He pushed her gently towards her office door. “Darling, you have nothing to thank me for, this really is business,” he insisted making her turn and look at him suspiciously. “Okay, maybe not entirely business because we are more personal than business, but you have earned everything you have here,” he said as she stepped into her office.
She gasped as she took in her surroundings, “Oh Jon, this is beautiful.”
She spun around and looked over it all again; it wasn’t as big as Jon’s office, but her desk was ultra-modern, chrome and glass and her chair swivelled and rocked as she sat in it and was hugged tightly by the soft, smooth, black leather and as she glanced to the side she saw the magnificent views across the city that the huge picture window that was essentially one wall provided. She had bookshelves, filing cabinets, black leather sofas opposite her desk and the walls had been decorated with a soft, pale lime paint across two walls and the one that she sat with her back against had been decorated with a designer wallpaper showing birds in cages in blues browns and splashes of bright lime. Her desk already had her phone in place, a computer, an antique style desk lamp and a gift wrapped box.
“It’s beautiful,” she said again as she sprang to her feet and wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him.
“Good,” he said looking down at her and brushed her nose with his. “And although I didn’t get the paintbrushes out myself, I did choose the colours and stuff.”
“What great taste you have.” She grinned.
“Well, I chose you,” he almost whispered sending shivers and shudders through her body.
“I love it,” she declared.
“And I love you,” he said, watching her face as she absorbed what he’d said.
“I love you, too,” she admitted, shaking as he held her before pulling her tightly and kissing her hard as he began to undress her again thinking that he needed her now and regardless of whether that meant a quickie or that she would be late for her meeting with Dave, he was going to have her.
“I approve of this carpet,”said Steph as she stretched out on the carpeted area of her office floor, then rolled onto her front to stretch across Jon’s chest to retrieve her now ringing phone from her bag.
“Hi, Dave,” she answered. “Oh, sorry, I had a meeting with Grant and Mr Brooker first thing and then I had to clarify a few things with Mr Brooker. We’re all done now, so give me ten minutes and I will come down to see you,” she said as Jon pushed her hair behind her ears and smiled at her.
Steph laughed at Dave’s comment and suddenly her expression changed to one of panic as she stammered slightly, “No! Thank you for the congratulations, but don’t come to me, I’ll come to you. Okay, bye,” she said and hung up laughing.
“Dave wanted to come to you?” Jon asked.
“Yes. Bloody hell. Can you imagine the office grapevine if we were found like this?”
“I certainly can.” He gave her a suggestive wiggle of his brows. “So reluctantly I have to say that we should probably get off your comfy carpet, get dressed and get some work done.” Jon grinned as he passed Steph her underwear. “But tonight we willgo out to dinner and talk, seriously, okay?” he asked nervously again.
“Okay,” she agreed and toyed with the idea of suggesting talking now, but Jon was already tucking his shirt into his trousers and bending to pick up his tie. “I do know we need to talk. That I need to listen.”
He nodded and looked poised to speak but his phone rang. “Hello, Kramer, about bloody time, although your timing might just be perfect,” he said with a huge grin that made Steph suspicious. “It’s all been agreed? I could bloody kiss you,” he told the person at the other end of the phone making Steph frown. He was about to open her door when he turned back and moved towards her, still talking on the phone. “I clearly won’t be kissing you though, beards are a big turn off for me.” He laughed, loudly and it sounded as though there was genuine joy in it. “Open your present,” he told Steph as he kissed her gently on the cheek before leaving her alone.
She looked down at the gift wrapped parcel again and proceeded to unwrap it to reveal a silver photo frame containing the picture of her and Jon taken at Charlie and Lindsay’s wedding. It was a lovely idea, but surely he couldn’t expect her to put it on display here, at work, where people could and would see it. She suddenly remembered that she had told Dave she would be with him in ten minutes, about fifteen minutes before.
She rushedthrough the accounts department and gently knocked on Dave’s door where she could see him looking down at a mass of papers. He looked up and grinned at her before waving her in.
“You’re late.” He smiled as he stood up and hugged her warmly, startling her slightly.
“Sorry, I was surveying my new office,” she said in the way of an explanation.
“Yes, up on the twenty-third floor, Miss Head of Financial Services. Well done.” Seeing her look of confusion, he laughed. “The office grapevine works fast around here.
“Ah, well, thanks.”
“Now as you are far too important to sully yourself with simple accounting you had better hand my files back over to me.”
She gave him a full handover before broaching the subject of his break.
“How was your holiday? How’s your wife?”
“Holiday was good. Just what we needed really and my wife is great. We did a lot of talking and we have agreed that we will have one more attempt at IVF,” Dave revealed.
“Good, I’m glad. You look happy,” she observed.
“Well, it’s a long haul, but we both feel happier than we have for a long time,” he said seriously and then suddenly switched subject. “I ought to let you get up to your own office, but thanks for looking after things for me, boss,” he said dryly, but she suddenly realised that not only was she his boss but his initial fears about her arrival had been proven to be fully justified.
