by Sophie Stern
He unfolded the blanket and held it open. Allison walked toward him, and Christopher wrapped the blanket around her. He rubbed the blanket over her shoulders, warming her body. Then, on a whim, he lifted her up, carried her to one of the chairs in front of his desk, and sat down. He kept her firmly in his lap.
It was an intimate gesture, but it felt right. She felt right. Everything about this moment felt incredible to Christopher. Maybe he was finally starting to understand what Declan felt when he was with Zoa. Christopher’s brother had met a human who had changed everything for him. Declan and Zoa had fallen in love almost immediately, and yes, Zoa was Declan’s one true mate. Christopher and Brian both felt like Declan was an idiot for not realizing right away that Zoa was “the one.”
Now Christopher suddenly wondered if he was being just as stupid as his brother had been. He shook his head, trying to clear it, and he turned back to the little human in his arms. Whether she was his mate or not, whether she was the woman he was meant to be with or not, there was a problem.
“Allison,” he murmured.
“Christopher.”
“What happened to you?”
“Oh, this? It’s nothing.”
“Allison...”
“Okay, so I might have gotten caught in the sprinklers.”
“Allison?”
“And I might have set off a tiny little alarm.”
“What?”
“And I might have been, you know, sort-of trespassing...”
“What the hell?”
“But hey, it’s the thought that counts, right?”
Chapter 6
It was not the thought that counted.
It was obedience and good behavior that counted. It was following the rules that counted. It was everything except the thought that counted. Unfortunately for Allison, she hadn’t just thought. She’d tried to find answers on her own, and she may have done some less-than-legal things to get her answers.
“Start talking,” Christopher demanded. Allison’s eyes shot to his. Was he being serious right now? She’d never heard him talk like that. Not to her. His voice had gone deep, and it sounded almost aroused. Maybe that wasn’t so surprising. After all, she knew perfectly well that he’d been turned on earlier. She had been, too.
“It’s like this,” she finally said, whispering.
Somehow, it was hard to get the words out. She didn’t think he was going to judge her, but he might be mad, and there was a part of her that didn’t really want to tell him what she’d done.
“Like what?”
“I sneaked into the file room.” Allison bit her lip. She still couldn’t really believe she’d been so...brazen.
“The file room?” Christopher raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, the file room downstairs. It’s the one in the basement.”
“We have a file room?”
“Yes! I mean, it’s mostly just for old records, but yes.”
“I didn’t know we had a file room. How did I not know this? I thought everything was digital.”
Christopher actually seemed wildly confused about this, and Allison felt a little bad for being the one to tell him. He was right, after all. It was his company, and he probably should have been in the know when it came to something like this. Apparently, he hadn’t been, though.
“Some things are,” Allison explained gently. “It’s just that not everything can be left completely digital. When you started the company, Brian wanted to make sure you had backups of the important stuff, so he keeps a file room downstairs.”
“Ah, so it’s my brother’s doing, is it?”
“Don’t get mad at him.”
“Hey,” Christopher smiled softly, “you can’t tell me what to do.”
He was right, she knew. Allison didn’t have the obligation to tell him what to do. She didn’t have permission, either. Besides, it really wasn’t her job. Her job was to make sure that everything went according to plan with the rest of the company. Her job was to make sure that Christopher’s job was easy and streamlined and that she worked all of the kinks out of their computer systems.
“Anyway,” she whispered, continuing, “he started this file room. It’s a big room, and it has documents that are usually digitized. It’s just his way of keeping a backup system in place. If there’s ever a fire or anything like that, this particular room will be protected because of the walls. I’m sure that there are probably other, off-site places where he keeps your company’s files, too.”
“That’s Brian. He’s so fucking secretive,” Christopher shook his head. He didn’t seem mad, but he did seem a bit...resigned.
“I went to the file room on a hunch.”
“A hunch?”
“You know those hacks we’ve been having?”
“Yes.”
“Well, someone keeps trying to get into personnel files. We know someone actually hacked the employment records from the last couple of months.”
“So why go to the records room?”
“Well, I figured that maybe I could compare. Maybe I could do a cross-analysis.”
“So, what, you printed off employment records from our digital files and then went downstairs to see what paper files we have?”
“Yeah, pretty much.”
“Allison, did it cross your mind that if someone is trying to destroy or investigate our digital files, that they might have gotten rid of the physical evidence, too? If someone wanted to delete an employment file, they probably knew to go to the records room and destroy the physical file, too.”
“I thought that at first,” Allison agreed, nodding.
“But?”
“But not even you knew about that room, Christopher. You said it yourself. Your brother is a sneaky bastard, and we both know that he keeps his mouth shut. The chances of someone knowing about it are slim,” she paused. “Well, they were slim.”
“Were?”
“Um, yeah...”
“Allison? Spit it out.”
“Okay, someone kind of showed up while I was there.”
“You saw the hacker?”
