by Anna Stone
“It should. But this virus was new. It managed to slip past.”
Lillian frowned. “Where would I have picked something like that?”
“Usually they come from spam emails or files downloaded from shady sites. Like certain, uh, adult sites.” Stuart’s face turned crimson.
“I can assure you, Stuart, I’m not stupid enough to click on suspicious email attachments. And I don’t spend any time on ‘adult sites.’”
His face turned even redder. “I didn’t think you…” He scratched his head. “That’s usually how people end up with viruses like this. Unless it really was a security breach. You haven’t let anyone else use your laptop, have you? Or connected any strange flash drives to it?”
“No,” Lillian said.
“Huh.” Stuart frowned. “We’re already looking into it. But it’s probably nothing.”
Lillian hoped he was right. “Thank you, Stuart. You can go now.”
“Right.” He turned to leave, then abruptly turned back to her. “Oh, by the way, I tried to restore your files using the last automatic backup from your old laptop, but all the backups from the last seventy-two hours or so were corrupted. It was probably the virus which caused it.”
“What are you saying?”
“You’ve lost all your work from the past three days,” he said.
Lillian cursed. “And you didn’t think to lead with that?”
Stuart shrugged. “Sorry.”
“Just go. Unless there’s anything else you’ve forgotten to tell me.”
“No. That’s all. I’ll leave now.”
She glared at his back as he left the room. How did this even happen? Lillian only used her laptop for work. And no one ever touched her laptop except for her. At least, as far as she knew.
All that work lost would set her back days. Some of her documents had been printed out and filed away or emailed to others. She could track them down. But her own personal research and notes existed only on her laptop.
She would have to ask Emma to track down what she could. Assuming she and Emma could still work together. Lillian sighed. It was for the best.
Then why did she feel like she’d made a huge mistake?
10
Emma
Lillian strode up to Emma’s desk. “Come into my office, Emma.”
“Right away, Ms. White,” Emma replied.
She followed Lillian to her office. Things had been tense between the two of them for the past few days, for obvious reasons. Emma was trying her hardest to move on, to keep things professional between them. But every time she was around Lillian, she couldn’t help but think about the way Lillian’s lips felt on hers, how Lillian’s touch made her whole body sing, how the scent of Lillian’s skin was more intoxicating than all the champagne in the world.
Lillian sat down behind her desk. “Were there any calls for me while I was gone?”
“No, Ms. White,” Emma replied.
“Did you set up those meetings like I asked?”
“Yes, Ms. White.”
“Did you type up my notes from yesterday?”
“Yes,” Emma said, perhaps a little too curtly. But Lillian couldn’t fault her for anything. She was doing her job. She was being the perfect employee.
“Emma,” Lillian said. “This is ridiculous. I can’t work with you like this.”
“Have I done something wrong?” Emma asked.
“No. But we can’t work together if you’ll barely speak to me.” For a brief moment, Lillian’s expression softened. “And you’re not acting like yourself.”
“I’m just being professional.”
“Emma, I know that you’re upset with me.”
“I’m not upset,” Emma said, her voice rising. “I’m confused, and frustrated, and—” She took a deep breath. “You kissed me! And then you told me it was a mistake? How do you expect me to act after that? How do you expect me to feel? Every time I look at you, I can’t stop thinking about how that kiss set my whole world alight.”
Emma stared back at Lillian. Her jaw was set, and her eyes showed no emotion. Maybe Emma was wrong. Maybe Lillian really was as cold and unfeeling as everyone said she was, and that kiss had meant nothing to her.
“Emma,” Lillian said. “You’re just going to have to get over this silly infatuation. Nothing is ever going to happen between us. I’m your boss.”
“I don’t care that you’re my boss. And this is not some silly infatuation.” The fact that she sounded like a child throwing a tantrum was not helping her case. “You can’t say that there’s nothing between us. You can’t say that you don’t feel it too.”
“I’m telling you now. There is nothing between us. And there never will be. Can you accept that?”
