Chapter 44
STEPHANIE
Jeremiah’s chest was warm beneath my cheek, his shirt half-open even though I couldn’t even remember trying to take it off. I lay there with him for a few minutes. He didn’t seem to mind. Absently stroking my hair, he was almost making me feel like he wanted me to stay. Like he cared.
Cutting off that train of thought before I ended up in dangerous territory, I tugged my dress down again and straightened it out. I couldn’t believe I just had sex at work. With my boss. In broad daylight.
How freaking promiscuous! I never thought I would do anything like it, but now I was kind of thrilled by having done it. A forbidden tryst in the office. It was as exciting as every book I’d ever read featuring a workplace affair promised it would be, minus all the angst.
Jeremiah and I were both young, single and apparently explosively attracted to each other. The only angst there could be was in the form of a seventy-something bulldozer of a man who needed to face reality. And thankfully, that man was gone. For now.
Jeremiah was deep in thought when I looked up at him, his features as sharp as if they’d been carved from stone. He was still running his fingers through my hair, but he’d turned his head and was staring off into the middle distance.
His brown eyes were unfocused, far away. A part of me worried I shouldn’t ask him what he was thinking about, but I’d never been much good at listening to that subtle voice in my head.
“Are you worried about what’s going on with your father?”
He snapped out of his stupor, sliding his eyes down to mine. “No, not really. I was actually trying not to fall asleep.”
“You say the most romantic things to me,” I said jokingly. It still stunned me how easy it was to be myself with him.
Jeremiah smirked and moved his hand down the curve of my back to spank me lightly. “If recent memory serves, you prefer the dirty to the romantic.”
“Any day of the week,” I said. “And twice on Sundays.”
Amusement danced in his eyes, chasing away the shadows that had been in them a minute ago. “In that case, what are you doing on Sunday?”
I laughed against his chest, shaking my head. “You’re a fiend, you know that?”
Fast as a flash, he hooked his arm under me and lifted me, flipping me so I was on my back on the couch before I could even think about reacting. Smiling wickedly, he lavished my throat with kisses and reached between my legs. “Fiendish would be taking you again right now.”
Giggling at his playfulness, because apparently, I giggled when I was with him, I pushed gently at his shoulder before my body had time to react to his ministrations. “One round in the office is enough, don’t you think?”
“I like pushing my luck.” Lowering his head, he kissed a trail over my collarbone and nuzzled my chest.
A soft gasp escaped when he closed his mouth over my nipple. I could feel his warmth through my clothes. “I think I like you pushing your luck.”
He groaned against me, then lifted his mouth. “I have a better idea.”
Sitting up suddenly, he pulled me with him. Excitement shone in his eyes. “What would you say if I asked you to play hooky with me for the day?”
“After everything that just went down with your father?” I lifted an eyebrow questioningly. The idea of spending the rest of the day, and possibly night, with him outside of the office was tempting, but not if it was going to cause more trouble.
Jeremiah shrugged and started putting himself back together, doing up his shirt and pants. “He won’t be back today. Even if he is, I meant what I said. If he can’t deal, he should fire me. I’m done trying to fit his mold.”
“Good for you,” I said, my voice softening. I knew it couldn’t have been easy for him to have to confront his father about how he wasn’t his brother. “If you want to blow this Popsicle stand, I’m in. Somehow I don’t think my boss will mind.”
“You know,” he mused, holding out his hand to help me up. “I’m sure we could come to some kind of agreement with him, especially if you feel like blowing something other than the Popsicle stand.”
He winked playfully, and I swatted his shoulder, leveling him with a look. “You really are a fiend. You’re just lucky I like your brand of fiendishness.”
“Agreed.” He walked to his desk to gather his things. He pocketed his phone, wallet and dangled his keys on his finger. “Let’s get out of here.”
We left the office fast. People stared at Jeremiah as he passed them, but no one dared approach him. In his car, once we were out of the parking structure and driving away from the office, he met my eyes in the rearview mirror. “So what would you like to do today?”
“I thought you might have some ideas since you suggested playing hooky.”
Looking back at the road, he navigated us effortlessly through the pre-lunch traffic. The further we got from the office, the more he relaxed. “I have some, but since I have a lot to make up for, I thought I’d let you choose.”