Code Red

by Amy Noelle

  I was crazy about him. Completely, one hundred percent gone. What I’d felt for Damian paled in comparison. In fact, it pissed me off just how much of my life I’d wasted in memory of that idiot. I’d given him far too much importance in my world and for what? Two months of giddy feelings and empty promises? I wanted to go back in time and kick my own ass, then head to New York, find Josh, and make him mine then and there. All that time wasted. Well, I wasn’t wasting it now.

  I turned and focused in on Josh, wondering why I was wasting yet more time thinking and worrying, when I could be enjoying him sitting next to me, looking handsome in khakis and a green polo and smiling at me like I was the only woman in the room? Well, I was technically the only woman in the room, but he looked at me like that whether we were here, at Wrigley, or at a crowded restaurant.

  “What are you thinking?”

  “Just thinking.”

  He ran his finger lightly up my arm, and I shivered. “About anything interesting?”

  “Always.” I turned back to the computer.

  “Care to share?” Now he was caressing my neck, and I was trying very hard to rein in my reactions in the hope it would make him either ditch his plan or speed it up.

  “Not especially.” I typed a sentence, but what it said I didn’t know, because his lips replaced his hand when he pushed my hair aside. “You’re violating the rules,” I said, not really giving a damn but figuring I should point it out. “I’m going to have to report you to Human Resources.”

  “Oh yeah?” He laughed against my skin, and I felt it all the way through my body. “What are you going to tell them?”

  “That you’re creating a very disruptive work environment. Oh . . .” I mistyped when he nibbled on my ear. He knew my every weakness, and he hadn’t even gotten me naked yet. If he could drive me this insane when I was fully dressed, what could he do when I wasn’t? I might not survive it, but damn, I wanted to experience it.

  “But you weren’t really working, so I’m just taking a break with my coworker. We do get two fifteen-minute breaks a day, you know. I don’t think they have any say in regards to how we spend them.” He scraped his teeth along my neck, and I couldn’t stand it anymore.

  I turned and put my arms around his neck and kissed him as hard as I was capable. He smiled against my mouth before opening his and moving his tongue against mine. I was pretty sure we made out for longer than the allotted fifteen minutes. When we finally broke apart, my entire body was tingly and I wanted nothing more than to yank his clothes off and feast on him for the rest of the day.

  “So, I think we should expand the Wi-Fi part a little bit,” he said, like we hadn’t just been kissing like horny teenagers.

  I scowled and turned back to my computer to pull up my e-mail. “What are you doing?” he asked, sounding oh-so amused.

  “Sending an e-mail to HR to report you for sexual harassment.”

  He chuckled and massaged my neck again. “I don’t think I’m harassing you.”

  “That’s a matter of opinion. I’m going to die right here at my desk from sexual frustration, and I want them to know who to blame. I think I’ll include Ryan in this e-mail. It couldn’t hurt to point homicide directly to the culprit.”

  “So you’re going to report me for not making love to you on work property during work hours? I don’t think I’m going to be the one in trouble.” He kissed my neck.

  “Maybe, maybe not, but someone needs to know why I died.”

  “You’d better not die. I like having you around.”

  “Then stop killing me.” I closed my e-mail without bothering to write anything.

  “I’m not trying to kill you.” I looked at him over my shoulder, and his expression was smoldering. “I’m just trying to make you feel good.”

  “Well, you’re winding me up and giving me no payoff,” I complained and pulled up my document. I felt him moving toward me and held up a hand. “Nope. No more. I won’t survive it.”

  He chuckled and sat back. “I’ll be good.” I’d just bet he would. “Now, about that Wi-Fi.”

  Right. We had a workday to get through. Then I could go home and use BOB before and after Supernatural.

  We worked well enough for the rest of the day. He was true to his word and didn’t kiss me again. Of course, he still managed to sneak in little touches, but I couldn’t complain because I would have missed them if he’d stopped.

  “So, Supernatural tonight?” he asked as we got ready to leave for the day.

