by Liz Bower
Laying me down on the bed, I had the feeling he was going to disappear on me. As he straightened, I grabbed hold of his wrist, tugging him back towards me. “Stay?”
A lazy smile made his dimples appear, and I couldn’t quite believe that this gorgeous man was there in my bedroom. And I was asking him to spend the night. Although it wouldn’t be the first night we spent together. This time was different, though. That night in the hotel was out of necessity. If he stayed, then it would be through choice. And I really wanted him to choose to stay.
He slipped beneath the covers and pulled them over both of us. Rolling onto my side to face him, I slid my arm around his waist. His arm slipped beneath my neck, and he drew me closer until I was lying half across him my head on his chest.
Closing my eyes, I kissed the light covering of hair on his chest and drifted back off to sleep.
Chapter Nineteen
The following morning, I stretched as I woke. Muscles ached in places that hadn’t for a long time, and I smiled as memories of the previous night played through my head. The smile disappeared as my hand slid across the empty cold sheets next to me. Glanced around the bedroom to find it empty, door closed.
Lifting myself up onto my elbow, I checked the bedside table. Empty. No note that time. Nothing. Had he left without a word? Again?
Disappointment flooded me as I flopped back against the pillows. The night before…I’d thought it had been different. That maybe it was the start of something between us. Something more. The sting of tears had me closing my eyes. But they flew open again at the sound of the bedroom door opening.
And there he was. My mouth watered at the sight. Bare chest. Black boxers stretched tight across his hips and doing a poor job of hiding what was beneath them. Long powerful legs striding towards me.
“Morning.” Bending over, he placed a cup on the table beside me before he leaned over to kiss me. Then he made his way around the bed to climb back under the covers. Reaching for the cup to hide my smile, I took a sip of the coffee. Then his arms were around me and coffee was the last thing on my mind as I put the cup down. The subtle scent of ginger combined with what I recognised as pure Beck replaced the aroma of coffee.
I turned in his arms, relaxing back against his chest. Could easily get used to waking up like that every morning, I thought as a soft sigh escaped me.
We lay in a contented silence, wrapped up in each other. Until Beck shifted and eased me over onto my back. Rolled until he was on top of me, covering me with his whole body. Elbows by my shoulders, his hands cradled my head as he gazed down at me. Lowered his head until our lips met.
There was no rush to his movements. A lazy kiss that was no less intense for the slow pace. Dragging his lips from mine, he kissed his way down my neck and across to my collarbone. Sucked lightly on the skin before burying his head between my breasts. Licked a path between them then sucked one nipple between his lips before kissing his way across to the other.
I pushed my head back into the pillow at the torturously slow pace he set. Slipped my arms beneath his to run my hands down the length of his back. But then he moved. Slid his way down the bed, leaving kisses along my skin as he journeyed south. Scraped his teeth along my hip bone until his breath fanned across my clit.
Then he looked up at me. We shared a smile, which seemed to be the permission he was seeking as he lowered his head. My hips thrust upwards when his tongue touched my clit. He swirled his tongue around me before sucking on the sensitive flesh, making my hips buck again.
The tip of his finger circled my entrance before slipping inside me. Oh yeah, could definitely get used to waking up this way.
I was so close already and I twisted my fingers into his hair. Tugged gently to get him to stop.
He crawled back up my body, and I reached over to the bedside drawer to grab a condom. Once he was suited up, he covered me with his body again. With a lazy thrust of his hips, he filled me with his hard length.
“Oh, God. Faster.”
Beck laughed at my frustration but didn’t speed up his thrusts. And I was fine with that, really. I didn’t know if it was because it was early morning or not but this felt like more than the previous night. More like making love. No hurry to reach the end—just enjoying being wrapped up in each other.
Lifting my legs so I could wind them around Beck’s thighs to bring us even closer together—it was like our own personal bubble. Just the two of us where no one and nothing else mattered.
