by Gina Drayer
“Want to split it?” he asked.
She groaned. “No, I’m so full you’ll have to roll me home.”
“I’d be happy to get you home however you’d like.” His casual smile slipped and revealed a flash of hunger that she knew all too well. But that look was gone almost as fast as it had come. He winked and took a big bite of egg roll, chewing loudly.
“Jesus, eat with your mouth closed!” she said, trying to sound disgusted. But when he grinned, cabbage and pork and mung sprouts and wonton wrapper peeking through his lips, she couldn’t help laughing.
“What? This isn’t sexy?” he asked, smacking sounds filling the office.
She rolled her eyes. “Sometimes I’m not sure men mature past the age of fifteen.”
“You’re mostly right. But it’s seventeen.”
She threw a pen at his head and he ducked.
As they finished up for the night, Kira found herself lingering. It was Friday, and she had nothing going on at home. Riley was over at Danielle’s house for a sleepover. Plus, it was cold and still raining, and she didn’t want to go outside yet anyway.
It had nothing to do with the man sitting beside her. Nope. She was being practical—100% practical. It wasn’t because Jason had run his fingers through his hair until it fell across his forehead like some pirate captain’s mane, or how his gorgeous hands would lightly brush her arm. Was it weird to fantasize about a man’s hands?
“Well, I think we’re officially done,” Jason said, leaning back in his chair and sighing loudly. “Thanks for all of your help. I don’t think I could have done it without you.”
She shrugged. “That’s what I’m here for.”
He stared at her for a moment, not saying a word. Kira had to restrain herself from fidgeting under his gaze.
Finally, she asked, “What is it?”
He shook his head. “It’s nothing.”
“Oh, come on,” she said, lightly punching his arm. “If you have something to say just spit it out.”
His mouth twisted in a lopsided grin and he stared at the desk. “It’s just that …” He paused and took a deep breath as though steeling himself for the next words. “I know this is your job, but at the same time, I realize you don’t have to help me like this. You don’t have to stay late, double-check my work, call in favors to fix my problems. You went out of your way to help me and I won’t forget that.” He looked up, and his beautiful green eyes were filled with so much sincerity, her heart melted a little.
“It’s the job. And I’m … I’m happy to help in any way,” she said, a hot blush creeping up her neck.
“It’s more than that, and you know it. Too many people take that for granted.” He waited until she met his gaze. “But I see what you do. I see you.”
She didn’t even know what to say to that. She took a lot of pride in her work and was a perfectionist, but sometimes she wondered if there was any point in working this hard when no one seemed to see her contribution.
But Jason did.
She suddenly felt vulnerable, sitting next to him in his office. Twisting her hands together, she said, “Yes. I know.” She swallowed and met his gaze. “I appreciate you noticing. Everyone jokes that this office wouldn’t run without me, but I’m not the one getting awards or bonuses or a higher position.” She looked away and fingered the pad of sticky notes on the desk. She didn’t want to ruin this easy peace they’d found by bringing up the promotion. She plastered on a smile and laughed. The sound was shrill, even to her ears. “Gee, that sounds bitter even to me! Forget I said anything. I’m grateful to have a job. Matt, Peter, Simon—they’re great to work for. And maybe Simon was right to overlook me. Maybe I’m in the position where I’m needed most.”
“Don’t do that. You deserve the recognition,” he said. “It’s okay to want more for yourself.”
His gaze met hers, and she had a difficult time catching her breath. The sea glass green of his eyes seemed darker, more intense. She’d never had a man look at her like that: with need, with hunger. She’d been married and been on dates, but she could honestly say none of those men had ever looked at her like that.
Jason saw her, stripped down to her core.
“Kira,” Jason murmured and covered her fidgeting hand with his.
Her breath hitched. His gaze flicked to her lips, and she couldn’t help but lick them. A low groan sounded in the back of his throat.
Why had she been avoiding him, again? She couldn’t remember. All Kira could think about right then was how close he was to her, and how she wanted him to kiss her more than anything else in the world.
“I can’t keep doing this anymore,” he said, moving closer. “I won’t. I want you. I’ve wanted you since the second I laid eyes on you, and I’m tired of waiting.”
Before she could utter the objection that had been forming on her lips, he closed the distance between them. His mouth was on hers, and all thoughts flew away.
His kiss was like a question, soft and probing. She almost nodded, telling him yes, she felt it too, but instead, she crawled into his lap so she could wrap her arms around his neck. And just like that, the kiss set ablaze a desire she’d long forgotten. What had been a gentle question transformed into demanding hunger. Her fingers buried themselves in his hair, scraping her nails against his scalp, and he answered with a guttural groan and deepened the kiss.
“God, Kira,” he muttered, kissing her jaw, licking his way down her throat. Every sensation sent a new spark straight to her core. The scratch of his stubble against the delicate skin of her collarbone. The bite of his teeth as he kissed down her throat. The pull of the fabric as he removed her blouse.
She wanted to touch him, touch his skin, but there were too many barriers. Her fingers found their way to the buttons on his shirt.
