Conflict of Interest (Employee Relations Book 1)

by Teresa Michaels

  He lifts his head. “Are you denying me of the most important meal of the day?”

  “I need you inside me.”

  “Say it again,” he quietly demands.

  “I need you. Inside me. Now.”

  Lucas kisses his way up to my breasts and sucks on each of my nipples. Taking himself in his hands he sheaths himself before guiding his cock to my entrance and slowly sinks inside.

  “Ahh.” I dig my nails into his back and whimper from both pleasure and pain.

  “Are you okay?”

  “A little sore,” I admit.

  “Do you want me to stop?”

  “God no,” I exclaim and thankfully he begins to move.

  Concentrating, he pumps into me in a leisurely way like he’s trying to prolong our time together instead of chasing his release. Delicious torture. I dig my heels into his backside and buck my hips, begging him to give me more.

  “You feel so fucking good, Gabriella. Don’t rush me.”

  “Lucas, please.”

  He pushes up, straightening his arms and drops his gaze to where we’re joined, sweat forming on his forehead.

  “Every second I’m not inside you today, this is what I’m going to imagine.”

  His hooded eyes roam my body, yet when our eyes meet it’s something other than stark desire I see. Pinching his brows together, he appears confused as if he’s coming out of a trance. When the fog lifts he flattens his lips into a flat line and his nostrils flare. His Adam’s apple bobs and as he swallows he continues to search my eyes with an intensity I’ve never seen before.

  I can’t look away nor do I understand what he’s feeling.

  Lifting my hand, I drag my thumb over his bottom lip and his eyes blaze.

  “Christ,” he growls, lowering all his weight on top of me.

  Possessively, he grips the back of my shoulders for leverage and thrusts his hips so deep I can’t tell where his body ends and mine begins. As his force picks up sped, my core clenches around him, igniting with an explosion that ripples throughout every inch of my flesh.

  Lucas grows harder, hammering into me at a frenzied pace, making a strangled cry when he finds his release. We lie, holding each other, covered in a sheen of sweat.

  Afterward, he clings to me with his face still buried in my neck, raggedly breathing like he’d just ran a marathon. Minutes go by before he reluctantly leaves the bed to dispose of the condom, though when he slips back under the covers he holds me even closer.

  So many questions flow through my mind, but I’m too scared to ask. Screw expectations and designations of what we mean to each other. Titles don’t matter to me as long as this isn’t goodbye.

  At some point we must have fallen back asleep because a knock on my bedroom door wakes me long before the alarm is set to go off.

  Summer.

  I attempt to untangle myself from Lucas without waking him, not that I want out of his arms, but knowing my friend she’ll barge in if I don’t answer the door. I’m almost in the clear when Lucas groans, tightening his grip on my waist.

  “Don’t go,” he mutters against my breast.

  “If I don’t answer she’ll barge in here.”

  He doesn’t relent. “I have nothing to hide.”

  Smiling I yank the blanket up to cover myself. “Come in.”

  Summer opens the door holding a mug in her hand, wearing the biggest smirk I’ve ever seen. “Coffee’s ready,” she announces cheerfully. “Good morning, Lucas.”

  “Morning, Summer,” he lifts a hand in greeting then wraps it back around me.

  Shooting me a smug look she closes door behind her.

  “We should get up or did you forget it’s Monday?”

  “I can’t.”

  I put my hand on his forehead. “Are you feeling alright?”

  “No,” he replies. He then takes my hand and places it on his morning wood. “See, something’s wrong.”

  “If we had time I’d make it go away but we don’t.”

  “Jokes on you. If someone reports me for walking around with a massive boner all day, you’ll have to deal with me one way or another.”

  I bend down to kiss his forehead and playfully stroke him once before bolting from the bed to put on my robe. “Come on. I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”

  When I get to the kitchen Summer is anxiously waiting.

  “Here.” She slides a mug of black coffee across the counter.

