JON

I kiss her. My lips press against hers, and they're warm and soft. I can tell that she's surprised at first, but then I become demanding, my need for her outweighing my sense and she finally responds. My lips part and hers do as well, and when I feel her tongue against mine, that does it. My whole body tenses, a rush of blood to my dick.

She kisses me back, and so I pull her into my arms. Hers slip around my neck and we're devouring each other.

Nothing is holding either of us back.

I run my hand over her body, up and down her back, grabbing her butt in one hand, a breast in the other. I squeeze her nipple through the fabric of her shirt and bra and she moans while I kiss her neck.

"I want you," I say, my voice hoarse. "I need you."

"We can't," she replies even as she's kissing me back. "We shouldn't."

"We can." I stop kissing her neck and look in her eyes. "Tell me you don't want me and I'll stop right now. I'll never touch you again."

I stare into her eyes, and I can sense her indecision. She's torn between her body and her mind.

I know I have her body. It's her mind I have to convince.

"I do want you, but if we fuck now, here, at the office, what will happen tomorrow when it's business as usual?" She looks at me, her brow furrowed. "What will happen when we're at a party or the bar and you pick up some babe and take her home instead of me? My heart will break and I’ll hate you. I'm not a fuckbuddy."

"I know you aren't," I say, filled with exasperation. "Do you really think I’d treat you that way?"

"I don't know." She glances away. "I've never known you to have an actual girlfriend."

I try not to show my frustration, but it's hard. "I've never had you." I don't say anything else; I just wait for her to say yes or no.

My body is ready, my dick hard and swollen. If she could only shut off her damn mind…

"Fuck it," she says, looking up into my eyes.

"My thought exactly." I kiss her once more – a blistering kiss this time, slipping my hand under her shirt, under her bra so I can tweak her nipple directly between my finger and thumb.

She groans and I can feel her shudder against me. When I slide my hand around and try to unhook her bra, my fingers get tangled, so I stop kissing her and pull her shirt up and over her head after she unlatches the back of her bra.

"You need to wear one of those bras with the catch at the front," I say. My dick throbs when I finally see her topless. Her breasts are magnificent, soft and round and full, her nipples dark, hard nubs that I can't wait to take between my lips and suck. "Better yet, no bra so I have direct access at all times."

I stop and just stare at her, reaching up slowly to cup one breast, squeezing it gently. "Beautiful." I bend down and take one nipple in my mouth and suck, sending a bolt of lust right to my dick when I feel the nub against my tongue. I can’t wait to run my tongue against her hard clit when she's finally naked.

I move from one nipple to the other and back, and when I look up at her, she's closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation.

"Hey, what's up?" Grant, one of our tech guys, pops his head in the door, which of course, we left open, thinking we were alone.

"Fuck." I rise from India's breast, covering her with my body.

"Crap," she mutters, and covers her breasts while I pull my shirt out and down to hide my very large erection, which is obviously and painfully pressing against the zipper of my jeans.

"No, don’t answer that," Grant says, a sheepish grin on his face. "I'll leave you two alone." He closes the door behind him, and India's face is red and hot.

India grabs her bra from the floor and fumbles with it, trying to put it on at top speed while I pull her t-shirt over her head.

Great. One of our staff knows we were getting it on at the office on a Sunday morning.

India stands there, her eyes closed. She's breathing rapidly, and I can tell she's upset.

I can't stop myself. I laugh out loud.

India's eyes fly open and she glares at me. I try not to smile too broadly but I can't help it.

Then, India can't help but laugh in response either and soon, we're both laughing our heads off. We stand together, my hands on her shoulders, my forehead pressed against hers and we just laugh.

"Jesus Christ," I manage, my eyes wet from laughing so hard. "One fucking kiss and we're found out."

India wipes her own eyes. "Well, it was more than just a kiss. I'd say you definitely got to second base."

I smile and pull her closer, and she slides her arms around my neck.

