by Ava Alise
The kid fumbles, dropping the pin he was holding. “Um. Three cubes up.”
I make it to Tanner's workspace in only a few steps. “Harold Tanner” is displayed on the aisle side of the partition. I step inside and turn the seat around, only to find it empty.
I want to punch the fucking thing I'm so frustrated. Instead, I step out the cube to face Kelsa. Multiple people are peering over the walls of their cubicles at this point.
“Asshole,” she says under her breath.
I take a deep breath, scan all the waiting faces, and look at Kelsa.
“Let's go,” I say, and we head toward the elevator.
I really need some air, need a fucking walk, but I won't leave her here to deal with this shit alone. I have no idea what we are about to face, but I don't want to be too far in case she needs me. She doesn't speak during the elevator ride back up to our floor, and I'm not sure what she wants me to do once we step off. We pause in front of her office and I'm about to ask if she wants me to come in so we can talk, but she speaks up before I do.
“I need to call Shane… and probably Amber. Maybe we can meet for dinner later?” she says, meeting my eyes in only short glances as she looks around the empty hall.
“Ok,” I say, releasing a breath I didn't realize I was holding. “That sounds good. Call me if you need me. Ronald has me working in the office today so I'll be around.”
“Ok,” she says, brushing her hair behind her ears. Leaving so much unsaid, she hesitates briefly before turning and walking into her office.
My steps feel heavy as I make my way down the hall. I'm almost to my office when my phone chimes.
Ronald: We need to talk. I'm in your office.
I suck in a deep breath and take the final step to my door. Ronald is peering out the window looking down at New York City as he adjusts the cuffs of his Armani suit. The money this old guy makes is insane. He was one of the company's first employees back when it started in the late eighties. I stand quietly for a beat, looking past him at the skyline as I prepare myself for this conversation. What I would give to be out in the fresh air right now. Fortunately, I have calmed down a bit since leaving Tanner's cubicle, but I'm itching to release this frustration.
“Hey,” I say, finally stepping toward my desk.
A few seconds go by before he speaks. “So, I'm sure by now you've been made aware of the video,” Ronald says, keeping his back to me. “The one that shows you blatantly breaking company policy with Ms. Preston.”
“Yes sir,” I respond. He turns to me and I take this moment to try to explain myself.
“Ron. I'm sorry about all of this. It should never have happened here. It was misguided and unprofessional and I'm sorry everyone had to see it. That Tanner guy is a pissed off employee who tried to blackmail us into quitting, and when we didn’t, he sent that email. He’s trying to shame us in front of the whole company, all because we got the job he wanted.”
Ronald exhales and begins walking toward me shaking his head. I have no idea what he's about to say. I hope he isn't pissed that I only apologized for getting caught and not for the fact that it happened at all. Because I'm not, I wouldn't take it back. I can never apologize for touching her. If anything, I’m pissed that there’s a need to. Ron and I have gotten pretty close since I started working as his assistant. He knows about Kelsa, well sort of. A few weeks ago, Ronald and I met a client for dinner in Manhattan. He was a scotch man so we had a few bottles ordered and poured freely. After all the business talk was over, we started talking about women. I never said her name, but I told him about Kelsa. How the way I felt with her was driving me crazy, that things were complicated and I had no idea where it was going.
“Listen, son.” He places a hand on my shoulder. “I get it. You're young, and probably in love with this woman, assuming this is the young lady you were telling me about.”
I sigh. “It is.”
“You have an amazing career ahead of you in this industry, Drexel, you're talented. It's why I chose you as my assistant. But I'm the best, the best of the best, and you have a great opportunity here. I don't want to see you mess it up.”
I hold his gaze as I nod. I want him to know I understand, that I appreciate his compliment and this opportunity, but I'm not willing to walk away from Kelsa…not if she's willing to try.
“Thank you.” I say. “And I don't plan to mess it up. I will get all of this figured out with her soon.”
I hope.
“But, what happens now… with EDG?” I ask.