Allison didn’t need to be a shifter to know that this bothered Christopher. She probably should have lied to him about what had happened. That would have been less embarrassing. Besides, he had been protective of her since they’d kissed. If she was being honest, he’d been protective before that, too. He’d always looked after her, cared for her, watched over her. Something was different, now, though. There was something between them that was begging to be explored.
“I didn’t see him,” she admitted. “Well, not exactly, anyway.” It was embarrassing to admit out loud.
“Look, Allison, while I appreciate your incredibly lengthy method of storytelling, could you just cut to the chase? What happened in that room?” Christopher was growing frustrated.
Allison understood why.
He got to where he was by solving problems. That was kind of who he was. When he was faced with something incredible or difficult, he liked to analyze the situation from every possible angle. Until he had all of the information, he couldn’t possibly analyze anything.
“I went to compare the personnel files, and while I was down there, someone cut the lights. They came into the room swinging a flashlight around, and I hid.”
“Did they see you?”
“No, well, not at first, anyway...”
“Fuck,” Christopher groaned. “Who was it?”
“I couldn’t see who it was. Like I said, it was dark, and they had a flashlight. That means they’re human, at least, right?”
“Not necessarily. Not all shifters can see well in the dark. Some of them still need extra assistance.”
“Well, I had a lighter in my pocket. I don’t smoke. Really, I don’t, but, I had a lighter, and I know how serious your brother takes fire precautions, so...”
“So, in order to escape, you flicked on your lighter and set off the sprinklers.”
“Pretty much.”
It had
been a gamble, but she’d made it out in one piece. The entire thing had been so wildly crazy that Allison still couldn’t quite believe it had happened. Now Christopher was looking at her with a mixture of shock and relief.
“And the files? Are they all destroyed?”
“No, no! No, nothing like that. You see, Brian had this storage system in place. Well, I suppose it’s still in place. Anyway, even if the sprinklers go off, and even if there’s a fire, the files are all safe.”
“How?”
“They’re in these filing cabinets that are waterproof, and everything is neatly organized.”
Christopher breathed a sigh of relief, and Allison was suddenly glad she could deliver some good news. It had been horrible to admit just how badly she’d screwed up to him, but the fact that he seemed relieved about still having the files was nice.
“You shouldn’t have gone there on your own.”
“I know.”
“You should have talked to me.”
“I didn’t think you wanted to talk to me, Christopher.” Allison reached for her mouth and covered it with her hand. She hadn’t meant to admit that much to him. It was embarrassing, and it made her feel vulnerable. No, she didn’t want him to know how she felt.
“Excuse me?” Christopher cocked his head. “Explain.”
Oh, he was being bossy, and that drove her so terribly crazy. Christopher was a shifter, which meant he’d be able to scent her arousal. She knew this perfectly well, yet despite how damn embarrassing it was that he’d be able to tell she was turned on, she was.
She was super turned on.
She liked it when he used his “work voice” on her. Somehow, when he talked to her like this, with just the slightest bit of force, it made her more wet than she’d ever been before.
Allison was no wilting flower. She wasn’t a virgin. She didn’t do shy or timid, yet something about him talking to her this way made her feel like it was all new, and she didn’t know what to expect next.
Now he was asking her to communicate. No, he was telling her. He was demanding that she be honest with him, and she wasn’t particularly sure that she was ready for that. Talking about her feelings wasn’t exactly something that she was good at.
Could she do it now?
She had to.
If she wanted him to trust her ever again, then she had to be honest. She had to tell him what she was feeling, and she had to explain to him why she was so very nervous around him.
“You’ve been avoiding me,” she blurted out the words. They felt awkward and uncomfortable. “You still didn’t call me over the weekend, and I know someone tried to hack again.”
That had hurt.
The hacker had struck again, and once more, Christopher hadn’t called her. She didn’t plan on calling him out. She had just planned to solve the mystery without him. Then the bad guy had come into the file room, and she’d had to find a way to escape, and things had gotten a little...weird.
“How do you know that someone tried to break into our computer system?” Christopher raised an eyebrow. He didn’t deny it had happened. He just asked how she knew.
“Because Rebecca called me. She asked for my advice, and she said to be ready for Monday.”
“It wasn’t anything major this time.”
“Still, you didn’t trust me.”
“That wasn’t it.”
“Then what, Christopher? Why didn’t you tell me to come in?”
“Because you deserve to be happy!”
He spat the words out, frustrated. She didn’t have to be a shifter to know that he was agitated. Allison couldn’t smell his anger or annoyance, but it was clearly visible on his face. He was uncomfortable right now. Once again, he hadn’t wanted to bother her.
“Excuse me?”
“You deserve to have a weekend to yourself, Allison. You work so damn hard and you always put everyone else above yourself. You deserve to enjoy some time where you don’t have to worry about a single thing. You deserve to have the weekend to yourself where you can just be.”
“I don’t want to just be,” she whispered.
