Modern Girl's Guide to Office Romance

by Gina Drayer

  Jason stopped to talk to Liam from HR, but peeking over the papers, she saw his easy smile fall. Liam looked over to where she sat and nodded. Had Jason said something about their weekend activities? Shouldn’t they say something to HR? Did the company have a fraternization form? Maybe they needed one. She pulled out her notepad and added that to her running to-do list.

  “Good morning, Kira.” His rich voice rumbled behind her, and she couldn’t stop her body from responding to that sound.

  “Good morning.”

  She didn’t look at him. She couldn’t. Instead, she tried to focus on the folders she’d been putting together. Of course, he wasn’t making it easy. He leaned against the table, waiting for more than a simple good morning, but she suppressed the urge to engage even though her fingers itched to touch him.

  “Is something wrong?” he finally asked.

  “No,” she lied. “The meeting is about to start and I need to get these packets done.”

  “After the meeting, can you come to my office? I have a few things I’d like to go over.” Was his voice huskier than before?

  The blush returned and Kira looked up. Kim was watching them a little too closely. With her heart racing out of control, Kira went back to working on the folders.

  What was she doing? She needed to pull herself together. And fast.

  They hardly made eye contact during the meeting. Kira concentrated on taking notes, studiously ignoring every attempt Jason made at drawing her out. She ignored the sound of his voice, his laugh that filled the room, the sight of him out of the corner of her eye.

  After the meeting, she took a deep breath and walked to his office, knowing that if she didn’t go, he’d just seek her out.

  “What is it you needed to talk about?” she asked.

  “I just wanted to get you alone,” he said with a wolfish grin.

  He closed his office door and stood in front of her, but all she could do was stare at her toes.

  “Kira,” he said, lifting her chin. Despite her best intentions, her body responded. And when he lowered his lips to meet hers, she didn’t have the willpower to tell him to stop. She wanted to melt into his arms, but now wasn’t the time or the place. She pulled away, putting much needed distance between them. He frowned. “What’s wrong?”

  “We shouldn’t do this.”

  He stared at her. “By ‘this,’ you mean …?”

  “This,” she said, emphasizing the word and waved a hand in a circular motion.

  “The kissing?” he said, his hot breath caressed her cheek, sending a shiver down her spine.

  “Yes,” she said, finally finding the strength to step out of his arms. “We’re at work.”

  He tilted his head to the side and narrowed his eyes. “But the doors are closed. No one will know what we’re—”

  “Kira to reception.” The booming intercom interrupted what he was about to say.

  “I need to go.”

  She stepped around him and opened the door, but not without feeling horribly guilty. Jason hadn’t done anything wrong, and she was treating him like he was in the wrong. After the weekend they spent together, she understood his confusion. They should have talked about how they were going to handle work. But they didn’t. And she wouldn’t blame him for being mad.

  After work, they’d have that talk. That is, if she could make it through the day without going crazy.

  Jason let Kira go, but it was a struggle. He wanted to haul her back into his office and demand to know what was going on. He hadn’t imagined what had happened between them over the weekend. He hadn’t imagined how her scent clung to his skin, how she’d looked at him when they were in bed together. He hadn’t imagined how she’d melted in his arms, opened up completely to him. He hadn’t imagined how her eyes had sparkled when he’d brought her breakfast in bed.

  But now, she was acting like she didn’t want him to look at her, let alone touch her.

  He combed his hair with his fingers, sighing loudly, and shut his office door. He needed to get his thoughts in order.

  Was she trying to end things? The thought hit him like a sledgehammer in the gut. Were they over before anything had even started? His palms started to sweat as his thoughts whirled. He had to convince her that they could make this work. They were great together. Okay, he hadn’t told her as much, but knew it was true. And while he wasn’t sure if that meant love and long-term, he did know that this wasn’t over. He wasn’t going to let Kira scurry away like a scared rabbit. Not this time.

  Jason took a deep breath and tried to think about it rationally. Knowing Kira, it was probably just her way of compartmentalizing. But God, did she really have to pretend like what they had shared meant nothing?

  He left Kira alone for the rest of the day. She needed time away from him to think away, and he needed time to cool down. So he focused on the meetings, emails, and phone calls—all the repetitive tasks that make his brain go numb until his initial irritation subsided and he could think more clearly.

  If he’d learned anything about Kira over these last two months, it was that she needed time to think things through. Although he was tempted to let her be until she worked it out, he also knew that if Kira was left alone with her thoughts too long, she could very well convince herself that they needed to end their fledgling relationship right here and now.

  At ten till five, when the place had mostly emptied for the day, Jason stopped by her office. “When you get a moment, can you come see me? We need to finish our discussion from earlier.”

  She glanced up at him, surprised. Did she really think he’d let her run away without so much as a fight?

  “Let me finish up here and I’ll be right over.”

  She took her sweet time. Jason almost went back to her office for this talk, but he knew deep down, she needed to make the choice. Another five minutes went by and Kira came in, shutting the door behind her. She rocked back onto her heels as she stood in front of his desk, like a student waiting for the principal to deliver his sentence.

