The Office Summer Picnic (Force Me) (2 page)

Alistair was anxious to get back home. To Shenice. She hadn’t completely moved into his condo, but he intended on changing that the second he saw her. The week he’d just spent without her had confirmed something inside him he’d already known but had refused to acknowledge. He loved her, totally, completely, without reservation.

He’d known it for a while now, but hadn’t told her for fear of looking foolish. After all, she hadn’t exactly said a thing to him about her feelings, now, had she? If anything, she seemed comfortable with their strange arrangement. Allowing him to take full control over when and how they saw each other, she deferred to him almost like she could take it or leave it. But he knew that wasn’t true. He could tell by the way she looked at him; by the way she came apart in his arms, denying him nothing. There had been so many times he had almost confessed the truth. Hell, he had come dangerously close to begging her to never leave his bed, which in his mind just wouldn’t do. He was Alistair Parsons. Looking like a besotted fool wouldn’t inspire the confidence he needed to project as head of the company. But how to tell her?

Thinking back, a smile crossed his face. They’d started this affair at an office get-together. It seemed only fitting they bind their relationship at one. Or rather, take it to its natural conclusion. Though he normally didn’t care for company gatherings, he’d thoroughly enjoyed the Christmas party. It had brought him the most precious thing in his life.

Knowing what he had planned, it was hard not to look forward to the annual summer picnic. Thinking of all the unconventional ways he and Shenice had explored each other made his pants uncomfortably tight. The woman inspired him no matter where he was or what he was doing. What creative place could they find to make love in? How wild could they get without getting caught? Shenice was so open and free, it made him feel like a master of the universe. He loved the way she responded to his touch. God, he couldn’t wait to see her.

But when he got home, Shenice wasn’t there. He called her cell--no answer. What the hell? There had never been a time she wasn’t readily available. True, he’d had limited contact with her the past week due to the time difference, but she hadn’t said anything about being put out with him. As much as he had pleaded with her to join him on the business trip back to London, she’d refused, claiming she had too many things to do around the office. Plus, she had insisted it would just look bad. While generally he would agree, he missed her so damn much it was a physical pain.

Walking into this place, he had fully expected Shenice to be there. She’d known he was coming back today. But the place was empty. That was when he fired up his computer and found the e-mail from human resources requesting permission to post for a new Ad Exec. One to replace Shenice. A red haze filled his vision. She was leaving him? Fuck the company; this was a sign as clear as day she was walking away from him personally. If the date on this e-mail was any indication, he had exactly one week before her last day. The day of the picnic would be it.

Breath coming shallow, heart pounding, Alistair fought off a panic attack. He absolutely would not give in to fear of losing her. This had to be a mistake. Somehow, some way, wires had gotten crossed. There had to a miscommunication somewhere. Controlling his emotions during a battle was second nature to him. Many a competitor had fallen to his icy cold demeanor in boardrooms. Alistair might be all heated passion around Shenice, but he could be cool and calm if needed. He had the feeling now was the time for that. Keeping his head about him was essential if he was going to find out what was wrong and get her back.

Too bad that was all bullshit right about now. His heart raced as he considered the ramifications. It wasn’t that he couldn’t live without her; of course he could. The thing was, he never wanted to. He didn’t want to wake up and not see her face. The prospect of her walking away from this, from him, forever, left him with a soul-deep chill.

Again, he called her cell. Then her apartment. Then her office. Nothing. She was thoroughly avoiding him. Alistair stilled himself, drawing in deep breaths. Shenice was not some fly-by-night airhead. Knowing he was home, knowing his first action would be to see her, it was a pretty safe bet she was avoiding him. Because of her resignation. So it wasn’t a mistake after all. It was fine, though. She needed time for some reason. There was no reason to believe this wasn’t anything more than some kind of...female thing. Maybe she was still mad about the promotion. Man, she had raged against that one, feeling the entire office would think she got her job because they were sleeping together. She had been partially right of course, but Shenice deserved it. She was the best damn Ad Exec he’d ever seen.

Calm down, I’ve got to calm down.
This would blow over. There was probably some kind of issue at work since he’d been gone. No one would dare give her shit while he was there. Well, he would take care of that posthaste when he returned to the office. That should give her a little time to cool off. Shenice wasn’t the kind of woman who held grudges. Over time he had gotten to know everything about her, knew what made her tick, what she liked, what drove her crazy. For the next week, Alistair planned to keep her on pins and needles, heavy with arousal. The battle plan being drawn up in his mind would offer no relief in the form of sexual release unless she told him what it was that was bothering her, along with what he could do to remedy the situation.

A slow smile formed on his lips. Oh, yeah. This could prove to be quite fun indeed. Sure, he was going to suffer like a son of a bitch through it all, but the reward would be more than worth it. Blue balls aside, he looked forward to pushing her to her very limit. He wanted her panting, wet, needier than she’d ever been in her life.

After all, seduction was a fine art with which he was deeply intimate.

On Alistair’s first day back, he’d called her repeatedly. It had nearly torn out Shenice’s apart not to answer him, but this was her heart she was fighting for. She’d tried to go about her everyday routine in an effort to ease her mind, but nothing worked.

Standing at the window of her office overlooking the city, she couldn’t shake the feeling that what she was doing was wrong. It felt…off. But what else could she do? Without the words every woman wanted to hear, she was starting to think maybe she had given him way too much way too soon. And, damn it, she deserved to be loved by him every bit as much as he was loved by her.

