She gives me a strange look and I realize I’m rambling as she says kindly, “Listen, if you like, I’ll cover for you. Maybe you should take some time, head home, take a few tablets and sleep it off.”
I know she’s being kind but how can I? This is my livelihood, my job and after all, how bad can it possibly be, right?
27
Oliver
When has time been so slow in passing because this morning has been the longest one on record? Usually, I work through and look up in surprise when the day turns to night and Sally tells me she’s heading home. Not today. Today I have done nothing except cyber stalk my lovely fairy on the company HR portal.
I know her name, where she lives and how long she’s been employed. I know her age, her hobbies, as outlined by her CV and her education history. I have even looked her up on Facebook and growled in frustration when she never came up. In fact, for someone who is a self-professed genius at social media, she doesn’t even have her own bloody account by the looks of it. I feel so frustrated, but that doesn’t really matter because she will be sitting in that boardroom at exactly 2 o’clock and she won’t be leaving until I say so.
Finally, 2 o’clock arrives and as if I needed reminding, Sally pops her head around the door and says calmly, “Your 2 o’clock meeting is waiting in the boardroom, sir.”
“Thanks, I won’t keep them waiting long.”
Despite the fact I want to run at top speed down the hall, I force myself to check my emails and make them wait. I’m being a bastard because if I know my fairy—Carla, she will be freaking out right now and I’m the bastard who wants to make her regret ever standing me up at all.
I give it 20 minutes and then, with a fierce determination, grab my notebook and head purposefully toward the boardroom. My heart is beating so fast it gets there way ahead of me and as I push open the door, I try my best to look anywhere but at her.
“Mr. Steele.”
Mr. Garrison stands, along with his staff and I nod, taking my seat, fixing a mask of indifference on my face.
I know she’s here; out of the corner of my eye, I see the familiar lines of a woman I badly need right now, and it takes every ounce of my willpower to ignore the hell out of her.
I turn my back on them and flick on the screen, remembering back to the time its only purpose was to serve as our fireplace. In fact, the memories in this room just won’t go away and I struggle to think about anything other than what we were doing the last time we were here. God knows what she’s thinking and I don’t miss that she appears to be sinking lower in her seat and I smile inside. She’s nervous, good.
For the next twenty minutes, I brief them on the client. I run spreadsheets, data and visuals and as always, I love the power a presentation makes me feel inside. I love my job which is a very good thing because I live and breathe it for 12 hours every day. When I’m not here, I’m thinking, or dreaming about it, but not since her. She has taken up every waking thought and even those in my dreams. I have to have her by my side and in my bed if I am going to stand any chance of surviving this next year.
Finally, I come to the end and fix Mr. Garrison with a blank look. “Any questions.”
The fact I’ve completely ignored his staff, makes me appear even more than a monster than my reputation dictates, but I can’t risk staring into those green eyes that will be my downfall.
Mr. Garrison clears his throat because there is a tense atmosphere in this room, that is the result of two people desperately trying to ignore one another and he obviously picks up on that because he says quickly, “I think you covered it all. Will I have access to that presentation to brief my staff?”
“Yes, I’ll email it across. I’m sure I don’t need to remind you how important this is to me, Mr. Garrison. I’m relying on you to deliver what the client needs and beyond.”
“Of course, sir, I have my best team on it.”
Now’s my chance to acknowledge them, and I look at the guy sitting beside Carla first. He irritates me on sight as he smiles at me as if I hung the sun. I wonder if he’s the guy Carla kissed on the night of the office party and something’s telling me I’m right. I hate the fact he’ll be working with her and if I have my way, I’ll take every opportunity to keep them apart, so I just nod as he says, “Grady Richardson, sir, may I just say I’m so grateful for this opportunity and will work my butt off to make it a success.”
“Good.”
I take a deep breath as I move my attention to the only person I want in my world right now, and the eyes that stare back at me send a deep message straight to my heart. There she is, the woman I can’t appear to get out of my head, and she is every bit as beautiful as I remember. In fact, dressed in a smart black dress with her hair curled and touching her shoulders, she looks so beautiful it blinds me. I can tell she’s nervous because she bites her bottom lip and sits with her hands clasped tightly in her lap, as she says softly, “Um, Carla Evans, sir.”
She breaks off because I know I’m an intimidating bastard when I want to be and I can’t stop staring at her. I’m sure my intentions must be obvious for anyone to see because the tense atmosphere has just notched up a gear.
Without breaking eye contact, I say dismissively, “You may go.”
They make to stand and I say bluntly, “Not Miss Evans, I need a private word.”
She visibly pales as I stare at her with the cold hard look of someone who is not about to take any shit and I sense the unease of the two men who leave without another word.
As the door closes behind them, I don’t say a word and just hold her gaze, waiting for her to speak.
28
Carla
As soon as he walked into the room, I was a mess. A hot, lust driven, horny as hell, wanton hoe whore, all is lost and so unemployed mess. He is so sexy it hurts to look at him. Just seeing the man reminds me of the very naughty things we’ve done and if I allowed my lustful fairy back into the room, she would lap dancing the hell out of him before he even said ‘hi.’
