitch in the conversation flow in the room. I caught Tobias’s eye and mouthed the word ‘Sorry.’ He gave me an exasperated eye-roll and then turned his attention back to whatever topic was at hand. Within seconds, the voices in the room returned to distant drones in the back of my mind.
I glanced around the room, feeling guilty to see that everyone else was so thoroughly invested. My own restlessness was starting to make me feel self-conscious. It wasn’t like I hadn’t heard the rumors; a handful of employees wholeheartedly believed that I had only risen to my rank in the firm due to my friendship with Tobias. More than a time or two, Tobias had told me that I needed to be careful and make sure that I showed my worth around the firm to ensure no one believed I was there just due to favoritism on his end.
Which made me wonder if he’d had a similar conversation with Joanna.
Joann
a…
I’d fallen into the trap of thinking about her again, just as I always did. No considerable amount of time ever passed these days without her lovely face slipping into my mind.
A sigh accidentally escaped my lips at the thought of her. I cringed, knowing that my neighbor had heard it based on the irritated glance he shot at me.
Pull it together, Anderson, I inwardly scolded myself.
Vowing to pay better attention, I sat up straight in my chair. But no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t stay focused.
Giving up, I stood from my seat, figuring that I needed a break to take a walk and get the blood back flowing in my brain. Otherwise, I was going to be completely useless for the rest of the meeting, and there was still at least a half hour to go.
“Pardon me,” I said, nodding respectfully at Tobias and then excusing myself from the room. It wasn’t the most professional of actions, but it was better than sitting at the table like an antsy ten-year-old.
I headed down the hall, whistling to myself, planning to get a sip of water, visit the men’s room, and then return to the meeting with renewed focus.
“Good morning, Mr. Lawrence.”
I turned toward the sing-song voice behind me and was rewarded with the sight of Joanna herself. She trailed behind me, seemingly on her way back from running an errand. She gave me a sly smile that practically made me combust with desire.
“Good morning, Ms. Gentry,” I said, bowing at her with a grin on my face.
She giggled, and suddenly, a rebellious streak came over me. I cast a cautious glance down the hall, checking to see if anyone else was coming. It was fortunate that I did, as one of our co-workers was rounding the corner. Joanna and I separated, permitting her room to pass down the hall as she nodded at both of us in greeting. Once she was out of sight, I grabbed Joanna’s hand and led her around the opposite corner.
“Is there something I can do for you, Mr. Lawrence?” Joanna said in a tone of mock-professionalism, struggling to keep the laughter out of her voice.
“Possibly,” I said, smirking and stopping before an old supply closet. “I think I need you to help me find something in here, if you don’t mind.” I opened the door, pulled her inside with me, and then closed the door again. I flipped on the light-switch, revealing the closet to be full of office supplies and anything else an office could possibly need.
“What is it that you’re looking for?” Joanna asked, cocking her head sideways.
I slowly moved closer to her, slinking my arm around her waist. “I’m looking for something, right about here,” I said, lowering my face to the crook of her neck, and kissed the soft skin there.
Joanna groaned and wrapped her arms around my neck, her body flush with mine.
My heart pounded a mile a minute, knowing that we couldn’t afford to be so bold, carrying out such antics in the workplace, right under Tobias’s nose. Nevertheless, I couldn’t help myself. I wanted her so badly… My dick responded to her every moan, every touch of her ample lips or soft hands…
And it didn’t help that she seemed to have no objections.
I lifted my face from her neck so that I could kiss her lips. She returned the kiss in earnest, tightening her arms around me, and for a moment, I lost all my reason. I lifted her right off her feet and carried her to an extra desk in the corner, wanting to be buried inside of her badly. She wrapped her legs around me and pushed her tongue more deeply into my mouth, which made my cock painfully hard.
I cupped her firm ass and ground her against me, remembering the way her pussy felt around me, too tight and too wet. I unbuttoned the top three buttons of her blouse and pushed my hand inside, covering her lush breast.
She moaned, and I felt too close to losing the last thread of control I possessed. I couldn’t help myself but brush her nipple with my thumb, relishing in the way it quickly responded to my touch. “How I wish I can eat you and take you right here.”
“Ah… You’re so bad.” She rubbed her hot core against my dick, taunting me, and I smashed my lips against hers in the search of another quick “Joanna” fix.
After several long moments, we separated, gazing at each other. Her expression was lustful, but apprehensive at the same time. “We are so screwed if someone finds us in here,” she whispered.
“Tell me about it,” I said. Logic told me to step back, but my body refused to obey the command.
“How much longer are we going to keep this up?” Joanna asked. “This secrecy. Sometimes, I can hardly stand it.”
