The Boss of Her

by Julie Cannon

  Elisa didn’t really get adrenaline rushes from her work, but this came close. Whether it had to do with the case and their clients, or with Parker, she couldn’t be sure. Congratulations, Counselor.

  When Parker didn’t immediately respond, she looked back to her computer screen. Sure enough, an email from Don appeared at the top of her inbox. The meeting summons was cagier than Parker’s text, not even hinting that a settlement had been reached. She grabbed a pad and pen and headed to the conference room.

  Parker was already there when she arrived. For some reason, it made her feel better about the fact that she hadn’t responded to Elisa’s words of congratulation. The rest of the team trickled in. Kyle looked peeved, like he had a million other places he’d rather be. True to form, Don came in a full five minutes after everyone else. For a guy who lived and died by the billable hour, he didn’t mind making everyone wait so he could make an entrance.

  He moved to the head of the table like a king holding court. A tubby, balding king, but a king nonetheless. “I appreciate that everyone is paying attention to their email.”

  A round of chuckles made its way around the table. “Are you here to hand out work or bonuses?” Kyle asked.

  The second round of laughter had more teeth.

  “Neither. Although with your slick attitude, I’m tempted to pull out the pink slips.”

  It was yet another round of the back and forth they had in nearly every meeting. Kyle had a mouth, but he did good work. Don would never inconvenience himself enough to fire someone like that. If anything, they seemed to enjoy antagonizing one another. Elisa rolled her eyes, then glanced around to see if everyone else looked as bored by it as she was. They did. Elisa locked eyes with Parker, who hadn’t taken a seat. Parker offered her a wink, then moved to stand next to Don at the head of the table.

  “Ms. Jones, would you like to do the honors?” Although Don usually had terrible posture, he stood tall, with his chest puffed out.

  All eyes trained on Parker. Elisa was impressed that Don deigned to share the spotlight. Before she could start to tease out the potential meaning of that, Parker began to speak. She walked through the details of the settlement, citing how unusual it was to get the full damages—all the bogus fees, plus interest and legal costs. “That would not have happened without the diligence and attention to detail by each and every member of this team, so give yourselves a round of applause.”

  Attorneys didn’t typically need much prompting to be self-congratulatory. Clapping and a couple of cheers filled the room. Elisa watched her colleagues celebrate, but her gaze quickly returned to Parker. She seemed glad, satisfied even. But it looked to Elisa that her mind was at work. Perhaps she was already thinking about the next case. Elisa shook her head. She hoped she never got so consumed by her ambition that she couldn’t even take a moment to enjoy a job well done.

  Parker looked her way. She must have caught Elisa staring, because her expression turned questioning. Elisa thought for a moment she might say something, but before she could, Don raised his hand. “While I enjoy a celebration as much as the next person, we’re still in regular business hours, and there are other cases to be won.”

  Don’s comment earned him some groans and a couple of eye rolls. Most of them were good-natured, though. Everyone around the table knew where their bread was buttered. As people began to get up, Parker spoke again. “Which isn’t to say that a proper celebration isn’t in order. It would be my pleasure to buy the first round this evening. Shall we say Marcello’s at five thirty?”

  Parker’s offer to buy drinks earned as many cheers as the news they’d reached a settlement. People filed out of the room, but Elisa held back. Don said something to Parker that Elisa couldn’t hear. Parker laughed, but then looked her way. Parker thumped Don on the back and started walking toward her.

  Elisa took in Parker’s confident stride and perfectly tailored suit, her warm brown eyes and close-cropped hair. It couldn’t have taken more than a few seconds for her to cross the room, but it was all the time Elisa needed. The case was done. She had no idea if Parker would stick around or disappear tomorrow. Not knowing fueled Elisa as much anything else.

  “Congratulations,” Parker said.

  “Same to you.”

  Parker offered her a curious smile. “Is that it? I got the feeling you wanted to ask me something.”

  Now wasn’t the time to show her cards. “I was wondering if I could get a ride with you tonight, to happy hour.”

  Parker’s smile warmed. “Of course. I’ll swing by your office around five.”

  “Thanks.”

