A Fresh Love

To say that James is attentive is an understatement. We keep the door to between our offices open and talk constantly, I never feel at a loss for words, and I never feel uncomfortable, despite our endless flirting. In fact, the attention is so welcome that it's a challenge not to cave. My heart flutters each time I hear his voice, each time he smiles at me. Everything that he says is so suggestive, I feel as though I can hardly hold myself together. When I get home from work at night, I start fantasising about James. I fantasise about him at work, hoping that one day he will come into my office and lock the door behind him. I'm starting to feel a little creepy to be honest.

To celebrate the end of my first month, James and a few people from the office take me out to lunch at the pub on a Friday afternoon. Apparently there is no expectation that we need to go back to the office afterwards, but I still feel the need to make a good impression so the plan for me is one drink before I head back to the office at 4pm to put in an hour. Not only do I feel uncomfortable drinking at work functions, but I also fear my behaviour around James once I have a drink in me. So I sit with Brenda from Accounts and Sophie, nursing one beer for as long as possible, but Sophie notices the dreg contents of my first bottle and takes the liberty of buying me a second. I had thought that my plan of not sitting near James was a brilliant one, but even though I can't see him, I can feel his eyes on me, the hairs on my neck standing at his attention. At about 4pm, people start heading home and I pick up my handbag and say my goodbyes. Sophie urges me to go straight home, but I make excuses about having work to do and as I stand to leave, James follows close behind.

"James, are you off too? That's not like you." She asks. I hear a slight begging in her tone, and it sends a surge of jealousy through me.

"You're right, it's not but I want to make sure Bianca has everything wrapped up for the weekend." James clips.

We walk back to the office in relative silence and when I sit down on my couch, James follows me in and sits beside me.

"So what are you working on?"

"Oh, nothing. I just don't feel comfortable being the new kid and skiving off work. I know everyone says it's fine but I want people to know that I'm serious, give a good impression." I say. "What do you need to help me with?"

"Nothing work related." James places his hand on my knee and gently slides one finger under the hem of my skirt. "But maybe you could help by joining me for dinner tonight?"

"Um, I don't think that's a good idea." I stumble with laboured breath.

"I'm going to disagree and say it's one of my better ideas. Why not?"

"Look, maybe next week. Let me just think things through, ok?"

"I can handle that. How about I make us some coffee and then I can give you a ride home?" James is almost pleading. I am arguing with myself inside. I turned down dinner; I could at least give myself, and James, this one thing.

"Ok, fine. I mean yes, a lift would be great. Thank you."

James smiles at me and I instantly miss the feeling of his hand once it's gone. I slump back into the chair when he leaves the office, heart racing at million miles and hour. I'm angry for not allowing myself something that would probably make me very happy, even for just the night. I've made my decision now and I have too much pride to go back on that.

By the time we finish our coffees and head out of the office, the traffic is absolutely shocking. As we inch forward on the Harbour Bridge, James turns to me.

"If you'd just said yes to dinner, we would have missed all of this. Tomorrow morning's traffic would be a lot easier to deal with." James takes my hand and places under his on the gear stick.

It takes everything I have not to sigh with delight.

"Well," I start breathily, "you wanted to spend time alone with me, so here you go. This is as good as you're going to get for now, I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, there's plenty of room in the car to make this better." James offers me a small wink. A nervous giggle falls out of me. I glance around the Range Rover and a heat rises inside me. It's a large car, and the darkness in James' eyes is telling me that he wouldn't think twice to take us to a shadowed car park if I agreed to it. I turn away and stare out the window.

As we come off the bridge, the traffic starts to move and I direct James to my house. He pulls up out the front and I can see the lights are on. Lily must be home.

I turn to him in my seat. "Thank you so much for the lift. You're welcome to come inside, I can make us some dinner."

"Are you asking because you feel obliged, or are you asking because you like me?"

"A little of column A, quite a lot of column B."

"I don't want you to feel obliged, I don't want you to have to worry about anything. I won't come inside tonight, but next time I will." The compromise was gentlemanly, but the look in his eyes was anything but.

"You're doing this on purpose to make yourself irresistible to me, aren't you?"