His hips met mine with an increased speed until his movements became erratic.
“I’m so close, baby. Come with me.”
His lips caressed my ear as he whispered the words and sent a shiver through me. Head thrown back, neck muscles flexing, I got lost in the beautiful sight that was Beck as his orgasm rolled through him. The sight sent me over the edge, knowing that I could bring that look of pure pleasure to his face.
Fingertips digging into his back, I came around him as he gentled his thrusts before collapsing on top of me. He made to move but I pulled him closer. Wanting to stay connected for a moment longer. I brushed the short strands of damp hair back from his forehead then pulled his head down. As he rested his head on my shoulder, I wanted the moment to last forever. Beck’s weight anchoring me to the bed. The sated, bone-melting bliss left me with no desire to move.
Of course, it had to as Beck headed for the bathroom to clean up. But then he climbed under the covers again and pulled me close. Dropped a kiss on the top of my head. We lay in a contented silence as I almost drifted off to sleep again. Beck’s fingers toyed with a strand of my hair and he shifted beneath me restlessly.
“So…your contract’s almost up, isn’t it?”
Seriously, he wanted to talk about work? I nodded, my cheek brushing against the soft hairs on his chest. He let out a sigh that sounded full of…regret?
“I’ve made a mess of everything. It shouldn’t have happened. Not like this.”
He regretted our night together? Our morning together? I tried to pull away from him to look into his eyes, but he tightened his hold on me. I was pretty sure I was already halfway in love with him, and he thought us sleeping together was a mistake? “We shouldn’t have slept together? Is that what you’re saying?”
“No. Yes. Fuck.”
His fingers threaded through my hair holding my head against his chest.
“I’m your…boss. I should have waited, is what I’m trying to say. Badly, so it would seem.”
I propped myself up on my elbow so I could see his face. He looked so serious that he made me worried.
“My job…” His eyes shifted towards the ceiling as he blew out a breath. “There’s a lot of travel involved. Time I have to spend away from home.”
Those words made my brow furrow because I’d seen him at the office most days in my short time there. Our gazes met and he must have seen my confusion.
“I mean there will be soon. And that’s just another reason why I should have waited. If anything happens…”
I didn’t understand why that was a reason to wait. Seemed like all the more reason not to wait. But there’d been a point when I’d thought I’d never see him again. I had him back in my life, and if he wanted to wait then I could do that. “I don’t understand, but I’ll wait as long as you want. For as long as you need.” His fingers trailed up and down my back.
“I wish I could explain better. It’s not that I want to wait, I just think it will be better for us, for you. Once you’re not at the office it will be easier. And I only need a little time to…sort some things out. I know our situation is complicated, but I’m trying to make it simple. I just need a little time.”
My hand stilled over his chest where I’d been tracing lazy patterns through his hair. Eased myself up so I could see his face and the serious look was still in place. Eyes drawn tight. Was he worried I wouldn’t wait for him? I didn’t think our situation was that complicated. Yes, he would be my boss for a little while longer, but then it wouldn’t be an issue.
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Sliding my hand up his neck, a smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. I wrapped my fingers around his stubbled jaw and brushed my lips across his. Then sealed them over his again before he could utter another word.
Chapter Twenty
It was my last week at the office, and I hadn’t seen Beck around. In fact, I hadn’t seen him or heard from him since the weekend. Not that we’d made arrangements, but still. Sneaking a glance from behind my desk towards his closed office door I wondered if he was even in there. Friday was my last day. Only a day and a half left working there. It made me a little sad. I’d enjoyed my time in the office. Despite the boring work, I would miss seeing Jaz every day. Miss the guaranteed cash in my bank too.
But I couldn’t help wondering if Beck had done a disappearing act on me again because of what had happened over the weekend. It was becoming a habit of his. Running out on me after we had sex. Okay, he hadn’t really the last time, but I hadn’t seen him since and I was worried. Mainly because I shouldn’t be missing him this much after only seeing him five days ago. Should I?
