by Kate Gilead
“That’s true for a lot of jobs but it is a lot worse here than anywhere I’ve ever worked. That’s why they pay so well, to entice people to stay and put up with all this crap.”
She nods. “Yes, it was by far the best money of any of the jobs I applied for.”
“Right. No doubt. But on top of all that, this company is trying to grow too fast, taking on too much. They want to push the competition right out of the Midwest. They’re cutting corners, doing stupid things. I’m doing my best but they’re always in my fucking way.” I laugh, a bit bitterly. “Money isn’t everything, so yeah. I might be gone once my contract is up.”
She looks at me with those big blue eyes, as wide and innocent as the sky. A shadow seems to pass through them. Is she…does that bother her? That I might not stay?
I find myself hoping that it does.
Jesus.
My dick twitches.
“And you’ve been here three months already,” she says. “Which means, you might be gone in three months?”
“Yes. I still have a…I have options in California. I haven’t wound my life up there completely yet.” Apparently, now all she has to do is look at me and I practically spill my guts.
“Were you born there?”
“No, I was born in Cleveland. We moved to the Columbus area when I was little. My parents still live right here in Maple Mills actually. My roots are here, which is partly why I might stay. I dunno yet.”
“I really hope you stay,” she says softly. Our eyes meet again, and this time, they linger. In the depths of her eyes I see her emotions…fear, and longing, and hope.
Today, she’s been so vulnerable, so unguarded, so open…it calls something deep inside me.
Something about this girl just makes me feel like a knight in shining armor, and at the same time, like a horny, raging animal about to ravage an irresistible female.
Fuck.
I want to pull her into my arms. I want to kiss those full lips and grab handfuls of those luscious breasts. I wanna lay her down right here on the couch and fuck her ’til she screams.
I fight it, but it’s an impossible battle. She’s too close, too sexy, too hard to resist.
Her eyes fasten on my mouth, her lips part and the tip of her pink tongue darts out, wetting her lips.
Oh, man! My dick throbs and swells. I can’t stop looking at her luscious mouth.
And that’s it, I can’t fucking take it anymore.
Chapter Five
Jenny
When I say to him that I hope he stays, he gets so quiet and so still, that it makes me nervous.
The look in his eyes! The intensity of it. Heart pounding, I look at his wide, sensuous bottom lip and wish I could just fling myself at him and kiss him, suck that bottom lip into my mouth and eat it right up.
My pussy throbs.
And then, as if something suddenly shifted into high gear, I feel our need and desire rising up and taking an almost palpable form in the air between us.
A dreamy feeling washes over me, and then he’s leaning into my space, his half-closed eyes looking at my mouth. His own lips curling at the corners, he stops. Hovering half an inch away, we breathe each other in.
Then he crushes his lips against mine, claiming my mouth with his; firmly, decisively. His arms go around my back and press me against his densely-muscled chest.
His kiss is soft yet demanding, not asking but taking, teasing and tender-rough, making my heart pound. He grasps my bottom lip between both of his, taking it into his mouth, just as I envisioned doing to his.
My center flares with heat and fire, making me squirm with desire.
Such an urgent kiss, so full of passion, so sure and steady, taking things in the direction he wants to go.
I’m in a stunned, full-body state of tingle…delighted and scared and so turned on.
Wetness seeps into my panties. My nipples grow into hard points, and my spine feels like it’s thrumming with energy.
He growls, subtly, deep in his chest.
It’s the hottest fucking sound I have ever heard. Ever! It makes my back arch and my pussy clench and throb, bringing out instinctive animal responses that I can’t hide from him.
Tongues seek and retreat, his hands going to my head where they gently hold it like it’s made of glass. We part to breathe, his face pressed into mine. One arm stays around my shoulders and holds me tight against him, while the other goes to my waist.
His palm follows my curve to the slope of my breast, where it lingers for a moment, squeezing gently. His fingers brush up and down over my erect nipple, making my pussy throb, before his hand goes around to my back to pull me closer against him.
