Twice Tempted (7 page)

“Oh yes.”  She moaned again.  Her breath
was quickening and her face was flushed with pleasure as he plunged slowly in
and out of her. 

“Faster now.  Please Jason.”  She pleaded.

“I don’t want to hurt you.”  He panted.

“You won’t.”  She squeezed his arms
tightly.

He increased the rhythm of his body within
hers.  She opened her eyes and gave him a smile of such sweetness that he could
feel an almost painful surge of love for her rush through his body.

“I love you Lucy.”  He gasped out as she
arched her hips upwards to meet his quick rhythm.

“I love you too Jason.”

“Again.  Say it again.”  He muttered.

“I love you.  I love you.  I love you.” 
She suddenly stiffened under him, her eyes closing as the late afternoon light
danced across her face and her body shook with her orgasm.

He could feel his body shuddering, feel the
heat growing in his belly as he headed towards his own release.  He tried to
hold back, tried to delay the pleasure for as long as possible but when she
kissed his neck and whispered once more that she loved him, he climaxed hard
inside of her moaning her name as he came.

“Are you going tonight?”

Lucy read the text from Jason and smiled a
little. 

“Yes.  And I think you should go too.  A
boss should socialize with the staff occasionally.  Maybe buy them a round of
drinks.”  She texted back.

He didn’t reply and she tucked her phone away
and went back to the document in front of her.  She knew he would be there at
the bar tonight.  He had gone to the last two Friday night get-together’s
because she had gone.  She doubted he enjoyed it.  Although most of the single
women in the office had given up on their efforts to seduce him, Alex and Jamie
were still adamant they were going to win the bet.  The previous Friday night
he had been sandwiched between the two of them, shooting pointed looks at her
while she tried not to smile.

It had been a month since the hospital. 
She had spent nearly every night at his house.  The two or three nights that
she had left work and gone to her apartment instead, Jason had shown up a few
hours later and stayed the night at her place.  They couldn’t seem to get
enough of each other. 

She stared blankly at the document on her
desk.  They were careful, very careful, at work and she was positive that no
one suspected.  Jason wasn’t rude to her any longer but he was almost prudently
polite and professional with her. 

She traced her finger along the words on
the document.  Well, almost no one at work suspected.  Although he hadn’t said
a word to either of them, she was sure Jerry knew something was going on
between her and Jason.  Even if Heather hadn’t told him, the fact that Jason
had taken her home after the hospital and she had stayed at his house had to
have tipped him off.

She sighed and forced herself to
concentrate on her work.  It didn’t matter; she hadn’t told Jason but she had
been scanning the employment ads for the last two weeks, looking for a new
job.  She loved working here but she loved Jason more and she was tired of
keeping their relationship a secret.  A new job was a small price to pay to not
have to hide her feelings for him.

* * *

“Can you believe both Jerry and Jason came
tonight?”  Penny leaned into her and shouted into her ear.

Lucy shrugged.  “I guess they were both
feeling particularly social tonight.”

“I guess.  It’s cool and everything but I
sort of feel like we need to be on our best behaviour.  We don’t want our
bosses seeing us drunk and dancing on the tables.”  Penny grinned at her.

Lucy laughed.  “Since when have I ever
joined you in dancing on the tables?”

Penny giggled.  “It’ll happen one day.” 
She glanced across the table where Carlos was taking a sip of beer. 

“So, are you going to hit that or what?”

“Penny!”

“What?  He obviously is in to you.  Just
wondering when you’re going to finally take him home.”

“I’m not.”  Lucy said firmly.  Her eyes cut
to Jason who was sitting a few chairs down from them, talking with Jerry.  As
usual, Alex was seated next to him but she was looking decidedly dejected. 

It was mean but Lucy couldn’t help smiling
a little.  Jason had spent the entire night chatting with Jerry and with Paul
sitting across from him, and it looked like Alex was finally starting to get
the hint.

She watched as Jason pulled his cell phone
from his pocket and with an apologetic look to Jerry, answered it.  He stood and
strolled across the noisy bar before slipping out the front door.  She followed
him with her gaze, starting a little when Penny poked her.

“That man fills out a pair of jeans better
than any other man I know, am I right?”

Lucy rolled her eyes.  “I hadn’t noticed.”

