by Taryn Quinn
Nope.
Now I just wondered how much shit I had to shovel to make him break. I really wanted to see him break.
Preston’s door crashed open, bouncing off the hinges. “What is going on out here?”
I took a leisurely step back and readjusted my purse on my shoulder. “I was just quitting.”
“What? Why?” Preston crossed the room. “You can’t. I need you this week.”
“You’ll make do.” His father smoothed a hand down his tie, as if I was some lint to be brushed away.
Preston raked his fingers through his hair. “I will not. We had an agreement.”
“Things change. I don’t like the atmosphere.”
That was an understatement.
Preston turned to his father. “Having this sort of conversation in the foyer is a bad idea. What if I had a client in my office?” He glanced from me to his father and back again. “And you are late, Miss Moon.”
“Even later now that Pops decided to give me a dressing down.”
Crimson was heading toward five-alarm-fire red. Now the flush was overtaking his cheeks too. “I—Preston, you need to take care of this immediately. This…this woman is not fit for this law firm.”
“Ah, but it’s okay for you to be the oldest cliché in the book? That’s fine. Again, I don’t need to be here. I was doing Preston and April a favor.”
“She’s the one in the wrong here. I will not stand for this.” Isaac turned on his heel and started across the room.
“Dad? Please stop. We need to discuss this. You can’t talk to my employee like that.”
“Me? She’s the one who verbally accosted me. Twice!”
“I feel like I verbally accosted him more than that.” I crossed my arms. “He will not belittle my accomplishments.”
PMS adjusted his tie, then smoothed it down much as his father had before dipping his hand into his pocket. “First of all, Miss Moon is not your employee to fire. You have your own admin to take care of your,” hello, pregnant pause, “personal business. You both need to calm down and think rationally.”
“Calm down?” My purse slid down my arm to thud onto the floor beside me. “I didn’t start it. I realize I’m late, and I apologize.”
Huh, who knew I had an apology in me right then? The things you learn.
“I was working—yes, working,” I added with a sneer when Isaac gave me a withering glance. “I have a business of my own.”
“And what is it that you do?” Isaac crossed his arms.
My smile was slow and wide. “I’m a professional tarot card reader and artist.”
Isaac’s gaze slid down my dress and crystals then drifted over my handmade bag. “I see.” Disdain dripped from his voice.
I tipped my head, my dark hair tumbling forward as I picked up the chunky amethyst that was hiding inside my dress and pulled it out. “Oh, and I’m a witch.”
Sort of. More of a kitchen witch, but he didn’t need to know that.
“Dear God. This is who you hire?” Issac glared at his son. “Are you insane?”
To Preston’s credit, he didn’t break his father’s stare. “Dad, you cannot judge anyone for their religion or their profession. You should know better. That is not what this law firm is about.”
My eyebrows rose. Did Preston just defend me?
Whatever. Too little, too late. Working here was obviously a mistake.
One that I was about to rectify.
I stalked to my desk and took the crystals I’d brought in from the little stone pedestal along with the tea diffuser I’d left behind.
“I don’t have time for this nonsense. I expect her gone, Preston.”
PMS clenched his hands at his sides as his father strode off to his lair. “My office, Miss Moon,” he said through gritted teeth.
“We don’t need to discuss anything. I’m out of here.” I jammed the very few items I had into my bag and headed for the elevator.
Preston grabbed my arm.
My chin tipped up to meet his dark stare. “Take your hands off me.”
His hand slipped away, and the unfathomable warmth that came with it receded. “We need to talk before you go. I don’t want you leaving like this.”
I crossed my arms against my instantaneous—and very annoying—response to his touch. “Who cares? You barely know me. Let’s just chalk this up as April’s crazy idea. Just don’t take it out on her too much. Her gram means a lot to her, and she’s worried about her.”
His shoulders squared. “I would never do that. She’s an—”
“I know, I know, an exemplary employee. Everything I’m not.”
He jammed his hands into his pockets. My gaze dipped down and then instantly bounced back to his face. What the hell was I doing? I didn’t need to know about any of that action.
It was bad enough I had my own…problems. Why hadn’t I worn my padded bra today? Thank the goddess I wore black. Maybe he wouldn’t notice the headlight flash going on.
“I wouldn’t say that. I took a look at my file room this morning, since you closeted yourself in there for the whole afternoon yesterday.”
I huffed out a breath. “I know that wasn’t on your bulleted list, but I just couldn’t…”
Ignore a problem waiting to be solved.
Deal with anything that put me in your sphere.
Share the same air with you and not by turns want to throttle you and kiss you brainless.
A, B, and C were all equally true.
Obviously, I was the brainless one. This man was not the evolved, equitable sex god I’d been looking for.
Even if he had defended me. Even if our heights were perfectly in sync, which meant horizontally everything would line up just right. Even if I hadn’t been looking for any action in his pants, but I had damn sure found some.
I cleared my throat and told the biggest lie of my life thus far. “I couldn’t ignore what was right in front of me.”
He reached a hand out to me then swiftly hid it in his pocket again. “I understand this is a difficult situation.”
