Lockout (10 page)

I felt my hands contract involuntarily into fists. I was a hair's breadth away from leaping over the desk and rearranging the details of her face. "It's bullshit, is what it is. That case is never going to see the inside of a court room and you know it."

"Oh I don't know about that. In any case, I'm just doing what I'm told."

"Oh yeah?" I said. "Well I'm not. I'm not wasting my afternoon on that crap when there's real work to be done."

She stared at me for several seconds, a calculating glint in her eyes. Eventually she shrugged. "Well, suit yourself. Obviously I can't force you." Her voice turned sweet. "I just hope nobody upstairs hears that you're rejecting assigned work. You know how this place is; it's a slippery slope to the bottom."

At that point I knew I'd played right into her hands. This was exactly the sort of reaction she'd been hoping for. It probably wasn't enough to land me in serious trouble, but causing me any kind of grief seemed to be a win in her books. She loved watching me squirm.

"Why, Jennifer?" I asked, hating myself for sounding so defeated.

For a moment a look of unrestrained glee spread over her face, but it was gone again in an instant. She was too smart to give up the game so easily. "Why what, Sophia?" she replied, her tone perfectly neutral.

Unable to stand another second in her presence, I spun and fled back to my office. Slamming the door behind me, I sat down and let out a long breath.
Calm blue ocean, Sophia.

As much as Jennifer's antics angered me, I didn't know what I could do about them. The hierarchy was everything in our office, and despite how little she deserved it, she outranked me. That made her basically untouchable. Sure, I could try going to the higher ups, but it was career suicide to go behind a superior's back unless the problem was really serious. Once you had a reputation as a backstabber, nobody wanted to work with you. All I could really do was hunker down and try to roll with the punches.

I considered just giving in and doing the work she'd assigned, but try as I might, I couldn't make myself start it. Either way she was going to win. At least by refusing I kept some shred of dignity. I doubted she'd actually be petty enough to take it up the ladder, and if she did, well, it would probably only be a slap on the wrist.

So, gritting my teeth, I opened the Wrights files and began to work.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Despite my best efforts to stay positive, Jennifer's meddling sent my mood plummeting. Even though she hadn't actually stopped me from working on Wrights, she'd soured the experience for me. Suddenly it felt like the wrong thing to do. I hated her for that.

To make matters worse, I kept running into her around the office. At first I thought it was just chance, but soon I realised she was doing it on purpose. She never said anything about our altercation, but the smarmy little smiles she shot me told me all I needed to know. She'd enjoyed her little prank immensely.

After two days of feeling like shit, I found myself reaching for the phone. I wasn't sure if emotional support fell under the terms of my relationship with Sebastian, but he was the first person I thought to call. There was something about his presence that made me feel comfortable and protected, and right now that was exactly what I needed.

He answered after five or six rings. "Sophia."

"Hey," I replied, trying my best to sound less morose than I felt. It didn't work.

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

I sighed. "Not really. Having a pretty rough few days actually."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Work stuff?"

"Yeah. Any chance you're free tonight? I could use some cheering up."

He hesitated. "I don't know, I've got a lot to do here."

"Just for a little while? I'd really like to see you. I'll even come to you."

There was another pause. "I guess I can spare an hour or two. Is ten okay?"

"Totally fine. I'll see you then."

Knowing I was seeing him later made the day a little more bearable.

He greeted me at the door when I arrived, looking as fresh as if he'd just woken up. Despite the late hour, he was still wearing a suit, although the tie was missing. Perhaps that was as far as 'casual' went for him.

"Hey," he said softly, pulling me in for a hug.

I stood there for a few moments enjoying the feel of his arms. "Hey," I replied eventually.

He led me inside.

"Thanks for making time," I said, once we were seated in the lounge room. "I know you're busy. I just really needed a friendly face."

He gave a dismissive wave. "Don't worry about it. I didn't like the way you sounded on the phone. So what's wrong?"

