by Ramona Gray
Amy gave him a thoughtful look. “What’s wrong, Luke?”
“There’s nothing wrong.”
“There is. You were quiet and withdrawn at supper last night and you’re super irritable today. Tell me what’s wrong.”
“I had a fight with Mark,” he said.
“About what?” Amy asked cautiously.
“You.”
She stood and moved toward the door. “I told you – stay out of my personal business, Luke.”
“That’s exactly what Mark said to me,” he said. “Amy, please tell me what’s going on. I can’t help you if I don’t know why you two are fighting.”
“There’s nothing going on,” she said angrily. “Leave it alone, Luke.”
“You’re my sister and if Mark is - ”
“Mark isn’t doing anything,” she snapped at him. “I get that you’re protective of me but I don’t need your help. I’m a big girl and can handle my own business. Butt out, Luke.”
She stomped out of his office and Luke muttered a curse. Fuck, could this day get any worse?
* * *
Jane looked up from her monitor as Luke set a box of papers on her desk. “I need you to go through these and highlight all of the purchases that coincide with the dates I emailed you.”
“Yes, Mr. Dawson.”
He jerked like an electric shock had gone through him. He glanced at her and she wondered why his cheeks were suddenly red. He raked his hand through his dark hair and snorted angrily when his cell phone buzzed. He yanked it from his pocket and read the message, muttering a curse under his breath. She gave him a cautious look as he began to text furiously. He’d been in a bad mood all day and she had kept her head down and worked silently through the piles of work he had given her. Until he brought this new stuff, she had finished the last of her work and was hoping she could leave soon. It was after seven and if she didn’t get her butt to the bus stop in the next ten minutes, she’d miss her bus and be late for her shift at the club.
When he was finished texting, she cleared her throat nervously. “Mr. Dawson, I was going to head out. Can I do this work in the morning or - ”
“No,” he snapped. “I need it done before my eight o’clock meeting tomorrow morning.”
She chewed at her bottom lip and he gave he an irritated look. “I told you there would be overtime working for me, Ms. Smith.”
“I know,” she said. “I have an appointment at eight tonight.”
He made an annoyed little huff and she said, “But I can come back to the office when I’m done and finish it.”
“Whatever,” he said. “I don’t care when you do it, as long as it’s finished by eight tomorrow.”
“It will be,” she said. “I’m sorry, Mr. Dawson.”
He waved off her apology and stalked back to his office. She released her breath in a soft exhale, gathered up her things and left before he could change his mind.
* * *
Jane yawned and rubbed at her eyes as she placed the pile of papers on Mr. Dawson’s desk. After her shift at the club was finished at two, she had gone home and slept for a couple hours before showering and getting ready for work. She had arrived at the office at six and worked furiously to finish the pile of work on her desk. It was five minutes before eight and she moved aside nervously when Mr. Dawson walked into his office. He pulled off his overcoat and tossed it on the leather couch before sitting behind his desk.
“Good morning, Mr. Dawson.”
“Morning,” he said shortly without looking at her.
He didn’t seem to be in any better of a mood and she touched the papers on his desk. “Here’s the work you needed.”
“Thanks. Can you get me a coffee and bring it to the boardroom?”
She nodded as he picked up the papers, his laptop and a few file folders and left the office. She ran to the kitchen and made his coffee the way he liked it before taking it to the boardroom. He gave her a distracted thank you and she smiled politely at the two men and three women sitting at the table with him before making her escape.
Once she was at her desk, she pulled an orange from her purse and peeled it with shaking hands. She was feeling shaky and weak from lack of food and sleep and she drank some water before eating the orange. It made her feel a little better and she took a deep breath. She had her tip money from last night in her wallet and she was sorely tempted to take a few dollars and buy a bagel from the café in the lobby downstairs.
She ignored the temptation. It was slow last night and after splitting her tips with the bartender, she only had about thirty dollars in tips. She needed that money for Mama J. Tanya had left her a message on her cell phone last night that Mama J had ruined her only nightgown and would need a new one. She would have to stop tonight and pick one up before visiting her.
She took another deep breath, rubbed her aching temples and opened her email. Mr. Dawson had sent her half a dozen emails after she left last night and with a soft sigh, she started her work.
* * *
“This is the third night in a row you can’t stay. You said your time was flexible, Ms. Smith.”
“I know and I’m so sorry,” Jane replied. She tried to smile at her boss but his look of anger stopped it before it really began. “I can come back after my appointment again and finish.”
Mr. Dawson sighed loudly and glanced at his watch. “Are you going to have appointments every night at eight?”
“No,” Jane lied. “It’s just this week.”
“Is it?” He asked.
She swallowed and glanced at the floor before nodding. “Yes.”
She had a very bad feeling that he knew she was lying and when he continued to stare at her, she squirmed in her chair. It was almost seven thirty and she had already missed her bus which meant she would be late for her shift at the club. If she was really lucky, Jeremy would just dock her pay and not outright fire her for being late.
“I’m sorry,” she said again. “Would it work for me to come in later tonight and finish it?”
