by K. S. Martin
“Mr. Williams is previously engaged Laurie. He asked me to cancel your appointment. He will have no time to see you today or any day.”
“You did this on purpose you bitch!” She screams at me. I’ve never seen Laurie lose control but I keep mine. Jake’s door opens then and he stands there glaring at her. “Oh Mr. Williams, if I could just have a minute of your time.” She gushes and rushes over to him, he looks at me. I shrug. What can I do? Wolf out at her? No. Not an option.
“Your interview was cancelled, Jane has filled the position. Your services are not needed.”
“But Mr. Williams, I can do so many things for you. So many more things than prude little Jane.” Laurie is pouring on the charm and using her sexy innuendo voice. Gross. She grabs his arm and presses her breasts to him. I roll my eyes. I can’t help it, it just happened but Jake lifts a brow at me. It’s not as if I haven’t rolled my eyes at Laurie Tickle for the past four years.
“Jane call security and tell them you’ve found the intruder.” He tells me as he shrugs her off.
“But Mr. Williams you have no idea what I can do for you.” She whines, and that was not sexy at all.
“What I’d like you to do for me Miss Tickle is leave.” Jake goes back into his office and she follows him. Nervy. I push the button for security that is printed on a sticker on the phone. I tell the officer that there is an intruder in Mr. Williams’ office and hang up. The elevator doors open again across from my desk. I’m expecting security but it’s Michaela Robertson. She approaches the desk. They couldn’t get here this fast anyway unless a panther sprinted down the stairs.
“Hi. I have an appointment with Mr. Williams.” She says brightly.
“Yes, Ms. Robertson. He is just finishing with something. Have a seat.” I gesture to the sofas to my left. She turns her head toward Jake’s office and watches Laurie Tickle make a fool of herself. Her brow raises. I think that’s odd until Mikey sets her purse on my desk and walks into his office.
“Is she a problem Mr. Williams?” She has a very commanding voice for someone so young.
“Yes.” He says curtly. Mikey takes her by the upper arm and marches her out of Jake’s office. Laurie is fighting her but she is powerless against what I scent. Panther. Jeez this place is crawling with cats. The elevator in Jake’s office opens with a whoosh and two of the private security team come out. They go where Jake points and grab both women.
“The shorter one is your problem, the other has an appointment.” I say and Mack turns to give me a nod. He takes Laurie from Mikey and waits for the elevator to come up. Mikey strides back to my desk for her purse. Jake is standing at his desk watching. He gives me a nod. “Follow me Ms. Robertson.” I get up and lead her into Jake’s office. I have a steno and a pen. I’m supposed to take notes. I have a feeling I may be too interested in what the panther has to say to remember that.
Mikey Robertson is hilarious. I can’t help but like her even though I want to hate her. She tells him of her panther exploits as a child and we all laugh. She is very clear up front that she knows what he is, what we are and what she is. She thinks that her panther skills coupled with her IT skills would benefit Jake greatly. Then he sobers and asks.
“And why do I deserve all of this loyalty. What makes you so eager to help me?”
“You might not remember, but when you were in college there was a girl.” Oh God tell me she hasn’t slept with him. My heart starts to pound. There were a lot of girls. “She uh would’ve been around when you were a freshman. Her name was Leeann.” Jake sits back. He remembers. I feel the anxiety rolling off him. I wonder if panther girl can feel it of if it’s a mate thing.
“I remember Leeann.” He breathes. “She died.” Laurie nods and says nothing. “I couldn’t save her.” I’m lost but on the edge of my seat. He never said anything. To be fair though, he never said much about anything especially college and I didn’t know him then anyway. He was a senior when Mom and Dad got together.
“Leeann was my sister. She told me how you were helping her battle her addiction and she was winning the fight. She loved you.” My eyebrow lifts. “Not like that.” She waves a hand at me. “She loved that someone cared, she loved you as a friend.” Jake nods.
“We had a lot of laughs, I liked her too. Then she bailed.” He says quietly. I wonder if Jake had feelings for Leeann. She was before me, he could have liked her a lot and if he had, we may never have happened. A coil of fear nests in my belly. Jake glances at me and gives me a look that says don’t worry.
