Conflict of Interest (Employee Relations Book 1) (63 page)

“That didn’t take long,” I say, my tone dripping with accusation. “I bet you couldn’t wait to rub that in my face.”

She stills. “Excuse me?”

Insecurity and anger combine into the perfect storm. “Where were you last night?”

Gabriella has the nerve to look affronted.

“Before you give me some bullshit answer you should know I spent all night waiting for you. I know you weren’t out with your friends and you didn’t come home. So tell me, were you with him?” I ask, pointing behind me to her door. “You and Mike seemed rather cozy. Is that who you were with last night? While you ignored my calls and I waited for you in your bed?”

Her eyes go wide then narrow just as quickly. “Are you seriously jealous? Of Mike?”

I stare at her and wait.

“What I did last night is none of your business. And why on earth would you think you’d be welcome in my bed? You made it perfectly clear yesterday that what happened between us meant nothing.”

“I never said our relationship meant nothing. Quit putting words in my mouth and tell me where you were.”

Gabriella scoffs. “So now it was a relationship? Funny, I thought you said we were casual.”

“Just answer the question, Gabriella. I was worried sick.”

“My personal life has nothing to do with you.”

“I’m not leaving until—”

She exhales loudly. “Mike and I had something important to discuss about work just now. Satisfied?” She takes a step backwards and bends over her desk to grab a sticky note.

I hang on to my anger but it doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the way her dress hugs her curves. Curves Mike’s hands have no business touching.

“That’s it?”

She shakes her head and continues with her task. “It doesn’t concern you, Lucas.”

I lock the door and stalk to her desk. Standing at her side I plant my fist on her desk and hover. Gritting my teeth I tell her, “I don’t care what you met with him about. Why were his arms around you? Why didn’t you come home?”

“That doesn’t concern you either.”

Being this close to her drives me wild. Pissed or not I can’t stop what she does to me, in fact her disregard for me has triggered a primal desire I can’t contain. Like I’ll die if I don’t have her.

Before I can stop myself I grip her hips from behind and press against her till her legs are pinned against her desk. “I was inside you just over twenty-four hours ago. It most definitely concerns me.” Her muscles tighten under my grip at the reminder. “So tell me. There a policy change I should know about? No more rules against fraternization?” I ask. “Because if that’s the case you should know I don’t share.”

“Share?” she laughs humorlessly. “That would imply I was yours.”

“You are. Need me to prove it?”

My hands push down her thighs until my fingers reach the hem of her dress. Gabriella sucks in a quick intake of air that has my heart hammering inside my chest. Aside from the brashness of my words it relaxes me to know I at least have the ability to affect her body. Before she can tell me all the reasons why this is wrong I bunch the material above her hips.

Thank fuck for dresses and thongs.

Running my hand over her bare backside, I whisper in her ear, “Thinking of anyone else touching you has me seeing red.”

“What are you—”

I rock into her and slide one hand inside her panties, putting an end to her question. We both groan. With my free hand I dig my fingers into the flesh of her thigh and pull her against me, hard.

“How bad do you want me to bend you over this desk?” I ask.

My hand travels farther south. The dampness between her legs is all the answer I need.

Gabriella drops her head against my shoulder and looks up at me with a mix of desire and hesitation. Instead of giving her an opportunity to object I crush my mouth to hers, swallowing her moan as I slide my fingers through her folds and sink one inside.

“We can’t,” she pants, breaking away from my lips. “Someone could hear us.”

I had no intention of doing this but short of a fire in this very office I’m not going anywhere.

“Then you’d better be quiet.”

I kick one of her legs to the side, spreading her so I have better access. She pushes against my erection and then grinds against my hand, chasing what she knows I can give her.

Recalling that her dress ties on the side, I find the fabric and pull the bow loose. The silk material falls open, exposing her toned stomach and lace covered breasts to my roaming hands.

Pulling down the cup of her bra, I pinch her hardened nipple and tug, her arousal driving me mad. She steadies herself with one hand flat on the desk and the other fisting the material of my pants. Having memorized how her body reacts I know she’s close but I have no intention of letting her get off without me inside her.

Hypnotized by the softness of her skin and her scent I hastily grip the material of her panties in both hands and rip the lace from her body, letting it drop to the floor. Without a single obstacle in my way I unzip my pants and I position myself at her entrance and claim her mouth again before thrusting inside.

Groaning into my mouth she tilts her hips back farther as I pump in and out of her, enjoying the most intense sensation I’ve ever experienced. I close my eyes and dip my head to kiss the sweet skin of her neck. When I open them I catch our reflection in the blacked out computer monitor.

It’s the sexiest vision I’ve ever seen.

“Open your eyes, Gabriella,” I tell her, my voice hoarse.

Her lust filled eyes pop open and lock onto my reflection.

“Watch. Do you see that?” I question running a hand over her breast.

“God, yes.”

“Never forget how good we are together,” I tell her in between ragged breaths. “Because no one else will ever make you feel this way.”

“No one,” she agrees, her voice husky.

Our pace climbs. The clanging of her bracelets hitting the wood of the desk offsets the percussion caused by our slapping skin. With my other hand splayed over her lower stomach, I push my fingers south and tease her clit.

Her staggered breaths tell me she’s close.

So am I.

“Fuck,” I choke out.

I cover her mouth with my hand to muffle her sounds as her core grips me tighter than a tourniquet and I bury my face in her neck. Her entire body starts trembling as I slam into her once more, emptying my release inside her.

And that’s when it hits me—no wonder this felt so good, I didn’t wear a condom. Christ, I don’t even know if she’s on the pill. Panicked is what I should be. Instead I feel like I could conquer the world.

If this is what’s it’s like to fall in love I’m not sure I want any part of it. I’m out of my fucking mind.

Still inside Gabriella, I lean forward and grab the box of Kleenex. She whimpers as I pull out and clean her as gently as possible and then attend to myself. I zip my pants and adjust my tie, watching Gabriella remain completely still, both hands on the desk with her head dropped.

I scoop up her remnants of her thong off the floor and try to formulate an apology for being to rough when her cell phone pings with a text. Gabriella quickly flips it over as she pulls the material of the dress around her and adjusts herself, but I saw the screen. It was Mike asking if everything’s okay between her and me. And now I recall the reason for my visit.

“You should respond to him.” My words tumble out as a dare.

“He can wait,” she says. Her gaze drops to her shredded panties in my fist and she holds out her hand, “I’ll take those.”

I clench them in my hand with renewed anger. “Think I’ll keep them. At least that way I’m guaranteed you’ll be reminded of me each time that dress brushes against
your bare skin. Better yet as I’m dripping down your leg with Mike sitting next to you at Jack’s staff meeting.”

She gasps but recovers quickly. Striding forward she rips the fabric from my hand. “I’d rather not have you drop these and find them pinned to the labor relation posters in the cafeteria.”

I watch as she shoves them in her purse and tosses the bag back under her desk. Rising, she plants her hands on her hips and stares at me. “What the hell just happened?”

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on with Mike?”

“Not until you tell me what’s going on between us,” she answers defiantly.

“Then I have a meeting to prepare for.”