  I frown. “Is this for me?”

  “Did you want the half and half today? I assumed you’d had your fill of Irish cream.”

  Here we go.

  “How’d you know he was here?” I ask innocently.

  “The large suitcase with his name sitting in the living room was my first clue. Your headboard pounding into the wall was the second.” She takes a sip of coffee. “If I didn’t love you so much I’d be pissed for not getting any sleep.”

  I cringe. “I had no idea you were back. Sorry.”

  “Do not apologize. Give me the dirt. What’s the status on your cobwebs?”

  “Gone,” I tell her proudly. “I’ve been thoroughly dusted, mopped and vacuumed.”

  “How the hell did this happen?”

  Before I can respond, Lucas casually strides into the kitchen and wraps his arms around my waist, kissing my neck.

  PDA…sort of. Holy shit.

  “Somewhere between looking for the end of the rainbow and celebrating her birthday I stumbled upon her pot of gold.”

  Summer’s head drops back in laughter. “Must have been one hell of a birthday.”

  I’m not sure I want to get into this in front of Lucas. Before I can formulate a response, he answers for me.

  “Best birthday ever were her exact words. Maybe even better than an ice cream buffet.”

  I spin in his arms. “You heard that!”

  “Where do you think I got the inspiration?” he winks. “I was trying to be good by giving you your second choice. Lucky for us, you got both.”

  He kisses me on the lips and collects his things. “I better get going. All of my clothes smell like you. Not a chance in hell I’d make it through the day still employed if I wore them.” He kisses me again. “See you at the office.”

  Lucas leaves me standing in the kitchen with my mouth gapping open. Of all the ways we could have left things this morning that was not one I anticipated.

  “What in the world is going on? Did he stay here all weekend?”

  “Yes,” I inform her as I grab the cream from the refrigerator. “And I have no idea what’s going on.”

  “Well it’s definitely something.”

  “We’re keeping it casual,” I look into my cup of coffee.

  “Pfft. That was soooo not casual. And what’s going to happen at work? You’ve terminated people recently for this. As in his predecessor.”

  I wince at the reminder.

  “We’re going to go to work and get through the day without ripping each other’s clothes off. That’s as much as we’ve figured out.”

  “Gabs, this has disaster written all over it. Don’t get me wrong, I understand the attraction and it’s obvious he’s really into you, but…”

  “Believe me I know. But he doesn’t want to define anything and I understand. This isn’t exactly something either of us planned.”

  “What are you going to do if things get serious?”

  I set my mug on the counter and space out. What will I do? I haven’t thought that far ahead because I don’t want to jinx myself, and to be honest it already feels serious to me.

  “I’m trying not to think about that.”

  “You’d better consider it. He’s a Vice President, one that’s quickly climbing the ladder. I don’t know him but based on everything you’ve told me I doubt he’d walk away from his job.”

  She’s not saying anything I haven’t been thinking. Yesterday in our own little bubble it was easy to pretend we had all the time in the world. Or did I purposely put off facing the truth
?

  “Senior Vice President,” I correct her. “Jack promoted him already. And who knows? Maybe I’d look for a new job.”

  “Really?” I can’t tell if she’s surprised or disappointed.

  “Once the board approves the Elder Care Program and my grandma is settled in at Recollections, I won’t have a reason to stay.”

  “Besides the discounted rate,” Summer reminds me.

  Oh, right. That.

  She leans forward against the kitchen island. “What about your promotion? Isn’t that how you plan to pay for Recollections with the discount, or have you decided to come clean to your parents on how much it costs?”

  I concentrate on my cup of coffee. “You know they wouldn’t agree to send my grandma there if they knew how expensive it was. Vincent has a ton of student loans he’s still paying off from medical school. Leo’s business is getting off the ground. Anthony makes peanuts and my parents don’t have a nest egg.”