Ronald holds me under a steely gaze, but then his expression changes as if he just remembered something. “Shit, we have Paris in a few weeks,” he says.
“Paris?”
“Headly’s, Marsh is sending us along with Amber Clery to land the furniture deal, it's a huge account.”
I nod as the information resonates.
Kelsa's trip. This indiscretion may be a problem for her.
He sighs. “I’m going to take the information about the blackmail into consideration and talk it over with Marsh. Until then, get your shit together,” he says, right before he leaves my office.
The rest of the day seemed to move by in a blur. After my conversation with Ronald, I felt anxious. There was no point in sitting around twiddling my thumbs though, and I hadn't heard anything from Kelsa, so I got to work. I wasn't fired until I was fired, right? All of the client’s documents were dropped into my email, so I spent the afternoon going over the pitches Kelsa and Amber had been working on.
By 5:45, Kelsa and I were walking into my apartment still reeling from the day. We decided not to leave together until we figured everything out at work, so I grabbed some takeout, met her at her apartment, and brought her here.
She still looks stressed and hasn't said much. I fucking hate it.
“Did you talk to Amber?” I sit the bags of food on the counter and watch as she hangs her coat.
“Briefly. She wants me to meet her in the morning.” She turns to me with worry lining her face.
“I'm sorry this shit played out the way it did, babe.”
“Yeah.”
“You sure you're ok?”
She looks at me and nods, which tells me all I need to know.
She's not.
I've been trying to give her space, but I just want to pull her against me, kiss her, and tell her that we will get through this and everything else. Even with all the shit stacking against us, I still want to believe that. The stacks, all the hurdles we are facing, won’t overcome us, not without a fight. She leans against the counter as I'm pulling down plates and cups from the cabinet.
“Shane was pretty pissed,” she says. “He knows Tanner and was shocked that he shared the video.” She pushes a few strands of hair behind her ears and lifts herself to sit on the counter. “I don't know what Amber's going to say. She didn't seem upset when I talked to her, but she's pretty hard to read.”
I nod, setting the plates down next to her, and hold her gaze.
“I still think we'll be fine,” I say, feeling the need to be positive.
There's heaviness in her eyes and it reminds me of all the shit we need to sort through. I swallow hard as I'm about to bring up our stacks, but notice her eyes now sparkle with mischief and I'm surprised to see a small smirk playing on her lips.
“I can't deny, that video was kind of hot,” she says.
I think back on the video and how great her body felt, her lips.
God her fucking body.
“It was… maybe we should make a better one.”
She purses her lips. “Why? Think you may forget? That you’ll need video as a reminder?
“Forget?” I chuckle as I move between her legs. “That’s impossible.”
She smiles and heat lingers in her hazel eyes as my hands slide up her thighs and around her back.
She pulls her bottom lip into her mouth as my hands travel up her spine. I lean forward, placing my forehead against hers, breathing her in.
The stacks, the fucking stacks start running through my brain.
Job, William… baby.
My stomach drops.
Baby.
I squeeze my eyes tighter and I suck in a large breath. The feel of Kelsa's hands pulling me closer clears my thoughts and suddenly she becomes everything, everywhere. The feel of her breath against my lips, the pulse beating through her, and the sound my own heart makes as it syncs with hers… and then, I kiss her. The stacks don't matter, the stress doesn't matter, the only thing that matters is this. Her. Us.
My lips press against hers and my hands crawl up her body. Desire, need, and heat all rolls through me, causing my gentle kiss to turn hungry. She's right there with me as if she needs this… this connection, this escape just as much as I do. A moment with no thinking, no sorting, just bliss. I feel her start to unbutton my shirt as I undo hers. My lips never move from hers as she slides out of her blouse and mine hits the floor.
Her hands are everywhere and her moans are soft, but it's not enough.