  Jason got up from his chair and took her hand. “What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?”

  She tried to feign ignorance. “What do you mean?”

  “You know what I mean. I tried to talk to you earlier and you were too busy. I kissed you and you didn’t kiss me back. I’m getting mixed signals from you, and to be honest, I’m confused as hell.”

  He rubbed her fingers, forcing himself not to give in and kiss her until she forgot her own name. Not until she gave him the green light. When she didn’t pull her hand away, he considered that a small victory.

  “I’m worried about what people will think when they see us together. That’s all.”

  “And what do you think they’ll see? Do you think they can tell I can’t stop thinking about you?” He took a step toward her, closing the distance. “That I spent all day thinking about the way I took you against the wall of my apartment and made you cry out in pleasure? Or how I made you come at least three more times before the weekend was over? Do you think they can tell that I want to bend you over my desk and do it all over again? Is that what you’re worried about, Kira?”

  Her breasts rose and fell, her breathing fast. He watched as a flush creeped upward, from her jawline over her cheeks. Those cheekbones …

  “Yes,” she whispered. “We need to keep things professional.”

  He backed her up until her shoulders and ass touched the wall. “I’m sorry to tell you this, but every time you’re near me, the last thing I want to be is professional.” Cupping her cheek, he brushed his thumb across her bottom lip. “I can only think about being inside you again. Kissing you and hearing you moan my name.”

  “Jason …”

  “Just like that.” He leaned down to kiss her, his mouth only a breath from hers—but after a beat, he backed away. She looked at him like she wanted to strangle him. “But you’re right. PDA during work probably isn’t the best idea. For either of us.”

  She b
linked. “What?” Shaking her head a little, she added, “I mean, yes. That’s what I meant. No PDA at work. I’m glad we’ve settled this.”

  Smiling, he jammed his hands into his pockets. “But you have to promise me one thing.”

  “And that would be?” Kira drew herself up, her chin tilted upward.

  “That I can kiss you—touch you—the second work is done for the day.”

  She blinked again. “You still want to …”

  “Of course,” he said without hesitation. Kira licked her lips and he almost groaned aloud. She looked so kissable, all wide-eyed, with the flush still staining her cheeks. Jason couldn’t help himself. “And thank God, it’s after five.”

  He snaked an arm around her waist and kissed her with all of the passion he’d been wanting to unleash upon her today. She melted in his arms, clutching at his shirtfront.

  Somehow in the frenzied joining of their lips, his shirt ended up on the floor and her blouse gapped open. He was seconds away from taking her against the wall of his office. But he knew—even though she was just as willing—that was the last thing she wanted, and it wouldn’t help him in the long run.

  He didn’t know where the willpower came from, but he broke the kiss. “You should go home now before we both do something we’d regret.”

  “You’re right,” she said, nodding in agreement, flushed and slightly out of breath. With shaky hands, Kira buttoned up her blouse. He picked up his shirt and turned back to his desk, trying to will his dick to behave.

  He heard the door to his office open and thought she’d head straight to the elevator, but seconds later, Kira’s voice filled the outer offices. “Oh! I didn’t know anyone was here.”

  “I’m looking for Jason Carver. The security guard downstairs said he hasn’t left yet.”

  Jason looked up, recognizing the voice, and a sense of dread rolled through the pit of his stomach. Bridget, his ex-wife, was standing by the bank of elevators, looking at Kira as if she were a bug stuck to the bottom of her shoe.

  “Yes, he is,” Kira said. “He’s in his office.”

  “And you are—?” Bridget asked, as if it were her right.

  “My name’s Kira. I’m the office manager.” Kira held out a hand, which Bridget ignored. “The office is actually closed, but I’d be happy to make an appointment for you.”

  “Would you be a dear and tell Jason that Bridget is here to see him.” But before Kira turned around, Bridget added, “And dear, you might want to fix the buttons on your shirt. You know how people in an office can talk. But then again, maybe that’s what you want.”

  Kira turned back to see Jason standing in his doorway. Her eyes widened and the blush on her cheeks was dark, this time from embarrassment.

  He walked toward the pair, but before he reached them, Kira had already slipped back to her office and closed the door. He wanted to strangle his ex for talking to her like that.

  “Bridget, what the hell are you doing here?”

  “Nice to see you too, Jason. This is a private matter. We should talk in your office.” Bridget didn’t wait for him. She strode in and made herself at home.

  “Now, do you mind telling me why you’re here?” he said, closing the door behind him.

  “I wouldn’t have had to come to your work if you had just returned my calls.”

  He sighed. Bridget wouldn’t let that ridiculous idea of buying his lake property go, and she’d left at least four voicemails for him in the past two weeks. Not remotely having been in the mood to deal with her, he’d been putting off calling her back. And he didn’t want to talk with her now, either. He need to catch Kira before she left.

  “Sorry,” he said, although he wasn’t sorry at all. “I’ve been really busy.”

  “I see that.” Bridget rolled her eyes. “You always were attracted to blondes.”