  “I’m sorry. I know how important it is for you to do this for your grandma and parents. Just…”

  “It’s just a job, Summer. And it’s common knowledge that you get a higher salary when you leave one company for another. It’d probably work out better. Besides, if things go south I doubt working with him will be an option either. None of that could matter though. For all I know this morning was the end.”

  I worry my lip between my teeth. Crap, I really hope that wasn’t the end.

  “Hey,” she reaches across the island and clasps her hands around mine. “I’m not judging you. All I care about is seeing you happy. But for his sake, he better be worth all this because you know I’ll castrate him if he hurts you.”

  I nod, letting her know I wouldn’t expect anything less.

  “Now, tell me about your birthday.”

  I give Summer the abridged version.

  “Jesus, I could use a glass of wine,” she says fanning herself.

  “I’d love to but I’ve done enough policy breaking without showing up to work with alcohol on my breath.” Gazing into my mug I ask her a question that’s been on my mind for weeks. “Summer, do you think I’m cut out for this kind of work? I mean our jobs are to ensure policies are upheld and help employees while still keeping the best interest of the company a priority. I’ve broken a company policy but do you think it means I shouldn’t be in HR?”

  “I think you’re in a very unfortunate situation. We both know you’re good at your job and you take it seriously. But, Gabs the longer you let this go on the worse you’re going to feel. You need to figure it out.”

  “I know,” I exhale loudly. “Will you be around for dinner?”

  “Can’t. I’ve got an event for work tonight and later this week I’m headed to California. I might be around tomorrow.”

  “You can’t leave without telling me what’s going on with Brad?”

  “It’s not a big deal, we’re fine now…I think. Don’t worry about it.”

  “I’ve been worried about you for days. Come on.”

  “Alright. Last week I went to his office to surprise him for lunch and he freaked out saying it wasn’t the type of place where people’s girlfriends visit out of the blue. It pissed me off. Anyway, I ignored him for a few days and he didn’t reach out to me either but he came by Saturday and explained he was in the middle of very important meetings about a deadline he thought he was going to miss. He apologized for taking his stress out on me and that was that.”

  “Hmm.”

  “What do you mean hmm?” she asks.

  “Nothing, I’m just surprised you heard him out. It’s not like you.”

  “I’m turning over a new leaf.”

  “He better be worth it.”

  “No shit,” she agrees. “Who knows what’ll happen between us. It’s only been a year and we’re both committed to our careers and live in different cities. There’s a lot to figure out if it’s going to work long term. For now he makes me happy so I’m sticking it out.”

  “Would you move for him?” I ask.

  “I honestly don’t know. But that’s the thing. If he wouldn’t move for me, why would I move for him? It’s like you and Lucas. Why do you have to be the one to leave your job?”

  “Like you said, he’s higher up than me. It’d be harder for him to find another opportunity like the one he has.”

  I don’t tell her the real reason is because I’m scared he wouldn’t choose me. Not only that, but no one’s ever done that for him. I want to be that person.

  I get to the office at my normal time, only with an extra spring in my step.

  “You’re in a good mood,” Mike says, intercepting me as I step out of the elevator.

  “Good weekend. How was your mom’s birthday cruise?”

  “Surprisingly fun,” he winks.

  I recognize the appearance of someone who’s been recently satisfied. “Did you meet someone?”

  I unlock my door and he follows me in. “A few.”

  “You’re such a pig.”

  “If you’re not busy this afternoon we should grab lunch.”

  “Please, spare me the details.”

  “Not about that. I have something else I want to share with you.”

  “In that case, let me check. I’m not actually sure what my day looks like.”

  Mike tilts his head and narrows his gaze. I may be disorganized but I always know my schedule.

  Lucas knocking on my door prevents Mike from asking more questions. Suppressing my grin takes more concentration than I would have thought. I’m elated to see him and also nervous as hell. He left my place less than two hours ago. Why then does it feel like an eternity?

  “Jack called asking for a readout from our trip. Can you swing by when you’re done?”

