“Yes, darling. In fact, I may join you in there as we will both be working on the same things.”
“You will stop me concentrating if you’re there too,” she protested making him laugh.
“I will be the one that can’t concentrate, but you on the other hand will get engrossed in all of those numbers and you won’t even notice if I am there or not. Like with Finley’s homework.” He laughed but the truth was that he had loved seeing theenthusiasm she had displayed with her nephew the night before, and the natural affection between her and both children that saw her face light up with joy and warmth. Briefly he imagined how loving and nurturing she would be as a mother. Fuck! Where had that come from? Wherever it was, it needed to go back because that wasn’t something he could dwell on . . . not now . . . not ever.
“We’ll see.” She suddenly noticed the clock on the wall showing half past one already.
“Fuck!” she cried as she leapt up. “I should be in Dave’s office right now and for the second time today I am late and for the second time today it is your fault,” she said heading for the door.
“This morning was your own fault, now get your arse back here and kiss me before you go.” He chuckled but there was a seriousness to his tone that said he meant it.
“No,” she protested. “I have to go.”
“The longer you argue about it the later you will be, Miss Pryor.”
“He has already threatened to discipline me,” she told Jon who was standing in front of her exit now.
Pulling her towards him by the lapels of her jacket he said quite seriously, “And we both know that he won’t because that is solely my responsibility, to discipline you.” He slowly ran his hands across her behind again.
“Please let me go to work?” she pleaded, making no effort to move.
“No, not yet.”
He pressed her to the wall and pushed himself against her, teasing her blouse from her trousers in a series of tugs on the fabric. He attempted to run his hand beneath it as she tried to push him away and tuck her top back in.
“Jon, no.” She pushed his hands away from her, but he just grabbed her wrists and held them aloft, holding her, then bent down to kiss her slightly gaping mouth.
“Just how turned on are you right now, Steph? Is this what you meant? About wanting to be more resistant?” He stepped back and released her hands which resulted in her looking disappointed that he’d stopped.
“I have no idea what I meant and I am turned on enough to be sacked by Dave this afternoon,” she replied honestly.
“He will be sacked before you are, darling. Tell him you were with me to schedule your time for going over the figures and if he wants to know anymore tell him to come to me. Now go to work,” he said as he opened the door for her.
Dave was already standingat her desk when Steph approached. The frown he’d been wearing only deepened as she came into view.
“Miss Pryor, how nice of you to join us,” he said loudly, drawing attention to them from her colleagues, again.
She recalled Jon’s words about this man being sacked before she would, and if that was the truth, would that still be the case if she told him to fuck off? Possibly not, so instead she opted for an apology.
“Sorry, Mr Brooker’s P.A. called down for me to go and schedule my time to go through the quarterly figures next week.”
“And would Mr Brooker confirm that if I call up there?” Apparently, he didn’t believe her.
What was his problem other than being a wanker of the highest order? She suddenly hoped her musing had remained in her head.
“I would certainly hope so otherwise he may have some serious short term memory issues,” she replied sarcastically and loud enough for her colleagues to hear her too which had the desired effect of stopping his bitching and letting those around them know that she wasn’t a doormat.
“Shall we take this to my office,” said Dave, looking up slightly at Steph who was wearing five inch heels putting her several inches taller than him.
“Let’s!” With a petulant tone she followed him, exchanging several smiles with the people around her so maybe Dave was a knob in general, rather than just being one to her.
He slammed the door shut and stared at her for a second. “Sit!”
She considered her options and decided that although she wanted to tell him to go and fuck himself, sitting down may be a wiser option at this point. He smiled with a smarmy expression as she complied with his order.
“I will be honest with you, Steph, I don’t particularly like you and I don’t see the need for another accountant, especially not one with such a senior role in my department, but for now I am stuck with you. I find you too cocky and ambitious and unlike the other heads of departments, I don’t walk round with my tongue hanging out hoping for a sniff of you.” He stood over her making her smile to herself as she decided he obviously had some kind of complex about being a short man. “However,” he continued. “I am led to believe that you are very good at what you do, accounting wise, so I am willing to give you a chance, but if you try to undermine me or fuck me over, your feet will not touch the ground. This is my department; my castle and I am king of it.” He sounded utterly ridiculous and somehow, she wasn’t sure how, Steph stopped herself from laughing at him.
“I will now be honest with you too, Mr Madeley, I don’t particularly like you, but I think we are stuck with each other and you are my boss. I will do my job to the best of my ability and maybe you will then see first-hand that I am good at what I do, accounting wise. I don’t believe I am cocky, but I am ambitious and I make no apologies for that. I am rather pleased that you don’t hope to get a sniff of me because I wouldn’t give you one,ever. I will not undermine you or your position so long as you don’t undermine my own, however, I will not carry you either. As for fucking you over, I will never fuck you, over, under or any other way, so I think we understand each other because I am not a king and neither have nor desire a castle.” She smiled up at him calmly.