Emma’s heart sank. No. “Yes,” she said.
“Are you sure? Because I can make other arrangements.”
“Yes. I’m sure.”
“Good,” Lillian said. “Now, why don’t you go have your lunch break?” Without another word, Lillian opened her laptop and resumed her work.
Emma flew out of Lillian’s office. She needed to collect herself. Moments later, she opened the door to Lillian’s bathroom. She was so used to coming here that she hadn’t given it a second thought. Or was it spite that had brought her to Lillian’s private space? Lillian treated her fancy bathroom like it was part of her own house. It had Lillian’s things arranged neatly around it. Right now, Emma wanted to mess up the vanity, to scatter the carefully folded hand towels next to the sink, to defy Lillian one more time.
Instead, Emma just splashed some cold water on her face and dried it with a paper towel. She rested her hands on the marble vanity and stared into the mirror. The boldness she’d shown in Lillian’s office was beginning to fade. Standing before the cold, stone-faced Lillian and telling her that she couldn’t stop thinking about that kiss had taken all of Emma’s strength.
But now that strength was gone, and all that was left was the certain knowledge that she’d never feel Lillian’s lips against hers again. And Lillian was probably going to get rid of her too. She was such an idiot for risking everything for a stupid crush that she didn’t even understand herself. As she stood in front of the mirror, willing herself to keep it together, the door swung open.
Lillian walked into the bathroom, her head down, her hands tugging at the bun at the back of her head. With one quick motion, Lillian pulled her hair loose. It unraveled slowly, falling down around her shoulders. Lillian lifted her head, spotting Emma, and stopped in her tracks.
Emma’s breath caught in her chest. “I was just leaving,” she said.
But she couldn’t move. There was something in Lillian’s gaze that held her there. Something like what Emma had seen the day they had kissed. A simmering heat that threatened to boil over.
In the space of less than a second, Lillian crossed the room and backed Emma against the vanity.
“To hell with the rules.” Lillian pressed her lips against Emma’s.
All at once, Emma fell apart. She closed her eyes and let the unrelenting kiss resonate through her. She crushed her lips and body back against Lillian’s, a soft moan rising in her chest.
With one hand entwined in Emma’s hair, Lillian’s other hand traveled down her side, grasping at her curves. Emma’s hands roamed over Lillian’s body. Lillian’s neck, Lillian’s chest, the dip of her waist, the swell of her hip. Although this was new to Emma, there was nothing tentative about it. Every inch of her craved Lillian.
Lillian traced her hands up to Emma’s breasts, cupping them over her blouse. With deft fingers, she unbuttoned Emma’s shirt. The air in the bathroom felt cool against her bare stomach and chest. Lillian reached around to unclasp Emma’s bra, then pushed her hands up underneath it.
“Oh god,” Emma’s head lolled back as Lillian’s fingers grazed her nipples. She pulled Lillian in closer.
Her lips never leaving Emma’s, Lillian slid her hands down to the hem of Emma’s skirt.
Em
ma glanced toward the door. “What if someone comes in?” Emma asked between kisses.
“No one else comes in here,” Lillian said. “Do you want me to stop?”
“Don’t stop. I want you so much right now.”
Emma’s words seemed to set off a fire within Lillian. She tugged Emma’s skirt up around her waist and ran her hand down to where Emma’s thighs met, tracing the wet spot that was forming on her panties.
A desperate whimper spilled from Emma’s lips. Lillian tore Emma’s panties down her hips and off her legs and placed them carefully on the counter next to her. She drew her fingers up the inside of Emma’s thighs, her eyes filled with thirst. Emma trembled with anticipation. Lillian slipped a finger into Emma’s slit and ran it up and down her folds.
Emma shuddered, her very being threatening to dissolve. She wrapped an arm around Lillian’s shoulder, clinging on to her as she rolled her fingertips back and forth over Emma’s clit. Her other hand slithered up to caress Emma’s breasts. Emma bit back a moan.