“Difficult? I was blissfully unaware of your family drama, but you dragged me into it and now I can’t un-know it.”
He tipped back his head. “Dammit, I know that. Do you think I love knowing…what I know about my own father and that this dirty laundry has been aired to a virtual stranger?”
That hurt. It shouldn’t have, but it did. It was no more than I’d just said a moment ago, but still, it felt different. All because my emotions and this ridiculous bit of lust were tangled.
I was a live and let live sort about most things. Except adultery. That was a hard no in my book.
Not after all the things I’d seen in my life.
“Please, Miss—Ryan.”
I huffed out a breath and sailed across the room to his office. “Five minutes.”
He caught up with me and blocked the door. “I believe you owe me at least twenty.”
“Is that right?” I pushed him out of the way and rushed into his inner sanctum with him right behind me. Too close for comfort. “Shove your twenty minutes up that tight ass of yours. The meter is running.”
“Sit down, Ryan. And calm down.”
I whirled to face him as the door thudded shut at his back. “I don’t want to calm down.”
There was too much energy between us. The space was too small. I wanted to peel my damn skin off or…
What the hell. I was leaving anyway.
I grabbed his face and dragged him in, slanting my mouth across his. He went as still as stone and then those crazy-powerful arms locked around me. He hauled me up onto my toes and took the kiss from quick and annoyed to dark, carnal craving.
Every hair on my body lifted and buzzed as he owned my mouth. One of his arms anchored along my lower back as he fisted my curls with his other hand. He tipped my head back and literally plundered.
I’d read about it. But the actuality of it?
Beyond my wildest fantasy.
&nbs
p; Flames didn’t begin to cover it. We were a conflagration of lit wands lighting up the night sky. My arm hooked around his muscled shoulders. What the hell was he hiding under his suits?
There was no air between us. The flames had sucked it all up. Oxygen was at a premium, and I couldn’t comprehend why I needed it. I just wanted more of this. More of this light filling me up enough that it seemed like it was going to burst out of my pores.
Finally, he ripped his mouth from mine and went right for my neck. His teeth scraped down my shoulder as he pushed at my lightweight jacket.
“Preston.”
We had to stop.
Nope, wait, maybe after…mercy. How did he know how to do that with his tongue? I definitely had slotted him as lights out missionary sex.
Wait.
“Preston.”
“Ryan.” He pushed aside the strap of my sundress and nibbled his way along my shoulder. “Your skin is like the finest silk. And I have no idea what your scent is, but I want it inside me.”
It was getting harder to remember why this was a bad idea. I was leaving. Who cared if I walked away with some truly excellent desk sex as my exit package, right?
“What a way to get fired.” I slipped my fingers into his thick dark hair.
“Fired?” He lifted his head and met my gaze. His eyes were a little lost, a lot blurry. I kinda liked him this way. All mussed up and letting loose.
I licked my tingling lips. “Yeah.” I undid his suit jacket and slipped my hand inside and around to his back. I absorbed all the warmth pulsing from beneath his dress shirt, and then I inched down to grab his truly excellent ass. Tight in all the best ways right now. I groaned at the very impressive length of his cock trying to break out of his Brooks Brothers pants against my belly. “Best exit interview ever.”
“What?” He pulled back.
I grabbed his belt loops and dragged him back against me. “You didn’t think I was going to stay after all…that went down outside the elevator.”
“I don’t even fully know what happened. I was on the phone—”
“Whatever. Just kiss me.” I went on my toes and lined up our mouths.
He dragged his teeth over my lower lip before he delved inside, his fingers gripping my hips until everything buzzed and burned once more. He did this rocking thing against me that would have made my eyes cross if they were open.
But they were not. They were closed, and there was a sexy, mesmerizing little light show going off behind my eyelids. I’d only had this happen one other time in my life. When I was so in tune with another person that I actually saw colors.
Pure energy.
I wanted more of it. I had a feeling I’d get addicted, but it would only be this one time.
I could handle one time.
The energy started to dissipate, and I hummed out my displeasure. I was losing him again.
“Preston, what’s the problem?” I sighed and opened my eyes, already knowing what I was going to see.
He was deliciously disheveled, with his hair sticking up in all directions and his mouth bruised from mine. But his dark eyes were full of turbulence. Not the fun kind.
The kind that said this was stopping.
“I can’t do this week without you. I have three depositions this afternoon and four more tomorrow.”
“Divorce is big business.”
He clenched his jaw. “I can’t dispute that statement.”
I sighed. “I already quit. You really don’t have a choice.”
“Please reconsider.” His gaze dropped to my mouth again, and he brushed his thumb along my lower lip.
“Is this supposed to be my perk?”
He frowned again and dragged his gaze up to mine. “What?”
“To work here?”
“What? No. Of course not. What sort of man do you take me for?”
“Oh, I don’t know. A man who was two minutes and a ready condom away from taking me on that desk?” I didn’t add that I’d be taking him too, since his mind was already blown enough.
I didn’t want to kill the guy. Not until I’d used him for my personal aims anyway.
