Falling for You: A Forbidden Office Romance (Annapolis Harbor Book 5)

by Lea Coll

  “Um, it’s more like loungewear.” Comfy sweats and stained tees. Nothing I’d wear to work out with Jonah Templeton.

  “If you’re going to work here, we’re going to have to turn you into a sporty girl.”

  “And are you the one to do it?” I crossed my arms over my chest, surprised to find myself flirting with him.

  “Someone has to.” He gave his signature wink.

  It was the same one I’d rolled my eyes to over the years, but now that it was aimed at me, it was potent. My heart sped up, my stomach was all fluttery, and my fingertips tingled. It was easy to disregard him when he walked around the locker room and football field as JT, this larger-than-life presence who attracted women to him like moths to a flame. Now that I’d seen a more vulnerable side to him because of his injury, I felt like I was seeing the real Jonah, not the one he presented to everyone else. That guy was harder to resist.

  He leaned in closer. “You think you’re immune to my charms, but you’re not.”

  I bit my lip watching as his gaze was drawn to the motion. “I’m not immune. I’m just smarter than those other girls. I wouldn’t get involved with my boss.”

  His jaw tightened. “Reid’s your boss. He’s the one who hired you.”

  “That sounds a little like semantics, doesn’t it? What happened to you saying I was like Reid’s little sister and you wouldn’t go there?”

  “I love a good challenge.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “Is that what I am to you? A challenge? I’m nothing like the women who chase you, so I’m suddenly appealing?”

  He shook his head in disbelief. “It has nothing to do with the chase.”

  His tone was low and gravelly, the words intended only for my ears. A tingle ran down my neck, making my hair stand on end.

  I wasn’t sure what to say to that. His words sparked something in my chest, all my nerves were firing. He was talking about more than my athletic abilities or prowess on a ninja course.

  I was the challenge. The idea thrilled me. When a man like Jonah sets his sights on you, you grab on with both hands and go for the ride. Screw the consequences or the inevitable heartache.

  He turned to walk away. “Don’t forget your ninja gear tomorrow.”

  Could I handle him? I hadn’t been with anyone who felt this risky in a long time. It wasn’t that he was a bad boy. He was trouble in a different way. He was going to get under my skin and shred me from the inside.

  He wasn’t the kind of guy that committed to anything outside of football. I had a feeling he’d discard me as soon as someone else caught his interest. I was expendable in more ways than one.

  I was positive he’d be amazing in bed. He’d probably even show me glimpses of that secret side of himself, but would I get all of him?

  He stopped at the doorway, looking back. “You can’t walk away from a challenge any more than I can.”

  Then he was gone.

  He had a knack for exits. When had anyone ever viewed me as something more than the girl whose parents died in high school or the pretty girl next door?

  My pulse pounded in my throat. Jonah made me feel desired. He thought I was beautiful when he could have anyone he wanted. Was I a distraction from his everyday life, or was he genuinely interested in me?

  Chapter Six

  JONAH

  What was I doing? The more time I spent with Callie, the more I wanted to know her. She’d been prepared for the tour, coming out with one well-researched suggestion after another with the numbers to back them up. Reid was right to hire her. She was intelligent, hardworking, and passionate about the sports complex.

  I wanted to ruffle her cool exterior, her perfectly made-up face, and her pressed clothes. I wanted to know if she burned hot when the right guy touched her. I wanted to know if that guy was me. Instead of telling her all of that, I’d challenged her to a ninja course. It was the playground equivalent of tugging on her pigtails, and it made no sense at all.

  I should have asked her out, using one of my well-practiced modes of seduction, lowering my voice to that gravelly tone most women seemed to enjoy, standing closer than necessary, maybe even brush a strand of hair out of her face. Then I’d watch her eyes dilate and the involuntary shiver down her back. I was usually confident with women, but Callie was different.