I sighed. Now that I actually had to explain it, it all felt a little petty, but there was no backing out now. I told him about what had happened.

He listened patiently, compassion evident on his face. He seemed genuinely troubled that I was upset.

"You think Jennifer is the reason you've been having so much trouble lately?" he asked, when I was done.

I shrugged. "I don't know. I doubt it. I mean, she's just a senior associate, not a partner. She doesn't have that kind of authority. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it doesn't help and she probably takes every opportunity to talk me down when she can — in the sweetest way possible of course — but at the moment she seems content to just fuck with me instead."

"And you can't take it up the ladder at all? Surely that's office harassment or something."

"It wouldn't do any good. She's kissed the ass of every bigger paycheck in the company. All I'd do is make more trouble for myself."

He frowned. "So what are you going to do?"

I exhaled sharply. "I don't know. Either way I lose. I basically have to make a choice; the work I want to do, or the work I should do. It's so unfair." Those last words came out as a kind of high pitched squeal, and I suddenly realised how I was coming across. "God, I've turned into a whiny high-school girl. I'm sorry."

He smiled and reached out to stroke my knee. "It's okay. Seems to me it might be justified. Why does this woman dislike you so much?"

"I don't know. She seems to dislike most other women around the office. You'd think she'd want to stick together, but I get the sense she'd be happier if she were the only one. Plus, I think it pissed her off the way tasks got distributed when we both first started. Despite her position, she's just not really that good at her job, and it showed in her work. She got stuck doing the things I'm doing now, while I was working on the good stuff. It was only once she got her claws into the higher ups that she managed to drag herself out."

"Well, she sounds like a petty bitch."

Those words brought a smile to my face. I hadn't expected to hear Sebastian say something so catty. "That's a fairly accurate assessment." I shook my head. "I don't know, maybe I'm making too big of a deal out of it. Sometimes it just kind of feels like the whole place is conspiring against me, you know? I have no idea how long this Wrights work from Ernest is going to last. I suspect he had to fight pretty hard to get me assigned."

"Well, at least you've got someone on your side."

"That's true."

"You deserve better than this, Sophia."

"Thanks."

He slid closer on the couch and looped his arm around me. "I just wish there was something I could do."

"You've done plenty by just listening. I wasn't expecting any solutions, just someone to vent to."

He nodded but didn't reply.

We sat like that for a few minutes. It felt good to be snuggled against him. I hadn't been sure what to expect from this encounter, but he'd been incredibly kind and understanding. He'd even joined me in a little therapeutic spitefulness.

I leaned up and kissed him. It was meant to be just a short tender gesture, a thank you for being there for me, but whatever explosive chemistry our bodies shared seemed oblivious to any sort of context. In a matter of moments, our kiss deepened, his tongue entwining with mine while his hands found my neck. I felt something stirring inside my stomach, the first pleasant thing I'd felt since my encounter with Jennifer.

I broke away. "You know, I believe I was promised cheering up. I'm certainly feeling a little better, but I wouldn't describe myself as cheerful yet."

His expression turned sly. "Is that so? Well then, I still have work to do." Wrapping his hands around my thighs he lifted me on top of him.

As his lips began to trace their way down my shoulder, I threw back my head, closed my eyes, and gave myself over to him. My body bowed and shuddered as he teased the spark inside me into a raging fire, one exquisite kiss at a time. His fingers wound towards to my buttons and began to work their way down, unwrapping me with torturous slowness.

The intimacy of the position filled me with warmth and security. The trust I had in moments like those made me feel so safe, so protected. In his hands, I could simply lose myself in the moment, utterly confident that whatever we were doing, he'd take care of me.

Slipping my blouse to one side and snapping my bra free with one deft flick of his wrist, he freed my breasts. He leaned backwards momentarily, gazing at my body with a heat so intense I was surprise I didn't burst into flames. "Has anyone ever told you how fucking perfect you are?"

I couldn't help but smile. "Not in those exact words."

"Then all the men you've ever met are idiots."