"More than second, if you think of it. I mean, I was sucking your nipples," I say and run my fingers over her breast, over her nipple, which is still hard underneath her bra. "That has to count at least for half-way between second and third."

We stand in each other's arms and enjoy the moment.

"So, are we going to do this?" she asks.

I run a finger down her throat to her breast. "Do what?"

She narrows her eyes, because she knows that I know exactly what she means.

"Do whatever this is." She points between us.

"What is this?"

"No," she says, shaking her head. "I want you to answer."

I grin. "What do you want it to be?"

"I want it to be real."

"Oh, it's real," I say and press my hips against her so that she can feel my erection, which hasn't calmed down just yet.

She groans when she feels it. I want her to imagine how it would feel inside of her.

"I don't want to share you," she says, and I know that's the real issue. That's what's holding her back.

"I'm not into threesomes," I reply, jokingly because I would definitely be with India.

She pulls back and forces me to look in her eyes. "I mean it. I want you to mean it, too. If you can't be exclusive, I don't want to start anything."

"It's already started, India. In case you didn't realize that sucking a woman's nipples usually means you're intimate."

"You're in the heat of the moment. You're vulnerable to my womanly charms."

"I am," I say with a chuckle. "Very vulnerable. But I've been vulnerable to your womanly charms since I met you. It was you who resisted me."

She pulls out of my arms and puts some distance between us. "We should hold off and think about this. Think about what it will mean to our business relationship. To our futures. I don't want to fuck things up."

"I want to fuck you," I say and move back closer to her, pulling her hard against my body. "Tell me you don’t want to just finish things right now, with me bending you over there on the desk like I've imagined."

She closes her eyes. "You imagined that?"

I don’t reply. Instead I pull her against me harder.

Yeah, I imagined it. I imagined taking her in my office so many times, or her office – or the staff lounge – hell, anywhere. My body wants it. Her body wants it. I don't understand why she's so damn afraid of just doing what we both want and need.

"We need to seriously think about this before anything else happens, Jon." She pulls away again.

"Okay," I say, disappointment and frustration in my voice. "If you want us to think about it, we will. How long do I have to think about it?"

"How long do you think we need?"

"India," I say with a sigh. "I've been thinking about it for years."

"And yet you've never acted on it."

I nod. "Because I know you. I know you don't want something simple and easy. You want something difficult."

"So, what's changed?"

I shake my head and glance away, running my hand through my hair. "I don't know," I reply and turn back to her. "All I know is that I want you now. If not now, when?"

"A week."

"A week?"

A fucking week?

"It's barely any time."

"I thought maybe a day or two. Seven fucking days?" I turn back and look in her eyes. "How will I get through seven days and seven nights?"

"You'll figure it out. I need time away from you to know if I can handle it. If I can trust you."

"You don't think you can trust me?"

"Jon," she says softly. "You're a manwhore."

"All right, a week," I reply, not wanting to argue with her on that particular point. "But I don't know whether I'll be able to last."

She smiles coyly. "I'm sure you can take matters into your own hands."

I laugh out loud at that. "Oh, believe me, I can. I already do. In fact, in the last few days, I've been busier than usual, imagining you."

She closes her eyes, and I wonder what she's thinking about my admission that I've been beating off to fantasies of us together.

"Well, at least you'll keep busy," she says with a smile.

"What about you?" I fold my arms. "How will you get through the week?"

"I'll manage," she says lightly, trying hard to hide a smile but failing. "I'm very handy."

"Oh, God." My body responds to the image of India getting herself off. "Now I won't be able to not imagine you with your hands on yourself." I look back at her, wanting her right now, not certain I can wait that long. "Couldn’t we just say until Friday night?"

"No," she says firmly. "We should take an entire week. Not spend any time with each other except at work. No going to the bar. No going out for brunch or supper. Really think about whether we want what we already have to be put in jeopardy over something as animal as lust."

"I'm an animal and I lust, India. There's nothing wrong with it."

"There isn't, unless it ruins things and we stop being partners," she replies. "You have to decide how much our partnership means to you. Whether breaking that wall is worth the effort and whether being lovers is worth the risk."