“Fine,” he bit out. “Better run, Ms. Smith. I wouldn’t want you to be late for your appointment.”
She flushed as he walked away but quickly shut down her computer and hurried to the elevator. She had worked late the last three nights and gone directly to the club after. She still hadn’t picked up Mama J a nightgown and guilt coursed through her.
It’s fine, Janie. Mama J can wear her robe for one more night. She won’t mind.
As she ran outside and stood at the bus stop, her stomach growled and she felt so lightheaded that she thought she might faint. She grabbed the metal pole of the bus sign and held on grimly as she bent over and breathed deeply. She wished she had thought to bring two sandwiches to work with her. She should have planned for the possibility that Mr. Dawson would require her to work late again tonight. He had been in a bad mood since Monday and her inability to stay later than seven hadn’t helped his mood. If this kept up, she would be forced to quit her job at the club.
You can’t! You won’t have enough money to pay for Mama J’s care.
No, she wouldn’t, but maybe she could get a weekend job at another restaurant or club.
If you can’t? You’re screwed, Janie. Worse – Mama J is screwed. After everything she’s done for you, you’re really going to let her wither away in some third-rate nursing home?
She blinked back the tears as she straightened and shivered in the cold. God, she was so tired. Over the last three days, she’d gotten a total of maybe seven hours of sleep and the exhaustion was setting in. It made her weepy and slow and she wondered grimly if she would even make it to the weekend without passing out or falling asleep at her desk. She’d had to redo a letter three times today – thank God, she had caught the mistakes before giving it to her boss. With the mood he was in the last few days, he probably would have fired her on the spot.
The bus pulled up and with a sigh of relief, she climbed the steps and found a seat at the back. Ignoring the smell
of the man who was sitting in front of her, she closed her eyes and tried to doze.
* * *
Luke stared out his office window. It faced the street and he watched as Jane approached the bus stop. His hands clenched into fists when she suddenly grabbed the metal pole of the bus stop and bent over. It was too dark and he was too high up to see if she was shaking but he had no doubt she was. The last day and a half she’d had a visible tremor to her entire body. Earlier today when she brought him coffee, her hand was shaking so badly that she’d spilled it on his desk. She had apologized profusely and quickly cleaned it up while he watched her furtively. Her face seemed even thinner than usual. Her pale skin was stretched over her cheekbones and she had dark circles under her eyes. She looked like she was on the verge of collapsing and he wondered if she had some type of illness. Maybe she was at doctor appointments all this week. Despite the heavy workload, he was about to tell her to go home and get some rest when she had finished mopping up the spilled coffee and hurried out of his office. She looked completely exhausted and he was oddly worried about her.
Are you? You’ve been a total dick to her for the last three days.
I’ve been busy and she hasn’t exactly made it easier for me with her inability to stay late. Besides, I haven’t been a dick.
You have, and we both know you’re being a dick to her because of your dream.
He abruptly walked away from the window and sat down at his desk. He was not going to start thinking about that stupid dream again.
Why not? It was a good dream.
No, it wasn’t. It was utterly ridiculous and came completely out of left field. He was not attracted to Jane. Okay, maybe he did find her pretty despite how obviously exhausted she was, but she was too much of a scared little mouse for him. Just because he’d had a very lengthy and very detailed dream about her didn’t mean anything. It was a random piece of oddness seeping out of his brain. Lots of men had sex dreams about women they didn’t find attractive.
Oh yeah? Do lots of men wake up from these sex dreams with their dick so hard and painful that they have to rub one out? Do you think they come all over their own damn stomach like a horny teenage boy?
He stared grimly at his computer screen. Just thinking about the dream was making his cock stiffen and he adjusted it roughly. Jesus, what was wrong with him? His workload, his fight with Mark and that stupid dream about his fragile little bird of an assistant had him acting like a total lunatic.
He needed to talk to Mark and apologize – that would help to bring normalcy back to his life. Other than some short and terse work-related emails, they hadn’t spoken since Friday night and it was getting to him.
“Luke?”
He looked up in surprise at Mark standing in his doorway.
“Hey.”
“Hey,” Mark said. He hesitated before walking into his office and sitting in one of the chairs. “Listen, I’m sorry about Friday night.”
“No,” Luke said immediately. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be butting in on your personal shit. I’m just worried about you and Amy.”
“You don’t need to worry,” Mark said. “Everything’s fine. I’ve had the day from hell – you wanna grab a drink with me?”
Despite his mountain of work, Luke nodded. “Yeah. I could use a drink.”
He stood and casually walked to the window. He peered at the bus stop. Jane was gone and he jumped when Mark spoke next to him.
“What are you looking at?”
“Nothing. Let’s go,” Luke said.
Chapter 5
Jane placed the files on Luke’s desk and checked her watch. It was just after six but the office didn’t technically open until eight and she was certain she was the only employee in the building. She studied the couch in Luke’s office before sitting on it with a weary sigh. Her head was aching miserably and she felt sick to her stomach. As punishment for being late last night, Jeremy had docked her pay the half hour and made her give all of her tips to the bartender. Probably illegal but it wasn’t like she could do anything about it. She had really needed her tip money and she fought back her urge to burst into tears. Crying wouldn’t help.
