“Hey Joanna.” Startled out of my thoughts, I looked up to see Libby heading my way. She smiled warmly. “I was wondering if you’d like to join me for lunch?”
I smiled and nodded. “Yeah, sure. I’m starving. And going out for lunch certainly sounds better than getting junk from the vending machines like I’ve been doing.”
“Come on then. I definitely know something better than a vending machine! There’s a nice little restaurant around the corner. It’s within walking distance. We should be able to eat and get back in no time.”
“Great. Sounds good to me,” I said, grabbing my purse and heading out of the office with her. As we made our way out of the building, I caught of glimpse of Anderson speaking with another coworker, and tried my best not to stare, despite the way my heart leapt at seeing him.
It was a beautiful day outside. The sun was shining and the breeze was comfortable, making me grateful that Libby had come to save me from sitting in the gloomy break room and dining on M&Ms and potato chips.
Less than ten minutes later, we were at a table for two, sipping lemonade and eating our lunches.
“So,” Libby said, “how’s everything going with you today?”
I took a bite of my grilled chicken sandwich, which was a little colder than I would have liked it. “All right, I guess.”
Libby paused from munching on her salad and leaned forward toward me from across the table. “What about with Zander?” she asked in a lowered voice. “Has he tried to contact you again?”
I swallowed my bite of sandwich and shook my head. “No, thank goodness.”
“But you’re still worried,” Libby said with a frown. “I can tell something is still bothering you.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Well, Zander can be really unpredictable at times, so there’s always reason to worry, at least a little bit. I still don’t think he can actually find me though, but—”
“But you still won’t call the police?”
“It’s not that serious,” I said, suddenly feeling somewhat defensive.
“Not that serious? The man beat you, called you at your new job, and threatened to come for you again. Joanna, honey, don’t make excuses for him.”
“I am not making excuses.”
“All right, all right,” Libby said, holding her hands up in a surrendering gesture.
I took a sip of water and swished it around my mouth for a second. “I’m sorry,” I said, knowing I hadn’t meant to yell at her. “It’s just…I don’t want to make things any more complicated than they already are. What would I tell the police anyway? That I’d gotten a phone call I didn’t like, but knew the perpetrator was too far away to be a serious threat? It would all just be a waste of time. Trust me, if I ever feel like I need to call someone, I will. But right now, it just isn’t necessary.”
Libby nodded. “Okay. Good. That’s all I want to hear. I don’t mean to seem like I’m prying too much into your personal life, but I’m just worried about you, that’s all. I’ve known women in your situation before, and I’ve seen things go terribly wrong far too many times. I don’t want that to happen to you.”
“Neither do I. And I won’t let it. After the last black eye he gave me, I learned my lesson.”
“Have you at least told your brother yet?”
I shook my head. “No. He wouldn’t take it too well, and I don’t want to worry him unnecessarily. Tobias can be a hot-head. And he’s been wanting to fight my battles ever since I was a kid. He needs to realize that I’m capable of taking care of myself. It’s bad enough that I have to temporarily stay with him, and needed him to offer me a job. If there ever comes a time when he needs to know more about Zander though, I’ll tell him. But he knows enough for now though.”
“Okay,” Libby said. “As long as you’re willing to act when you have to, that’s all that counts. That’s all I can ask for. Trust your instincts.” The two of us ate in silence for a moment before Libby spoke again. “How have things been going for you at the office? Do you like working there, or do you miss your old job?”
I considered her question and sighed. “I can’t lie—I do miss my old job a bit. But at the same time, I do sort of like working with you guys.”
“Just ‘sort of,’ huh?” Libby said with a laugh, dabbing the corners of her mouth with a napkin.
I laughed too. “I didn’t mean it like that,” I said. “I like working with you guys. It’s just been an adjustment, that’s all. Actually, I think the bigger adjustment has simply been getting used to Chicago again, after living in Miami for so long.”
A faraway gaze crossed Libby’s face. “Miami,” she said in a longing tone. “What I wouldn’t give to live there and not deal with Chicago winters!”
“Yeah, getting away from the wind and snow was nice,” I said. “But getting away from Zander became more important. I’ll take wind, snow, hail, and sleet over his fists and temper tantrums any day.”
“Well, that’s a given,” Libby said, snapping out of her reverie. “Enough about Zander for now though. Are you going to get yourself back out there?”
“Back out where?” I asked.
“Back out in the dating game,” Libby said, as if her question had been obvious. “You’re too young and pretty not to, Joanna.”
Warmth crept into my cheeks and I took another bite of my sandwich, deliberately chewing slowly to keep myself from having to answer right away. “Yeah, I guess… Eventually. If someone catches my eye. I’m not exactly looking or rushing to jump into anything right now though. I need some time to myself for a little while.”
“That’s perfectly understandable. But just don’t let Zander hold you back forever, all right? You’ve got to get back out there sooner or later,” said Libby. “I mean, have you been getting out? It’s going to be hard to meet people if all you’ve been doing is going back and forth from the office to your brother’s place. Even though we do have some pretty nice eye-candy in the office. And don’t worry, I don’t mean your brother. That’d be weird.”