My hand travels back to her legs and I slide her skirt down her thighs. She breaks our kiss, letting out a shaky breath before she starts nibbling on my ear. I get two handfuls of her perfect ass and then slide her panties off. I kiss her again before I lean her back on the counter. I watch the steady rise and fall of her chest as she smiles, totally exposed for me.
My dick presses hard against my pants. She's incredible, every part of her, and I have to bite my lip to keep control. Running a hand down her body, I cup her breast, using my thumb to caress her hard nipple. “Mmm,” she moans, holding me with her gaze. I don't look away as my hand continues further down her body, landing between her legs. My fingers slide over her clit with ease. She's already so wet, just like I like her. This girl drives me crazy. My dick throbs hard in my pants just begging to slide into her. But I don't, I'm enjoying this damn show way too much. She moans and grinds against my hand and I finger her. She keeps her eyes locked on mine until she can't any longer. Her back arches, her eyes close, and her moans turn to pants as she tells me she's so close, and begs me to let her cum. My fingers slide away and I pull her body forward and kiss her. She's starved and I've had all I can take. I step out of my pants and carry her into my bedroom and we spend the rest of the night not worrying about the stacks of shit coming our way.
Drex
My alarm blares at six-thirty a.m., putting an end to the best sleep I've had in days. Kelsa and I lay naked in bed, her head snug against my chest, her body curled around me. It feels incredible. It's been a long time since I've woken with a woman in my bed. Hell, it's been a long time since I've woken with a woman period, if you don't count the night Kels and I spent in Miami a few months ago. I don't usually do the “sticking around thing” after sex. Not in an asshole type of way, of course, but no sleepovers. It's too intimate, and it’s a lot more than I've wanted from the women I've been with recently. Kelsa is the first woman in a long time to get under my skin, and the only one I can't imagine letting go of.
I'm surprised she's here this morning. I was convinced that she'd want to leave after dinner. She’s been so adamant about not spending our first night together after Miami under anything less than perfect circumstances. But after we ate, we picked right up where we left off… sort of.
We eventually made it back to my bedroom and she decided to stay the night despite everything we have going on. Maybe we needed a night together. It sure put shit into perspective, reminding us of the insane chemistry that brought us together as we get ready to fight a battle I pray we’ll win.
I disable my phone alarm just as Kelsa begins to wake, lifting her head from my chest.
“Good morning, gorgeous,” I say.
She smiles and runs a hand through her untamed hair, pushing it from her face.
“Good morning,” she says. Her eyes sweep down my face, to my bare chest and to my very happy to see her morning wood.
Her eyes linger on my dick and she pulls her bottom lip into her mouth. “I sure could get used to waking up to that.”
I laugh and move toward her until she's flat on her back and I'm crawling between her legs.
“And I…” I say, cupping both of her breasts, kissing them. “Could get use to waking up to these.” I let them go and rub my face on them, causing her to laugh.
I smile and kiss her lips. She responds without hesitation, trailing her hands up my back and pulling me closer. I'm clearly hard as fuck, she's already naked, and leaving this bed is the last thing I want to do.
“Let's stay here today, skip work,” she says as if she was reading my mind. I groan and allow my body to press against hers, surrounded by her warmth. My lips find hers again as she wraps her legs around my waist, tempting me to slide into her.
“We can't skip work,” I say, but I don't make any effort to move away. Instead, I run a hand down her hip, grabbing her ass and pulling her knee up a little higher, opening her more. My mouth falls to the crook of her neck, where I nibble and kiss, causing her to moan. Her hands trail up my spine and through my hair as her hips wriggle beneath me, seeking. If I don't pull away now, I won't be able to stop myself from fucking her, and it won't be the quick version. My dick slides against her pussy and I can already feel how wet she's getting.
“Mmmm,” she moans. “Drex.”
Fuck.
Maybe we can skip work… lie in bed all day in another fuck bubble and ignore the stacks.
“Damn it, I've got that meeting with Amber this morning,” she says, bringing a hand to her eyes as if she's trying to wipe away the sleep and desire that lingers in them.