  Parker nodded and Elisa watched her leave. She stood in the conference room for a moment, letting her decision percolate. She was going to finish what she and Parker had started twice now. And she was going to do it one hundred percent on her terms.

  * * *

  Parker shook Kyle’s hand and watched him leave. His departure meant that only she and Elisa remained from the original group of ten. That fact filled her with uneasy anticipation. They’d not had any time alone together since their pseudo-sleepover. Parker didn’t regret it, but she wasn’t sure where it left them. She turned back to the high-top table and found Elisa studying her.

  “It was nice of you to buy all the drinks,” she said.

  Parker smiled. “I figure it was the least I could do. It really wouldn’t have come together without everyone pulling their weight and more.”

  Elisa angled her head. “You’re more humble than you used to be.” She smirked. “Or maybe than I gave you credit for.”

  “Should I take that as a compliment?”

  Elisa smiled fully then. “I meant it as such.”

  “Ah.”

  “A lot of things about you are different than I remember.”

  Parker hoped that was a compliment, too. “I like to think I’ve grown up at least a little since law school.”

  Elisa lifted a shoulder. “That, but I realize now I didn’t really know you then.”

  Parker wished she could decipher the underlying meaning of Elisa’s words, or at least the direction she was now steering the conversation. “I’m sorry that we weren’t closer.”

  “Don’t be.” Elisa shook her head. “I’m only saying I’m glad I’ve gotten to know you now.”

  Parker swallowed. Why did it feel like she was standing on the edge of something monumental? “The feeling is mutual.”

  “Do you want to grab some dinner?”

  While the casual invitation should have relaxed her, Parker’s anticipation only increased. For the first time since she was twenty, she consciously told herself to be cool. “I’d love to.”

  They walked a few blocks to Cochon. Despite not having a reservation, they were able to get a table on the patio without much of a wait. Parker watched Elisa peruse the menu. It felt like they were on a date. And not even a first date. Between knowing each other through work and the awkward kiss and falling asleep together, she felt closer to Elisa than most of the women she’d dated in the last few years.

  For perhaps the millionth time, Parker wondered if she’d blown her chance.

  “Do you want to share some things?”

  The question snapped Parker out of her reverie. “That would be great. You choose.”

  Elisa lifted a brow, but didn’t argue. “How about grilled oysters, boudin, and a mixed green salad?”

  Parker nodded. She’d have agreed to just about anything, but Elisa chose things Parker would have selected herself. “Perfect.”

  Elisa ordered and the food seemed to appear in a matter of seconds. Parker couldn’t figure out why time seemed to be moving so quickly all of a sudden. The next thing she knew, their plates were being cleared and Elisa was slipping a credit card into the folder with the check. “You don’t have to—”

  “I insist.” Elisa smiled. “You can get the nightcap.”

  Parker was surprised by the suggestion. She’d been surprised by the dinner invite as well, but
that at least fell in the realm of casual friendship. This felt neither casual nor like friendship. “If you’re agreeing to a night cap, then I’ll concede the check.”

  Elisa’s gaze never left hers. “I thought we might go back to your place.”

  All of the air rushed out of Parker’s lungs and time—that had been hurtling along just a moment before—seemed to stop. “Uh…”

  Elisa laughed. The sound was sexy and rich and made Parker think perhaps Elisa was simply messing with her. But then she looked at Parker again and her eyes were all suggestion. “Not interested?”

  “Oh, no. I’m interested.” Parker grasped for a coherent sentence. Nothing.

  “I mean, with the case done, it feels like cause for celebration.”

  Again, Parker couldn’t decipher her meaning. It was infuriating, in part because reading people was one of her biggest strengths. The other part was just how desperately she wanted to understand exactly what Elisa meant. Asking might make everything unravel. She needed to relax, and to follow Elisa’s lead. She angled her head. “Let’s get out of here.”

  “I thought you’d never ask.”

  Chapter Ten

  Half an hour later, they sat on Parker’s sofa, sipping cognac. For the life of her, Parker couldn’t figure out if Elisa was waiting for her to make the first move or if she’d somehow imagined the meaning behind Elisa’s suggestion. “So.”