I accidentally spilled some of my lemonade as I tried to take a sip.
Libby chuckled. “Oh, so you’ve noticed, have you?”
“Noticed what?”
“How drop dead gorgeous Anderson Lawrence is. Come on, you must think he’s attractive. You’d have to be blind not to!”
I cleared my throat. “Well, I’ve known him for a long time. Ever since I was a kid. He and my brother are best friends. They grew up together.”
“Bummer,” Libby said. “So he’s like a brother to you, huh? Maybe you don’t realize how hot he is then.”
I pressed my lips together, knowing that couldn’t be further from the truth. Fortunately, Libby was looking down at her salad, and I had time to recompose myself before she placed a forkful in her mouth and looked up at me again. “He’s seeing someone though, right?” she asked.
I felt a swoop go through my stomach, and was pretty sure some of the blood had drained from my face.
Anderson, seeing someone?
“What makes you say that?” I asked with bated breath. I gripped my glass although I didn’t want another sip.
Libby’s mouth twisted into a contemplative pout. “Seems like I remember hearing that he was seeing someone at some point. Or several someones, more accurately. That man has quite a reputation, from what I’ve heard. But that’s to be expected, right? He’s too good-looking for his own good. I’m sure he’s got women fawning at his feet everywhere he goes, worshipping the ground he walks on. And he’s a natural flirt. Was he always that way?”
I cleared my throat. “Um…Yeah, he was like that in high school.”
“That figures,” Libby said. “It’s just not fair. Some of us have to go through an awkward phase as teenagers, but Anderson, he was probably born beautiful.”
I took another bite of my sandwich although my mouth had gone quite dry and I’d lost my appetite. “So, you think he’s with someone right now?” I asked, trying to keep my voice level and ignoring the knots f
orming in my stomach. I hated how jealous I felt, knowing I had no real claim to Anderson. There was nothing official between us. We were merely sleeping together occasionally. He hadn’t made any serious commitment to me, and I hadn’t made one to him. I had no right to feel jealous about what was possibly going on between him and other women…
But I still hated it.
Sitting across from Libby and working myself into a silent fury, I was forced to acknowledge that I wished I had a claim to Anderson.
I wanted him, badly. All to myself…
“If I had to take a guess,” Libby said, “I’d say he was single and just playing around, if you catch my drift. But I don’t know… There’s just something about him. He seems like the kind of guy who wouldn’t ever really settle down and get serious with anyone. He reminds me of an uncle I had. The whole family knew Hell would have to freeze over before that man ever got married.”
I tried to force a laugh, but it sounded so disingenuous that I stopped instantly and took another sip of my lemonade, even though it had begun to taste like water.
While I enjoyed Libby’s company, I was suddenly ready for lunch to be over so that I could be alone with my thoughts.
My thoughts which were filled with Anderson.
CHAPTER 15
Anderson
It was a new work week, which meant new trials and tribulations, as well as new projects and frustrations. And most of all, more boring meetings to attend.
Earlier in the day, I had almost forgotten about the upcoming staff meeting entirely. I supposed that wasn’t surprising though; my thoughts were so preoccupied with Joanna these days, I sometimes thought I would forget my own head if it weren’t attached to my neck.
As the meeting got started, my coworkers all put forth a valiant effort in paying attention. I, on the other hand, couldn’t even muster the energy to pretend. I stared down at the table before me, drumming my fingers on it and letting their voices turn into distant drones, knowing Tobias would fill me in on the details later. Granted, I’d caught his irritated glances, informing me that he knew I wasn’t paying attention. Yet I couldn’t bring myself to care.
I suppose part of the problem was that I’d had too many sleepless nights. It seemed that every night when I closed my eyes, I would have visions of Joanna’s soft eyes, her beautiful face, the feel of her soft skin, and the pleasure of her body on top of mine…
And then the frustration would kick in as her face slowly morphed into that of her brother’s. Her seductive eyes would turn into his judgmental ones, and I’d spend the rest of the night wondering how Joanna and I were going to carry on once he eventually found us out.
I kept telling myself that Joanna and I needed to have a serious discussion about it. We needed to be mature and fess up before things got too far out of control. I knew that it would be best if we told Tobias rather than letting him find out on his own. As long as we continued to sneak around behind his back, it made it seem like we were consciously deceiving him, which we were. The realization of this had started to make me feel disgusted with myself.
What kind of friend was I to do this to my best buddy?
I just didn’t know how much longer I could keep all the bullshit up.
I sighed and let my hand fall flat on the table, making more noise than I intended and subsequently causing a hitch in the conversation flow in the room. I caught Tobias’s eye and mouthed the word ‘Sorry.’ He gave me an exasperated eye-roll and then turned his attention back to whatever topic was at hand. Within seconds, the voices in the room returned to distant drones in the back of my mind.
I glanced around the room, feeling guilty to see that everyone else was so thoroughly invested. My own restlessness was starting to make me feel self-conscious. It wasn’t like I hadn’t heard the rumors; a handful of employees wholeheartedly believed that I had only risen to my rank in the firm due to my friendship with Tobias. More than a time or two, Tobias had told me that I needed to be careful and make sure that I showed my worth around the firm to ensure no one believed I was there just due to favoritism on his end.