  She was studious, hardworking, intelligent, confident, yet vulnerable and soft underneath. There was something about her admission that she wasn’t athletic that touched me. Most women lied or said whatever I wanted to hear, but not Callie. She was so genuine, so real, so unlike me. I craved her presence. I wanted to be in her sphere, revolving around her, soaking up her goodness. I didn’t deserve any of it. I didn’t deserve her, but I sure as hell wanted her.

  I popped my head into her office. Her gaze was on the computer, her spine ramrod straight, her forehead wrinkled as she read whatever was on the screen. She was probably preparing more graphs and spreadsheets. It was time to have some fun. “You ready for the ninja course?”

  She sighed before looking at me. Her lips turned down slightly. “You were serious about that?”

  From her crestfallen expression, I could only assume she either thought or hoped I wasn’t. “Of course. Someone has to test out the course and make sure it’s a good one.”

  “I don’t think Reid would have installed a boring ninja course. If there even is such a thing.” She shook her head, but a smile played on her lips.

  Hopefully, she wasn’t just tolerating me because I was one of her bosses but enjoyed my company as much as I did hers. Even if I didn’t have much to offer besides my fun persona. “You bring something to change into?”

  She stood, walking slowly around her desk, leaning a hip against it.

  The narrow red skirt emphasized her small waist, curving over her hips. Her tan legs were bare, the neutral heels emphasizing the curve of her calf. Clearing my throat, I said, “I don’t mind watching you on the course in that skirt, but you might be uncomfortable.”

  “You wish. I brought clothes.” She crossed her arms over her chest, raising a brow. “If you leave, I’ll get dressed.”

  “You don’t want to try out the locker room? As the manager, I think you should partake in all areas of the complex so you get a better idea of how everything works.”

  She pursed her lips as if she were amused by my suggestion. “I’ll change in my office and meet you at the course.”

  “Suit yourself.” I shrugged, enjoying pushing her buttons.

  When I turned to go, she asked, “Will it just be us?”

  I turned back to see the worried expression on her face. “Just me.”

  I wanted her all to myself. The course was an excuse to get closer to her, under the spreadsheets and her carefully prepared speeches. You could tell a lot about a person when they did something hard for them or out of their comfort zone.

  I was already dressed in a T-shirt and shorts, so I grabbed a water from the fridge that Reid kept stocked and headed to the ninja area. I walked through the course, figuring out what I could do without injuring my knee. Monkey bars and climbing shouldn’t be an issue if I relied primarily on my upper body.

  “Getting the lay of the land?” Callie asked.

  I turned to find her standing in the entranceway in a tight tank top and black leggings. The outfit left nothing to my imagination, every curve and every dip and valley was on display. It was very possible the obstacle course was a bad idea. There was no way I could stop thinking of her as sexy, or go back to her being Reid’s personal assistant and my employee.

  “Something like that.” I wanted to get the lay of her body. I wanted to trace her curves with my hands. I moved toward her without consciously thinking, my fingers itching to grip her hips and pull her flush against me. Suddenly the room was warm. Instead of reaching for her, I stopped in front of her, twisting off the bottlecap and taking a long pull of the cold water.

  “How does this work?” Her gaze shifted nervously to the c
ontraptions and mats behind me.

  I needed to focus on the obstacle course and not how she looked. How I felt about her was going to be obvious. I couldn’t hide my body’s reaction under mesh shorts.

  I walked her through the course, detailing how she’d get through each section. She listened carefully.

  I got the impression she was making notes in her head, trying to remember every suggestion I’d made for hand position.

  Standing at the beginning of the course, she drew in a shaky breath. “I’m not sure about this. I’m not exactly coordinated.”

  “You’ll do better than you think you can.”

  She offered a small smile. “We’ll see.”

  “Let’s go through it slowly.” I’d challenged her to get to know her better, but I didn’t want her to be nervous or scared. I wanted to reassure her, to help her through the other side. She’d feel accomplished when she was done.

