Conflict of Interest (Employee Relations Book 1)

by Teresa Michaels

  “Unintentionally, I swear.” I put one hand over my heart and raise the other like I’m making an oath.

  She shakes her head, looking at me with disgust but I can tell there’s an underlying amusement in her expression. “Just wait. Payback’s a bitch.”

  “I meant to tell you but it slipped my mind. The way your entire face turned pink was —”

  “We’re done with this conversation,” she warns, but I keep going.

  “You’re beautiful when you blush, you know?” I tell her as I sit up and drag her back on top of me. “But I prefer seeing you glow.”

  “Really? And when do I glow?”

  “When I make you come.”

  Her breath hitches. “I think I’m ready for bed now.”

  The next morning, I wake up with Gabriella in my arms, reluctant to let her go. What a difference a day makes. Twenty-four hours ago I was wandering the streets of London attempting to find clarity where both Gabriella and my father were concerned and when I returned to my room I was sure it was too late. Now we’re lying in bed. Thank fuck she gave me the chance to explain.

  We need to talk about what’s going on between us but I’m putting it off as long as possible. Mainly because I’m afraid. Afraid she’ll tell me we need to stop. Childish as it may be I’ve convinced myself that ignoring the issue will make it go away.

  Discounting this predicament, my life is in perfect order. I’ve just been promoted. My father has no claim over my success and I’ve proven to him he was wrong in more ways than one. I didn’t need him to get to where I am.

  What do I need?

  I’m not sure I need Gabriella, but for the first time that I can remember I want her more than anything else. Work included.

  “Do you have plans today?” I ask when she stirs.

  “Just dinner tonight with my family. How about you?”

  “Apartment hunting. I need to look for a place of my own.” Drawn to the softness of her skin, I rub my hand up and down her arm. “I should have taken you up on the corporate housing allowance. My roommate situation is less than ideal.”

  She props herself up on her elbow and beams at me. “I’ll make you a deal. Make me glow…twice,” she wags her eyebrows suggestively. “And afterward I’ll make you breakfast and help you find a place.”

  “You say that like making you come apart is a chore for me.” I lean into her and capture her earlobe with my teeth. “It’s not.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.” She arches her back, pressing her breasts into my chest. “But I didn’t think you’d let me help if we weren’t both contributing.”

  “You keep offering me sex as a way to level the playing field and I’ll probably do whatever you want.”

  “Noted.”

  I press up on my forearms to get a better look at her. “I might need to get a real-estate agent. I’m thinking of buying.”

  “Come to dinner tonight,” she offers. “You can talk to my brother.”

  “I thought he did construction.”

  “He does but he’s got a lot of connections and he’s a broker. There’s a commercial real-estate aspect to his company but he absolutely hates it.”

  “Sounds like my dream job.” I admit pushing a stray hair back from her face. “You’d be okay with me coming to dinner?”

  She looks down at her hand on my chest. “You already know my family and…I want you there.”

  “Good because I have something I need to deliver.”

  “What’s that?” she asks lifting her eyes to mine.

  “When I was out Friday morning I walked past this toy shop. In the window was a small wooden castle. I got it for Francesca.”

  The corners of her mouth pull up. “You didn’t have to do that, but thank you. She’ll love it.”

  “Good. Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to enjoy my present.” I dip down and bite her nipple. “One I plan on enjoying for a very long time.”

  For the next hour I take my time making Gabriella glow, over delivering on her quota. While I shower, she makes breakfast. Belgium waffles, bacon and eggs with orange-mango juice. The day’s only begun and I’ve already lived every man’s fantasy.

  Afterward, I lay in her bed with her between my legs, the laptop on her lap as she searches for potential apartments and condos in the South End and Beacon Hill. I need to find a place but I’d much rather spend my time focused on her while we’re together.

  I sweep her hair to the side and tease her neck, kissing, biting and sucking.

  “Lucas.” My name falls of her lips as a plea.

  Shutting the laptop, I set it on her bedside table and then slip my hands under her shirt and run my thumbs over her nipples.

  “We don’t have time. We need to get ready soon.”

  “Let me hold you then.”

  “Is that what you’re doing?”

  “Should I stop?”

  “No. But we don’t have time for anything else.”

  “Good because I ran out of condoms. They only had three packs at the hotel.”

  “What’s a tree pack?” she giggles.

  “That mouth of yours is going to get you in trouble,” I warn her.

  “Is that a fact?”

  She maneuvers so that she’s on her knees before me. Leaning forward, she presses her lips to mine and then trails kisses down my chest. Her big eyes peer up at me from under her lashes as she nears my cock.

  “Will this get me in trouble?” she asks innocently.

  “Absolutely.”

  My breathing is ragged and nearly stops when she licks my shaft, swirls her tongue around the tip and takes me in her mouth. I could die right now a happy man. Unable to take all of me, she adds her hand and begins pumping and sucking in perfect rhythm. I twist my hands in her hair.

  “If you don’t stop now, Gabriella…” I can’t even finish my thoughts.