Was she really doing this? Her pulse fluttered like a bird in a cage. As if sensing her apprehension, Jason’s touch softened. He pushed back a strand of hair that had fallen across her eyes, tucking it behind her ear, and smoothed a finger across her racing pulse. He kissed her jaw again, his hand moving downward. Unable to concentrate on the small buttons of his shirt any longer, her eyes slid closed and she simply reveled in the feel of his fingers dancing across her skin.
As his hands inched up past her waist, she held her breath until his palm cupped her breast through her camisole. It was all she could do not to grind against his obvious erection as he stroked her nipple through the fabric of her camisole and bra.
A desperate whimpering sound filled the office. It took her moment to realize the sounds were coming from her.
“Kira, look at me.”
She opened her eyes and saw that hunger—the same hunger she felt—reflected in those green pools.
His thumb circled her nipple, and her breaths turned into panting. She suddenly wanted to strip off the rest of her clothes, so she could feel his hands everywhere on her bare skin. She didn’t care that they were in the office, or that she’d told herself she wasn’t going to cross this line.
He captured her mouth with his as he continued to play with her breasts while his other hand inched into her camisole.
“Yes,” she breathed against his lips, encouraging him.
A piercing ring broke the silence. They both stopped moving, breathing. It came again.
The phone.
Kira jumped off his lap and rifled through her bag at her feet. It could be Riley calling her, or Danielle’s mother, her brain rationalized. But it wasn’t her phone ringing.
Jason picked up his phone from the desk, a deep crease marring his usually boyish face.
“I’m sorry, I have to take this,” he said and stepped out of the office.
Kira quickly put her blouse back on, feeling like a complete idiot now that her senses were coming back to her.
This is insane. I’ve lost my mind.
What had she been thinking, letting her boss grope her in the office? A blush heated her cheeks, and she was grateful Jason had stepped
out, because she needed a few seconds—a few minutes, hours, days—to put herself together.
She couldn’t let this happen again. Ever. Not unless she wanted to lose her job along with her dignity.
“What do you want?” Jason said by way of greeting as he stepped out into the deserted hallway.
It was difficult for him to concentrate on what Bridget was saying. He had a raging hard-on and could still taste Kira on his tongue, and the last person he wanted to talk to was his ex-wife.
“You’ve been avoiding my calls,” Bridget said in that entitled tone of hers. “You know how I hate having to leave voicemails.”
He had to stop himself from sighing. Well, if he needed something to cool his passions and stop him from screwing Kira on top of his desk, a call from Bridget was the equivalent to a bucket of ice water.
“How are you, Bridget?” He didn’t wait for her answer, smoothly adding, “I’ve been good, but busy, thanks for asking.”
He could practically hear her rolling her eyes. “Really, Jason? You know why I’m calling. I wanted to talk to you about the lake property. Again. Have you thought about my offer?”
God, not this again. The judge had given him full ownership of the lake house—one of the few things the judge had awarded him in the divorce. Bridget couldn’t stand that she couldn’t get her claws on it and had been eyeing it like a hawk after its prey.
“I don’t understand why you wouldn’t sell it to me. You moved to New York City, so it seems silly to have a house in Illinois just sitting there, unused.”
As Bridget talked on, Jason only added an occasional “uh-huh” every now and then. He knew her well enough to know that she wasn’t interesting in hearing his opinion.
“The offer was a fair price,” she said. “Especially since the house needs so much work. That place is barely livable, but Cal likes the location.”
Although Jason hadn’t met him, he knew Bridget’s new husband, Cal, by reputation. He was a TV news personality for a local Chicago station, and Bridget had latched onto him the second the ink was dry on their divorce decree. She’d always been more interested in money and status than in her marriage.
She’d seen the Carver name as a way to increase her status, but Jason had never been keen on attending social functions or moving up at the bank. And when he mentioned starting a family as opposed to joining the country club, she’d gotten resentful.
He knew it was over when she accused of him not caring about her or about their lives. Jason had argued that he liked his job and he didn’t want to be some hoity-toity partner stuck in board meetings all day, every day. And when he mentioned kids…
“So are you going to accept our offer?” she asked, interrupting his trip down memory lane. “You know that place isn’t worth holding onto.”
He grimaced. The thought of Bridget and Cal turning the lake house into one of the cookie-cutter McMansions that dotted the shore like pimples on a teenager’s chin made him sick. Besides, he had no intention of giving Bridget anything else that belonged to him. Especially after she’d driven him out of town with her lies.
She’d spread lies about him, telling every one of their friends and acquaintances that he’d been controlling and manipulative. She’d cried abuse because he wouldn’t let her spend any money without his approval.
The reality was he’d tried to get her to stick to their budget.
“It’s not for sale,” he said flatly.
The line was silent. He could imagine Bridget pouting on the other end, her lower lip quivering. “You’re not even listening,” she complained.
“I am listening, and my answer is no. There are plenty of other properties in that area you could raze. Now, are we done so I can get back to work?”
She sniffed. “You’re an asshole, Jason. I hope you have a very unhappy life.”
“Well, it’s already significantly better now that you’re not in it. Goodbye.”