  “Of course. I’ll be there in a minute.”

  Once he leaves, I return my attention to Mike. “As soon as I’m done with Lucas I’ll check my calendar.”

  I wait a respectable amount of time before heading to Lucas’s office. When I do I’m surprised to see him at his window.

  “Hey. Should we call Jack now?”

  I shut the door behind me and Lucas stalks toward me. We meet in the center of the room.

  “There’s no read out.” He cups the back of my head and kisses me until I’m breathless. “I needed that to get me through the day.”

  If I levitated off the ground from all the butterflies, I wouldn’t be surprised.

  “If that wasn’t enough send me a meeting invite,” I whisper against his lips.

  “Come back at noon. Oh, and here.”

  He grabs a box from his desk and hands it to me.

  “Is this what I think it is?”

  He proudly grins. “Can’t have you hangry your first day back.”

  I take out the chocolate chip muffin and take a bite. “Feel free to keep spoiling me and I’ll find a way to return the favor.”

  He takes my chin between his fingers. “You can start by inviting me to spend the night.”

  My heart flips. “Stay with me tonight.”

  “I’ll pick up dinner after I work out.” He kisses me once, twice, three times. “See you at noon.”

  Back in the privacy of my own office I shut the door and quietly squeal as I do the happy dance. I pull up my calendar and send Mike a lunch invitation for later in the week. The employee who yelled at me weeks ago is apparently causing more problems. Typically, this would sour my mood. But not even a disgruntled employee can take away the surge of endorphins flowing through my veins.

  I never did get my noontime kiss but I snuck one around 3 o’clock.

  On the way home I pick up a bottle of wine. We eat Chinese on the couch and watch the Bachelor. He tells me about his day and reminds me that Leo is showing him condos Wednesday after work. Being together is so effortless it’s easy to pretend we’re a regular couple. When I fall asleep he carries me to bed. He slides under the cover behind me and wraps his arms around my waist and entangles his legs with mine.

/>   Nothing sexual, just spooning. It’s perfection.

  So this is what it feels like to truly fall.

  The next afternoon I pop into Lucas’s office and find he’s on the phone. Other than sneaking a kiss first thing this morning I haven’t seen him.

  “Jack, don’t hang up. She actually just stopped by.”

  I close the door as Lucas puts the phone on speaker.

  “Hi, Jack.”

  “Gabby, I have excellent news. This morning I met with the board. They loved your program. It’s been approved.”

  Like a five-year-old I jump up and down. “That’s great!”

  “One minor change.”

  “Okay. What’s that?” I ask.

  “They felt the program was lacking retention aspects. Instead of the price returning to the fully burdened amount if an employee leaves the company, their dependent will have sixty days to find another facility.”

  “What? Why?” I stammer. “When employees leave we don’t kick their children out of daycare. This is a bit extreme.”

  “Daycare centers don’t hold slots for children of our employees and partner with us to give exorbitant discounts.”

  I’m speechless on the verge of panic. How can I feel so conflicted over this? Program approval is what I’ve worked towards for months. Grandma can be taken care of and my mom will be healthy. My family will benefit from something I’ve done. I should be doing backflips over such an accomplishment.

  Instead someone needs to pick me up off the floor. Gone is the simplicity of what Lucas and I are doing. The consequences of leaving the company or getting fired just became personal.

  Struggling to get my emotions in check, I clear my throat and turn away from Lucas to pace the room.

  “This will impact participation, Jack.”

  “I appreciate your perspective, Gabby, but it’s a done deal. And I’m not sure I’d want to retain the type of people who would have issue with this requirement.”

  I pinch my eyes shut and rub my temples. Me. You don’t want to retain me. To be fair, he’s right.

  Jack continues. “I’ve emailed you the specifics. Make the changes and get the communication out tonight. I want it to be the first email employees read when they get to the office tomorrow and you can update your slides for the quarterly meeting.”