“I know what you mean. Trust me, I do,” I said, letting my fingers slide across her neck before I left an open-mouthed kiss right below her ear, clouded by desire.
“Do you really?”
I took a half-step back, taken aback by the somewhat cross tone in Joanna’s voice. A slight wrinkle appeared in her brow and the corners of her mouth turned downward. “What?” I was astonished at the sudden change between us. “You don’t think this is just as hard on me as it is on you?”
Joanna shrugged her shoulders and averted her gaze. “I don’t know,” she said softly.
“What are you thinking? What do you want to do about it?”
But she only shrugged again.
I sighed. “Sometimes I have moments of thinking your brother should know, but then I always change my mind because I know how crazy he can be.”
Joanna huffed. “So it’s solely my brother that’s the problem?” she asked. Immediately afterwards, redness began to form in her cheeks and I got the feeling she hadn’t meant to make her comment out loud.
I took another step back and folded my arms over my chest. “Is there some other problem that I don’t know about?”
“Is there? You tell me?”
“You’re the one with all the questions,” I counter-argued. “Clearly there’s something on your mind that you aren’t being upfront about.”
“Somehow, I get the feeling that I’m not the one holding all the secrets,” she said, although once again, the comment seemed to be directed more at herself than to me.
I was just about to make a retort when we both heard movement outside of the door. In a flash, Joanna leapt off the desk, buttoning up her shirt, and I moved to the opposite side of the closet—both of us ready to pretend that we were looking for something in case someone opened the door and spotted us. But the sounds faded and whoever had been outside seemed to have moved on.
Joanna and I exchanged glances. She placed her hand over her mouth, stifling her laughter, although her shoulders shook from the force of it. I shook my head, but couldn’t help laughing myself. The brief tension between us immediately dissipated.
“That was close,” Joanna said, making her way back over to me.
I slid my arm around her waist again. “Looks like it emboldened you though,” I said, noticing the way she tilted her head upwards, reaching for another kiss. I leaned down to her, happy to oblige and feeling that I would never get enough of the taste of her lips. I ran a hand through the silky curls of her hair and before I knew it, we were leaning against a wall, lost in each other all over again.
She ran her hands down my back, and then along my waistline, gripping the front of my belt buckle. I let my hands trail down to her hips. She palmed my erection, feeling me.
“You’re killing me, you know that?” I muttered, pushing into her hand. Her fingers gripped me, and my precum soaked my boxers. I was sure that if she kept doing this, I would cum in no time. “I wish I can fuck you right here and make you feel good…”
I covered her breast over her blouse and kneaded it, kissing her earlobe. Her scent was alluring, and I was dying to get a taste of her…
“This can’t happen here,” Joanna said breathlessly and removed her hand from my crotch.
“I know,” I said, kissing her again while begrudgingly noting that I had been away from the meeting for too long. Any longer, and my absence would surely raise suspicion. But no amount of logic seemed capable of pulling me away f
rom Joanna. She felt too good.
My mind went blissfully blank with every wet kiss we shared, and I felt that I could have stayed in the closet with her forever.
We both jumped at the sound of my phone buzzing at my hip.
“Shit,” I muttered, finally stepping away from her and accepting that our rendezvous was officially over. I looked at the phone, seeing Tobias’s angry text message urging me to hurry the hell up and get back to the meeting.
Joanna sighed, running a hand through her hair and then over her clothes, smoothing them back into place. She was breathless, her dazed eyes and flushed expression like an invitation to go all over her, but we couldn’t take chances at the moment.
“Gotta go,” I said reluctantly. I gave her one last quick peck on the lips and then hurried out of the closet, trying to recompose myself and push aside the fevered thoughts of Joanna on my way back to the meeting.
CHAPTER 16
Joanna
“See you later, Joanna,” Libby said as I signed out of my computer for the day. I turned around and waved at her before zipping my jacket and heading out the building.
“Joanna!”
I turned around just before reaching the door to see Tobias heading toward me. He was slightly red in the face, which I recognized as a sign of his agitation about something. I swallowed nervously, thinking about what had transpired between me and Anderson just hours ago in the supply closet. Terrified, I started thinking about security cameras, wondering if any had caught us in the act. I tried to recreate that particular area of the building in my head, trying to recall if there were any surveillance cameras somewhere near it that we’d had the misfortune of overlooking. Neither of us wanted to tell Tobias what was going on between us yet, so the last thing we needed was for him to find out by accident, courtesy of unsuspecting surveillance images.
But Anderson should have known better if that was the case. As long as he’d been working with my brother, he should have known the building inside and out just as much as Tobias. If we had been in danger of being caught by a surveillance camera, certainly he wouldn’t have let us fall into such a trap.
February Burning: A Firefighter Secret Baby Romance Page 27