He inhales deeply through his nose, kissing his way along my jaw to my ear.
Oh damn oh damn. I think I’m about to burn up from the inside. It’s so hot, it’s unbearable.
We have to stop, before we both regret it.
He pulls back, looks at me, starts to say something, then kisses me some more, making that rumble deep in his chest again.
I kiss him back, letting him have my tongue.
So delicious and so dangerous.
“Jenny,” he breathes, when we finally come up for air, “Jesus Christ, I can’t even…fuck! You’re so goddamn beautiful!” He holds me, both of us breathing hard. “But we have to be careful. It’s you who…”
He stops when we hear the sound of an approaching vehicle. Not a moment too soon. My head feels like it’s spinning and my pussy is throbbing insistently.
“Someone’s coming,” he says.
“Shit! This isn’t cool…my car! My car’s right outside…shit!”
He’s looking at me with that look again. That indescribable look. Then, he smiles, white and wide and just a tiny bit sheepish. “Oh yeah. I, ah, parked it around back when you were sleeping. Hope you don’t mind.”
“You did?” Sneaky of him, maybe, but better safe than sorry.
“Yes. The keys were in the ignition. I put them over there on the desk,” he says, pointing. “By the way, your engine is burning a bit of oil. You might need an oil change. You should take it in for service as soon as you can.”
“Oh? Okay,” I say. “Thanks.”
We listen as the sound of the vehicle stops, idles, then starts going again, back in the other direction, until it slowly fades away.
“False alarm.” He turns back to me as his phone beeps a notification. He takes it out and reads it.
“The big trucks are leaving. It’s three-forty-five, which means the workers are leaving too. That vehicle we just heard was probably one of the new guys, going the wrong way. It’s confusing on this site.”
“No kidding! So, I can go?”
“Shortly. You feeling up to driving yourself home?”
“Yes, I’m feeling a lot better. Thank you.”
“Okay, good.” He beams at me, then gets serious. “Jenny…this…what happened here…” He takes my hand. “This should stay between us. Management can’t fire me but I don’t know how they’d view your employment if they knew we were…you know. We should be discreet.”
“Right. Um…you should know that Flora is onto us. She already thinks you…well, I mean, she says she’s noticed you looking at me.” Obviously I’m not gonna tell him how I’ve talked about––okay, obsessed over––him with Flora.
“Shit, is that right? I thought I was being more subtle.” He shakes his head but his eyes are still gleaming. “I’m not saying she’s not a trustworthy person, okay? But we won’t need to rely on trust, as long as you don’t confirm anything. At least not right away. You understand?”
“Of course!”
His eyes are regarding me so warmly. It feels so odd, so illicit, in a way. And so exciting! “I don’t want either of us to have any regrets about what happened here today. If we play our cards right, we won’t.”
I nod. I can tell he’s not finished.
“Good. I don’t want anything to prevent us from getting to kno
w each other. Outside of work.” He looks at me gravely, and then leans forward for a kiss. “We’ll talk about this more later. But right now, I have to get moving. I have to go inspect the equipment and sign off on the day’s reports.” He squeezes my hand and stands up.
“I’ll go first.” he continues. “You give it ten minutes and then leave, just to be on the safe side. That’ll give the ground workers time to leave the area too. No one’s working late today, which means no one should be around to see you leave.”
He gives me a smile, bends, cups my chin, and plants another kiss. “I’m glad you came here today, beautiful.” I feel myself blushing. His smile widens as he looks at me, “I’ll call you tonight, okay sweetheart?”
Beautiful! Sweetheart! Holy crap!
One more kiss, and he’s gone.
I flop back for a moment and let what just happened sink in.
First off, I’ve never been so absurdly grateful for toothpaste…thank God he had some here! I gargled and finger-brush my teeth with it, so that my breath was fresh. Of course, he didn’t know that, so he must’ve had some big, clanking balls to take a chance on kissing someone with just-woke-up-breath!