Instead, I did everything I could in my limited power to become invisible because I can sense he’s as pissed as hell and that’s down to me.
What was I thinking playing games with this man? It’s obvious he’s not one who enjoys them and the man I sat through twenty excruciating minutes with is a machine. A god among men, and I am so ruined for any other man—ever.
I almost thought I’d got away with it until he told me to wait behind and stared deep into my soul, and I know I have some explaining to do.
As soon as the door closed, he just stared at me and I stared right back because I don’t think I can tear my eyes away from him for a second.
It gets a little awkward, so I say softly, “I’m sorry about the hoodie.”
“Why?”
“Why, what?”
“Are you sorry you didn’t honor your promise to give it to me in person, or are you sorry you had it in the first place?”
“Of course not.”
He breathes out and a little of the tension leaves him and he says huskily, “I missed you.”
This is when I should shrug and say something cool like ‘shit happens’ but I can’t. Instead I say softly, “Me too.”
I stare as a broad smile breaks across his face and he says, “That’s good to hear.”
“I’m sorry, Oliver, I suppose I couldn’t face you because I just don’t believe you want me.”
“Are you kidding?”
He looks at me in total shock, which settles my heart a little. “Why would you think that?”
“Because I heard you on the phone to your brother.”
“My brother, when?”
He looks confused and I say sadly, “You were making plans for your Christmas, um, present from him next year and it made me feel that what we had was temporary. You weren’t that into it and it would have been awkward me working here. I decided to give us some distance so you could forget me.”
“Come here.”
I look
up and see the determination in his eyes and stutter, “Excuse me.”
“On second thoughts.”
He stands and sends the chair flying across the room with the force of it, and before I know what’s happening, he drops to his knees in front of me.
He takes my hand and pulls me close and whispers, “I was trying to get my brother off the phone so I could get back to you. If I had told him how crazy I was about a certain Christmas fairy, whose name I didn’t even know, he would have kept me talking until New Year. You see, Carla, great name by the way, I have never shown an interest in any woman before and it would be big news for my family. I’m guessing my mother would have been informed immediately and chartered a helicopter to winch her down the side of the building, so she could take a look at the girl who has captured my heart.”
I giggle a little and he places his finger under my chin and lifts my face to his. His eyes compel me to stare deep inside them and he says huskily, “Maybe it’s a Christmas miracle that I found you at all, but I never want to let you go. I have spent every hour since making plans with you starring in the lead role beside me. I want you by my side, here at work and at home, and I want us to build a life together. Is that too full on because I’m a man of extremes, I should just warn you about that?”
“I like it when you’re full on.” I can’t stop smiling and he leans closer until our lips almost touch and says with a low growl, “You are one sexy fairy but a helluva sexy assistant. I’m not sure I can think about business with you sitting so close.”
Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pull him closer and whisper, “Then don’t.”
As we kiss, it feels like I’m coming home and in a sense I am. We are home, in our cozy make believe cabin, even after the snow has melted. The fire burns brightly though because kissing Oliver is my most favorite thing to do and as he pulls back and flashes me a wicked grin, he heads across to the door and flicks the lock.
“You’re not seriously…”
“Of course, I am, you’re every fantasy I’ve ever had sitting there wrapped up in sin. Don’t tell me you haven’t imagined wild sex at the office in the middle of the day?”
“Well, now you come to mention it.”
I stare in lust as he removes his tie and shirt in rapid succession. Carefully, I unzip my dress and as it falls to a heap on the ground, his breath hitches as he sees my rather naughty black lace lingerie, caressing my body, with my hold ups held up by matching lace suspenders this time.
He almost growls as he drops his pants and heads toward me with a feral glint in his eye and pulls me roughly toward him and says huskily, “I hope your schedule is clear this afternoon, Miss. Evans, this may take some time.”
After what is always the best sex of my life, I wince as the hard surface of the table digs into my back. I am lying on the polished wood of the boardroom table, with Oliver between my legs, looking into my eyes with undisguised emotion. My underwear is discarded all around the room and our clothes lie where they fell. There is now silence in a space that was full of moans and screams of passion and I hope to God they have soundproofing in here because this is now officially the naughtiest thing I’ve ever done and it’s only the beginning of January.
“Oliver.”
I whisper his name, loving how it rolls off my tongue as if it belongs there.
He strokes my hair and smiles, “Yes, Carla.”
He grins and I love the way my name sounds coming from him, with a slow sensual pronunciation, promising me the greatest delights.
“Just a question that’s been bothering me.”
“Go on.”
“This place doesn’t have security cameras, does it? I mean, they haven’t recorded every minute of our, um, activities.”
He laughs softly and kisses me with another low moan and I feel my heart racing, anticipating even more pleasure.
Then he pulls back and whispers, “No, they are only on the entrance and at the elevators.”