Lillian skirted her fingers teasingly over Emma’s entrance. Emma pushed herself out toward Lillian’s hand. Didn’t Lillian know how much Emma wanted her? Did she know how much Emma ached for her?
“God, Lillian,” she whimpered. “I need you.”
Lillian’s breath hitched. Emma could tell that she was getting turned on. It made her want to make Lillian moan and gasp like Lillian was doing to her right now. The thought alone made her throb even more.
But all her thoughts disappeared when Lillian pushed two fingers inside her. Emma grabbed onto Lillian’s waist, her other hand splayed on the sink behind her, as Lillian’s fingers curled against her sweet spot inside. The heel of her hand pushed against Emma’s swollen bud over and over.
Emma gripped hard at the slippery vanity. She could feel the pleasure rising inside her. “Lillian,” she warned. Emma closed her eyes as her orgasm hit her, her body quaking with the aftershocks. It was as if all the pent-up lust and tension she had been feeling toward Lillian was released through her body at once. Her cry would have echoed across the whole office if Lillian hadn’t smothered it with a kiss.
Emma let out a long, slow breath. “That was…” she trailed off. She needed a minute before she could think again. Or stand. Lillian’s body was the only thing holding her up.
As Emma’s post-orgasm haze receded, Lillian drew back, her arms around Emma’s waist. She was breathing almost as hard as Emma. She cursed quietly. “I’m late for a meeting.”
“Oh.” That wasn’t what Emma wanted to hear right now.
Neither of them moved. Silence hung heavy in the air.
“We’ll talk about this,” Lillian said. “Later. I have to go.”
Emma nodded.
Lillian pulled away and turned to the mirror. She washed her hands, grabbed a brush and hurriedly ran it through her hair, then began to tie it up. Emma retrieved her panties and slipped them on, then straightened up her clothes in front of the mirror. Her face was flushed, and her hair was in disarray. The thoughts in her head were even more of a mess than the rest of her.
Lillian finished securing her hair in a bun and smoothed down her clothing. “Wait for a few minutes after I leave, okay?”
Emma nodded. “Okay.”
Lillian hesitated, then cupped Emma’s face in her hands and kissed her. “Later. I promise.”
Without another word, Lillian left the bathroom.
11
Lillian
Lillian looked at the clock: 7:57 a.m. Emma would be in any minute. Lillian couldn’t believe she was back here again. Staring at the clock, waiting for Emma to arrive so they could talk about what happened between them yesterday.
Lillian had intended to talk to Emma that same afternoon. But after her meeting, she’d been called into an emergency meeting with Avery and Thomas. By the time she’d gotten out, it was late, and Emma was long gone. Lillian hated to admit it, but she’d been relieved. She’d had no idea what she intended to say to Emma. And she still didn’t. Lillian hadn’t meant for anything to happen between them. But when she’d walked into her bathroom and found Emma standing there, her body had acted of its own accord.
There was a knock on the door.
“Come in, Emma.” Lillian shut her laptop and folded her hands in front of her. “Sit.”
Emma hesitantly sat down. Silence hung in the air.
“We should talk about yesterday.”
Emma crossed her arms. “Let me guess. It can’t happen again?”
Lillian sighed. “You’re not going to make this easy, are you?”
“No. I’m not.”
“Emma,” Lillian said firmly. “You don’t want this.”
“Why do you keep saying that?” Emma asked. “Stop treating me like I’m some stupid girl who doesn’t even know my own feelings.”
Emma’s words were like a slap in the face. She was right. Lillian was being inconsiderate. She had been this entire time. She got up from her chair and gestured for Emma to follow her to the couch. They sat down next to each other.
“You’re right,” Lillian said. “I shouldn’t be dismissing your feelings. I’m sorry for the way that I’ve handled all everything. But that doesn’t change the fact that we shouldn’t do this.”
