Taking Chances (3 page)

She forgot about lunch.

****

The two worked at an efficient pace. They quickly had
a dozen policies to write and knew they would find a few more. By lunch they had
one policy ready for others to review.

He was pleasantly surprised by her knowledge of the
new database. She taught him a few things he didn’t know and brought a whole
new line of thought to the table. He brought the upper level control, and she
brought in the smaller details; together they made the policies shine.

They worked well together. Sure, she was a shy girl,
but now that she wasn’t facing the entire team, she had no problem voicing her
opinions. She kept him on his toes, and he liked the challenge. Of course, he
found himself lost in the length of her silky, chestnut hair and the slope of
her disarming eyes. All it took was replaying her statement from earlier:
sometimes things should be left alone,
to
bring him back to his senses.

If only he could ask her about her needs, maybe the
scene would interest her. Her personality fit right in with many of the
submissives
he’d met over the years. Just because his mind liked
to imagine the steps he’d put her through, thoughts that sent blood rushing to
his cock, it was still possible she would be disgusted by his lifestyle.

He made his
no
subs from work
rule for an important reason. He wouldn’t bring the familiar
pain down on himself or someone else again. He shouldn’t be thinking about
taking Lydia right here on the table. Best to put a stop to it now before
things spiraled out of control.

They were working at a fast pace, but they had
several days ahead of them.
Time to get your head back on what’s right in front of you.
He looked up to find her leaning over
him pointing at the screen.

“Right here, Jake, we need to add a screen print
here so they don’t get confused.”

She was beautiful in her convictions, but it was the
slant of her neck to her shoulder that continued to captivate his attention.
The patch of skin called to him, invited him. It wouldn’t take much effort to
hold her to the spot and lick the junction into his greedy mouth.

“We already have several screen prints in this
section. Do we really need another?”

She leaned over him to scroll back a page in the
document. “Yes, you’re right we do, but this is a crucial point. If they miss
checking this box, the document won’t be indexed, and that messes with the
steps in the next several policies. Come on, Jake, let me have another.”

Was she begging him? “Lunch,” he choked.

“What—”

“I’m starving, and I need a break.” He got up abruptly,
and Lydia fell back into her chair. “I’ll order from
Carvelos
.
Be right back.” He stormed from the room.

****

He kept surprising her. Jake wasn’t the guy she thought
he was. Not that she had much of an impression before today, other than strong,
commanding, and pretty serious. Sitting next to him was supposed to be hard and
distracting, with all the beauty and testosterone. He listened and presented
his calm exterior, welcoming her free thoughts. Normally, she would get lost in
her neuroses when she was around men. Not with Jake. Her mind didn’t run amok
until after he left the room.

Why had he left so abruptly? Had she annoyed him? She
was finding she could be pretty opinionated when it came to the structure of these
policies. Maybe she got on his nerves. Oh, she hoped not. It wasn’t often she felt
comfortable enough to speak her mind. More often than not she would over think
her opinions and talk herself out of speaking.

She’d gotten comfortable with Jake faster than she
expected. He seemed open to hearing what she had to say. They appeared to be the
right match for the project. He brought things to the table she didn’t know, and
she did the same for him.

Could she be comfortable with him in other parts of
her life?

What kind of lover would he be? She couldn’t imagine
him being timid. No, she guessed Jake was probably the stern type in the
bedroom. Flashes of fantasies filled her imagination and warmed her body.

His
hand pressed into her lower back, and his lips grazed her ear.

“You look
entirely delectable standing here looking out the window.”

He
pressed his hard cock into the seam of her ass, and she melted into him. His
hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her hips back creating a delicious
friction. The other hand dove around and right into her panties.

“You’re
soaking my hand. You like this.” His finger circled her nub. “Raise your skirt
for me, and take off your panties.”

“Yes,
Sir.”
His request
drove her desire impossibly higher.

“I’m
going to take you, right here.
Right now.”

****

He lost touch with reality. Her scent filled his
mind. He could practically taste her already. She was off limits, something that
needed to be left alone. Maybe he should take a quick, cold shower in Keller’s
office. Keller would understand. Damn Keller and his suggestions. The man kept
denying his match-maker moniker, but Jake wanted to blame him all the same. He
needed to stand strong, Jake couldn’t let go of his rules.

He stormed into Keller’s office, with a chip on his
shoulder. Running up the stairs had only fueled his fury.

“Hey there, Jake, how’s it going with the little
betty?” Keller said.

“Just great.”

“Your new side project is Jake?” Simon sat casually
in one of the guest chairs.

“I don’t have side projects,” Keller said
unconvincingly.

“Whatever, I should report you for this,” Jake said,
pacing back and forth.

“What did I do?” Keller threw his hands in the air, but
the smirk on his face gave him away.

“Shit, I’m sorry, Jake.” Simon turned his attention
back to Keller. “Who did you select for our boy here?”

“You stay out of this. I thought we stood together
on standing alone.”

“Sorry, I got caught in the action. Now, don’t leave
me
hangin
’. Who is it?”

“Gees, it’s Lydia, okay? And you know what?” Jake
turned his attention to Keller and pointed to Simon. “Do me a favor. Pick on
him next.”

“I keep telling you, I have no idea what you’re
talking about.” Keller shook his head.

“Quiet, little Lydia?”

Keller stepped in front of Jake, stopping him from
advancing on Simon. Simon scurried out of his chair, smartly putting good
distance between him and the caged beast.