“At the elevators, not um, inside them, by any chance.”
I stare at him in horror as he laughs. “No, baby, not inside the elevators.”
“Thank god.” I giggle as the relief hits me and then wince a little. “I don’t suppose we could sit up; this is killing my back?”
Grinning like a kid on Christmas day, he rolls off and pulls me with him. I watch as he tears off the condom and wraps it in a tissue and pockets it.
“Maybe I should be a more discreet this time. We don’t want to be unprofessional—in public, anyway, in private well, that’s another matter entirely.”
I love the way he wraps his arms around me and holds me close, and as our bodies cling together, I almost forget we are at work. Then I spy the clock on the wall and see it’s 3.30 already and look at him in horror.
“Oh my god, look at the time. Mr. Garrison will be so angry.”
Oliver shrugs, “Who cares?”
“I care! I’m meant to be impressing him now he’s given me this chance, unless…”
I stare at Oliver in shock and he shakes his head quickly, “I had nothing to do with it. Just another coincidence as a result of fate trying her darndest to throw us together.”
I feel the relief calm my anxiety but quickly retrieve my underwear and realize I must look a hot mess. Catching sight of my reflection in the window, I gasp in horror.
“I can’t go back to the office like this. They’ll know what we’ve been doing.”
“So.”
“So, people will think I’ve slept my way to the top. They’ll look down on me and leave me to sit on my own at lunch. I’ll be a social pariah, a career crazy lush, this is terrible.”
“This isn’t high school you know, and I’ll sit with you at lunch. I can’t promise you won’t be the lunch though—just saying.”
He laughs as I roll my eyes and say firmly. “No, there will be no eating anything inside of office hours. I have a boss to impress, so if you don’t mind.”
I smooth down my dress and rake my fingers through my hair and Oliver says softly, “You are so beautiful. Have dinner with me, tonight. I know a little place not far from here, they do great Italian.”
I stop and move closer and smile up at him, feeling like the happiest girl alive.
“Really, tonight?”
He takes my hand and kisses it like the gentleman he definitely isn’t. “And every night after that. Then I want you to come home with me to discuss our plans. I mean, we have a beach house to find and decorate, that will take a lot of planning.”
“Of course, not to mention all those movies we haven’t seen yet.”
“Then there’s the bread we need to perfect, and the huge number of bottles of alcohol we must get through before next Christmas.”
“I have to meet your dog, Tessie, wasn’t it?”
“And I have to ask your father a very important question.”
I think I hold my breath as he kisses me so sweetly, I swear my entire body shivers.
“I am intending on taking over and being the man who watches Christmas movies with his little girl on Christmas day. I want to be the person who makes her happy because I am not happy unless I’m by her side. So, we have a lot to talk about tonight and every night and it will take a lot longer than it should because I will find it so hard to stop myself from wanting to be inside you, every opportunity I can.”
I can’t hide the emotion his words bring, and as the tears spill from my eyes, he brushes them away tenderly. Taking my hand, he kisses it softly and says firmly, “It was a pleasure doing business with you, Miss. Evans. Now, shall we meet, say, at 6.30? Come to my office after work, you can keep me company while I finish up.”
“Maybe I’ll be the one finishing up and you can keep me company.”
I stare at him with a challenge in my eye because if he thinks I’m going to be at his disposal whenever he calls, he’s mistaken.
“Then if you stand me up again, Miss. Evans, I will be forced to move your desk next to mine and chai
n you to it, do I make myself clear?”
“Perfectly.”
He winks and as we turn to leave, I say in horror, “Nobody must ever know though.”
“Know what?”
“That we’re, um, dating.”
He starts to laugh and I say a little crossly, “No, really, it wouldn’t look good on me.”
“Am I that bad a catch?”
He says it with amusement because we both know how ridiculous that statement was and I shake my head.
“No, but I told Grady I wouldn’t go out with him because of my golden rule, not to mix business with pleasure.”
“When did that happen?”
He looks so annoyed, I giggle. “This morning. To be honest, Oliver, I could really have done without that as well as everything else. My nerves were in tatters already. So, if I suddenly start dating you, he will know I was just brushing him off.”
Oliver just stares at me in amazement and then says softly, “He’s a big boy, he can deal with it and if he has a problem with that, send him to my office to discuss it further.”
Reaching out, he takes my hand and says, “Shall we, Miss. Evans.”
“Shall we what?”
Let me escort you back to level three, I’m kind of interested to meet the people who work there.
Epilogue
Christmas Eve next year
“Oh my god, Carla, that costume is insane, even better than last year.”
I giggle and twirl around as my fellow workers admire my Christmas Angel costume. This year I’ve gone for the white and silver effect. My angel’s wings are white feathers and the hold-ups are white sparkle, with a fur trim garter. The corset is sprinkled with fake diamonds and the cleavage leaves nothing to the imagination. I even have a gorgeous silver tiara to make me feel like a princess, and my wand has a laser light that shoots from the tip.
Deck the Boss: A holiday office romance Page 10