  “Yeah, it’s the finale.” Another season down. I was going to miss it, but hey, that’s what repeats were for.

  “What will you do with your Fridays after this?” he asked. When we walked out, Lisa shot me a dirty look as she headed out the door ahead of us. Angela had done her job and spread the word, so Lisa was openly hostile now. I was glad I didn’t have to sit next to her. I wondered what would happen if I moved back out there. I didn’t want to. Since Lydia had decided not to come back from maternity leave, I hoped I could keep her office—hoped we could keep it.

  “Usually I watch the repeats, though I can be persuaded to go out given the right motivation.” I side-eyed him as he held the door for me.

  “The right motivation, huh? I think I might be able to come up with some.”

  Sure he could, if he dropped this whole gentlemanly dating thing and just ripped my clothes off. I might even give up the finale for that.

  “I imagine you could if you tried real hard,” I said and casually let my hand graze against his dick. We technically weren’t in the office anymore. We were in the hallway. It was, therefore, okay to drive my boyfriend insane. After all, turnabout was fair play.

  He laughed and caught my hand. I didn’t know if it was because he always held my hand once we got out of the office or to stop me from molesting him. Probably the latter. “I’ll have to work on it.”

  “You do that.” I glared at him, but he continued to smile blithely.

  “In the meantime, I’ll walk you to the train and then leave you to your Chinese food and your routine.”

  I got on the elevator and said, “Why thank you, that’s very . . . oh shit! I forgot my phone.” I’d taken it out of my purse to text Jen and left it sitting by my computer.

  Josh hit the button. “Go get it. I’ll hold the elevator.”

  I shook my head as I stepped out. “I’ll meet you down there.”

  “I can wait,” he said.

  “I’ll see you in five minutes.” I waved him off and hurried back to the office, where I slipped my phone into my purse and left with a wave to Andrew. I opened the door at the same time as the door across the hall opened, and I cursed under my breath when I saw Derek. He glanced up, and his glare could have melted me on the spot. All righty then. I’d managed to go nearly two weeks without seeing him. I knew I’d have to deal with it someday, though I’d really hoped Josh would be at my side when I did.

  “Uh, hi.” I figured I should say something, since he was staring at me.

  He glanced down the hallway. “Where’s your protector?”

  “Protector?”

  “Yes, the guy you’ve been hanging all over every day after work in order to avoid me.”

  Hand-holding was hardly pawing one another. We’d resisted that, accidental purposeful crotch-rubbing aside.

  “Josh? He’s downstairs.” Waiting for me.

  “Yeah, Josh. The guy who helped me score my big date with you. All of a sudden, he seems to be the one scoring.” Sarcasm dripped from his tone, and it put my back up. Probably because there wasn’t any real scoring being had. Or maybe because Derek was an asshole.

  “What Josh is or isn’t doing with me is none of your business. We went out. I was rude to you and I’m sorry about that, but even before that, I knew we had nothing in common.”

  I started to inch down the hall, but he grabbed my arm. “Get your hand off me.”

  “What, only he gets to touch?” I glared at him and yanked my arm away. “
Why did you two set me up like that? Did you think it’d be fun to jerk me around? Was it some weird game you play?”

  “We didn’t set you up. There was no special master plan. He misinterpreted the situation when he saw me talking to you, and once the date was set, I felt like I had to go out with you. I didn’t think anything was going to happen with me and Josh so I . . .” Derek was making faces and rolling his eyes and being an all-around ass. “You know what? I don’t need to explain myself to you. We went out. It didn’t work. I paid for more than my meal, so you weren’t even stuck paying for a shitty date. I’m not sure what else you want me to say, but that’s all I’ve got.”

  “Oh, you’ve got a lot more than that, and I’m sick of you flaunting it in front of me every chance you get. How about you give me a little bit of what you’re giving him? I’ve wanted you way longer than he has, if he even does at all, since he set you up with me.” He was standing over me, and his icy blue eyes were angry. I wasn’t scared, but I was getting really uncomfortable.