"No. I'm doing this to make myself irresistible to you." James unbuckles his seatbelt and leans towards me and I don't back away until it's too late. James has his hand at the nape of my neck, his palm warm and comforting. He dips his head and inhales, running his nose up the length of my neck and across my jaw. I moan as he kisses me tentatively.

I lean against the car door, my head spinning, and I stare at James as he smiles at me, my breath coming in short, shallow spurts.

"You need to know that if you don't get out now, I am going to turn this car around and take you home with me."

I just about orgasm in my seat, I hardly think I could handle a night with him. I grab my bag and step out of the car.

"Thank you again, James. Have a great weekend."

"You just turned me down, but I'll try. I will see you on Monday morning." James winks again.

I close the door and James waits until I wave to him from the front door before he drives off.

***

I get into the office on Monday morning and James isn't at his desk. I'm surprised that he isn't here before me, but relieved that I get a few extra minutes with out my stomach in knots. Not that it means much, because he has been the only thing on my mind for days.

I turn on my computer and check my diary for the day before I decide that I am really going to need a coffee to get started. As I head out of my door, James walks through his, two coffees in his hands. He places one on his desk and hands me the other mug.

"Thank you! My knight in shining armour! I didn't even know you were here." I say as I take my coffee from his hand and lean against the edge of my desk. "How was your weekend?"

"It sort of went down hill after I got rejected by this gorgeous woman on Friday, but I got some work done, so that's something." He has a look of overacted sadness on his face and I can't help but burst out laughing.

"Don't worry James," I slap his arm playfully "She's not worth the effort."

He goes from joking to sombre in an instant.

"Believe me when I tell you she is." His gaze is so intense that it feels like a fire is ripping through me.

My shaky resolve, already at the bare minimum, breaks.

I put my coffee down and push away from my desk. Our eyes lock and I step towards him until we're merely inches apart. His smell is overwhelming.

"Bianca, what are you doing?" He whispers.

I lean in and plant a kiss on his cheek. James breathes heavily and wraps an arm around my waist, placing his hand on the small of my back and I feel electricity flow through me. I kiss him again, closer to his mouth this time, the stubble on his cheek scratching deliciously on my lips. The pressure from his hand increases, pushing our bodies closer. He sighs in my ear and I know he's struggling to control himself. I kiss him softly once more, on the corner of his mouth, skimming my tongue delicately on his lips. James digs his fingers into my skin and I know that if I don't back away now, we could end up on the floor. I take a step backwards but James retains a firm grip on me, moving his hand from my waist to my wrist.

"Come home with me tonight." He begs, pressing my hand against his growing hardness. Muscles deep inside me clench and my head spins. Knowing that I can make James feel this way, the power of it is intoxicating.

"Not tonight," I say with promise, flexing my hand. James groans loudly as he erection twitches. He moves my hand to kiss the sensitive skin on the inside of my wrist. "We need to be able to function for work tomorrow. And I hoping I won't be able to after you're done with me." I'm shocked at myself for saying that. I had never dreamed in a million years that I could say something so provocative.

"If we didn't work together, I wouldn't accept that as an answer. We would both take tomorrow off work and use it to fuck on every surface in my apartment," My breath hitches at his words "but since we do work together, that won't be possible. Incidentally, I hope all your weekend plans are cancellable. You will come home with me on Friday and you won't be leaving until I'm done with you." He says as he nibbles the spot on my wrist he was kissing.

I can feel the heat building between my legs. "I really need to get back to work, James."

"I really need to get to work on you." He whispers lasciviously.

With my free hand, I slap him playfully on the arm and he lets go of my wrist.

"Get out now. I don't want my boss to fire me for slacking off on the job."

As he opens the door, he laughs softly "Oh no, I wouldn't fire you, but you would be punished."