“Our mother died, she um…it doesn’t matter. She died and Leeann couldn’t deal with it. She overdosed.” How the hell does a panther overdose? She would’ve had to take all the pills in the pharmacy. Jake nods and folds his hands on the desk. “I feel indebted to you. I didn’t want to call you up and say hey I’m Leeann’s sister but I do want to do anything I can to help you. You kept her sane for almost a whole year and it was the happiest year of my childhood. I at least wanted to thank you.” Jake starts typing on his computer and she looks at me. I have no idea what he’s doing so I give her a little smile and jot down some things on my pad. “I’ve tried dozens of times for an appointment but your staff would never let me see you so I went to extremes. Leeann always said that you had a great sense of humor and a brilliant mind but someone would need to protect you. She also said that you loved games and puzzles. I figured that my course of action was the best way to get your attention.”
Jake looks up at her now. I’m looking at her too. “Don’t take this wrong or think I’m looney but Leeann had the sight.” Jake nods. What does that mean? I don’t understand. She glances at me. “She had visions. They weren’t always time appropriate but they were accurate.”
“Time appropriate?” Crap. I’m not supposed to talk. Jake looks at me sternly. She nods.
“What I mean by that is sometimes they were years in advance. Sometimes they were after the fact. Like for instance, there was a murder of another panther when we were kids. They were going to punish someone for the crime but Leeann had a vision and told our parents how it happened. She gave them details that no one else knew and led them to key evidence.” I mull that over. She could’ve done it herself. “She was nine.” Mikey said. Okay so she didn’t do it herself. I nod and scribble on my steno.
“What do I need protection from?” Jake asks quietly. She shakes her head.
“She never said, just that you did. She saw a woman with dark hair. I don’t know if you need to be protected from her or help protecting her.” She looks me square in the eye. He doesn’t need protection from me and he knows it. Jake will translate this into me needing protection. Crap. “I was a kid so she didn’t always share the gory details. I have mastered four martial arts and I graduated top of my class with a double major. I’m sure that you’ve checked me out. You probably know what I eat for breakfast by now. She thought you needed protection and she gave me the impression that it was serious. You helped her and I want to help you. Will you let me?” I blow out a breath while Jake considers it.
“I didn’t find the association between you and Leeann.”
“I changed my name to take my mother’s name when she died. I blame my father for her death and I didn’t want his name attached to me in anyway. Leeann and I both hated him, more so now that I’ve lost my sister and my mother.” Jake nods and I see that he is pulling up Michaela Stone and the screen fills. He clicks to email and sends a note to security. He’s having her records checked further back.
“I can put you on the security detail for now until you’re trained then we’ll see. If you don’t work out though you will not pull anymore shenanigans in my building.” She nods. “I will prosecute.” She nods again.
“Thank you Mr. Williams. Thank you for the opportunity and for Leeann.”
“Wait in the waiting room and someone will come up to get you acclimated. You can start today. If that’s acceptable.” She nods.
“Thank you.” She stands, shakes his hand
and goes out to the waiting room. She sits on one of the couches. Jake picks up the phone. I’m still sitting there. Jake lifts his mug and gestures to the coffee machine. I take the mug and go fill it for him then put the chair back where it goes. I’m heading back to my desk when Jake snaps at me and motions me over to his side. The doors to the office slide closed.
“Mack, I want you to come down and fetch Mikey Robertson. She was just hired to work in security. I want her on personal detail and I want her trained. She’s starting today. That’s all for now.” He hangs up. “What do you think of her?” I shrug. “You said she was funny. Does that mean you like her?” I know where this is headed. He didn’t wait a second.
“Jake I do not need a personal guard. It would be a waste of talent to pin her to my side. Use her where she is most beneficial. Put her in IT security or better yet put her with your lawyers in the IT division, I know you have one.” He gives me a sharp nod. “I don’t need a guard.”
“I say you do.” He growls. Crap.