Right after she says that, my phone chimes with an incoming text message. I groan as I climb off of her. It's odd. The only person who would be texting me in the morning is Ronald, but never this early.
The bed rises as Kelsa stands. I grab my phone and notice it's not Ronald, but instead, Tara.
I watch Kelsa as she moves around the room, still totally naked and in no way ashamed about it. She smiles when she sees me staring.
“Maybe we should sneak off during lunch?”
“Maybe so,” I say, as she disappears into my bathroom.
Tara: My appointment is today at 1:30 p.m. Meet me there?
I type out a quick response and fall back into bed. I have to stop myself from following Kelsa into the shower, twice. But I know my will power and it's pretty close to zero with this girl. If I follow her, there’s no doubt in my mind that our plan to hold off on sex would be vetoed. I stay away, and thirty minutes later, we are headed to her house so she can dress for work.
Though we had been making an effort to arrive and depart work separately, there was no way in hell I was going to drop her off to ride the train.
“Shouldn’t we be lying low for a few days?” she asks peering at me in her mirror. She is adding the final touches to her makeup and sliding into a pair of fuck me pumps that I know I'll have a hard time not picturing her in naked for the rest of the day.
“Drex, I’ll be fine, seriously. I ride the same train every day.”
“The whole damn company just watched us dirty make out in the parking garage. How much more damage can we really do by walking in together?” I challenge.
She holds my gaze in the mirror for a beat, then her eyes soften.
“Good point.”
Anxiety plagues me the entire drive to work. It was like Kelsa and I switched positions; she moved into a calmer headspace, whereas I can't seem to get my shit together. Maybe last night really did put shit into perspective, because I have no doubt of how afraid I am of losing her.
I'll be leaving early to meet Tara for her appointment today and I've been wracking my brain trying to find a way to tell Kelsa about the baby. I can't decide if I should tell her now or wait until I find out if the baby is actually mine.
It doesn’t matter, though. I realize I’ll be walking into a pile of shit no matter which step I take.
Tell her now and overload our already st
ressed as fuck situation, or tell her later and if it’s revealed that the baby is mine, I’ll be the dick that hid a pregnancy from her. My heart beats through my ears as I make the final turn into the company's parking garage. If I don't pull my shit together and soon, I'm going to fuck up and tell her in a panic. This shit needs to be done right.
We walk into the EDG lobby together with no hesitation. The five or so people waiting by the elevator quiet when they see us approach.
My eyes sweep over the small crowd, waiting to see if anyone is going to say anything about the video. Pat Henderson, a woman who works on the third floor, gives Kelsa a quick glance and then her eyes fall on me.
“Good Morning, Drexel,” she says, batting her lashes and giving me a sexy grin. At least, I think it's supposed to be sexy. This woman is old enough to be my grandmother and her flirting with me is disturbing as fuck. The makeup she's wearing is caked in the wrinkles around her eyes and the corners of her mouth. I literally can feel my skin crawl as I watch as her gaze sweeps down my chest.
I've fucking seen everything now.
I return Pat’s greeting, then look away, but can’t help noticing how she continues to throw me flirty glances. I focus my attention on the arriving elevator and soon we all step on.
No one actually says anything, but their curious looks annoy the hell out of me. I don't know why. I expected the attention and I can’t even say I’m annoyed at how it’s affecting Kelsa because she doesn't seem bothered at all. She actually hasn’t mentioned much about the video being leaked past being nervous about what Amber has to say about it.
The crowd in the elevator gets smaller as people exit on their floors. Kelsa makes small talk with the lady next to her, as I avoid looking at Old Lady Pat, who’s still smiling at me. I take a deep breath as my gaze falls back to Kelsa.
The woman she's talking to lets out a hearty laugh just as she and Pat prepare to exit on their floor, leaving Kelsa and me alone.
“You ready for this?” I ask as I wrap my arms around her from behind.
“Yeah.” She smiles, leaning into me, allowing her head to fall back onto my shoulder.