She rested her head against the back of the couch. She didn’t know how long it would take to finish the work that Mr. Dawson had left her so she came in at five thirty. She was terrified that she would be fired if it wasn’t finished when he came in at eight. Unfortunately, the work hadn’t take all that long and she was regretting losing even that extra hour of sleep she could have gotten.
She rubbed at her aching temples before lying on her side on the couch. She would rest her eyes for a few minutes and see if that helped her headache. If it didn’t, she would eat another orange and grab some Advil from the staff room.
* * *
Luke stared at Jane’s empty desk. It was just before eight and normally she would be sitting at her desk already. A thin thread of worry went through him – she hadn’t looked good at all yesterday – and he shook it off. She was fine. He headed into his office and hung his jacket on the coat hook before closing the doors. Jane wasn’t his problem. He had enough on his plate. It was a relief not to be fighting with Mark anymore but he still had what felt like a thousand things to finish before -
He stopped in his tracks and stared silently at the couch. Jane was curled up on it and he hurried over. He squatted and breathed a sigh of relief when he realized she was sleeping. He reached for her shoulder to shake her awake but stroked her cheek instead. She didn’t move and he grinned when she began to snore softly. He stroked her cheek again – God, she had soft skin – and then moved his hand to her shoulder to shake her awake.
Don’t. She needs sleep.
He hesitated. His inner voice was right – Jane looked utterly exhausted. Her skin was too pale and the dark circles under her eyes almost looked like bruises. Still, he should wake her up and send her home. If she was too tired to work she shouldn’t be here.
Let her sleep. You think she’s going to get any rest at that shithole apartment? She probably spends most of her nights awake because she’s worried she’ll be attacked. You saw the lock on her door – it wouldn’t keep out a determined toddler.
He stood abruptly and shrugged out of his suit jacket. He draped it over her thin body and smiled again when she sighed happily and burrowed her face under it. He walked to his desk as her soft snoring started again.
* * *
“Hey, Luke?” Mark strolled into his office just before noon. “I know this is bad timing but I’ve got some financial statements you need to look at before Friday. Also – I’m starving and heading to O’Keefe’s for lunch. Want to join me?”
“Keep your voice down,” Luke said in a low voice as he glanced at the couch.
Mark followed his gaze. “Luke? Buddy? Why is your assistant sleeping on your couch?” He dropped into the chair. “Shit, tell me you didn’t screw her right here at the office.”
“Jesus, Mark,” Luke said. “No, I didn’t screw her. I came in this morning and found her asleep on the couch.”
“So, you covered her up with your suit jacket and left her to sleep the morning away? You know, most employers fire their employees for sleeping on the job.”
“I don’t think she feels well,” Luke said.
“Then send her home. Or are you hoping she passes her germs to you so you can get out of looking at these financial statements?”
Luke snorted and shook his head. “No. I’ll take them home with me and look over them tonight. I need to pass on lunch though.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah. I’ll get something delivered from the deli and eat at my desk.”
Mark stood and glanced at Jane again before giving Luke a considering look.
“What?” Luke asked.
“Nothing,” Mark said. “See you later.”
When he was gone, Luke looked up the number for the deli. Normally he would have Jane order lunch and pick it up for him but it was bitterly cold outsi
de. Sending her out in her stupidly thin jacket would be cruel. He glanced again at Jane’s pale face before ordering enough food for both of them.
* * *
“Do you like it, Jane?”
Her boss’s low voice saying her given name sent a tingle down her spine and she smiled up at him. “It’s amazing. I love it.”
He put his arm around her waist and pulled her back against his hard body before nuzzling her ear. “Good, I’m glad.”
She studied the table in front of her. It was covered in all of her favourite foods and her mouth watered as she stared at the roast chicken and mashed potatoes. She would smother everything in gravy and eat and eat until the constant, horrible ache in her stomach finally disappeared.
Her boss nuzzled her ear again and the hunger pangs were overshadowed by something stronger and sweeter. Heat bloomed in her belly and she shivered in his arms when he placed a warm kiss on her throat.
“How are you going to thank me?” He murmured.
“Whatever you want,” she whispered.
He made a low sound of approval as his hand moved from her waist to her breast and squeezed gently. “Whatever I want?”
“Yes,” she moaned. His thumb was stroking her nipple into a tight little bud and she wished she wasn’t wearing a shirt and bra. It would be so nice to feel his warm hand on her naked skin.
“A kiss,” he said before rubbing the dark shadow on his jaw across her sensitive throat. “Will you give me that?”
“Yes.”
“That’s my good girl,” he said before turning her around.
She stared up at him as he cupped her face and rubbed his thumb gently over her cheekbone. “One kiss and then you can eat as much as you like.”
“Okay,” she whispered. As hungry as she was, she suddenly wanted his kiss so much more.
“Jane?”
“Yes?”