I say nothing and just look at her, my eyes moving over her body from her head to her toes and back again, but I'm sure she's more than worth the effort and risk.

"I already know, but if you really want to wait a week, I'll comply. But," I say and go closer to her, one hand at her waist, pulling her against my body once more. I stroke her cheek with the back of my fingers. "I'm not a patient man. Three days should be good enough"

I wait for her response.

"Seven days." Her eyes widen in expectation.

"Okay," I say quietly, because I can tell she's not going to give an inch on this. "But it's not necessary on my part. I know what I want. Don't you?"

She shakes her head. Then, she smiles. "I know what I want, but it may not be good for me – for us."

"Sometimes, you have to just take a risk."

"Easy to say," she replies, her voice soft.

"Easy to do," I say, leaning closer, my lips just an inch from hers. "There's something my instructor told me when I was learning to skydive."

"What's that?"

"Just jump."

"My father always said don't jump out of a perfectly serviceable airplane."

"You don’t know how good it can be until you try." We stare each other down. "It'll be torture waiting an entire week."

"You'll survive," she says. "We really have to think this through and be sure."

I don't know if I'll survive. The idea of us being together…

"I already have thought this through, India, but you go ahead and take a week." I run a hand over her hair. "I don't need a week." I slide my fingers beneath her hair, then I bend down and kiss her.

Our kiss is deep and passionate. For the first time, I feel like I'm finally going to get exactly what I've wanted all these years.

We've always played around, joking about the two of us, but it's no longer a joke.

We adjust our clothes and India leaves my office, returning to her own across the hall from mine. I go to the door and glance out to find Grant standing at the photocopier in the alcove by the supply room. He glances up and sees me, so I decide to go and have a word with him about what he saw.

"Honestly, I had no idea you guys were… um…" he says and shrugs helplessly. "In the office so early." He's got a shit-eating grin on his face and I know we'll never live this down. It'll spread through the staff at the head office and then it'll fan out to the other satellite offices in DC and New York.

Crap… I know India won't like that.

Just then, India walks over to where we stand. She still looks a little flustered.

I smile at Grant, my hand on Grant's shoulder.

"You know, Grant, what you saw in there goes nowhere. I'm not telling and India's not telling, so if anyone so much as says a word about it to me or India, or either of us hear about it from anyone, I'll know it was you who spilled. You can consider your job over at that point. Do you understand?"

Grant glances between India and me, his eyes wide. "Ah, of course, sure," he says, and his voice wavers. "I'd never gossip about you two, but you have to know everyone already believes you two are a couple."

I frown. "What?"

"Oh, yeah. All the staff think you two are in love and secretly carrying on an affair, but don't want us to know. It's common knowledge."

"It's not true," India says, and then glances at me. "We aren't having an affair."

"Not yet," I say and pat Grant on the back. "We're thinking about it."

Grant holds his hands up. "Look, it doesn't matter to me. I think you two belong together. But if you don't want me to say anything about this morning, I'll keep it zipped.

"Don't say anything, please," India says, her voice pleading.

"At least, not yet," I say, eyeing her. "We'll be the ones who confirm it."

"If it's confirmed," she says.

I frown. "I hope it is," I say emphatically.

She says nothing in reply. I thought she wanted me as much as I wanted her. The kiss and the way she said fuck it earlier seemed to suggest that.

Now, I'm not so certain.

I know I want her. That much is undeniable, considering the way my body reacts to her and how often I think of her. I thought she was just as eager based on how she responded to me.

If Grant hadn’t interrupted us I'd probably be in the throes of an orgasm right this moment, deep inside India.

Which sounds pretty damn good.

"No problem," Grant says. "I hope you two get together. Seriously, everyone expects to hear that you're getting married, so it would be a real let-down to find out you guys weren't even dating."

"We'll let you – and everyone else – know when the time is right."

"Sounds good," Grant says and then points to the hallway containing the offices. "If you don't mind, I'll go and get some work done."