Which made me wonder if he’d had a similar conversation with Joanna.
Joanna…
I’d fallen into the trap of thinking about her again, just as I always did. No considerable amount of time ever passed these days without her lovely face slipping into my mind.
A sigh accidentally escaped my lips at the thought of her. I cringed, knowing that my neighbor had heard it based on the irritated glance he shot at me.
Pull it together, Anderson, I inwardly scolded myself.
Vowing to pay better attention, I sat up straight in my chair. But no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t stay focused.
Giving up, I stood from my seat, figuring that I needed a break to take a walk and get the blood back flowing in my brain. Otherwise, I was going to be completely useless for the rest of the meeting, and there was still at least a half hour to go.
“Pardon me,” I said, nodding respectfully at Tobias and then excusing myself from the room. It wasn’t the most professional of actions, but it was better than sitting at the table like an antsy ten-year-old.
I headed down the hall, whistling to myself, planning to get a sip of water, visit the men’s room, and then return to the meeting with renewed focus.
“Good morning, Mr. Lawrence.”
I turned toward the sing-song voice behind me and was rewarded with the sight of Joanna herself. She trailed behind me, seemingly on her way back from running an errand. She gave me a sly smile that practically made me combust with desire.
“Good morning, Ms. Gentry,” I said, bowing at her with a grin on my face.
She giggled, and suddenly, a rebellious streak came over me. I cast a cautious glance down the hall, checking to see if anyone else was coming. It was fortunate that I did, as one of our coworkers was rounding the corner. Joanna and I separated, permitting her room to pass down the hall as she nodded at both of us in greeting. Once she was out of sight, I grabbed Joanna’s hand and led her around the opposite corner.
“Is there something I can do for you, Mr. Lawrence?” Joanna said in a tone of mock-professionalism, struggling to keep the laughter out of her voice.
“Possibly,” I said, smirking and stopping before an old supply closet. “I think I need you to help me find something in here, if you don’t mind.” I opened the door, pulled her inside with me, and then closed the door again. I flipped on the light-switch, revealing the closet to be full of office supplies and anything else an office could possibly need.
“What is it that you’re looking for?” Joanna asked, cocking her head sideways.
I slowly moved closer to her, slinking my arm around her waist. “I’m looking for something, right about here,” I said, lowering my face to the crook of her neck, and kissed the soft skin there.
Joanna groaned and wrapped her arms around my neck, her body flush with mine.
My heart pounded a mile a minute, knowing that we couldn’t afford to be so bold, carrying out such antics in the workplace, right under Tobias’s nose. Nevertheless, I couldn’t help myself. I wanted her so badly… My dick responded to her every moan, every touch of her ample lips or soft hands…
And it didn’t help that she seemed to have no objections.
I lifted my face from her neck so that I could kiss her lips. She returned the kiss in earnest, tightening her arms around me, and for a moment, I lost all my reason. I lifted her right off her feet and carried her to an extra desk in the corner, wanting to be buried inside of her badly. She wrapped her legs around me and pushed her tongue more deeply into my mouth, which made my cock painfully hard.
I cupped her firm ass and ground her against me, remembering the way her pussy felt around me, too tight and too wet. I unbuttoned the top three buttons of her blouse and pushed my hand inside, covering her lush breast.
She moaned, and I felt too close to losing the last thread of control I possessed. I couldn’t help mys
elf but brush her nipple with my thumb, relishing in the way it quickly responded to my touch. “How I wish I can eat you and take you right here.”
“Ah… You’re so bad.” She rubbed her hot core against my dick, taunting me, and I smashed my lips against hers in the search of another quick “Joanna” fix.
After several long moments, we separated, gazing at each other. Her expression was lustful, but apprehensive at the same time. “We are so screwed if someone finds us in here,” she whispered.
“Tell me about it,” I said. Logic told me to step back, but my body refused to obey the command.
“How much longer are we going to keep this up?” Joanna asked. “This secrecy. Sometimes, I can hardly stand it.”
“I know what you mean. Trust me, I do,” I said, letting my fingers slide across her neck before I left an open-mouthed kiss right below her ear, clouded by desire.
“Do you really?”
I took a half-step back, taken aback by the somewhat cross tone in Joanna’s voice. A slight wrinkle appeared in her brow and the corners of her mouth turned downward. “What?” I was astonished at the sudden change between us. “You don’t think this is just as hard on me as it is on you?”
Joanna shrugged her shoulders and averted her gaze. “I don’t know,” she said softly.
“What are you thinking? What do you want to do about it?”
But she only shrugged again.
I sighed. “Sometimes I have moments of thinking your brother should know, but then I always change my mind because I know how crazy he can be.”
Joanna huffed. “So it’s solely my brother that’s the problem?” she asked. Immediately afterwards, redness began to form in her cheeks and I got the feeling she hadn’t meant to make her comment out loud.
I took another step back and folded my arms over my chest. “Is there some other problem that I don’t know about?”
“Is there? You tell me?”
“You’re the one with all the questions,” I counter-argued. “Clearly there’s something on your mind that you aren’t being upfront about.”
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