He resumed his maddening exploration. My nipples were hard peaks, begging for his mouth, and he obliged, grazing them softly with his tongue in a way that made my whole body contort. I curled my fingers through his hair, savouring the silky texture of it as he roved across my chest.

"Stand up, Sophia," he said.

I did as I was told. His eyes heavy with purpose, he reached around and unfastened the zipper of my skirt. With slow reverence he pulled it down, his breath stalling as my legs slowly came into view. Nobody had ever made me feel that way before; so utterly worshipped.

My panties came down next, and his pants followed, and then I was straddling him once more. I could feel the rigid heat of him radiating between my legs even before he entered me. His eyes widened as he gradually pushed his way past my folds, my body welcoming that sweet invasion with trembling hunger.

Reaching out, he wrapped one hand around my waist and the other around my shoulder, and began to guide me up and down. His grip was firm, but his motions remained slow and measured. I had no idea how a man could be so strong, so powerful, and yet so tender. I knew the animal was still locked away inside him somewhere, but this was exactly what I wanted right now, to make love, not to fuck, and so that's what he gave me.

I'd never been on top with him before. I liked the sensation of riding him, the way I could subtly shift my hips to change the angle of our motion. But even with me in such a position of strength, he was definitely still running the show. With firm pressure, he rocked my body against his, sheathing himself completely and grinding my clit against his pubic bone with a rhythm that set my whole body cresting.

"Oh Christ, don't stop," I moaned.

He reached up with one hand to caress my breasts, while leaning in and planting a string of hungry kisses along my collar bone. "I won't. I've got you, Sophia."

As I pressed my face into his hair, the scent of him washed over me, that perfect masculine potency. Nothing else had ever smelled that good.

"Are you going to come for me?" he asked, his voice full of warmth.

"Yes," I breathed, the pressure inside me swelling and rippling, following his command. Maintaining the same tantalising pace, he guided me over the edge, pulling me in close and sealing his mouth over mine as my release took hold. It wasn't the most powerful orgasm he'd given me, but it was the most affectionate, which at that moment made it utterly perfect.

He came wordlessly about twenty seconds later, his body quivering beneath me. The whole time, he never broke that kiss.

"Well, consider me cheerful," I said, as we lay there afterwards.

He pulled me close. "I aim to please."

There was a wonderful sense of protection being encased between those arms. My troubles were still lurking in the back of my head somewhere, but I'd turned down the volume as best I could. I'd come to Sebastian to make me feel better, and he'd done an amazing job. Now I just wanted to enjoy that sensation for as long as possible.

CHAPTER NINE

The following morning I woke to an empty bed, but it was not my own. It was the first time Sebastian and I had spent a full night together. Joe had always driven me home in the past. I didn't know if my staying over was intentional or not, but I chose to believe it was.

When I finally managed to drag myself from Sebastian's impossibly soft sheets, I found a folded white robe waiting for me on the dresser. It was accompanied by a note.

Your clothes were positively filthy, so I had them put in the wash. Your underwear too. They're drying at the moment, so you'll have to make do with something else for now.

I held it up in front of the mirror. Sheer and short, with a hem that barely covered the middle of my thighs, it hardly deserved the name 'robe' at all. I had no idea where he'd gotten it from.

My clothes may have had a day's wear, but "positively filthy" was definitely a stretch. It didn't take a rocket scientist to see that this was another of his little games. And as much as I enjoyed playing them, I felt a sudden desire to turn the tables on him.

A few minutes of exploring his extensive wardrobe turned up an over-sized tie-dyed tee shirt that fell all the way to my knees. It wasn't the sort of thing I could ever see Sebastian wearing, but it suited my needs just fine.

I found him in the kitchen. "Morning," I said nonchalantly, as I strolled in.

"Good morning." He did a double take. "Where on earth did you find that?"

I shrugged. "In your cupboard somewhere."

"Was the robe not to your tastes?"

"Oh it was fine. I just figured if you were going to hold my clothes hostage I'd do the same to you."