  “Are you for real? I haven’t been flaunting anything. I held his hand. I didn’t screw him against the wall.” His nostrils flared, and I wondered if I’d gone too far. “We just started dating. I owe you nothing. I’m sorry if you wanted me for however long, but you have to admit we had no chemistry.”

  “I felt plenty attracted to you. I guess it was just one-sided, because you never gave me a chance until it was too late.”

  I felt sort of bad about that. “Listen, Derek, I’m sorry if I led you on. I hadn’t wanted the complications of dating. Then Josh just happened. It wasn’t some plan or a joke we were playing on you. We’re drawn to one another, and that’s it.”

  “Did you go directly to him when you left me?” I flinched. He grabbed my arm again, this time with more force. “I knew it! I knew you were a bitch, but I didn’t think you were a whore, too.”

  Before I could react, a cold voice said, “I suggest you take your hands off her if you want to be able to use them ever again.”

  Derek released me, and I turned to see Josh, his face a mask of anger, his eyes shooting fire. “Now you can apologize for calling my girlfriend a whore.”

  “Josh, it’s . . .”

  “No, it’s not okay. It’s not okay that he called you a derogatory term, and it’s certainly not okay that he had his hands on you without your permission.” His voice was pure steel, and I felt a little shiver when I saw the violence in his eyes. I had never been one for fighting, but damn if the idea of him punching Derek wasn’t a bit exciting.

  Josh was easily a good three inches taller than Derek and probably weighed forty pounds more. He stepped closer to him, and Derek took a step back and held up his hands. “I was just calling her out on her behavior. You have to admit if she’d stepped out on you to come to me, you’d be pissed off, too.”

  Josh’s smile was feral as he wrapped his arm around me. I leaned into him and immediately felt better. I knew Derek wouldn’t hurt me, but he’d certainly made me nervous.

  “She’d never do that to me, would you, Nicole?” I shook my head mutely and Josh laughed. It was a hard laugh. “But if she decided we weren’t working out, I’d accept it like a man and not act like a pathetic jilted lover after only half a date. It was half, right, Nicole? You didn’t get through the main course.”

  “Right.” I was finding it a bit hard to talk, because I was dazed by all the testosterone around me, and the fact that I wanted to mount Josh right there and show Derek exactly why I chose him.

  “Don’t worry. I fed her when she came to me. She was quite satisfied and managed to salvage the night very well, didn’t you?” I nodded. Josh was being vicious, and it turned me on so much.

  “It doesn’t matter. I found someone to occupy me after she left.” Derek sneered at us.

  “If that’s the case, then why are you making such a big deal about this and manhandling her? We’re both quite happy you were able to have a good time, just like we were. I suggest you chalk it up to a bad date and leave it alone.” There was a threat in Josh’s voice.

  “Sure, man, whatever. I was just letting her know I didn’t appreciate her dicking me around.”

  “She did not go out with the intent to dick you around. If you want to blame anybody, blame me for pushing her into a date she didn’t want to go on in the first place.” Derek flinched and Josh smirked. “Would you like to take it up with me right now?”

  “No. She’s not worth it.” Derek edged his way back toward his office.

  “You’re wrong. She’s very much worth it, and that you can’t see that is just another reason why you’re not the man for her.” Josh took a step forward and Derek shrank back. “If I ever see or hear about you touching her, harassing her, or giving her a dirty look again, you and I are going to have a problem.”

  That was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen.

  “I understand. Don’t worry. I have no interest in even talking to her again.”

  “Good. You have a lovely weekend. Ready to go, beautiful?”

  He smiled at me as if he hadn’t just threatened the guy who was frantically hurrying back into his office.

  “Yeah.” Josh kept his arm around me and steered us away. “You just . . . were you going to kick his ass?” I asked as we stepped into the elevator.

  “If he touched you one more time? Yes, I was. The way he talked to you, the way he looked at you, pissed me off.” Josh closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I hope I didn’t scare you.” He looked at me and his eyes were calmer, less scary, but still sexy as sin.