  Elisa set down her glass and leaned in very close. Her smile was slow and sultry. “So, are we going to do this?”

  She hadn’t imagined it. Elisa was in her apartment and giving her the green light. Without taking her gaze from Elisa, Parker reached over and set her glass on the coffee table. She decided to reuse Elisa’s phrase from earlier in the evening. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  Parker kissed her, more tentatively than she had the last time. The time Elisa pushed her away and looked at her like she was insane. This time, there was no pushing away. If anything, Elisa’s response urged her on.

  Parker took the kiss deeper, allowing her tongue to slide between Elisa’s lips. Elisa’s mouth opened, welcomed her in. She tasted sweet, with a lingering hint of spice. Parker wondered if it was the cognac or a trick of how long she’d been thinking about kissing her.

  Elisa slid a hand around the back of Parker’s neck, scratching her nails lightly through Parker’s hair. The gesture—sexy, confident, commanding—sent Parker into overdrive. As tempting as it might be to go with it, plow forward and never look back, she needed to stop while she still could. Parker broke the kiss and leaned back. No matter how badly she wanted this, she couldn’t risk it being something Elisa would regret. She searched Elisa’s face, trying to read her thoughts.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t want this to be a mistake.”

  Elisa laughed, an incredibly sexy sound that tested Parker’s restraint. “I’m not the fragile 2L you hooked up with all those years ago.”

  Despite the humor in Elisa’s voice, Parker hesitated. “You weren’t fragile then and I don’t think you’re fragile now.”

  “So what’s the problem?” Elisa trailed a finger between Parker’s breasts, stopping right above her belt.

  Parker swallowed. “Not a thing. Just tell me—say out loud—this is what you want.”

  Elisa’s smile was slow, sexier even than her laugh. “I want this. I want you. No strings, no promises, no expectations.”

  For some reason, the adamant declaration left a hollow feeling in Parker’s chest. It must be the adrenaline. She nodded, as much to herself as in agreement with Elisa. “That’s good. Because I want you, too. And not acting on it has just about killed me.”

  “We can’t have that.” Elisa leaned in and resumed the kiss that Parker had interrupted. She reveled in the heat of Parker’s mouth and the hard muscles of Parker’s arm under her hand. She meant what she’d said. She did want this. Only this. Knowing that going in, deciding it, made all the difference.

  Parker shifted and Elisa found herself beneath her on the sofa. Parker braced one arm over her head. This time, when she pulled her lips away, it was to trail kisses down Elisa’s neck, along her collarbone, and across the neckline of her dress. Elisa sighed with pleasure.

  She kept one hand in Parker’s hair, used her other to untuck Parker’s shirt. She trailed her fingers up Parker’s side and then across her stomach. Parker’s abs tensed at the touch. Elisa wanted her naked, so she could see and touch and taste. She began fidgeting with buttons, fumbling in the limited space between them.

  “Wait.” Parker pulled away again, and it was all Elisa could do not to groan in frustration.

  “What now?”

  Parker’s face was playful this time instead of concerned. “If we’re going to do this, it should at least be in a bed.”

  Elisa laughed. When was the last time she’d been turned on enough not to care about her surroundings? “I guess you have a point.”

  Parker stood and took Elisa’s hand. Elisa followed her to the bedroom. The space was modern, with clean lines, cool grays, and nothing personal. She remembered, then, it was a corporate apartment, a temporary rental arranged for Parker by the firm. The thought of the firm, and the case, dampened her libido. Elisa intentionally shoved aside those details, along with any doubt or hesitation. The case was done and this was happening, and she planned to enjoy it.

  Parker turned to face her and Elisa resumed her efforts to rid Parker of her shirt. Parker helped by undoing the buttons of her sleeves. Elisa yanked the rest of the hem from Parker’s pants, then pushed the shirt from her shoulders. Underneath, Parker wore what looked to be a combination undershirt and sports bra. Elisa ran her fingers over the snug knit fabric. “I like this.”

  Parker offered a small shrug. “It’s my compromise.”