  She groans as she continues to suck, adding just the right amount of pressure to the underside of my dick with her tongue. My balls tighten. Showing no sign of letting up I give her one more chance to get up. “Gabriella, get up.”

  She takes me deeper, swallowing my release.

  “Bloody hell, Gabriella.”

  She sits up and wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. “I’ve never done that before.”

  My brows knit together. “Gone down on someone or stayed with it until the end?”

  “The end,” she clarifies.

  It’s irrational for it to bother me but I can’t stand thinking about her past. All I’ve asked her for is the present, which she’s giving me, yet I’m starting to accept I might want her future for more than just the weekend.

  I yank her up my lap. “What else haven’t you done?”

  “Hmmm.” She nuzzles into me. “I’ve never had sex anywhere besides a bed. Not the living room, not the shower,” she leans forward. “Definitely not bent over a desk.”

  I pull her towards me and kiss her hard. “Keep making a list. After dinner we’re stopping at the pharmacy.”

  A few hours later we’re walking into DiVergilio’s. Gabriella leads me over to where her brother Leo is seated and bends down to kiss his cheek. “Hey, did you get my text about helping Lucas?”

  Leo eyes me suspiciously. “I did.”

  He pushes a folder across the table. “Here’s a printout of places in your price range and location requirements. If you’ve got time next week, I’ll take you to a few showings.”

  “I’d appreciate that,” I tell him as I look over the listings. The list contains all the ones Gabriella and I decided on plus a handful more.

  “Hey, I’ll be right back. You good here?” she asks.

  “I’m good.”

  Public displays of affection have never been my thing, but I have to stop myself from kissing her before she takes off.

  “So,” Leo begins. “What’s going on between you and my sister?”

  “Trying to figure that out myself,” I admit looking after her.

  “
What does that mean?”

  “Work makes it complicated.”

  I get that he’s her brother but I’m not going to give him false promises or details.

  “You seem like a decent guy. I’ll help you find a place to live because she asked me,” he says, pushing back his chair and standing. “But you’d be wise to remember I also own a construction company. You hurt her and you’ll end up in the foundation of one of my buildings. We clear, Irish?”

  “Perfectly.”

  Leo hands me a card with his number and excuses himself to get a beer. I slide it into my wallet and wonder if I missed out completely on the brother/sister relationship with Serosae or if there’s still a chance. I don’t take kindly to threats but I appreciate that he looks out for Gabriella.

  Suddenly, there’s a tug on my pants.

  “I’m ready for my rain check,” Francesca says, holding out her hand.

  “Your what?” I ask.

  “You owe me a dance.”

  I crouch down in front of her. “I have something better in mind.”

  She arches an eyebrow, doubting me already. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

  I walk to where Gabriella is talking with Francesca’s parents.

  “Excuse me,” I interrupt.

  “Hey, Lucas,” Vincent shakes my hand. “Gabby was just telling us about the castle.”

  “Mind if we give it to her now?” I ask.

  “Go ahead,” his wife answers.

  When I turn around from getting the box, Francesca has already joined Gabriella and her parents. Bouncing up and down at the sight of a gift she can barely contain herself.

  “Is that for me?” she beams.

  “It is. This is from London and it’s from both of us,” I tell her as I point between me and Gabriella.

  “Thank you!” she launches herself forward, hugging us each.

  “You haven’t even seen it yet,” Gabriella laughs.

  After that she wastes no time unwrapping the box. Very carefully, and with the help of her mother, Francesca takes the castle out of the box. Her smile could light the entire room.

  “I love it!” she exclaims.

  I glance at Gabriella, who’s watching her niece enjoy her new gift with complete love and adoration, and I can’t help but wonder what Gabriella will be like one day when she’s a mother. Then I frown because I’ll never know.

  Later, as dessert is being served, Francesca comes over to us and asks to sit on my lap, talking a mile a minute about dolls and princesses and jewelry and how she’s going to decorate her new castle. She takes a deep breath and begins on another topic when a warm vibration blasts my thigh.

  “Oops!” Francesca giggles and so does Gabriella.

  The little girl looks at me over her shoulder to gauge my reaction.

  “Squeaky shoe?” I ask, trying to give her an out.

  “Nope. I tooted.”

  I chuckle at her honesty.

  “So you did.”

  “Are you going to tell me ladies don’t toot? Aunty Gabby told me that real ladies do what they need to do and own it.”

  I shoot Gabriella a sideways glance. “I’m sure she did.”

  Francesca squirms as she once again she toots.

  “Sorry,” she looks at me apologetically and I notice that this time my leg feels warmer than before. “Umm, I need to go to the potty.”

  Francesca excuses herself and I glance at my leg.

  It’s wet.

  “I think she already went.”

  Gabriella’s had tips back, howling in laughter so hard she’s crying. I look around not really sure what to do.

  Everyone at the table turns to look.

  “What’s so funny?” Gabriella’s mom asks, smiling at the two of us.

  “Vincent, I think you need to check on Francesca…she just…she just sharted on Lucas’s leg!”

  Laughter erupts around the table.

  “Oh shit—”

  More laughter.