And when he said he needed some time to sort things out, had he meant time away from me in order to do that? I should have asked, but at the time I just wanted him to know I would wait for him to do whatever he needed to do.
“Kimberly, can I have a moment with you? In my office.”
I jumped at the sound of Tony’s voice from behind me. Shit, had I been caught doing nothing? Did it actually matter if I only had one day left?
I traipsed along behind him to his office and then took a seat whilst he closed the door behind us. He strolled behind his desk, chair creaking as he lowered himself into it. Threading his fingers together, he rested his chin on them, his watery blue eyes staring into mine until I became uncomfortable and had to look away.
“Did you need me for something in particular?” Lifting his chin, he gave me a smile that set my teeth on edge. It was kind of predatory, and I repressed a shudder.
“Have you enjoyed your time here?”
Apart from when he came to dump more spreadsheets on my desk, we hadn’t spoken much. I was scheduled to have an exit interview with HR on Friday, so I was a little surprised by his question. “Um, yes. Thank you. I’ve made some good friends here.” At my final words, his eyes narrowed.
“Friends?”
Crossing my legs, I clasped my hands around my knee. Beck’s words of warning about professional distances sounded in my head from my first day in the office. “Yes. Jaz and I have become quite good friends.”
“Only Jaz?” My brain decided that was a good moment to play a montage of images from the weekend. Beck peeling off his shirt. My hands running across the muscles and soft hair covering his chest. Our naked limbs tangled together as we lay on the bed. I shifted on the seat at the memories.
Was Beck a friend? Yes. But I’d definitely class him as something else. Something more. But I wasn’t about to share that with my supervisor. “Pretty much, yeah. The rest of the people in the office are friendly, but I don’t get on with them like I do with Jaz.” There. Not entirely a lie. He slowly nodded his head as if he was giving that great thought.
“So…if I said there might be an opportunity to extend your contract here would that be of interest to you?”
Oh, wow. I hadn’t been expecting that. I’d only slept with Beck again because I didn’t think he was going to be my boss for much longer. And Beck had already said he wanted to wait until I was no longer working at the office. Would Tony care if he knew the truth about Beck and me? Would he still be offering me an extension?
I didn’t want to be Beck’s dirty office secret, though. But I liked working there. And I could definitely use the money. Then again, I wasn’t sure what he was offering yet. “Erm…that would be of interest.”
Tony stood and paced in front of the window. He stopped and faced me. “I like you, Kimberly. You work hard and I think I can trust you. I can trust you, can’t I?”
My gaze strayed to the raindrop-blurred window behind him. I was getting a weird vibe from him and honestly, was a little freaked out by his words. I nodded, not knowing what to say. Clearly that was the right answer as he sat back down and smiled at me.
“You’d be working on a new account, one I’m handling personally—trying to get them to sign with our firm. I’d need to be able to trust you to keep the work confidential. No sharing what you’re working on with Jaz. Or anyone else in the office.”
My brows furrowed because that sounded a bit suspicious. And how was I not supposed to let Jaz see or know what I was working on? My desk was opposite his. “But what if Jaz sees what I’m working on? Am I supposed to lie to him?”
Tony let out a laugh that reminded me of Dr. Evil in Austin Powers—just without the finger against his lips.
“No. You won’t be working on the account full-time. If he asks—or anyone else does—you can tell them about the other work you’ll be doing at the same time.”
I nodded at his words. It was odd, and I wasn’t entirely sure I was comfortable with the setup he was suggesting. I’d worked in offices before where different teams had to work on separate accounts.
I’d watched The Good Wife, though. Where the law firm had teams working separately erecting Chinese walls to stop information being shared. Maybe this was similar.
It wasn’t something I’d ever had to do. And it didn’t seem right that Tony wanted to keep it confidential from everyone else. Why wouldn’t he want others in the office to know about it? Was that normal?