“Two minutes? You give me little credit. I do know the word foreplay.”
I did not want to smile right now. Next thing I knew I’d like the guy, and that was not happening.
When I didn’t reply, he cursed under his breath and took a step back, immediately straightening his tie. “I forgot myself for a moment. It’s you. I don’t know what it is about you that makes me so nuts.”
“Sorry. I’ll get out of your hair.”
He moved in front of the door. “No. Ryan, please.” His gaze dropped to my breasts and then immediately rose to sync with mine. “We can be professional.”
I drew a lazy, winding line down his tie with my forefinger. “Not really interested in that. I was sorta hoping we could just bang this out of our systems and then go our separate ways.”
“Bang it out? That’s ridiculous,” he sputtered.
“You’ve never had a wild fling? It’s really good for you.”
“No. I don’t have those types of relationships anymore.”
My eyebrow winged up. “Anymore, hmm?” I purred.
Damn Luna and her hmm-ing.
His jaw tightened. “No. I don’t do that.”
“You mean to tell me you haven’t gone on a business trip or to a conference and had a crazy fling with another lawyer or paralegal or bar fly…whatever.”
“No. Of course not.”
“Well, you’re missing out. And missing out on this because my lady boner is definitely deflating.” I evaded him once more and dropped into the chair across from his desk, barely resisting the urge to fan my skirt.
He cleared his throat and walked around his desk to sit down. “I’ve never heard that particular description but I can infer.”
“Infer away.” I waved my hand and hauled my bag onto my lap. I wasn’t sure how I’d managed to hold onto it during our kiss.
Kisses, plural.
I pulled out my compact and winced at the image. My already full lips were bright red and bruised with a bonus bit of beard rash along my neck. Great.
I snapped it shut and stuffed its in my bag. “Look, I appreciate how stubborn you are about wanting some help around this place. Obviously, your dad is super tight-assed like you.”
“I resent that assessment.”
“Yeah, well, I resent we’re not naked. We all have our issues.” Taking pity on him, I sighed. “Don’t you have a temp agency you can tap? Surely April has taken some time off over the years.”
“No.”
“Can you elaborate?”
“She wasn’t supposed to take vacations.”
I laughed. “Are you serious right now?”
“Deadly.” Strain lines crinkled around his eyes. He looked tired and stressed and rumpled in a way that made me want to bite him.
Could that sex hex work both ways? I was beginning to wonder.
“People take vacations. They have to. Since, you know, people have lives outside the office.”
His bland stare didn’t inspire confidence that he did. I didn’t want to feel compassion for him any more than I wanted to like him. Add in his asshole father and Preston’s genuine hurt the day before at his father’s behavior and…
I was softening in his direction. A bit. In ways that had nothing to do with how he kissed like a damn stud and was built like an Italian race car.
If they had big packages. Which probably wouldn’t help their aerodynamics.
At his silence, I rubbed my forehead. “I’m a disaster as you and your father have pointed out.”
He sat forward, his fingers steepled. “Actually, that’s not true. I was going to try to find middle ground before we were…distracted.”
“Ha.”
He pressed his lips together. “It was a very nice distraction.”
I rolled my eyes. “Please move on before I use that stapler on your forehead.”
“Oh, put a sock in it.” I rummaged through my purse. I was operating on no caffeine. No wonder my pistons were misfiring all over the place. “Can I make some of my tea?”
“Uh, sure.”
I stood and went over to the small bar in his office. There was an electric tea kettle pushed to the back. Perfect. I filled it and pressed the button to start it up. “You’re a tea drinker?”
“No. But my mom is. She stops by now and then.”
There was no missing the tension in his tone.
Not that I empathized with him. Of course not.
I hated him. I was almost sure. Not including his mouth—at least when it was on mine.
I turned back to him and cocked my hip against the bar. “Did your coffee come in?”
“Not yet. I have one last pod.” He grimaced. “I was saving it for an emergency.”
Today qualified on all levels.
Without him even having to ask, I retrieved a clean mug and put it on the Keurig pour tray. Then I reached into the sad, empty coffee pod basket and found one last caramel-coconut shivering under a neatly folded napkin. He’d even hidden it from view not to be tempted.
I put it in and started the machine. “I’ll call about it again on my way out as a parting gift.” I tapped the mug. “And look, I’m even making you coffee before I go.”
“You can’t go.”
“I can and I will.”
“Hear me out. As I was trying to explain to you, the filing system you started is inspired. It’s efficient and makes it easy to find files. It’s even a perfect way to do digitals so we have backups.”
“I know.”
He frowned. “You know?”
I nodded. “Look, I used to work in an office much like this. It was insurance instead of law, but the basic principles apply when it comes to documentation. I set them up for digital filing as well.”
He smiled. Actually smiled.
That he hadn’t even looked that pleased after kissing me was something I was not going to examine.
“See, this is perfect. I’m prepared to give you a very nice bonus to do April’s standard duties, which isn’t much this week since she prepped most of the clients. It will mostly just be manning the phones and greeting my clients. Maybe some light transcription.”