It wasn’t a secret that she loved naps, and she loved bubble baths, and she loved so many different things, but Allison was a grownup. She was the one who got to choose what she did or didn’t do.
Christopher had taken that control from her. He’d chosen for her. She understood, logically, why her boss hadn’t called her, but she thought it sucked, and it was a little shitty, and he was being a control freak.
“We’re supposed to be professional,” she said. Had he skipped calling her because of their feelings for each other? She knew that he liked her. She knew it. Maybe he was having a hard time dealing with those feelings, just like she was.
After all, he wasn’t just her boss. He was also the owner of an incredible company, and there was probably a lot of pressure for him to be a certain way. He wasn’t supposed to date employees. He wasn’t supposed to do a lot of things.
“I know.”
“You can’t keep doing this.”
“I know.”
“Christopher, I’m mad at you.”
“I know.”
“Will you say something else?” Allison whispered. “You seem to know so much, but you hurt me.”
“I’m sorry, kitten,” he murmured.
Then Christopher reached for her. He tilted her chin up to him, and his eyes searched hers. She licked her lips. He was going to kiss her again. She could tell. She wanted that. She needed it.
She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the last time they’d kissed. She’d masturbated so much since that kiss. Anytime she was alone, it seemed like she was touching herself. Her naptimes had turned into play-with-the-vibrator times, and her baths had been wildly erotic. Now, she was looking into the eyes of the dragon that she wanted more than anything else.
And he kissed her.
He cupped her face, and he brought his lips to hers, and he kissed her greedily. His tongue slid over hers, and the sensation was electric. Allison was instantly wet, ready for more. She wanted him so very much in that moment.
Allison felt like her entire body was melting. She shifted, adjusting herself so she was straddling him, and then she kissed him right on back. The blanket that was wrapped around her fell a little bit, revealing her breasts to him. She leaned forward, rubbing them against him. She purred a little at the sensation, and Christopher grabbed her hair and tugged it back.
“You’re so fucking sexy,” he growled, nipping at her neck.
“Just don’t stop,” she said.
She needed him.
Needed this.
Needed more.
She played with his hair, and she ran her hands down his chest. She was grinding on Christopher, rubbing her entire body against him, and she couldn’t bring herself to stop. She didn’t want to stop. This was a moment she’d been waiting an eternity for, and she wanted to lock herself in this experience. If it never ended, that would be perfect.
Only, it had to end.
It did end.
He pulled back, looking at her.
“Not like this,” he whispered.
“What?” Allison looked at him, shocked and confused. They had just been kissing like crazy. She was totally ready to drop to her knees and give him the best damn blowjob of his life.
“I like you a lot,” he murmured. “That’s not a secret, kitten, but when I take you for the first time, I want it to be because I know you feel the same way and not because you had a crazy day.”
“But it’s not because of that,” she insisted.
“There’s nothing wrong with waiting a little while, Allison.”
Christopher reached for the blanket and wrapped it back around her, and then he tugged her back to his chest. Christopher held her for a long time like that. He rubbed her back and murmured sweet little things to her, promising that she was special and wonderful and sweet.
As he held her, Allison’s body warmed against
his. She wondered if he always was so hot. She’d heard a rumor that dragons tended to always feel hot, whether they were aroused or not. That was interesting to her, but she wasn’t about to ask Christopher whether the tale was true or not.
“I can’t have you going off on your own like that again,” Christopher whispered. He pressed his lips against Allison’s head. “You’re too important, kitten.”
What was that supposed to mean?
She knew he liked her. They’d been kissing a lot lately, and he’d played with her breasts until she was so turned on that she could barely take it. If Christopher asked to bend her over the desk and fuck her right now, she’d let him. That was what she thought of him. He was hot and wild, and he turned her on so much that her brain always seemed to become fuzzy and foggy around him.
Still, Allison knew that neither one of them was in the market for a relationship. She was supposed to be going on a date with James soon, anyway. Oh, it was barely a date, but still. She shouldn’t get too attached to Christopher.
She shouldn’t.
He was her boss, and...
Well, he was her boss.
“Come to the holiday party with me,” Christopher said, all of a sudden. It was as though he’d read her mind and chosen to ask her the most horrible question that she didn’t want to be asked.
“What?” Allison was shocked. She’d wanted him to ask her so many times, and he hadn’t. She didn’t know what to do. Her entire body felt like it was hot and cold at the same time.
“The party is next week,” he said. “Be my date.” Christopher looked up at Allison hopefully, and she felt a pool of anxiety washing around inside of her. Should she tell him the truth? She’d asked James to accompany her. Oh, she’d made it clear that she wasn’t interested in him as anything more than friends, but still, they’d planned to go.
She could blow off James, and she wanted to, but what kind of message would that send? He was a project manager now, and while Christopher didn’t have to work directly with him, Allison did. She didn’t want James to think she was a dirty flip-flopper. No, she’d have to go. Otherwise, he’d view her as unreliable. That would come back to bite her in the ass in the future.