  I stood next to her as she grabbed onto the ropes, climbing to the rings, then swinging her way across, biting her lower lip in concentration. I encouraged her every step of the way. She placed her foot on the mat on the other side, a triumphant smile on her face.

  “We’re just getting started.”

  “Let’s keep going.” She turned, assessing the next challenge, then jogged toward the climbing wall, making it partway up, then slid back down. She groaned in frustration, her hands on her hips as she gauged the obstacle. Then she backed up, running harder, trying again. Her fingers grasped for purchase on the ledge as she climbed almost to the top before slipping again.

  “Any suggestions?” Her brow was furrowed, her shoulders rising with her heavy breaths.

  My respect for her grew exponentially. I couldn’t help but think if she’d been one of the women I spent time with in the past, she’d be giggling and asking for my help. She’d listened to my suggestions, but she wasn’t flirting. Her entire focus was on what she was doing.

  I stepped closer to her. “You might need to strength train. Do you do any exercise, even walking?”

  She was willowy as if she was built to be a dancer or runner.

  “I don’t.”

  “You might need more upper body strength. Want a boost?”

  Her cheeks flushed, she nodded.

  I moved onto the mat until her back was to my front. I leaned over her, showing her where to put her hands. “Put your hand here, foot there.”

  She gripped the climbing apparatus, her butt stuck out, brushing against my groin. I pulled back, knowing the contact was merely an accident. She wasn’t coming on to me. She probably hadn’t noticed the near miss while my blood was now pooled below my waist.

  “What’s next?” she asked over her shoulder.

  I cleared my throat. “I’m sorry, what?”

  “You said you were going to give me a boost.” She refocused on the wall.

  What was I thinking when I offered? I clearly hadn’t thought it through.

  I’d need to boost her up by her ass. I could hold her foot, but it wouldn’t be enough. If she were a guy, I’d be standing back trash-talking her through the course. It would be safer than standing a hairsbreadth from her, debating what her ass felt like through her leggings. When I realized she was probably wearing a thong or nothing underneath, I tipped my head back, staring at the ceiling. I took a deep breath.

  “Jonah?”

  “Let’s go.” I said it with more confidence than I felt.

  I waited until she adjusted her grip, placing my hands on her ass, boosting her up. I tried not to think about the warmth of her body seeping through her leggings, the flex of her muscles, or the way my hands molded to the curve of her ass. She scrambled up and over, cheering when she reached the other side. I took a few deep breaths before joining her.

  “I did it!” she exclaimed when I met her on the other side.

  “I told you that you could.” I shifted on my feet, feeling like a bastard for taking advantage of the situation by touching her.

  She flexed her arms. “Maybe I should work on my upper body strength. It feels good to do something with my body. My head feels clearer, like I can do anything.”

  My gaze fell to the top of her tank top where her hot pink sports bra was now visible. I forced my gaze up to her eyes.

  “I love working out too.” I’d discovered the thrill of what my body could accomplish at a young age. I easily gained muscle mass when I lifted, improving my speed and strength. I loved the high I got when I worked out hard.

  Looking ahead, she had to run over a long, moving cylinder.

  “Are you ready to keep going?”

  She nodded. “Definitely.”

  Pride soared through me that she felt more confident. She took off at a run, immediately falling off to the side. She laid on her back as if she was stunned.

  I rushed to see if she was okay.

  She held up a hand to ward me off. “I’m okay.” She stood, brushing off her ass. “Well, that was embarrassingly quick.”

  Chuckling, I said, “The faster you run on this, the faster you’ll fall.”

  “Good to know,” she mumbled to herself right before she took off.

  This time, she made it halfway before her arms went out for balance, she flailed on one foot, then went down, landing hard on her side.

  “Are you okay?” I held my hand out to her.

  “I’m going to make it across.” Her hand wrapped around mine.

  Easily pulling her up, I said, “You are.”