  Elisa laughed. In law school, Parker had a masculine energy, but it was more the sporty/preppy variety. The evolution to professional butch made Elisa’s insides all hot and bothered. Not that she’d admit that out loud. “It suits you.”

  “I’d say this dress suits you,” Parker reached around and slid the zipper down, “but I’m dying to know what you’ve got under it.”

  Elisa let Parker ease the dress from her shoulders. She stepped back so it could slide down her body, relished the lust that sprang into Parker’s eyes. Knowing that Parker wanted her, combined with being in control of the situation, felt a lot like vindication. She enjoyed it for a moment, then set it aside. Tonight wasn’t about that. It was about incredible sex, and she intended to have it.

  Parker stayed an arm’s length away. “You’re stunning.”

  Elisa smirked, allowing her gaze to travel up and down Parker’s incredibly toned body. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

  Parker closed the space between them, pushing her fingers into Elisa’s hair and pulling her into a kiss. Elisa took advantage of her position and worked at the clasp and zipper of Parker’s pants. She pushed them down, then slid her hands around Parker’s waist and over her ass, enjoying the way her boxer briefs stretched tight across it. Elisa squeezed and Parker groaned against her mouth.

  Whatever playfulness had been between them vanished. In its place, a hungry determination. Parker’s tongue slid seductively across Elisa’s bottom lip. Elisa responded by pulling it into her mouth, sucking and biting it gently. One of Parker’s hands moved down her back, unhooking her bra with a practiced flick. Craving the feel of skin against skin, Elisa yanked at the hem of Parker’s undershirt, pulling it up and over her head. Underwear quickly followed.

  Just a quick brush of their bodies and then Parker’s hands were on her breasts. Instead of pinching or playing with her nipples, Parker held them like some sort of precious treasure. And then she dipped her head, taking one hardened peak, then the other, into her mouth. Elisa arched and let out a cry, unprepared for the intensity of the sensations Parker evoked.

  They tumbled into the bed and Parker pressed her leg between Elisa’s thighs. A
gain, the force of her reaction caught Elisa off guard. Unwilling to cede control, Elisa shifted. She hooked a leg over Parker’s and rolled, reversing their positions.

  She enjoyed the play of emotions across Parker’s face as she straddled her. Surprise morphed into a smile of satisfaction. When Elisa moved against her, Parker’s smile gave way to a look of pure desire. Parker put her hands on Elisa’s hips and closed her eyes. It was Elisa’s turn to smile then.

  She slid over Parker, pleasuring herself and, from what she could tell, Parker as well. After a moment, Parker opened her eyes. She dug her fingers in a little deeper but didn’t try to control the pace. “You are so fucking sexy.”

  Elisa didn’t reply. Instead, she eased away. Parker let out a small moan of protest, but before she could do anything else, Elisa slid her hand between Parker’s legs.

  She’d expected Parker to be turned on, but Elisa didn’t think she’d ever touched a woman as hot and wet as Parker was in that moment. It made her gasp. She squeezed her legs together in an effort to stem her own arousal.

  “Fuck.” Parker’s eyes rolled back in her head.

  Elisa forgot her desire and focused on the task at hand. She intended to make Parker come undone.

  Elisa slid her fingers up and down, stroking on either side of Parker’s clit. She watched Parker writhe—in pleasure, but also in search of more direct stimulation. She refused to hurry, to give in to the quick release. It wasn’t a chore. She could stare at Parker’s body all day long and never grow bored. Seeing it rise to meet her hand, covered with a light sheen of sweat, took it to another level.

  When it seemed like Parker had settled into a rhythm, content to let Elisa set the pace, Elisa shifted tactics. She stroked squarely over Parker’s center, then pressed two fingers into her. Parker’s eyes flew open and she came part way off the bed. “Elisa.”

  The way Parker spoke her name sent a shudder through her. She shook it off before it could get anywhere near her heart and smiled. “I’ve got you.”

  Parker fell back. Her words became mumbles Elisa couldn’t decipher. She did catch “more” at one point, so she added a third finger. The way Parker clenched around her, seemed to want her closer and deeper, made Elisa’s pulse thud in her chest and between her legs. Her own pussy clenched, even though there was nothing for her to grab on to.