“No one has to find out. We can keep it a secret—”
“It doesn’t matter, Emma. I can’t give you what you want.”
“How do you know what I want?”
Lillian paused. “I suppose I don’t. What do you want?”
Emma was silent while she thought about her answer. “I don’t know, exactly. But I only just figured out that I like women. And a few months ago, I was practicing my wedding vows in front of the mirror. I’m not ready to leap into something serious. But I don’t want this to stop. There’s something between us that I just can’t ignore.” She looked into Lillian’s eyes, a slight smile on her face. “And judging by yesterday, neither can you.”
Christ. It was that sinfully sexy smile of hers that got them into all this trouble in the first place.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this.” Lillian rubbed at her temples. “How about we take it slow and see what happens?”
Emma grinned. “Sure. That works for me.”
“We have to be careful. Discreet. As I’ve said before, the firm has policies when it comes to the senior partners having inappropriate interactions with employees. And yesterday definitely counts as inappropriate.”
Emma turned bright pink.
“Are you sure you’re going to be able to keep this under wraps?” Lillian had picked the wrong person to have a secret affair with.
“I can. I won’t tell a soul.”
“And I mean it when I say we need to slow things down. Take a step back.” Until now, everything between them had been a hurricane of passion and bad decisions. If they weren’t careful, things could spiral out of control.
“Okay,” Emma said. “But what does that mean?”
“It means taking the time to get to know each other properly. Spending time together that doesn’t involve talking about filing deadlines, or me cornering you in the bathroom.” Whatever this was between the two of them, Lillian wasn’t one for meaningless sex.
“Does this mean you want to meet outside of work?”
Lillian hesitated. They could go to Lillian’s apartment, or, better yet, a private hotel room. In a city of millions, it would be so easy for the two of them to escape somewhere that no one could find them. So easy for them to get lost together.
So easy for them to become careless.
“That’s too risky,” Lillian said. “There’s too much of a chance that we’ll be seen together. I’ll figure something out.”
“Okay,” Emma said.
“Now, I have to go speak to Avery. I have a few tasks for you. I’ll send them to you later. And one more thing.”
“Yes?”
“You’re going to stop trying to push my buttons all the time,” Lillian said. “And
stop giving me attitude. I want my obedient assistant back.”
“I’ll try,” Emma said. “But I can’t make any promises.”
Lillian shook her head. “Get out of my office before I change my mind.”
Lillian watched Emma practically float away. Was this all a game to her? Sometimes she wished that she had Emma’s outlook on life.
Once Emma was gone, Lillian closed her eyes and sank into her chair. She didn’t know why she was entertaining this silly affair. As a rule, she avoided relationships, romantic or otherwise. Yet here she was, pursuing one that couldn’t be more complicated. Or risky.
Lillian got up from the couch and made her way to Avery’s office. He was sitting behind his desk with the door open.
“Lillian,” Avery said. “Come in.”
It was always jarring to walk into Avery’s office. Unlike the rest of the modern AG&W offices, it was decorated in a way that reflected Avery’s old-fashioned style. It was all wood and old leather, and imposing furniture to match the heavy wooden desk he sat behind. Every inch of the walls was covered with mementos of his success. His degrees, awards, newspaper articles. Photos of him shaking hands with prominent politicians, including more than one former president.
Avery’s clients probably found the overall effect reassuring. It added to his dependable image. But Lillian knew him well enough to see through it. Avery was more obsessed with status and prestige than anyone she knew. He had an ego the size of a continent.
“Good morning, Lillian.” Avery placed his pen down carefully on the mahogany desktop.
“Avery.” Lillian sat down in front of his desk. “You said something about a new case?”
“Yes. A colleague of mine was approached to take on a class-action suit, but his firm doesn’t have the time to deal with it right now. He wants to recommend us to the client.”
“Since when do we do class-action suits?”
“Since now. It’s time we tried a different approach to deal with our recent issues.”
Lillian crossed her legs. “So it’s about our image?”