  She didn’t need me trash-talking to her or shouting encouragement, she could do it on her own. Not only was she intelligent, she was mentally strong. As an athlete, mental strength was more important than physical. If she could do this course and keep getting up after falling over and over again, I could apply the same attitude with my injury and physical therapy. I’d keep trying to get better and stronger. I’d stop thinking about what would happen if I didn’t get better. If I thought I’d return no matter what, maybe I would. Maybe believing in my body’s ability to overcome, to heal from the injury, would be the difference.

  “You’re pretty amazing.”

  Callie laughed. “Because I keep falling?”

  “No, because you get back up more determined to scale the wall or make it across that.” I gestured at the slowly moving cylinder. It moved deceptively slow, easing the participant into thinking it was easy, but it was the hardest obstacle on the course.

  “I know I can do this.” Her eyes were determined.

  “You can.” I’d never been prouder of anyone. She wasn’t a seasoned athlete who was used to training mentally and physically for challenges. It had nothing to do with coordination or physical strength. It was all her. She believed she could handle this job, so she could. She believed she’d make it through the obstacle course, and she would. Maybe not today or the next day, but eventually.

  How could I have ever doubted she was the right choice to run Rebel Sports? It was because I didn’t know the strength of her character. Now that I did, I admired her even more.

  She stood so close I could reach out and tuck the strand of hair that fell out of her ponytail behind her ear.

  Her breath hitched as she looked up at me. “Are you trying to distract me?”

  “Is it working?” My voice was low.

  She licked her lips. “Maybe.”

  She took a step back from me. “I’m not going to let you though.”

  She turned away from me, focusing on the cylinder, taking in a breath before running. She made it halfway across before she stumbled, straddling it.

  I winced, holding my breath that she’d be okay.

  Straddling the moving cylinder, she gripped it with both hands, yelling as she lifted herself up, and finished the run across. She stumbled a few times, almost losing her balance, but she made it. “I did it!” She turned to face me, to get my reaction.

  “That was amazing.” It was a great example for me. I might have gotten knocked down due to the tackle and my injury, b
ut it wouldn’t keep me down. Even if I never returned to my original abilities, I’d compensate in other ways, lifting heavier, getting stronger and faster, and come up with new ways to dodge linemen. I should mention the course as a team-building exercise for our employees, maybe even suggest renting out to other groups.

  “You’re an inspiration.”

  Her hands settled on her hips. “Me? How am I an inspiration?”

  “You kept getting up and doing it again. You didn’t give up.” Somehow, I knew even if she hadn’t made it across, she’d come back another day and keep trying. It was her personality to keep going. Even after losing her parents, she’d clearly brushed herself off, refocused, and got back to living. When I doubted her ability to do this job, she researched and worked harder. Nothing got her down.

  “I guess.”

  I moved closer to her, not wanting to fight this attraction to her anymore. Her chest was heaving from exertion, her cheeks flushed. Her eyes widened as I moved closer to her, stepping onto the mat next to her. I did what I’d been thinking about earlier, I gripped her hips, pulling her against me, groaning when I felt her heat.

  My lips crashed down on hers. My heart was beating erratically in my chest. I kissed her like she’d pull back at any second and this would be the only chance I’d ever have to taste her. I kissed her like someone was going to walk in at any second and interrupt us.

  I moved her back against the wall of mats, angling her chin, taking the kiss deeper. I wanted to pull her tank top over her head, to feel her nipples through her bra. My hand curved over her ass, tipping her against me as she moaned into my mouth.

  Her hands traveled over my chest then down, slipping under my shirt. My muscles spasmed in response to her touch, wanting her to go lower, wanting her to push my shorts down and pull out my cock.

  Fuck. She was my employee. I shouldn’t be here. I sure as fuck shouldn’t be kissing the hell out of her, feeling her up. I had no business doing this, but I couldn’t stop myself. I couldn’t—I didn’t want to be the voice of reason in this situation. I’d take and take until someone put a stop to it.