“Happier?” he interrupts. “Okay. Way to whitewash, Elaine. And p.s., you’re 34, not 64. And I was plenty fucking happy.”
I look at him—this invader of my space, this keeper of my heart—and fire burns in my brown eyes. “Yes, happier. You looked happy enough when Mia was flinging herself at you the other day.”
“Seriously?” The dimples are nowhere in sight. “The hell, Elaine? You dumped me in the middle of a party and pushed me to date a girl I hardly know, and now you’ve taken to hiding out for fear of seeing me have a conversation with a coworker? That is fucked up. You don’t want me. Well, you do, but you’ve decided to subscribe to Victorian ideals of age propriety, so now I’m off-limits to all women, is that it? You wish me the best, and you hope I find some sweet young thing closer to my own age, but you don’t want me to actually talk to her? I’m a little lost, Lainie. Please, explain just exactly how you want me to behave.”
I could scream right now. Did he seek me out just to piss me off? “You can talk to anyone you want, Simon. I just don’t see why I need a front row seat. Besides, I haven’t relocated, not really. I’m just using this space while I meet the deadline on this copy for the holiday ads. This is a temporary set-up.”
“Temporary? It looks like a Pottery Barn showroom in here. You refinished a table, Elaine.”
“What? It’s a great table. And no one was using it, and the paint was chipping, so….” I stand behind the table in question and run my hand along the edge. “Besides, why do you care what I do with a table? How is my furniture refinishing any business of yours?” I take umbrage at his smirk. “Shouldn’t you be busy flirting with co-eds or buying them body shots or whatever?”
An inscrutable look passes across his face. There’s frustration, sure, but there’s heat there, too, I think. He walks around the table—it really is a kick-ass table—and stands just behind me as he bends to whisper in my ear. My back is pressed to his front and his words are warm against neck. “Never done a body shot in my life, Lainie. Never wanted to. Having said that, I’d gladly suck a Cement Mixer off your elbow rather than have mindless conversations, or anything else, with any co-ed or ‘age appropriate female’ I’ve ever fucking met.”
Ok, so definitely heat.
He punctuates his words with a squeeze of my ass. It isn’t gentle. It isn’t appropriate workplace behavior.
And my resounding moan isn’t quiet.
He runs kisses along my neck as he tugs me closer to him, his erection pressed snuggly against my ass. “God help me, but I want you,” he breathes.
Well, this has taken quite a turn. One minute we’re fighting and the next my panties are soaked as he’s standing behind me whispering dirty things in my ear. But I don’t mind one bit. As crazy as it sounds, as illogical as it is, I won’t regret this. My body is drawn to his like a magnet, and I’m so tired of resisting the pull. It feels so good to relax into his touch, to allow myself to be consumed by his need.I press my body back against his, and the strength of his arousal fuels my desire. “Then take me,” I answer. His fingers lift the hem of my dress—I’m so glad I wore a dress today—and he bends me forward so that my hands are resting on the table. He palms my ass, squeezing it again as he says, “It’s a good thing we’re in the basement. My girl’s loud when she’s waiting to be fucked.”
“So fuck me already.” I spread my feet apart and brace my arms on the desk, ass up and out.
He pulls my panties to the side, and I swear I hear him groan. His fingers tease my slit, and it’s no secret that my body is ready for him.
“Damn, Lainie.You’re so ready for me.” He strokes me with two fingers, and I cry out with need.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I’m fully aware that I’m at work and about to engage in depraved, delicious acts with a coworker. I just don’t care as he parts my thighs and thrusts inside.
HALF AN HOUR LATER, we cuddle on my loveseat. Yes, my temporary office space has a loveseat. I’m not a damn savage.
I toy with his curls and smile up at him. “God, I want this...”
“What’s stopping you?”
“You’re okay with this?”
He raises an eyebrow. “This? As in dirty sex with my girlfriend in her office after hours? It’s a little taboo, since we’re at work, but, yeah, I think I can get on board.” He strokes my cheek, but his smile disappears at my silence. I avert my eyes from his now-penetrating gaze.
“But that’s not what you meant, is it?”
“Simon,” I plead, regretting my choice of words.
“My mistake. I thought you actually wanted a relationship. I thought maybe you’d gotten the fuck over your weird age thing or whatever, but no. I thought maybe you really cared about me, but no. To you, I’m just here for a good time. You just want sex. Dirty, raunchy, totally secretive sex.” He stands and begins to pace. “My sixteen-year-old self would kick my own ass for refusing such a tempting offer, but I’m afraid I’ve got to turn you down, Elaine. ”
“Simon, no,” I right the skirt of my dress, “I didn’t… I just thought…”
“I’m a smart guy, Elaine. I get what you were thinking, but I’m out. Completely, officially, irrevocably out. My dick is off limits, and I won’t be masquerading as your own personal IT specialist anymore, Ms. Madigan.” He grabs his belt and walks to the doorway, my question stopping him.
“My own...?”
“For someone so brilliant, sometimes, you’re absolutely clueless. I’m not just an IT guy, Elaine. Everyone in this company knows that, except, clearly, you. I’m the head of IT. I don’t fix computers. I don’t replace laptops. I manage the whole department. My employees do all of that stuff, unless it’s for you. There’s a message in your employee file, a message I put there months ago and will promptly remove tonight. It says all IT issues should be forwarded to me.”
I stare at him, dumbfounded.
“Don’t lose your shit, Elaine. I didn’t put that message in there because I’m a lovesick puppy. Well, not at first, anyway… I did it because you’re hell on computers and IT guys can be elitist dicks when we want to be. My guys are great, but I didn’t want anyone hassling you, you know? Don’t get me wrong, you should never drink or eat around your machine, but hell, you don’t deserve to be berated for it, either.”