Jason rubbed his forehead. God, every time he had to talk to Bridget, he got a headache. When they’d first met in college, he’d been charmed by her big blue eyes and her laugh, and they’d married soon after graduation. But she’d wanted bigger and better things for herself, and their marriage had turned sour fairly quickly.
And now he was single and unsure he’d be able to do his new position any credit, while Bridget had already remarried and was living the high life.
He returned to his office surprised to see Kira was still there. He’d expected her to have left, and he felt guilty for making her wait around while he talked to his harpy of an ex-wife.
She blushed when he came back in, and looked away quickly. The moment became even more awkward as neither of them mentioned the kiss.
God, that kiss. He’d never forget that kiss, but now Kira wouldn’t even look at him. He should say something. But what? That was great, let’s do it again? Yeah, that would go over well.
“I need to get home,” she said as she picked up her bag. “Can you lock up?”
He looked out the window. “It’s raining. You want me to walk you to the train?”
She shook her head. “I’m good. I don’t melt in water.”
He wanted her to stay. He wanted her to look at him. To make those noises again.
“I’m done. Let me get my stuff,” he said.
He had every intention of walking her to the subway station under his umbrella, but she was out the door before he could get the stupid thing open. By the time he caught up, she was soaked. They walked the block to the station in silence, and when her train came, she murmured a soft “thank you” before the doors closed.
He stood on the platform as the train sped away, wondering what the hell he was going to do now.
Chapter 7
More than Casual? Make Sure.
After-work drinks. A few dinners. A late-night hookup. Is it a relationship or something casual? Dating these days can be confusing, and when you add the workplace into the mix, it just muddies the waters. Seeing someone every day doesn’t automatically shift your relationship to the next level. Make sure you’re both on the same page before you start picking out wedding dresses.
* * *
Jason walked by Kira’s desk for what seemed like the thousandth time that day, hoping to see her. But no Kira. This was the third day in a row she’d called in. He hadn’t seen her since their kiss on Friday. Liam from HR told him she was sick, but Jason couldn’t help but think that he’d screwed up.
Was she avoiding work because of what happened? Had he misread her signals? No. He knew he she’d wanted—had enjoyed—the kissing as much as he had. He glanced at the empty chair again and his stomach twisted. God, he was the biggest asshole. Of course, she was staying home to avoid him.
He headed back to his office and flopped into his chair. Emails kept pouring in, but all of the words on the computer monitor looked like gibberish. He couldn’t concentrate. He was too worried about Kira, about what she thought of him.
What if she turned in her notice because of him?
A soft knock tore him away from that cheerful thought. Looking up, he was surprised to see Kim Patterson standing at the door. The tall woman looked more like a rock star than a creative director, with the tattoos peeking out from under the collar of her blouse and snaking up the side of her neck and the bright red streak in her hair. But she’d worked for his brother for years, and was closer to a true partner than he was. Whatever she needed at this hour, he knew it couldn’t be good.
“What’s up?” he asked.
He may have known Kim for years, but he didn’t know her well enough to read her expression. But it didn’t really matter; he recognized worry right away.
“Is everything okay?” he said. A million things that could have gone wrong suddenly skipped through his mind. “Nothing’s wrong with the ad, is it?”
“The ad is fine. I’m here about something else. Have you heard from Kira?” Kim bit her lip, which was full and tinged with a dark red lipstick. It wasn’t f
lirty. She looked like she was trying not to say something that was on her mind. “She’s never been gone from work this long before.”
“What do you mean?” he asked, worried now. “Do you think something’s wrong with her?”
“Not necessarily, but …” She hesitated before saying, “You know about her daughter, right?”
“Yeah. Riley.” Kira had talked about her daughter a lot. He almost felt like he knew the girl, even though they hadn’t met. “Do you think something’s wrong with her daughter?”
“Kira would kill me if she knew I was telling you this, but she doesn’t have many close friends.” Kim took a deep breath and sighed. “Her mom is out of town for the next few weeks and she usually helps with Riley. If Kira’s been sick enough to miss work for three days … she doesn’t have anyone else.”
He understood what Kim was trying to say. Kira has no one to take care of her.
“Thanks for letting me know,” he said, rather gruffly.
“Could you check on her? I would do it myself, but I shouldn’t be around her right now. In case she’s contagious. Just in case.” Kim frowned, about to say something else, when someone called her name. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but you two seem …” Kim seemed to weigh her words. “Close. I’ve got to go. Just think about it. Please.”
He nodded his agreement as she left. Staring at his blank computer monitor, Jason wondered how it would look if he just showed up at Kira’s house. Desperate? Creepy? Surely she’d see it as a kind gesture. A concerned colleague checking in on a sick friend. Right? Maybe he could say Kim asked him to come over.
He tapped his fingers against his desk. She doesn’t have anyone to take care of her. That thought sealed it. He didn’t care if Kira thought he was creepy; he was going to make sure she was okay. He also wanted to show her that, regardless of how she felt about the kiss, he didn’t regret it.
The first thing he needed to do was find out where she lived. That was probably the kind of information Liam would have. Easy. Or so he thought.