“Shenice...” The deep, husky voice was velvet over gravel, sending a jolt of arousal humming through her body. It was at once jarring yet soothing. Hungering for him and not seeking him out had proven to be excruciating. Yet the pointed absence had been telling. Not once had he actually driven by her place to ring her doorbell. Yes, he’d tried to call for the past three days, but he hadn’t bothered to seek her out. It hurt to think he hadn’t missed her nearly as much as she’d missed him. Or maybe he had already moved on. Lord, she had to be strong, but just his frigging voice made her panties wet.

“I’m a little busy, Alistair.”

“Busy packing? Busy leaving me?”

Glancing back at him was a mistake, but she managed to shrug with some degree of nonchalance. “Just busy. What’s up?”

He raised an eyebrow, then turned to shut her office door. No, no, no--being alone in a closed room with Alistair was dangerous to her mental well-being. God, she could smell him, and he wasn’t even close. He smelled like all man; it was too damn sexy. When he stalked over to the large window bank and closed the blinds as well, it was her turn to quirk an eyebrow.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Oh, but she knew. This was bad. This was really, really bad.

“Giving us a little privacy.” Pulling out a folded piece of paper from the inside of his suit jacket, he thrust it in her general direction. “Want to explain this?”

It was her resignation. Was he only
now
getting it? Fuck, she had been so prepared for this three days ago. Now all her well-thought-out explanations seemed to have gone
poof
from the inside of her head. In fact, her brain was close to mush. The ice in those blue-gray eyes dropped the temperature in the office to close to subzero. She’d expected some anger, yes, but not this.

“Not much to explain.”
Keep it together, keep it together.
“I’ve decided to move on. Another offer came my way, one that was too good to pass up, so I didn’t. I’d have thought you’d have gotten this long before now. I’ve only got two more days before I leave.”

“Oh, I’m very much aware. I’ve had the letter for the past week and a half. I was just concerned at why you felt you couldn’t tell me yourself.” Was it kinda sick she found his fury to be a turn-on? Probably. His face might as well have been carved from granite, his words clipped and cold with that dispassionate British accent, but the fire and ice screamed he cared. Still, she couldn’t get her hopes up. He hadn’t asked her to stay yet, had he? “I wanted to give you a chance to tell me yourself, to let me know if you planned on leaving me as well as your job.”

There was no way she could look directly at him with the guilt riding her so hard right about now. She had taken the chicken way out. Instead, her gaze bounced around the room, trying to focus on anything but him. “It didn’t seem like our... relationship...was going anywhere. I thought it would be best to make a clean break.” Oh, God, this was so hard. How much of a wuss did she sound?
Waaa, waaa, you never said you loved me so I got mad.
Saying it out loud made it all appear so childish. But it wasn’t. Right?

“I see.”

Now he sounded so fucking calm. Reasonable. Waaaay too calm and reasonable. Shenice was determined that if he could sound calm and unemotional, so could she. Only she knew he wasn’t. The manly man of her most fevered fantasies was all man even now, and he was seething. What the hell did he have to be so mad about anyway?

“It’s not like I haven’t enjoyed our time together.” Okay, now she was just making it worse. That sounded like something some prickish guy would say. “I’ve been very content over the past few months. I just think it’s time--”

Before she could finish her sentence, Alistair swiped her desk clean with one harsh motion of his strong arm. Before she could react, he was pulling her from where she stood, turning her around with one hand, and pushing her back onto the desk. His expression had transformed from cool and unemotional to almost feral. Wedging his knee between her legs he opened them wide then pulled her tightly against him, all while pushing her skirt up high on her thighs.

Totally not the reaction she was expecting.

“I think it’s time you figure out you belong to me and no other,” he growled. “You think I’d simply let you walk away from me without a word in opposition?” One hand was firmly around her waist, the other cupping the back of her neck, fisting in the hair at her nape. The bite of pain thrilled Shenice more than she’d imagined it might, especially after a week without him.

Then his mouth descended on hers, taking her with a fierce possession she’d never experienced. Even from Alistair. His tongue didn’t slip into her mouth or seek to enter hers, but dove in, forcing its way inside. Even if she’d wanted to deny him, it simply wasn’t possible. He was too strong, too seductive. Kisses obviously meant to punish, to show her who she belonged to, were like an aphrodisiac to a woman like her. No. More than that. They were drugging, intoxicating. The more she had, the more she needed.

Like a starving woman, she clutched at his shoulders, letting her nails bite into the thin, starched material of his shirt. If she didn’t, she was afraid she’d simply fall back and spread her legs for him right there on her desktop. Yes, the thought was humiliating, but she couldn’t remember just why at the moment. All she could think about was his lips and teeth and tongue taking her so thoroughly. She wanted this, wanted him. She’d missed him so badly, she couldn’t think with needing him.

In the space of one heartbeat, all her resistance flew out the window. She knew she’d never be complete without him, but it also hurt to know he didn’t feel the same way. Couldn’t feel the same way, or he’d have insisted on something more permanent than just sex with her. The realization hurt and strengthened her resolve more than she’d thought possible. On both counts. If she was ever to have any shred of self-respect, she had to end this. Now.

She let go of his shoulders, laying her palms against the crisp linen of his shirt, intent on pushing him away. But the heat from all that masculine flesh beneath seared her palms. Her instinct was the opposite of what it should have been. She wanted to dig her nails into him and clutch him to her for dear life. Her mind was screaming at her to shove with all her might. Get him away from her so she could think rationally about this.