A comical thought pops into my mind: The Prince leans in to kiss Sleeping Beauty and gets his hair blown back by her nasty morning breath. Heh. But they hardly talk about that logistical stuff like that in fairy tales or romance novels, do they?
After thinking for a moment, I text Flora and let her know that I got sick and won’t be in tomorrow. She replies with concern and I give her the abridged version. I don’t mention anything about where I actually spent my day.
Of course, now that there’s something to tell, I’m dying to tell her everything. But I know I can’t. It’s one thing to joke around about it, but now that something’s actually happened, it’s a lot more serious. Not gonna take the chance on anyone at work finding out.
My imagination, on a roll now, pictures Flora accidentally letting something slip to a co-worker about how Blake and me are an item.
Then my mind follows that up with a ridiculous scenario wherein a bunch of elderly Delcroft board members come swarming into the trailer and catch me and Blake going at it, right here on this bed. They point at me and call me a slut, fire us both, and then get back in their limo and go to lunch at a strip joint.
I giggle. But, as stupid as that is, I’m suddenly seized with a craven fear of getting caught ‘fraternizing’, and losing this awesome pay check, as well as all the benefits which are about to kick in when my probationary period is up.
That’s what the real stakes are, and they’re high enough. I need this job and the benefits because there’s just nothing better out there for me right now.
My mind never ceases to amaze me in its ability to think of the most negative––and unlikely–– outcomes possible. Yet I didn’t think twice about the possible repercussions of being at Blake’s trailer when I came here.
On the other hand, how could I have known I’d end up zonking out on his pull-out couch?
You never know what life’s gonna throw at you.
And it was so…nice, just sitting so close together, being in each other’s space, especially in such an intimate setting.
He hasn’t divulged a lot of personal stuff about himself before. We’ve shot the shit, talked and joked around…when he’s not being belligerent…but never just talked about our lives.
Certainly, never really flirted so blatantly. Maybe that’s why it came out in such an intense way today. All that built-up tension.
And Flora was right all along! He is attracted to me. I’m happy about that but also, scared shitless.
The truth is, I have no idea what I’m doing. I’m letting my emotions and my urges make my decisions right now.
I wonder, is it possible that a man can make you so damp in the drawers, you can actually lose your mind?
When he mentioned the terms of his contract, and I realized that it means he might be gone in three months, my heart literally ached in my chest. It’s still aching, to think he might not stay.
Isn’t it dangerous to want a man like that? A man who, one minute, plainly states that he might not stick around, yet has no problem being seductive the next.
Yikes! Thinking of it that way makes me break out in goose-bumps, of the not-so-good kind.
Fear and paranoia raise their ugly heads.
Am I crazy to be in such a state over a guy I work for…my boss? A guy who might be gone in the blink of an eye anyway?
I’m crushing on him so hard! Like, about to be head-over-heels hard. My heart sure as hell doesn’t want to back out now. Things have just gotten started.
No matter what, I’m in for the duration. I just hope I’m not setting myself up for a fall.
Chapter Six
Jenny
I manage to leave the job site without being seen, except for Blake, who’s standing by his truck, his cell phone stuck to his ear. I don’t wave or slow down, but as I pass, we make eye contact and he winks.
He’s so gorgeous! I can barely believe how things happened today. I let myself have a moment of daft happiness over it. He likes me! He kissed me!
Kissed me? He ravaged my mouth, more like. The thought makes me smile while my whole body seems to throb with lust for him.
I’m over the moon but at the same time, shit-scared and not sure what to do.
By the time I get home, the codeine is wearing off. The pain isn’t as bad as it was, but before I do anything else, I head straight the kitchen, open a cabinet and take three ibuprofen gel capsules as insurance.
