Jeffrey

I COULDN’T HELP BUT smile. Hell, it took everything I had not to bust out in a schoolboy, ear-to-ear grin. If falling down a mountain with her hadn’t been a clear enough go-ahead from the universe, meeting her boss and showing up at her office had to be.

Okay, Natasha. I get it. You approve.

“Serene, are you all right?” Reed asked. I didn’t blame him. She’d gone stark white, color draining from even her lips. Her skin was pale, but her gray eyes darkened with what I knew to be lust.

She recovered and plastered on a fake smile. “Yes, sorry, sir.”

Reed was a sharp guy and sure to notice something was off. “Do you two know each other?” he asked.

Serene’s cheeks erupted with a crimson blush. “I—we, well...”

“We met in Aspen, actually,” I chimed in. “I nearly killed her with my poor skiing.”

Relief flooded Serene’s face as she nodded in agreement.

“Ah, okay then. Let’s hammer out some of the details, shall we?”

I followed the young CEO into his office but not before throwing a wink at Serene.

“I realize we’ll have to work around your class schedule,” Reed began as we were seated on either side of his desk. “Is there a day that works best for you?”

“I’m free Tuesdays and Thursdays after ten a.m. this semester.” I only had one class those days and it was first thing in the morning.

“Excellent. I’ll have an office readied and you’ll have access to any and all data you need.” He leaned forward to press a button on the phone. “Serene, could you get Mr. Webb an access card, please?”

“Of course, sir.”

Just the sound of her voice through the speaker brought all the filthy things we did crashing back. The slow, easy way she rode me in the hot tub on Christmas morning, her curves dipping in and out of the water and how I had to snatch her off and throw her over my shoulder before I came too quickly. Watching pleasure crease her forehead and make her scream as I made her come over and over. I could almost taste her as the memories and images flooded over me.

“You in there, Webb?”

“Yeah, sorry. Must still have vacation brain. What were you saying?”

We worked out the rest of the details in short order and then Reed escorted me out of his office. “I’ve got a three o’clock appointment to meet downstairs. I’m looking forward to seeing what you can do for this company, Webb.” He shook my hand, then hurried by me, taking the exit marked STAIRS.

“Me too,” I said to myself. Economics, specifically as it applied to marketing trends and the global economy was a quick and easy way to ratchet up quarterly earnings in a very short time. The idea of helping Reed was exciting, although, I was more excited about finding Serene again. I glanced in the direction of her desk. Her empty desk. I sighed. She wasn’t getting away that easily. I scanned the floor looking for any place she might have gotten off to. “Bingo,”  I said when I saw the door marked BREAK ROOM. I eased the door open and there she was, back to me, fixing a cup of tea.

I took the opportunity to revel in the sultry curves her pencil skirt showed off. I lingered over the swell of her ass, balls tightening at thought of her naked and bent over the counter. “I regretted not getting your full name. But the universe seems to keep pairing us up.”

She spun around, surprise clear on her face but lust clear in her eyes. She wanted this as much as I did. I closed the distance between us, pinning her to the counter with my hips. “I promised you that if I saw you again all bets were off.” I bent down, lacing my fingers in her honey-blond hair and kissed her. Slow, sweet, and full of all the hope I had for what our lives could be with each other, my lips pressed to hers. She moaned, melting into me, grabbing at my shirt.

The kiss built to a panting, heaving crescendo and then Serene pushed me away.

“I’m sorry,” she said, flushed and breathless. “I—I can’t do this.”

“Can’t do what?” I asked softly as I laid a gentle kiss on her cheek.

She pushed me away again, this time hard enough to make me step back. She straightened her blouse and looked me dead in the eyes. “I can’t get involved with you. Not while we work for the same company. I can’t and I won’t,” she said firmly as she crossed her arms.

I wasn’t expecting. Why would our paths keep crossing if I wasn’t supposed to pursue her? 

I looked at her a long time. She was serious, very serious. But there was something else written on her features that I couldn’t quite place. Fear? Nervousness? Worry? I wasn’t sure. “I can respect that,” I said which cleared the creases from her brow. “But you should know my contract is only for a few weeks.” I stepped into her again. “The moment it’s up...” I let my thought trail off as I peered deep into her eyes, putting every filthy thing I could think of into my gaze.

A small squeak left her as she flushed once more under the weight of my stare.

The weeks of longing stares, of grazing each other as we passed in the halls and of me jerking off in the shower every night imagining her instead of my fist went by tortuously slow. But I was able to keep my promise and didn’t pursue Serene at all. On the last day of my contract, I had every intention of making good on my other unspoken promise, after presenting my findings to Reed, of course.

Reed leaned back in his chair, digesting what I’d said. “It’s a lot to take on.”

I nodded. “It is. But I’m projecting a thirty percent rise in profit if you manipulate the Chinese market to maximize growth.”

Reed took a long moment to mull over the figures. “Well, we’ll have to extend your contract. I’ll need you to oversee all the changes to make sure it goes according to your plan.”

My stomach dropped.

“At least until the end of the quarter,” he said.

March? He wanted me to stay until March!? There was no way I could hold out for three months. No way in hell. “Executing changes isn’t really my area of expertise,” I said smoothly.

“I’ll double your fee. Triple it. I don’t care, I just want your ass here watching my back when everything changes.”

“Mr. Reed, I don’t think you understand. I’m a numbers guy. A theoretical numbers guy at that. Personnel  involvement isn’t really my forte.”

“Nonsense. You’re a teacher, Webb. You corral college kids every day. You can handle a few department heads.” He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair again. “What’s this really about?” he asked.

Reed was more astute than I was comfortable with. I couldn’t very well tell him I didn’t want to extend the contract because I wanted to bang the living hell out of his assistant. I sighed, resigning myself to sharing most of the truth with him. “Honestly, I could really use the money but I just can’t leave my students like that. I’m a tenured professor. The university would be hard-pressed to find a replacement. Plus, I don’t even know if my contract with them allows me an easy way out.” The last I added for good measure.

Reed nodded. “Flexible schedule. You could work remotely or only when it doesn’t interfere with your class schedule. Whatever it takes, Webb. I want you overseeing this.”

I shook my head. I really could use the extra cash. Every bit of income not earmarked for living expenses had gone to paying off Natasha’s medical bills leaving me with zero savings. Just the few weeks I’d moonlighted here had gone a long way to remedying that but more money was better, right?

Not if it cost me a chance with Serene.

“I’ll have to think about it,” I said standing to put a visible period on my wishes.

“Very well.” Reed rose as well, extending a hand. “Let me know as soon as possible.”