“Do you think I am unsafe sitting at my desk right outside of your office? You can protect me here and at home. You protect me and they can protect you. It all works out. I don’t think she would be happy protecting me anyway. She wants to fulfill her dead sister’s request and protect you. Let her.” He’s considering it. “I think she should work with the other panther guy, they could get together and make…”
“He’s mated.” Jake cuts me off. Damn. I was hoping to play matchmaker. “Okay Jane, for now you can have your wish. Check my email please.” I look at his screen full of email. “I want you to get into the habit and be familiar with what is going on.” I’d rather surf for cat videos but whatever. The office door opens and I see Mack leading Mikey to the elevator near my desk. She gives me a little wave and I wave back. She’s going to be around so I may as well make friends. If he has his way we’ll be fastened at the hip.
Jake is coding. I can tell because he’s hunched and pounding his keyboard. I’m getting hungry. It’s lunch time and I wonder what his procedure is for that. Do I order something or go upstairs. “Jane.” He says without looking up.
“Yes Mr. Williams.” I call sweetly. He looks up from the screen and past me into the waiting area. I stifle a giggle.
“Call the diner, there’s a menu in your desk and have lunch sent up.” There is a chocolate milkshake in my future. I start scrambling through the drawers. “Get me a burger, cheese, lettuce, tomato and bacon.”
“Is that good?” I say still looking in the drawers.
“The best.” I find the menu and dial. Within seconds I have two cheeseburgers, onion rings and a milkshake on its way. Jake said we don’t pay for anything but I feel weird about that. I go into his office. He’s banging the keyboard again. I wonder if he has to replace it often. “Have you checked email?”
“Yes. I’ve taken two messages too.” I have the pink papers in my hand. He looks up and I hand them to him. It was weird. Both of the gentlemen that called didn’t ask to speak to him, they said they would like to leave a message for him. Jake reads them both and sets them aside. I hear the door slide closed. “The guy is bringing lunch, why did you close it?” Jake clicks the mouse then stands up and comes around the desk.
Jake grabs my face and kisses me deeply, desperately. I stop thinking and let him have his way. I wonder what brought this on. He reaches under my skirt and trails his fingers up my leg. My heart starts beating harder. I wrap my fingers around his tie and crumple it in my fist.
His hand is on my behind now and I arch into him. “Do you want this?” He asks breaking the kiss. “I only meant to kiss you but you seem like you want more.” I moan into his mouth kissing him again. Jake spins me around and puts my hands on the back of the chair that I sat in earlier. He picks my skirt up and pushes my pantyhose down. The air is cool on my skin. I do want him. I never thought I would want this much sex but it’s him I think. If it were someone else I probably wouldn’t be this needy. I hear his belt hit the floor and he’s inside me in an instant. His breaths are heavy in my ear and his mouth wet on my neck. I want to look at him but I don’t want him out of me.
“Jake.” I mewl. I sound pathetic but it’s how I feel. He’s so thick and hot inside of me filling every desperate inch. He’s ramming himself into me and it’s just what I need. My gut is thick with desire and my womb clenching in anticipation. I feel it trembling and working itself into a frenzy. His fingers are squeezing my nipple through my blouse. I arch back against him and he moans close to my ear.
“Come Jane, strangle my cock.” I clamp my muscles down on him hard as my knuckles go white. I’m giving him all I’ve got. “Jesus!” He’s loud. People will hear if anyone is outside the glass doors. “Jane, come!” I can’t hold off any longer. The twisting trembling desire that was working itself around my center detonates. My core clenches harder than before and flutters around his thickness. I feel him swell and pour his hot seed into me. His balls aren’t slapping against me anymore. They’ve drawn up so they can coat my womb. He’s so engorged it almost feels like what I read about. Wolves swell sometimes to ensure maximum transfer of sperm. It’s called the tie. I hope this isn’t that. I wanted sex with Jake but I don’t want to be stuck in this position for the next hour. “I love you.” He signs against my neck. My knees are shaking now. He hasn’t pulled out and I’m nervous about the possible tie. I’m going to ask him about it if this isn’t it. If that’s a possibility then there will not be desk sex very often. Jake lets me go and I relax. I turn to look at him and he kisses me.
“I love you too.” His eyes are dark and smoky. I love it when they’re like that.
