Love Unleashed

by Natalie Brunwick

  “That man’s staring at us,” Kris said, shifting in her seat across from me.

  Following her gaze, I frowned when I realized who it was. “Jerry?” What on earth is he doing here?

  “The guy from work?” Kris asked, lowering her voice when he headed in our direction. Apparently, saying his name was also an invitation for him to join us.

  “The one and only.” No doubt I’d taken too long and he came out here to find me. Everyone knew I had a soft spot for Ruthford’s, mostly because I brought some back to the office once I was through.

  “Afternoon ladies,” Jerry said, plastering a stupid smile on his face. “I was just coming up here to see if they had any of the pumpkin left.”

  “Doubtful,” I said, staring into my own cup. “You never come up here.”

  “Not during work hours I don’t,” he agreed, giving me a pointed look. “And who might this be?”

  “I—”

  “Don’t answer that,” I said to Kris, passing her a warning glance. To Jerry, I said, “Go on and get your ice cream but leave us alone. I’ll see you back at work.”

  “She’s a little testy today, isn’t she?” He pointed a thumb at me but had his eyes on Kris.

  Kris, in all of her glory, sat up straight, tightened her hold on Duke’s collar, then said, “She has every right to be. You’re interrupting our lunch. You’re like one of those telemarketers who calls just as you sit down for dinner. The only problem here is the fact I can’t hang up on you.”

  I burst out laughing. I couldn’t help it. Kris looked so serious, and Jerry… if his jaw could actually hit the floor it would’ve done just that.

  Kris went on before either of us could say anything. “Now, I don’t know about you, but I prefer to eat my ice cream before it turns into soup. So, if you’d be so kind as to go on your merry way, I’d appreciate it.” Duke growled at him for good measure, barking when Jerry didn’t move away soon enough.

  Good dog.

  There are only a few times when I’ve seen Jerry that pale or that speechless. If I’d had a camera, I would’ve taken a shot because, man, it was priceless.

  Scolded by Kris, Jerry turned on his heels and headed for his car. He didn’t even bother with his ice cream.

  Out of my line of sight, I thought for sure he was through. That is until Kris looked up from her ice cream again.

  “Is he taking a picture of us?” she asked, the uncertainty in her voice putting my nerves on edge.

  I whipped my head around and looked right at him. His phone was already down, hidden inside a pocket somewhere. After smiling in our direction and offering me a wave, he got in his car and left.

  “What was that all about?” Kris asked once I turned back around to face her.

  “Knowing Jerry, it can’t be good.”

  I found him back at the office right where I left him. He didn’t even have a chance to speak.

  “Give me your phone,” I ordered, holding out my hand as my temper got the better of me.

  “No,” Jerry said with a laugh.

  “What’s the picture for?” I spoke through clenched teeth. “And don’t tell me you have no idea what I’m talking about because we saw you. It doesn’t take a genius to know when someone’s trying to snap a photo.”

  “It’s for the board,” he said without a bit of hesitation, pointing to the board with all of our pictures on it. “Yours hasn’t been updated in over a year.”

  “Then take one of me inside the office, not when I’m out to lunch.” Who even does that?

  “I thought it might be nice to have one of you with a client.”

  “She isn’t…” I released a long breath and rubbed at the area above my eyes. “You know what, I’m done. You asked for my help and I’ve done everything I can, but I can’t spend my time on your shit when you pull something like this.”

  “It’s just a photo,” he said, not moving from where he was.

  “And you can take another one,” I told him matter-of-factly. “Here. Why don’t we do it right now?”

  “Because you aren’t smiling.” He frowned at me when I forced a smile. “People can tell when it’s fake.”

  “Delete it, Jerry, otherwise I’ll tell Tim that you’re dragging your feet on this.”

  That got his attention! He took out his phone, flipped to something on the screen that I couldn’t see, then tapped it again. “There. Happy now?”

  “No, but at least I won’t have you climbing all over my back.” I went to leave.