  “Okay, I think we’re done,” he said, going back to the door.

  “Wait,” Bridget said, getting to her feet. “Did you look at our new offer?”

  He hadn’t. But seeing her here with Kira, Jason realized that maybe it was time for him to let go of his life with Bridget, including the property they’d bought together. He’d left Illinois behind when he and Bridget had ended their marriage. He’d given up the condo, the job, and the cars. Maybe it was time to let go of the lake house, too. The only reason he’d held on this long was some deluded hope that he’d be able to achieve that dream. But funny thing about dreams: sometimes they changed. He had a new dream—a new idea of what he wanted his family to look like. He couldn’t move forward while being weighed down by his past mistakes.

  New York was his home. And while he might not know what he wanted right now. Kira and Riley were high on the list. His future—any potential future he had with Kira—didn’t involve a house halfway across the country. If he wanted to be a part of their lives—maybe even be part of their family someday—he needed to start building a life here.

  “I’ll think about it.”

  Her eyes brightened. Jason could just imagine how much money of Cal’s she was going to spend to renovate the place. “I’m glad you’ve finally come to your senses. I’m in town for a couple days. We can talk details before I leave.”

  “That’s not necessary. If I’m going to sell, I’ll send a contract to your real estate agent.” Jason neglected to mention that if he was going to sell, he wasn't going to accept her offer. If she wanted the property so much, he wouldn’t take less than a million for the house—the acreage alone was worth that. He wanted that to be a nice surprise for the grasping bitch.

  When Bridget didn’t immediately leave, he raised an eyebrow. “Anything else?”

  She looked at him, like she couldn’t make him out. “You seem different.”

  “Really? How?”

  “I don’t know. More together, maybe? You don’t seem like the man I married.”

  “Considering how young and stupid we were when we got married, I should hope I’m not the same.”

  She shook her head. “It’s not that.” After a moment longer, she shrugged. “Whatever it is, I just wonder where it was when we were together.”

  As she was about to leave, she looked over her shoulder. “Oh, and sleeping with the assistant. That’s so cliché, even for you.” Her smile was catlike as she opened the door; Jason had to restrain himself from telling her to go to hell.

  All thoughts of his ex fled when he walked out to see Kira getting her stuff together to leave. “I’m so sorry about that. I didn’t think we’d be interrupted.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” she said, slipping on her jacket. “You can’t control what other people say.” She was trying to sound flippant, but Jason could hear the hurt in her voice.

  “Do you feel up to grabbing a drink?” he asked. He wanted to make sure she was really okay, and he wouldn’t object to picking up where they’d left off.

  She glanced up and clutched her purse in front of her body like a shield. “I can’t tonight. Riley has a solo she’s working on and she wanted me to listen. It’s her first solo this year, so it’s a big deal. She’s thinking about doing it at the district competition. Besides, I need to make dinner and there’s laundry and a million other things.”

  She was babbling, and in the end he let her go without protest. But Jason wasn’t done. He wasn’t going to let her retreat from him again. They were perfect for each other. He just needed a chance to prove it to her.

  Chapter 13

  Avoid PDA

  Besides the fact that it’s unprofessional, PDA can make your co-workers very uncomfortable. While casual contact can be expected, steer clear of kisses in the break room and hookups in the supply closet.

  * * *

  Kira had never been so mortified in her life. And the sad fact was, there was no one to blame but herself. She’d know it was only a matter of time before people started to make assumptions about her relationship with Jason. He was her boss after all. But she’d kind of hoped it would have taken longer
than one day.

  Inevitable or not, Kira wasn’t going to let their affair affect her job. She’d already let one relationship change her life by getting pregnant at such a young age. She was older and hopefully wiser now, and it wasn’t going to happen again. If Jason couldn’t keep their relationship professional, she would be the one to make sure it stayed that way.

  On Tuesday, she came into the office determined to lay down some revised rules. There would be no more anything while at the office. No stolen kisses, secret touches, or even longing glances. They were adults, not horny teenagers. If they were going to make this work, the boundaries would have to be clearly defined.

  The problem was, she wasn’t quite sure how to talk to him about it. She was so busy with the campaign data that she hardly had time to pee, let alone have a serious discussion. And Jason was tied up in conference calls for most the day. They had one brief moment in the break room over coffee and that was it. But at least she didn’t have to worry about inappropriate work behavior. They couldn’t get a second alone to talk, let alone get to second base in his office. She still felt it was prudent to talk about it though, so she planned on doing that after work. But of course that didn’t work out either.

  She caught sight of him slipping his jacket on and she rushed over to his office.

  “You’re not staying late?” she asked.

  “I’ve got a meeting across town. What about lunch?”

  “We can’t. We have a pre-pitch strategy meeting about the Bin and Storage campaign.”

  “Dinner after work?” he asked.

  “I can’t. Parent-teacher conference at seven,” she said with a sigh.

  He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “We’ll find some time. Promise. Lunch on Thursday, maybe?” She went to check the calendar, but Jason was already at the door. “We’ll talk about it in the morning. I really have to go.”