“Stay there, I’ll get you something to clean up.” He goes to the private bathroom in the corner and comes right back with a wash cloth. I need to check that out. I thought there was just a toilet and a sink, now I wonder if there’s a shower. Jake slips it between my legs and cleans me, then uses a hand towel to dry where he’s wiped. I put my clothes right when he’s finished. He goes back to the bathroom to get rid the towel and cloth. I smooth my skirt and check my reflection in the window. “You look perfect sweetheart.” Jake is back and straightening a new necktie. I make a face. “You crumpled the other one.” He winks and pushes the button on the desk to open the glass doors.
Our lunch bags are sitting on my desk. I feel my face get hot. I search the room for anyone who may have listened to us but I don’t see anyone. “Bring that in here Jane.” I pick up the bags and the milkshake and go back to his office. I still feel hot. “The glass is sound proof, no one heard us.” I bite my lip. He was loud and how sound proof can it be? I’m still not sure.
Jake points to the coffee bar and I make a face then I remember the table in the corner. I take the bags there and unpack them. The onion ring smell hits my nose and I drool. They are truly a work of art. The batter is delicate and flakey. I shove a small one in my mouth. It tastes even better than it smelled. Jake comes over and sits across from me. He digs right in.
~16~
“After lunch we have a meeting.” He says and takes a draw of my milkshake. “You should’ve ordered two of these.” He sucks more of it down and I raise my eyebrow. That’s mine.
“You should’ve asked for one if you wanted one.” I say and grab it away from him. I taste it and nearly orgasm again. That’s incredible. It’s cold and sweet, chocolatey heaven. He’s not getting one more sip of this. I suck hard on it and Jake laughs.
“You can keep it sweetness.” He bites his burger and groans. “I swear my diner is the best in the city.” He gets up and goes to the little fridge and gets a bottle of water. “The meeting will be in conference room four on the eighth floor. Get off the elevator and go left.”
“I’ll just follow you.” I say.
“No. I want you to arrive before me and listen to the room. You’ll get there ten minutes before me, I’m going to be five minutes late.” I don’t understand. “Just listen to the room Jane. During the meeting I will intr
oduce you and you will take notes.” I nod. “Good.” He says and opens a ketchup packet to squeeze all over the onion ring. I’d rather dip mine. I don’t like it when the ketchup gets warm. I want it to be a cold bite on my ring.
Jake eats quickly and I wonder if he ever gets indigestion eating that fast. His cell rings and I roll my eyes. “None of that.” He scolds. I roll them again. We’re alone, if I want to roll my eyes at my mate I will. “Williams.” He says and takes a drink form the water bottle. I finish my burger. We’re having this again tomorrow. I could eat this every day without complaint. Jake gets up and walks away from the table. I clean up like a good assistant or whatever I am. I wipe the table as best I can with a napkin. He needs a spray cleaner in here because we’ve left grease on the table. I look around and I think that Jake can use a couch too. He needs a sitting area that isn’t him glowering down at you from his desk. If I moved the plant he has there closer to the window there would be plenty of room.
“What’s circling up there?” He’s behind me with his hands on my shoulders. I melt back against him. “None of that, you have a meeting to go to, but what were you thinking just then?”
“I was thinking if I moved that plant to over there that there would be room for a couch, a coffee table and a chair or two.” I cock my head and study the corner. This office is beyond big and looks barren. I’m no decorator but I think it needs more furniture. He rubs my shoulders then goes to the desk. He returns a second later while I am still studying the corner.
“Call this number, tell her what you want and she will have it bought and delivered before you know it.” Hmm. The decorator woman, the one fascinated with beige. “No leather.” He whispers. “I want something warm and comfortable under you when we christen the new couch.” Oh. “Now go to the meeting. Take your steno.”
“Yes sir.” I jump when he smacks my bottom.
I take the main elevator to the eighth floor and find conference room four. There are several people already here. Most are sitting quietly and either chatting or looking at their notes. I wonder what this meeting is about but I don’t ask anyone. Jake should’ve told me. I sit in the middle against the wall. I think I’m blending in when a man sits next to me. “Hi, I’m Bryan.” He offers his hand and I take it. We shake but he wants to hold on longer than I want him to. I finally get my hand back. “I’m the IT supervisor.” I nod. “I haven’t seen you around before have I?” I shake my head. “Where do you work?”