  “Wait. I thought you were going to help me.”

  “I only help people who don’t try to stab me in the back.” If I knew anything about Jerry it was the fact he only ever did things for himself. He may have claimed the photo was for the bulletin board, but I’d have to be an idiot not to know any better.

  With the photo taken care of and my entire lunch with Kris ruined, I returned to my office to focus on my own work. I couldn’t concentrate. Every time I closed my eyes, all I saw was that smug grin on Jerry’s face.

  This is going to be a long day.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Do you think he’s telling the truth?”

  Kris walked into the living room from her kitchen and joined me on the sofa, a cup of coffee in either hand. I’d told her about my confrontation with Jerry as soon as I got out of work. Now, days later, he still hadn’t taken a new picture for the board.

  “With Jerry, it’s hard to tell,” I said, smiling my thanks when she handed one of the cups to me. “I thought you didn’t like drinking coffee this late at night.”

  “It isn’t that late,” she said, craning her neck to check the time on the clock above the stove. “Besides, unless you want to talk to a zombie all night, it’s highly recommended. This week kicked my butt.”

  “You and me both.”

  After everything I’d done to help Jerry, he still hadn’t made any progress. Normally, I’d tell myself it was his problem and leave it at that. Unfortunately, whatever he’d planned to do with the photo left me with an uneasy feeling in my stomach. He swore he’d deleted it, but as I sat in Kris’ living room recounting the entire thing, I wasn’t so sure.

  He walked around the office like he owned the place and only did enough to get by. I honestly had no idea what was going on with him, but I didn’t like it.

  “Maybe you should tell your boss,” Kris offered, placing her hand on mine when I didn’t say anything. “He’s harassing you, and it’s not the playful kind, either.”

  “I’m probably just making a big deal out of nothing instead of taking him at his word.”

  “And is he usually honest with you?”

  I opened my mouth to say something but thought better of it.

  “Then maybe giving your boss a heads up isn’t a bad idea. It couldn’t hurt.”

  “I’ve never liked the idea of being a whistleblower.” Even at my own expense. I’d gone after Jerry that day, full of fury, not because of what he’d done to me but how uncomfortable it’d made Kris. It was then, I realized, that I still felt the same anger as before, brought back to life when Kris spoke again.

  “It’d be nice to know what his motives were. If he’s the type of person I’m thinking of, the photo has to be somewhere. You’re better off not waiting until he decides to use it for leverage. If he’s that kind of person, I mean.”

  “He is,” I said. Of that, I had no doubt. “I’ll see if I can pull my boss aside tomorrow.”

  “Thank you,” Kris said, leaning in to kiss me on the lips.

  “What for?” I hadn’t done anything yet.

  “For letting me in and telling me what happened after you left. I wouldn’t have blamed you if you kept it to yourself.”

  I caressed her cheek with the backs of my fingertips, pressing her forehead to mine a moment later. “It involves both of us. Keeping it to myself wouldn’t have been right.”

  “No, but you did want to.” She passed me a knowing smile, then closed her eyes and leaned
into my caress. “The worst thing that could happen is you’re wrong and Jerry was telling the truth.”

  “But?” I urged, sensing there was a lot more to her words than she was willing to say.

  “At least bringing your boss into the mix will offer you some peace of mind. You might not say it but I can see this bothers you. If you let things go on the way they’ve been, your work will suffer. I can hear it in your voice whenever his name comes up. This isn’t healthy. What happens if your quality of work suffers and then your boss gets involved? Would that be better?”

  God, no. “Probably not,” I said, not looking at her. I couldn’t stomach the thought of getting called into Tim’s office because I’d lost my focus. “I’ll talk to him tomorrow. I promise.”

  “You’d better,” Kris warned, setting her coffee aside before snuggling up to me.

  Following her example, I placed my coffee out of the way, then wrapped my arms around her, kissing the nape of her neck for good measure. “Oh? And what happens if I don’t?”

