Everyone held their breath. And continued to hold it as the hush stretched into an awkward silence. Ashton watched as the wary expression in Lacey’s eyes turned to one of embarrassment.
‘Um… Can we, like, talk about this later?’ she asked, glancing around and blanching.
Ashton felt the colour drain from his own face, only to return in a whoosh of dismay and mortification as realisation struck.
Lacey was turning him down!
Carla pushed through the crowded pub, craning her neck as she went. The place was hot and noisy, and her nose was assaulted by a hundred different perfumes, the smell of hops, and the lingering aroma of food from the buffet laid out at the rear of the room near the bar.
Carla loved it. She would love it even more if she could spot Yale.
He was the man who was currently making her heart sing and her insides perform somersaults. He was also her line manager, and the company they worked for didn’t encourage fraternisation between management and staff, especially those staff whom a manager was responsible for.
Carla fully appreciated why, but it hadn’t prevented her and Yale from ‘fraternising’ at every opportunity. She hoped to be able to get him on his own this evening so they could fraternise some more. It might be difficult though, because the reason she and many of her colleagues were at the pub was because one of their number (and a reasonably senior one at that, hence the good turnout) was retiring.
She and Yale hadn’t made any arrangements to see each other after the party, but she was seriously considering inviting him back to hers later. The anticipation of making love to him for the very first time was making her quite giddy. It would take their relationship to the next level, and maybe they wouldn’t have to sneak around as much. Or would the increased intimacy mean they’d have to sneak around even more? She bloody hoped not.
There he was!
Her heart lurched at the sight of him. Tall, classically handsome, even with the round spectacles (which Carla suspected he wore more out of vanity than necessity because it made him look intelligent), Yale was the sort of man most women – and many guys – looked at twice.
If (when) they took the next step and slept together, Carla wondered whether it might be an idea for her to transfer to a different department. But she loved what she did and loved the department she was in. Besides, any move would probably be a step backwards, as there wasn’t an equivalent role to hers at the same level. Still, the insurance company they both worked for was large and new opportunities arose all the time, so it wouldn’t hurt to keep an eye open. She had been a fraud investigation officer for a while, so she could even consider applying for a promotion.
Right now, promotion was the furthest thing from her mind. All she could think about was how sexy Yale looked when he laughed. He was currently chuckling at something one of the blokes in the credit department said, and she dearly wanted to go over and join in the banter, but she thought it best not to.
Yale continually impressed upon her the importance of not broadcasting their relationship, so she was careful not to give anyone cause to suspect that the two of them were anything other than colleagues. It made life difficult because she struggled not to let her feelings show when she was at work, but she could appreciate where he was coming from. He did her annual appraisal, checked her performance, and could even discipline her if necessary, so the last thing he needed was to be accused of favouritism. Which someone would no doubt do if theyknew about them, despite Yale having never shown her any preferential treatment.
Carla bought a white wine spritzer and mingled for a bit, chatting with various people, yet she was always aware of Yale in her peripheral vision. Now and again he would casually pass by, close enough for her to smell his cologne, and one time his hand even brushed against hers.
A buzzing from her clutch bag made her reach for her phone, and she smiled when she saw who the message was from, smiling even wider after she’d read it. Yale had found an empty function room on the first floor and he wanted her to join him. Carla’s pulse fluttered as she anticipated a swift but passionate kiss out of the view of prying eyes. It looked like theywouldbe able tograb a couple of minutes together after all.
After she meandered through the throng and stepped into a corridor leading to the loos, the noise level dropped significantly. Spying a staircase at the far end, she headed for it, glancing behind to make sure no one was watching. Gordon from sales was coming out of the men’s toilet, but he didn’t notice her, so she trotted up the stairs as fast as she could in her too-high heels.
When she reached the top and emerged into an expansive, empty room, Yale was waiting for her. Music, voices, and laughter floated up the stairs, but Carla felt disconnected from it.
His eyes glittered when he saw her and as he reached for her, she sank into him. His mouth found hers and he kissed her hungrily, his hands roving up and down her back, settling on the cheeks of her bum, pulling her close.
‘Let’s get out of here,’ she murmured when they eventually came up for air.
‘Can’t.’ His mouth found hers again.
They kissed for a few minutes more, then Carla broke away. ‘Why not?’
‘Got a wedding to go to tomorrow. Better not have a late night.’
Late night? Carla had been hoping he would stayallnight, not merely for part of it.
Yale ran a hand through his hair, his fingers raking it into position, and Carla smoothed her dress, which had ridden up during their embrace.
He said, ‘I need to go back to the party before I’m missed.’
‘Another kiss?’ she begged, hoping she would be able to change his mind about spending the night with her.
His grin was rueful. ‘Can’t get enough of me, eh?’
‘Never,’ she murmured seductively as she pushed him back against the wall and pinned him in place with her arms. She pressed herself against him and her eyes closed, as she anticipated another thrilling kiss.
‘Stop!What the hell do you think you’re doing?’ he demanded at the same time Carla heard a woman cry, ‘Yale?What’s going on?’