Something warm and furry wraps itself around my lower leg. It’s Dog, my enormous black cat. He looks up at me and makes an inquisitive “Rrrrr?” in the back of his throat. His emerald green eyes seem to glow against the blackness of his fur.
“Hey kitty, kitty,” I murmur, “yep I’m home early today.”
Without warning, he tries to launch himself upwards into my arms, misses, and goes sailing straight past me, giant paws flailing.
In his wake, a small clump of black fur floats gently down to the floor.
I shake my head, laughing. I surely have the clumsiest cat on the planet.
“Dog, you goof! You know you’re not good at that cat stuff,” I chide him gently, then pick him up for a cuddle. He sits upright in my arms and gently bats the sides of my face. Eyes closing, he rubs his cheek along mine, then, he lets himself go completely limp, like a big, furry dish-rag.
“Ugh, you weigh a ton when you do that,” I tell him, putting him down on the floor.
After eating a quick sandwich, I head up to my room, with Dog draped over one shoulder like a purring shawl. I change from my work attire into a long t-shirt and then, I lay down and curl up with my kitty, cozy on my bed.
Mom won’t be home for a while yet. I can’t wait! Since my dad got sick, I haven’t gone to her with hardly any of my problems because I never wanted to add to her burden. He was sick for a few years and she nursed him at home, until he died when I was nineteen.
She was still the best mom she could be and I didn’t want for anything. Besides, I had my aunts, and my friends, like Brenda, Amanda and Marie, to lean on, and their parents have been there for me too.
But it meant that Mom and me haven’t been as close as I’d like. And, probably, not as close as she’d like, either.
I’ve never said much to her about my job stress or my growing crush on Blake. Plus, there was really nothing to tell about my crush before now, except some silly fantasizing.
But now…now, it’s different. This situation is way out of my pay grade and I need her wisdom and guidance. Bad!
Maybe it’s okay to lean on her again now. I hope so, because I sure need to.
I make up my mind to tell her everything, and then I close my eyes and try to rest a bit more. Having slept so long today, and with so much to think about, I doubt I’ll be able to drop off.
But the comfort of Dog’s purring in the peace and qu
iet of my room soon lulls me into sleep again.
“Jen? Jennifer Jane,” my mother’s voice whispers as her fingers caress my head. I open my eyes.
“Mom?” I sit up, feeling mostly okay. Thank God! “Hi. What time is it?” I stretch and rub my eyes, then I blink at her, and smile.
My mom and me have had our ups and downs but right now I’m happy as hell to see her.
“Hi doll,” she says, taking a seat on my bed. Dog blinks at me from where he’s settled contentedly in her arms. “It’s six thirty. Why are you in bed? You get your period?”
“No. Worse than that! I had a really bad migraine. Maybe the worst ever. It’s better now, but boy am I glad you’re home.”
“Oh really?” She looks concerned, but then smiles, her blue eyes crinkling at the corners. At fifty-four, she looks good for her age but sometimes, when she gets tired, it shows.
She runs her hand through her salt-and-pepper hair, smoothing it away from her face. “I’m glad the migraine’s better now, but I’m even gladder that you’re happy to see me,” she says, making a funny face.
Smiling, I lean forward and wrap my arms around her, enfolding her and Dog both. Dog lays there like a limp fur rug, loving being at the center of attention. I inhale her familiar smell as she hugs me back, feeling some of my stress fade away. “Awww. My sweet girl,” she whispers.
“Mom, I need to talk to you,” I say, leaning back. “It’s about what’s been going on at work. There’s…I have a…I mean, the problem is…my boss.”
“Oh well,” she says. “Boss problems. Yeah, I’ve had some of those myself. You haven’t said much but I thought you were looking pretty tired. Not sleeping well?”
I shake my head. “It’s been hell, frankly. Very stressful but as for my boss…this is a different kind of problem.”
She tilts her head and looks at me intently for a moment. “Ohh…kay? Hmm. How about we get something to eat while we talk? I’m starving!”
“Me too.”