  She lifted her chin until her nose touched mine. “I’ll send Duke into the office and let him pee all over your work.” She was teasing, of course, but the image was just enough to bring a smile to my face. “I’d love to see you explain your way out of that one.”

  “Someone left the door open, I swear,” I said with the sweetest smile I could. “He just ran in here like he owned the place. I’ve never seen this dog in my entire life.”

  Kris rolled her eyes at me, then kissed the tip of my nose before curling up in my arms again. “This is nice, sitting here with you.”

  “It is.” In fact, it was the most comfortable feeling in the world. Kris’ warm body against mine, the gentle movements of her arm as she rubbed my leg… all of it just felt right. Maybe it was the stress talking. Maybe it was my mind trying to escape my day to day life. Whatever it was, I had no desire to leave, not just tonight but any other night.

  But it’s too soon, my mind warned, interrupting my reverie.

  My heart didn’t agree, and as Kris drifted off in my arms, I knew I was right where I needed to be.

  “I’m right here.” I kissed the top of her head before closing my eyes so I could listen to her gentle breaths of air.

  I could’ve stayed with her all night. I had every intention to do exactly that. However, when Duke started to whine and pulled Kris out of a dreamless sleep, I realized it was time for me to go. We both had our own routines, and like it or not, I had an early day tomorrow.

  If I was going to bring Jerry’s actions to Tim’s attention, I had to get whatever sleep I could, which meant going home and avoiding distractions. Distractions like Kris’ soft lips, her gentle touch, and the kind eyes that were currently locked on mine.

  “I’ll call you once I finish work,” I promised, pulling on my jacket from beside the front door before kissing her again.

  “Good luck. I mean it. I know these things aren’t easy. It’s just another reason why I prefer working from home,” she said, standing on her tiptoes so she could kiss me back.

  Without her shoes on, I had at least another inch on her. The way she stood there on her tiptoes with my fingertips under her chin was…

  “Beautiful,” I murmured, losing myself in her eyes.

  “Hmm?” Kris asked, the remnants of sleep still hanging on her words.

  “You,” I said, tilting her head back before kissing the side of her neck.

  Her cheeks darkened then. “Keep talking like that and you won’t be able to leave.”

  “That doesn’t sound like a threat to me,” I teased, not stepping away from the doorway.

  She shook her head, then opened the front door. “You need your rest. We both do. If you stay…” She trailed off, chewing her bottom lip once she did.

  “Again, I don’t see the problem.” When she glared at me, I laughed. “Okay, okay. You’re right. I need to focus. But tomorrow… tomorrow we’re going to pick up right where we left off. Deal?”

  “Deal.”

  Kissing her again, I breathed her in, taking as much of her with me as I could before finally pulling away. The air outside her arms was colder than I remembered, but as much as I would’ve loved to have stayed right where we were, we really did need our rest.

  I didn’t move. I thought about it, but my legs were stuck in place.

  “I don’t want to leave,” I said, wincing when my words cracked at the end.

  “And I don’t want you to,” Kris said, her eyes locked on the ground around her feet.

  “But?” I urged, lifting her chin so she’d meet my gaze.

  “Having you here feels right. I…” There was that mouthwatering smile again, and this time when she went to turn away, I pulled her into my arms and kissed her. Hard.

  Her body stiffened, melting in my embrace seconds later as I deepened our kiss. It was there, in her foyer, when I knew I wasn’t going home.

  For the second time in one night, I said the only thing that came to mind. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  Chapter Twelve

  After a lovely evening with Kris and an even better morning, I floated around the office. Whenever I thought I got a handle on things, my thoughts went right back to her. To her warm touch, her sweet lips, and how beautiful she looked sleeping next to me.

  Sadly, my good mood ended the moment I stepped into my office after lunch. A yellow note hung on my computer monitor. Only one person used those notes, and there were only a handful of reasons why someone would get called into his office.