  It doesn’t go unnoticed that Leo is enjoying himself the most.

  “Sorry,” Vincent apologizes while his wife heads to the restroom.

  “Why don’t you clean off your leg and I’ll get started on the dishes,” Gabriella tells me.

  “Nonsense,” her mother objects. “Do what you need to do, Lucas, but you two can leave when you’re ready. You just returned from a long trip.”

  “Are you sure?” she asks.

  “Positive. Lucas, thank you for coming. Sorry about…” she gestures toward my leg.

  “What she means to say,” Leo interjects. “Is that shit happens.”

  I clean my pant leg the best I can and then we say our goodbye’s. On the way back to Gabriella’s we make a stop at the corner store where I purchase the largest box of condoms available. We start in the living room and then take it to the shower.

  Staying the night has sort of become a foregone conclusion. Maybe we can just continue doing this without defining the rest. Hopeful, I pick up my phone from her bedside table while she dries her hair and notice a picture of Gabriella with her parents and brothers. The six of them have their arms thrown over each other’s shoulders wearing pink t-shirts and are bald. All of them, including Gabriella and her mom.

  “Not my best look is it?” she asks from the doorway. I hadn’t even heard her come out of the bathroom.

  With the frame in one hand I hold out my other for her. When she’s close enough, I pull her into my lap.

  “Even bald you’re gorgeous,” I tell her, kissing her neck.

  Gabriella takes the picture and stares at it.

  “Days before this picture was taken my mom’s hair had started falling out in clumps. She put on a brave face but I knew she was self-conscious about it. I’d heard about a non-profit organization that uses human hair to make wigs for kids with cancer and convinced myself she couldn’t be mad if I was doing something to help others. So I paid Vincent fifty dollars to shave both our heads. At first my dad freaked but came around to the idea and he and my other brothers shaved their heads too. Mom thought we were crazy but I know she appreciated not being alone.”

  “You would do anything for your family, wouldn’t you?”

  She nods in agreement then places the picture on the table. “That’s why I’m pushing so hard for the Elder Care Program. Grandma needs care around the clock and my mom’s neglecting herself to be her provider. Everyone pitching in isn’t enough. She’s in remission but there’s only so much one person can handle.”

  “What happens if the program doesn’t get approved?”

  “Pray for a miracle? I don’t know. I’ll do everything I can to help them both, no matter what. My grandmother has done so much for me throughout my life. We’ve always been close. And my mom is my best friend. I just want to make it better for both of them.”

  “I’m sure you do that without even realizing it.”

  She turns to me and cups her hand around my cheek. “I don’t want to think about that now.”

  “No?” I ask and she shakes her head. “Tell me what you want.”

  “You.”

  Chapter 16

  Lucas

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  At 4AM I wake to Lucas’s hardened length, warm and hard pressing between my inner thighs and his massive hand cupping my breast. A needy ache between my legs begs for attention which is ridiculous considering Lucas has given me more orgasms in the last two days than any other man in my entire life. Hard to say if that’s what woke me up, or if it was my subconscious reminding me that today is Monday. AKA the day we have to go back to reality.

  At least give me the rest of the weekend.

  Two days ago, Lucas’s words held more leverage in their ability to calm and persuade me. Secluded in
my apartment it’s been easy to pretend consequences don’t exist outside this room. Unease twists in my stomach over what comes next. In a few short hours he’ll go to work and what? Act as is if this never happened? Revert to pretending I don’t exist? That’s not something I can do whether I agreed to this or not.

  I close my eyes and attempt to coax my overactive imagination to turn off. Whatever happens I’ll follow his lead, at least for the sake of appearances.

  “What’s wrong?” Lucas stirs behind me.

  “Nothing.”

  “Don’t lie to me.” He pinches my nipple and massages my breast.

  I arch into his touch. “How do you know something’s wrong?”

  “You’re tense.”

  “I’m waiting for you to turn into a pumpkin and disappear.”

  He chuckles. “I’m not going anywhere. Not until I have to or you kick me out.”

  Slowly, his hand travels south until it reaches its destination between my legs, teasing me with his fingers until I’m wet. “Of course we could play hookie today.”

  “Tempting as that is, we can’t,” I tell him.

  Lucas reaches over to the nightstand and grabs a condom. “Then let me wake you up properly. I need to get my fix.”

  Flipping me over he claims my lips with his, scorching me with a passionate kiss. I lock my ankles behind his back and encircle my arms around his neck, trying not to get hung up on whatever future exists after 7AM.

  Our tongues swirl keeping time with his hips as he grinds his erection against my core. Separated by nothing but the silk fabric of my panties, my entire body buzzes with electricity. This man, who has driven my emotions for the better part of a month without trying, controls my body like a puppet master. We’ve had sex multiple times over the last few days yet neither of us seem to get enough.

  Sitting back, he drags my panties down my legs and tosses them over his shoulders. He dips down between my legs to lick my center with his warm tongue and sucks on my throbbing clit.

  “Lucas.” My hips lift off the mattress. “Please,” I beg, twisting my hands in his hair attempting to yank him up.