“Bullshit.”  Penny said amiably.  “Everyone
notices Jason’s ass.  Hell, even Carlos notices it.”

At the sound of his name, Carlos leaned
forward.  “What was that?”

“Nothing.”  Penny said sweetly.  “Just
talking about how great your ass looks tonight Carlos.”

He blushed and both Lucy and Penny grinned.

“Well then pretty Penny – I think that
comment deserves a beer.  Your next one is on me.”  He drawled.

She giggled.  “You’re
such
a
gentleman Carlos.”

She stood up and tugged Lucy with her.  “We’re
just going to go and freshen up.  Excuse us.”

Lucy followed her to the ladies room.  They
stood in front of the mirror and Lucy watched Penny smooth her hair and reapply
her lipstick. 

“So listen.” Penny said casually.  “If
you’re not interested in Carlos I was thinking I might you know – become a
little friendlier with him.  If you’re okay with it?”

Lucy grinned.  “I’m perfectly fine with
it.  I hope it – “

She cried out at the sudden loud explosion
from within the bar.  The entire building swayed beneath their feet and she
grabbed on to Penny as the fire alarm went off with a whooping bray.  The water
sprinklers sprayed on, immediately soaking them, and Penny stared at her with
large, frightened eyes.

“Lucy?  What’s happening?”

“I don’t know.  C’mon, we need to get out
of here.”  Lucy replied grimly.

She pulled Penny to the door and pushed it
open.  Immediately, a huge cloud of black smoke rolled in and they were
blinded.  They could feel the heat and hear the crackling of the flames and,
coughing and gagging, the two women stepped back and let the door shut.

Penny fanned the smoke from her face as
more seeped under the door.  The small bathroom was rapidly filling with smoke
and Penny grabbed on to her with panicky tightness.  Her blonde hair was
soaking wet from the sprinklers and more water was beading down her face.

“Lucy!  What’s happening?  What do we do?”

“We need to get out of here.”  Lucy swallowed
down her own panic.  She was terrified for herself and for Penny but she was
also filled with terror for Jason.  Please God, she prayed silently.  Let him
have still been outside.

She coughed again, the smoke searing her
throat, and stared frantically around the room.  “Penny!  There!  The window –
let’s go!”

She pushed the smaller woman towards the
window set high in the wall at the far end of the bathroom.  Penny stumbled
towards it and reached upwards. 

“I can’t reach it Lucy!”  She cried.  She
stared at the door of the bathroom as muffled screams of panic and fear could
be heard.

There was a large round garbage can tucked
under the sink and Lucy grabbed it.  She tipped it over, paper towels spilling
across the floor, and dragged it under the window, slipping and sliding on the
wet floor.  She climbed on top of it and opened the latch on the window.  It
was a push window and it opened only halfway before stopping.

“Fuck!”  She screamed.  Penny stared up at
her in terror.

“Lucy!  We’re trapped!”

“No we’re not.”  Lucy shut the window and
yanked her jacket off.  She wrapped it around her arm and fist and turned her
face away.  She could barely see Penny through the smoke that had filled the
bathroom. 

“Penny, turn away.  Cover your face!”  She
shouted before coughing and gagging on the smoke-filled air.

Penny turned away obediently and, shielding
her own face with her other arm, Lucy hit the glass of the window with all of
her strength.  It cracked but didn’t break and she screeched with frustration
and fear before pounding on it again.  This time the window shattered and she
cried out with relief as a whiff of cold night air drifted through.

She peered through the window and she could
have sobbed with relief when she saw that it was only about a ten foot drop to
the alleyway.

She quickly pushed all of the shards of
glass out of the frame and then unwrapped her jacket and placed it on the
bottom edge of the window frame to help protect them further.  She held her
hand down to Penny.  “Climb up, quickly!”

Penny climbed up and the women clung to
each other, balancing carefully on the overturned garbage can. 

“I’m going to help you through the
window.   If you hang on to the window frame and lower yourself down, it’ll
only be about a five foot drop for you.”  Lucy panted.  “Watch the glass okay?”

She put her hand on Penny’s butt and shoved
her up and through the window.  Penny straddled the ledge and with one final
panicked look at Lucy, eased both legs out and hung down from the ledge.  She
looked below her and moaned.