  “No. You didn’t scare me.” Even if he’d hit Derek, I probably wouldn’t have been scared, though I might have disrobed.

  “Good. I’m glad I got tired of waiting for you.”

  “Me, too.” I still felt strange. Maybe I was having an adrenaline crash. “Thanks for coming to my rescue. It was very sexy.”

  He laughed. “You liked me defending your honor?”

  “Yes. More than I should.”

  We got to the lobby and he guided me out into the Chicago night. Every step we got closer to the El, I started to feel worse. I didn’t want to separate from him tonight. I didn’t think I could.

  “Well, you have fun with your show, and maybe you could send me a text when—” That’s as far as he got before I kissed the hell out of him right in the middle of the street. He laughed breathlessly when we broke apart. “What was that for?”

  “For being my knight in shining armor. For being the sexiest guy I’ve ever laid eyes on, and for making me feel amazing right after someone else made me feel like shit.”

  “I like those reasons.” He pulled me into a hug and I burrowed into his chest. At that point I knew I couldn’t let him go tonight.

  “Josh, will you come home with me? We don’t have to do anything. We could just watch Supernatural and chill.” I didn’t have the heart to look at him and be turned down, so I addressed the question to his chest. I liked his chest anyway.

  He tilted my face up and looked into my eyes. “You want to share your show with me?”

  Did I? Holy shit, I did. I wanted him with me more than I wanted my Supernatural. “Sure, but if you don’t want to watch it, we can watch something else.”

  He silenced me with a hard kiss and smiled brilliantly when he pulled back. “I want nothing more than to watch your show with you, Nicole.”

  That was odd, but I wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. “Great. We can get Chinese or whatever you want.”

  Josh smiled and pulled me close. “You don’t know how much I’ve been hoping you’d invite me over on a Friday night.”

  Really? “Well, I just did.”

  “Yeah. You finally invited me in.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I invite you in all the time and . . . oh.” Let him in. As in, this was what he was waiting for. Sexy times ahead. “Really?” My voice squeaked embarrassingly.

  He chuckled and kissed the top of my head.
“Really. Let’s go home, yeah?”

  Sex date! Unless he was messing with me or I was misinterpreting. No, I wasn’t. It had to be. He’d been waiting for me to share my show with him. It was insane, but I kind of got it. I didn’t share my show with anybody, and now here I was, ready to share it with him.

  “Let’s go home.” For the first time ever, I was actually hoping Supernatural would hurry up and be over quickly. I had a man to attack. Finally.

  Chapter 22

  The nerves kicked in somewhere on the way home. It wasn’t that I didn’t want him. I wanted him more than I’d ever wanted anybody, which was scary. I was sharing my sacred Friday night tradition, which I was also surprisingly okay with. The problem was that I hadn’t planned on having him over tonight, and I most certainly hadn’t made myself presentable for sex. I needed to shave at the very least.

  Josh didn’t seem nervous at all. I kept glancing at him, and he just had a comfortable smile on his face. Or was that a knowing smile? Or was it an I’m going to get lucky smile? That was probably it. But it wasn’t like he had to do anything special to prepare like I did. He could be as hairy as he needed to be and not have to think about a damn thing other than getting it up, which, by now, I knew was not a problem. I’d felt evidence of exactly how not-a-problem it was against my leg on several occasions.

  “What’s going on in that head of yours?” Josh asked, nuzzling my neck a little. We were on the train and I was getting fidgety, calculating how long it would take me to get ready and if he’d be terribly offended if I left him alone while I took take a bath. “Second thoughts?”

  “God, no!” I couldn’t have him thinking that. There was no telling how long he’d put me off if he thought I was freaking out. Which I wasn’t. I just wanted to not be a total Sasquatch when he saw me naked.

  “What then?” He smiled kindly, and his expression was so patient.

  “I just . . . I’m ready, but I’m not ready, if you know what I mean,” I blurted, cursing myself because I made zero sense, and I could tell by the look on his face that he had no clue what I meant.