  Either Tim wanted to partner up with me on a new sale, or I’d done something wrong. Considering the fact I was still wrapping up my last property, icy panic coiled around the base of my spine. Problem is, I had no idea what I’d done wrong? I always wore my blazer when I was out, I never bad-talked, I was always polite… nothing came to mind.

  Steeling myself for what was to come, I swallowed back my nerves before knocking on Tim’s open door. Hunched over his own desk, he held up his hand, reading over whatever he’d been working on. Then, and only then, did he finally meet my gaze, removing his black-rimmed glasses as he did.

  “Oh good, you got my note,” he said, waving me in.

  “It’s hard not to when it’s taped to my computer screen,” I said with a nervous laugh, my cheeks burning hot as his eyes bore into me.

  “Close the door, will you?” he asked before I had a chance to sit down, causing my stomach to churn all over again.

  “Sure,” I managed, doing as he’d asked.

  Like I said, there’s only two reason Tim ever calls anyone into his office. I’m screwed.

  He spoke as soon as I took my seat, his eyes never leaving mine. “How long have you been with us now?”

  Was he actually asking me how long I’d been with the company? No doubt he had my paperwork right in front of him, the same paper he was currently shielding behind his arm. “Eight years this upcoming August,” I said, wincing when my words didn’t come out as loud as I’d wanted them to. My nerves were getting the better of me.

  “Eight years,” Tim repeated, blowing out a long breath before turning the paperwork over so I could see what it was.

  My heart leaped into the back of my throat. I couldn’t believe it. There, right under his fingertips, was a picture of me and Kris sitting outside of Ruthford’s.

  “How?” I asked breathlessly. How did he get his hands on something like… Jerry. I should’ve known. That was the day Kris caught him creeping around. I knew it didn’t have to do with the bulletin board. Heck, he hadn’t even done anything with it yet, and now I knew why.

  “How I got this isn’t the problem so much as why it exists,” Tim said, oblivious to my thoughts. He held up his hand when I went to say something. “Let me finish. Now, I don’t care what my employees do on their own time or who they date. In fact, when this landed on my desk a few days ago, I just about threw it out the window. Problem is, I remembered seeing this woman somewhere before, and do you know why th
at is?”

  Playing dumb would get me nowhere so I didn’t even try. “The Baker place.” Damn Jerry and his nosing around.

  “That’s right,” Tim said with a nod, his expression being one I couldn’t read. “Now, I could explain this away as a lunch between one of my employees and her client. However, this looks a little too friendly to me. How about you?”

  There was a smile on Kris’ face, her hand on mine. It wasn’t sexual at all, but still something that left a warm feeling in my stomach. God, I loved that woman. Not just her beautiful blue eyes or silky blonde hair, but the way she laughed, her smile, the taste of her lips—

  “Leah,” Tim said, bringing me back into focus.

  “We’re just friends,” I stammered, no doubt the red on my cheeks giving me away. “I didn’t even realize who she was until her dog trashed the Baker yard.” At least that much was true. When Tim put me on the house, it was after he’d spoken to her himself. I didn’t meet Kris until Duke introduced us.

  Tim’s laughter caught me off guard. “The dog that tore up the yard was hers?”

  “Actually, Duke was Mr. Baker’s dog. Kris took him in after he passed away. I honestly didn’t realize she was the one who listed the house until a week later as we never met and only talked on the phone that one time.”

  “But this photo,” he argued, getting back to the matter at hand as he pointed at a date stamp that claimed it had been taken weeks before we first went out.

  “Photos can be doctored,” I said through gritted teeth. “If you had a chance to see the metadata, I’m sure it’d say something else entirely.”

  He released a heavy sigh and… was that relief I heard? When he met my eyes again, his smile was genuine. “I’m sorry to call you into my office for something like this, but I had to be sure. Rumors can be a nasty thing and I’d like to get in front of them when I can.”

  “I’ve been with the company for almost eight years,” I reminded him, eying the photo which he’d turned over again. “I’d never do anything to jeopardize that.” Especially not when it came to working with my clients.