“Lucy I – I can’t.”

“Yes you can!”  Lucy coughed and squeezed the
top of Penny’s hands lightly.  “It’s not that far Penny.  Just let go honey.”

With a frightened squeak Penny let go and
dropped to the ground.  She hit the alleyway with a thud and rolled over on to
her back.

“Penny!  Are you okay?”

She sat up.  “Yeah, I’m okay.  Hurry
Lucy.”  She staggered to her feet and stared anxiously at Lucy.

Lucy took a deep breath and, resting her
hands on the bottom ledge, boosted herself up to the window.  Panting and
grunting with effort she pushed her leg out the window.  She seized the side of
the window frame and winced as some stray glass dug into the palm of her hand. 
She gritted her teeth and ignored it, pulling herself into a straddling
position on the window.

Another explosion rocked the building and
she nearly tumbled head-first out the window.

“Lucy!”  Penny screamed in terror.

Lucy, her heart beating like a fierce drum
in her chest, began to squirm out of the window.  She balanced on her stomach
on the coat-covered ledge, her top half in the bathroom and her bottom half dangling
down the cold brick wall.

She took a deep breath, lowered herself out
the window until she was dangling by her hands, and let go.

* * *

“Jerry!  Jerry!”  Jerry, his bald head
covered in soot and his shirt and jeans clinging wetly to him, stared blankly
at the man running towards him.

“Jerry!  Where’s Lucy?!  Where’s Lucy?” 
Jason shook the older man so hard, he heard his teeth snap.

“I – I don’t know.”  Jerry whispered.  “She
wasn’t at the table when – when it happened.” 

He touched some blood that was oozing out
of the top of his skull and stared dully at it.  “There was a loud bang and the
kitchen door just blew off its hinges.  I think – I think something exploded in
there.  There was so much smoke and then fire just came billowing out of the
kitchen.”

Jerry gave him another dazed look.  “People
were screaming and fighting to get to the door.”

Jason stared around him.  There were small
clusters of people from the bar standing in the parking lot, and they were
staring at the burning building with shell-shocked gazes.  The people from the
office were gathered in a loose group next to Jerry.  All of them were there
except for Penny and Lucy.  He pushed past Jerry and grabbed Carlos’ arm.  The
smaller man stared at him numbly.

“Where’s Lucy?  Carlos!”  He shook him impatiently. 
“Where’s Lucy?  Have you seen her?  Was she with you?”

Carlos shook his head.  “No.  She – she and
Penny went to the ladies room right before the fire.  I think they’re still in
there.”

“Oh my God.”  Jason whispered.  He turned
and ran for the burning building as sirens filled the cold night air.

“Jason!  Stop!”  Jerry shouted after him. 

Jason ignored him.  He had to get in
there.  He had to find Lucy.  If she died he would die too.  Adrenaline was
coursing through his veins, sending his heartbeat into jittery, rapid
overdrive.  He couldn’t live without her.  He couldn’t –

“JASON!”  He skidded to a stop at the
familiar voice and turned.

Lucy, followed by Penny, was limping out of
the alleyway to the left of the burning bar.  Her jacket was missing and she
was soaking wet and covered in soot.  Even from here he could see blood
dripping from her right hand, but she was alive.

He screamed her name and she limped faster
towards him.  He sprinted across the parking lot.  She was crying and shaking
and she stumbled as she hobbled towards him.  He caught her before she could
fall and crushed her against his body.

“Lucy!”  He cried.  She hugged him, burying
her face in his neck as hot tears dripped down her face.

“Oh Jason.”  She whispered.

He eased her back gently and smothered her
face with kisses before pressing his mouth hard against hers.  She kissed him
back, balancing on one foot and squashing her wet body against his.

“Are you okay honey?”

She nodded.  “Yeah.  I cut my hand on some
glass and I twisted my ankle when I dropped out of the bathroom window but I’ll
live.”

She gave him a weak smile and he kissed her
again before hugging her hard.

“Lucy?”  Penny’s soft whisper cut through
the sirens that were growing steadily louder.  She was staring at them with
shock.  “You and – and Jason?”

Lucy opened her mouth but nothing came
out.  She looked to her left, a small moan of dismay squeaking out of her
throat when she realized that the entire group from the office was staring at
her and Jason.