But the extension of my contract meant guaranteed money in my hand. Money I could use to maybe pay someone to do a professional website for my cake business. Advertising. A little cushion of money in the bank so I could stop playing at having my own business and actually take the leap. Own it. Do it for real. A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth at the thought of baking full-time for a living. Getting paid to do something I loved. I wanted that so much.
Beck was hardly in the office these days, so it wouldn’t be difficult to keep it on the down low. I felt bad keeping it a secret from Jaz, though. And staying on would mean keeping another secret from Jaz. And Beck.
Would it really matter if I told Jaz about Beck? He wouldn’t judge me. I trusted him to keep it quiet. And technically, I was employed by the agency, not C and G. It was only for a couple of weeks more. A few more boring weeks in the office I could handle.
“Can I count on you, Kimberly?”
Could he? Turning to look back towards the window, I tracked a raindrop as it made its way down the pane. Remembered the account documentation that hadn’t seemed right. His explanation, which hadn’t entirely convinced me. But if there was anything strange about the account I would be working on, I could always report it to Beck. Surely Tony didn’t mean I had to keep it confidential from him. Beck was Tony’s boss, so he must know about the new client.
“So, what do you say?” Tony’s question brought me back to his office. As I stared at him, I wondered again what Beck would think. But I thought he’d be okay with it. He’d been nothing but supportive about me setting up my business, so he’d understand why I wanted to stay working here a bit longer.
“Yes. You can count on me.”
Tony rubbed his hands together, reminding me of a shady salesman. Shaking that feeling off, I gave him a smile instead.
“Excellent. I’ll get HR to draw up another contract for you. Report to me first thing on Monday, and I’ll explain exactly what I need you to do.” He stood, so I did too.
“Thank you.”
He nodded at me, and I left his office a little dazed at the turn of events. As I made my way back to my desk, I saw Beck through his open door. When he saw me he headed in my direction.
“Kimberly, I was looking for you.”
At the sight of Beck, the tension I had been feeling since the weekend eased.
A white shirt emphasised his tanned skin. A dark moss-green tie lightened his brown eyes and highlighted th
e gold flecks. His dimples gradually appeared as a smile crept over his face and I realised I was ogling him in the middle of the workplace. Okay, maybe keeping how I felt a secret for two more weeks would be harder than I thought.
“Can I speak to you in my office?”
I swallowed and nodded, not trusting what would come out of my mouth at that moment. Following him, my gaze dropped to the grey trousers that hugged his arse perfectly. Jesus, get a grip. You’re at work.
Beck closed the door behind us. And before I had a chance to step towards his desk, he pushed me against the door, trapping me against it with his hard chest. He stared down into my eyes and my body flushed with the intensity of that look. Hands on either side of my shoulders, caging me in, his head lowered until his lips met mine. I closed my eyes and opened my mouth to let his tongue inside. One of his hands trailed down my arm, across my hip, and then round to grab hold of my arse.
Shit, we couldn’t do this in his office. I pressed both of my hands against his chest until he reluctantly released my mouth. Tugging down the hem of my shirt, I straightened it back into place. “Not in the office.”
Beck let out a huff of a laugh. “It’s your last day tomorrow. What’s anyone going to say if they see us?”
I stepped away from the door putting some space between Beck and me. “About that.” He shoved his hands into his pockets tilting his head towards me. “Tony has asked me to stay on for a little longer.”
Beck straightened, his shoulders tensing. How much was I supposed to tell him? Surely he knew about the new account Tony was trying to land?
“How much longer?”
I shrugged. “A couple of weeks or so?”
Beck ran a hand through his hair. “Fuck.”
Okay. Not quite the reaction I was expecting. “Is that a problem?”
“Of course—” he dropped his hand from his hair and took a step back from me. “Of course it’s not. It’s just…I was looking forward to you not working here.”
“Err…thanks.”