“I’ve got towels set out for you. Go on, take a cold
shower and calm yourself. I’ll have Anne order you two some lunch.”

“Thanks, Keller, I want to strangle you, but thanks.”

“Hey, don’t mention it. Just remember to invite me
to the collaring ceremony.”

“Yeah, and I’ll tell Charlie you’re not coming on
Friday.”

“Don’t you dare,
Simon.
” Jake
jabbed his finger at him on his way to the bathroom. “That meeting is going to get
me through the week.”

Jake mumbled all the way to the shower about why he put
up with his buddies. Once he got undressed and in the shower his mind wandered
to the woman waiting for him downstairs. The cold water pounding his back didn’t
help his now throbbing cock. He stroked himself a few times and knew instantly
he would need to finish himself off if he hoped to calm his nerves.

Turning the water to scalding he tugged on his cock
in quick strokes. His fingers slipped over the slick head and back to the base.
He imagined Lydia on her back before him, waiting patiently for his command. His
cock thickened in his hand. She would stare into his eyes with intensity
similar to what he’d seen today. A tug on his sack threw him right over the
edge. He continued to stroke himself and wondered what her moans would sound like.
Would they be throaty and low or high and squealing?

A ridiculous question, one he wouldn’t be getting
the answer to.

He turned the water back to cold, and all the crazy
rule breaking thoughts went down the drain. They would have to work swiftly if
he was to survive the project without embarrassing himself, or worse, frightening
Lydia.

Chapter
Three

The cold shower did its magic, clearing his mind of
heated thoughts. He’d stepped comfortably back into his prison of rules and the
conference room. The numbing effects were nullified at the sight of Lydia licking
her fingers.

Barbecue.

Keller was trying to kill him.

Her tongue escaped her mouth to smother her finger
in quick caresses. Wet fingers could do a lot of naughty things, and his mind
wanted to think of them all. They had a lot of work to do this afternoon, and
his thoughts needed to stay on the task in front of them. Why did she have to
keep licking her fingers like that? He’d never been so envious of a finger. He
crept
closer to her and her wicked tongue.

“I’m thankful this food is so tasty,” she said while
staring at a fork full of coleslaw. “I’m not able to muster up any regret for
the calories.”

“You shouldn’t regret anything, especially calories.”
It should be considered a crime for a woman with curves like hers to watch what
she ate. The corner of her mouth caught his attention. A smudge of barbeque
sauce flirted with the edge of her lip.

“Ha, easy for you to say.”
She looked
up at him. “What is it? What are you looking at? Do I have something on my face?”

Before he could stop himself, he sat beside her, and
his inquisitive finger reached out and rubbed the corner of her mouth. His
finger hovered between them, an inch from her mouth. She licked her lips, and seconds
ticked by. Nothing in the room captured his attention but her devilish mouth.
Her tongue reached out and licked his finger. It took forever for his hand to
return to his side. The air between them had become thick with heat. He
couldn’t tear his sight from her beautiful eyes.

****

“I’m sorry, I just…” She stopped talking and turned
her gaze to the table. “Thank you,” she said without looking at him. “I hate it
when someone sees a way to help and they ignore it instead.”

Her mind reeled at the possible implications of his
touch or her bold reaction. What must he think of her? Maybe smudges of food
bothered him. Maybe he was being considerate. The possibilities sounded right, but
his eyes didn’t have the look of a gentleman. They were dark and carnal.

She’d licked his finger.

Butterflies filled her belly. Rarely did she attract
a man’s attention and never without some effort. She might have undressed Jake
a few times today in her mind, but she’d kept it all business on the outside,
until now. The star of her naughty fantasies was a bit of a curiosity. Twice today,
she’d seen his expression drenched in desire.

The moment dissipated like it had never been. His
hand no longer reached for her. His look no longer promised unmentionable
things. He ducked his chin to concentrate on something on the table. Then he was
back into work like nothing happened. Disappointment dug in and left her
feeling unwanted. She brushed her hair behind her shoulders and attempted to
shake the familiar ugliness.

She followed his example, though, and dragged her
attention back to simpler things, like lunch.

She loved the barbeque from The Smoke Hut. Lydia
liked
Carvelo’s
, but she preferred more casual
cuisine. After another lick to her fingers and a couple of fries, she dug into
the coleslaw. Her hunger had disappeared, but she needed the distraction.

On nights when the Bulls played at home, Lydia’s
routine included getting barbecue and sitting on the couch eating and yelling
at the TV. She would have no problem finding something else to eat tonight.
Maybe she would pick one of her other favorites. Deep dish pizza had the gooey
cheese and spicy sausage or maybe an Italian beef sub where the juices tended
to slide down your arms. Yummy decisions were the most fun.

They sat eating and reading like nothing had
happened, like she hadn’t just had her tongue on his finger. Her brain tried
again to stay on task. She read slower than Jake. She suspected she spent more
time on the smaller details, which slowed her pace. Taking everything in was her
specialty. Not missing any piece of a puzzle inspired her to work hard.

“You know you’ve ruined my dinner, right?” She hoped
to distract them both or prove she wasn’t thinking about how close they were
sitting.

“What?”

“Well, I was going to get some Smoke Hut before the
game tonight.” She was working too hard to calm her nerves and not look at him.
If she wasn’t careful, he’d notice. She didn’t have a lot of practice with
nervous chatter. “Do you like the Bulls?”

“The Bulls?”
He
scooted back in his chair.