"Later," I say and we watch Grant walk down the hallway, popping into his office.

"Phew," India says and wipes her brow dramatically. "That was close."

"It was really bad timing," I reply, my hands on my hips. I can't help but frown, upset that we were interrupted and that now, India has time to rethink things.

"It was good luck. We have to be sure," she says and comes closer, touching my face. "We have a beautiful relationship now. If things don't work out, and most relationships don't, it will be hard when we break up."

"You see, you're already thinking the worst."

"I'm being a realist."

"You're being a pessimist," I reply. "I always think that whatever is meant to happen will happen and it’ll be for the best."

She shakes her head and steps back. "It won't be for the best if my heart gets broken when you find someone better to fuck."

"I'm not interested in you just because you're going to be a fantastic fuck, India."

She stands there and stares at me. "It's all so easy for you to just start this with no hesitation? You're not the least bit worried about us becoming involved?"

I move closer and slip my arm around her waist, pulling her close. She tries to resist, but I'm bigger and stronger. Despite her resistance, she finally gives in and lets me embrace her.

"I've wanted you for years," I say, my voice low and throaty.

She doesn't say anything but her eyes are soft.

I lean down and try to kiss her, but she leans back, one finger over my lips.

"One week, Jon. Those are my terms. After that, if we decide to go forward, I'm all yours when we, you know. Do it."

"When we do it?" I say, grinning.

"You know what I mean," she replies, unable to keep a smile off her lips.

"I do, and I look forward to when we do it. Which I expect will be a lot. If I had my way, I'd take you into my office right now, close the door and strip you naked, then eat and fuck you till you screamed my name."

She closes her eyes at that and I'm glad that at least I can elicit a response in her. She won't kiss me, so I finally release her and she turns away like she has to leave, and quickly, or she'll change her mind.

As for me, my pulse is racing once more from the feel of her body in my arms and at the thought of us finally – finally – fucking. I walk down the hallway to my office, wishing I could just take her hand and pull her with me, strip off her clothes, and do exactly what I've imagined for years. Eating and fucking India.

One day, she will let me take her into my office and I will do exactly that, just the way I want.

I spend the rest of the morning recovering from my encounter with India and Grant's discovery of us on the verge of truly getting it on. It's hard to focus on work, but I try, reading over the latest quarterly reports from our competitor so we can keep one step ahead of them. They have new tech in development that might be better than our latest, so we have to keep up on things.

I look at the design specs of our latest drone and think about how it might have helped India's brother when he was deployed in Iraq. This is what keeps me busy and dedicated to Pacifica – the desire to develop technology that improves things for soldiers in war zones.

When my watch says noon, I decide to acknowledge the grumbling in my stomach and grab my jacket, deciding to go down the street to get some food.

I see India leave her office.

"Hey," I call out. She keeps going, like she wants to pretend she didn’t hear me. She gets to the front entry before I catch up. "Where are you going?"

"Home," she says, turning after she gets to the front door, a sheepish expression on her face. "I'm taking the rest of the day off."

"You were going to leave without saying anything?"

"I usually do," she says. "Nothing's changed."

"Everything's changed, India," I reply, frowning. "I'm waiting for your answer."

"I'm waiting for yours as well," she says, her voice low. She glances down the hallway to Grant's office a few doors away. "In case you didn’t remember that this is a two-way thing."

"I already gave you my answer. I'm being patient with you, letting you take some time to say yes."

She takes her hand off the doorknob and gives me a stare. "You're obviously not taking this very seriously, if that's the case. This is serious. We can't fuck this up."

"We won't. We’ll do what's right."

She shakes her head and sighs audibly. "You're so sure about this?"

I step closer. "I've never been more sure of anything."

I bend down and kiss her and she lets me this time, offering no resistance.

Then Grant comes out into the hallway. When he sees us, he turns right back around and goes back into his office, a grin on his face.

"Crap," India says and pulls away from me. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Okay," I say and watch her leave.

Then I turn leave to get my lunch, wondering how I'll make it through the week.