He doesn't even turn to look as he closes the door behind him, leaving me completely breathless and with an unbearable heat between my legs that I need to do something about. If I go to the bathroom, it will be too obvious but what would James think if he walked in and saw me? I know exactly what he would think and what he would do and fantasising about his reaction cements my decision. I lean against the wall beside the door, so at least he if opens it for any reason, I'll be hidden. I need release but I need to do it quickly. I reach under my skirt and my right hand under the waistband of my panties. I'm so wet, I easily push two fingers deep and it takes everything I have not to groan, but I need more. I replace my right hand with my left and use my right hand to rub at my clit. My muscles tighten with pleasure and it doesn't take long for an orgasm to rip through me. I gasp for air as quietly as I can, and I can't help continuing to rub myself through each wave that hits me, prolonging my pleasure. I want more but I took enough risk doing this for a couple of minutes, I don't know if I could spare more time. I put myself together quickly and clean my fingers using tissues and sit back down at my desk.

***

I get into the office early on Friday morning; I just have too much work to do. The office is completely empty and it's nice to have this time to myself to focus.

In the kitchen, I switch on the coffee machine and wait for it to start up. I take a coffee cup from the cupboard above the machine and place it on the bench, close my eyes and rest my head on the cupboard doors. I hardly slept the night before, so excited about James' promise for the weekend, and I feel ruined this morning. I must zone out for a few seconds because I don't hear the footsteps. The deep whisper in my ears is what brings me back and makes me open my eyes.

"I think you can start making your coffee now." James says. His hot breath against my neck sends shivers down my spine.

He stands behind me and reaches forward to make my coffee. I can feel his hardness pressing into my backside. Everything clenches. He knows exactly what he's doing to me. He runs his hands up the length of my arms and rests them on my shoulders. His voice is pleading.

"Bianca, can you feel what you do to me?" he pushes up against me.

I barely manage more than a whimper but that's enough for James. He turns me around to face him and holds me close and hard, our hips pressed together. He runs the tip of his nose along the bridge of mine and we breathe each other in. He has a hand placed at the back of my neck, waiting to pull me in at a moment's notice. My heart is pounding in my ears and I have never felt so desired. I'm ready for him now. And then he kisses me with a great urgency. With one hand now in my hair and the other on my hip, he pulls me tighter, groaning audibly into the kiss and I lose my composure. I grab fistfuls of his hair with both hands and thrust into him. I need to have him; I've never felt so hungry. Suddenly, James pulls away. His eyes are narrowed in on me, his hair is a mess and he's now wearing some of my lipstick.

"Bianca, are you sure about this?"

I respond by pulling him back towards my body and it's the only answer he needs. His mouth is back on mine, but now he is running a hand up my thigh and between my legs. Just as his hand cups my sex, he stops and pulls away, keeping his hand in place.

"The stock guys are going to be in soon. Come out with me tonight, we'll see what happens."

I nod in agreement and James moves in again and kisses me. "I can't wait." I mumble against his lips. He sighs at my words and slowly, teasingly removes his hand from between my legs.

We finish making our coffees and head back to our office in silence. The moment James closes the door, the only thing I want is to kiss him but I have no confidence in making the first move so I keep walking towards my office.

"Just a second." James stops me "We need to make a plan for tonight, something so people don't think we're leaving together."

"Ok, well what are you thinking?"

"I leave first, just after 5:30pm and head to the Old George pub. If you leave a few minutes later, no one will think anything of it. And the Old George is far enough away that it will reduce our risk of seeing anyone from the office." James walks towards me looking awfully proud of himself.

"How long have you been thinking of that plan?"

"I hatched it on Wednesday, hoping you wouldn't change your mind." He leans in and kisses me again, less intense than before but I quiver to my core. I don't know how I am going to make it through the day, knowing what is coming tonight.

"I wouldn't get cocky if I were you James. You aren't going to get what you're hoping for." I say as I go through the door to my office. My words are completely hollow but for a split second I worry that he might believe me.

"Yes I will." James flashes his killer smile at me and I turn into a puddle. I slam the office door shut behind me.

Despite being over run with work, the day drags. I am sick with nerves, so I don't even bother going out for lunch. Instead, I lie down on the couch in my office and try to get my head together so I can finish the day with some feeling of satisfaction, but even rest eludes me. Just after 5:30pm, James sticks his head in the door.

"I'm going to head out now. What's your drink of choice?"

"Vodka on the rocks, thank you."

