Jess was trying to sidle in without anyone noticing -- the ginger line had engineering works. She really must try out her bike one of these days.
"Jess!"
She froze in her tracks, and winced. She didn't know why she was so worried, she wasn't actually late, she just wasn't her normal bright and early, ready to go self.
"Morning Lou."
"Did you get a chance to finish the data entry for the second quarter last week?"
"No, sorry I..."
"Don't worry." Lou's smile was warm. "I wasn't really expecting you to have finished, Friday's event kind of eclipsed everything. Would you make that your priority today?"
"I can, but the shoot starts for the autumn collection tomorrow. Should I run through the itinerary and check all the bookings first?"
"Of course it does, damn it, yes that should totally take priority, thank you Jess. I already don't know what I would do without you!"
"I'll get on top of the data as soon as I've finished..." And then as an afterthought Jess added, "Lou, I was wondering?"
"Yes?"
"Now that Ella has moved up to PR..."
"You want to grab her old desk?"
Jess nodded. "If that's okay?"
"Of course it is. Shall we do it now? I can help you carry."
It didn't take long for the two of them to move all her stuff, it really wasn't that far from her original desk but she no longer felt like she was right under Mr Hunter's nose.
"He can be a bit intense can't he?" Lou whispered, as Jess emerged from plugging in her laptop cord.
As she nodded, Gabriel appeared, and stalked across the floor towards his own desk with a scowl like a thundercloud. He appeared not to notice either of them watching him, or that Jess had switched desks.
Later she was in the kitchenette, heating up leek and potato soup in the microwave when he joined her. She knew it was him immediately because the hairs on the back of her neck prickled and her heartbeat accelerated, and besides, no one closed the door to the kitchen. Why would anyone ever close the door to the kitchen?
"You left."
She started. His voice was right behind her, much closer than she'd anticipated. She didn't look up, she didn't turn around, despite every cell screaming for her to do so, but she stopped doing what she was doing, took a deep breath and tried to ignore her heart hammering in her chest as she waited.
"Jess?" He was closer still, she could feel the whisper of his breath on the back of her neck. She clenched her fists.
"I was tired."
"Is that so?" His voice curled itself around her like smoke.
She gave up trying to act like he wasn't affecting her and spun around to face him. She immediately regretted it.
He was taller than her, but then most people were. He was still wearing the same brooding expression that he was earlier, and sullen suited him. The now familiar smell of his cologne surrounded her, rendering her critical faculties useless. He took another step forward.
Somehow the fact that he had her trapped in a corner had a strong and unexpected impact. Her stomach clenched. She wouldn't have imagined it possible, but her heart began beating even more frantically. Her mouth was suddenly as dry as the Kalahari desert, but her hands were clammy. Her feelings must have shown in her face, because his eyes flared hot, with some indefinable emotion. He placed his hands on either side of the counter, leaned forward and inhaled, his eyes falling closed as he did. He made her think of wild things, of birds of prey, of fast and dangerously large cats, of concealed snakes poised to attack, because when his eyes lazily drifted open again, there was something impossibly predatory in his gaze. It made that place between her legs throb as though his hand was already there, cupping her sex.
"But I hadn't finished with you." He said, when he finally got around to speaking again, and he was so close that his lips tickled the skin on her neck.
He ran a single finger, tantalisingly slowly, along her sternum.
She squeezed her eyes closed. "What are you doing?" She whispered, as heat pooled in her loins.
"Do you want me to stop?" His voice was rough and scratchy, the very embodiment of sex.
The door behind them opened, and quick as a flash, he stepped back and turned towards the sink. Spinning around again, to hide the blush of mortification that was already creeping up her face, Jess busied herself with opening the microwave, and retrieving her soup. She didn't look up until she was certain he'd left. Maddie was rifling through the cabinet in the corner, seemingly oblivious to what she had just interrupted.
"Someone's finished off my almond milk again," she grumbled.
"You can use some of my oat milk."
"Thanks Jess."
Later, she was back at her work station, when he joined her. He perched on the edge of the desk, with his arms folded and his long legs crossed at the ankles, far back enough this time that she could admire yet another perfectly tailored suit. He watched her silently through hooded almost black eyes. She sighed pointedly and carried on working. Or rather tried to carry on working. She was far too aware of him and far too aware of the spectacle they must be creating for everyone else in the office.
"Let me take you out tonight." His voice was low and quiet.
She was wound so tight, she jumped at the words, even though she was perfectly aware he was right there.
His answering laugh was a low rumble in his chest that seemed to vibrate through her.
"We can't," she hissed, when she could finally find words again.
"Why not?"