James leaves with a smile and the butterflies in my stomach increase 100 fold. I send out my last email and start shutting everything down when my desk phone rings. It's a client, calling for an update on their sales performance. We talk business for a few minutes but the conversation runs over, so that 20 minutes later I'm hanging up the phone and running out the door.

I head towards the Old George. I'm so nervous; this is my first date in months. And it's the first time I've been with a man who has made me feel desirable, and I've never even allowed myself to hope that could be possible. Now here I am. Walking through the door of a bar to meet my boss to begin a sexual relationship. As I stride through the doorway, a heavy hand grabs my forearm. I'm so much on edge that I miss the bouncer. Not only do I love being carded at 27, but also this gives me an opportunity to look around and find James. I spot him in the corner just as I am getting my licence back. He's smirking at me, and his gaze is making me unsteady on my feet. I walk over to him and I'm surprised I don't trip. He stands to greet me and as I reach him, and he snakes an arm around my waist and pulls me close.

"It's nice to see you, but it's 6:07. You kept me waiting." His breath is warm in my ear and it sends chills through my body, making my skin prickle. I pull away from him slightly, to get a grip on myself.

"It's nice to see you too. I'm sorry for running late." I say breathily.

He hands me one of the two drinks sitting on the table as we sit down. "So tell me what took you so long, then." James says, and takes a sip of his drink.

While I'm speaking, James gently moves a hand up my thigh. My body responds and I slide closer towards him, moving his hand further along its path. I try to wriggle upright but his hand clamps down and holds me in place. He moves closer, and his breath is in my ear again.

"Bianca," he says my name and I bite my lip to hold back a whimper. His lips graze my ear as he continues to whisper, "let's not drag this out. You can let me take you home, or we can stay here all night. Either way, I. Will. Take you." Between each word, he kisses my neck. And then his hand is holding my inner thigh and I turn to look at him and we are nose to nose. He's so close to touching me, right where I want him to, and if he touches me I will give myself away, if I haven't already. I'm hot and I'm throbbing.

He quickly removes his hand from my leg and I almost slump in my seat. He begins to play with my hair but I'm aching to be touched again.

"You've barely said a word, Bianca."

"Well, I walked in, you started talking and then you turned into a sexual predator. I didn't have time to speak." I say incredulously.

"You haven't seen sexual predator, yet." There's a glint in James's eyes and my breath catches in my throat.

"Hmm, that's a great word 'yet'. So much promise, and the possibility of so much dissapointment."

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of disappointing you."

As he speaks, James moves his hand and cups my head. Slowly, he pulls me in for a kiss. Our eyes lock and our noses touch gently. My heart is pounding so loudly in my chest that I am surprised he can't hear it and I'm sure I stopped breathing 15 seconds ago. And then his lips are on mine, soft at first but building. His tongue parts my lips and seeks out my own. His other hand is stroking my outer thigh, climbing higher until it reaches the waistband of my panties. He slides his fingertips across my hips and suddenly he's cupping my sex. His kisses become deeper, more urgent and he's starting to bite on my bottom lip. This is going too fast, but I am powerless to stop.

"You're already wet for me. I'm taking you home." James growls in my ear.

He removes his hand from under my skirt and his other hand moves to my own. He picks up his drink and downs the remaining whisky in one go and motions for me to do the same. The liquor courses through me, making me warmer than I already feel. James stands, tugs at my hand and pulls me outside. Before I even have a chance to gather my wits, he's hailed a taxi, pulled me into the back seat and given the driver an address that I didn't catch, and then his attention is back on me. Now I'm against the door of the cab and James is pushing up against me and he's kissing me, harder and more urgent than before. He moans my name, kissing down my neck and my chest; his hands are on my back pushing my chest towards him. His left hand cups my breast, and this only makes his kisses harder. And then his mouth is gone and the cab is slowing down and finally stops out the front of a Victorian Era looking building. I open the door and escape the heat of the taxi, taking in the cool night air and trying to get my head together. I look over at James as he gets out of the cab and I feel a pull deep inside me. He's confident, he's so handsome and goddamn, I just want to see him with out those clothes on.