I cautiously step up to Katya’s desk. “Is Gabriel in?”
“Why are you asking me?”
“Because you’re his assistant?” I know that sounded like a question, but I said it like that to be ironic.
She sighs and leans back in her fancy ergonomic chair. The ergonomic chair she insisted she had to have for her back. Just so we’re clear. She doesn’t have a bad back. I once saw her carry a microwave she won in an office pool out to the bus stop. Her back is fine. I swear that chair looks like it’s from the future with its chrome accents and an excessive number of knobs and buttons on the thing. I heard it cost the company almost five hundred dollars. That’s more than my entire house full of furniture cost. But, it does look comfortable. Pulling myself away from my chair-envy, “So?”
“He’s in there. Just be sure to knock first.”
I step up to his solid wood door and knock gently. Even I could barely hear it. When I hear nothing, I knock again, louder this time. “Enter.”
I turn the nob and step hesitantly into his office. I don’t know why I’m so nervous. My heart is beating at double time in my chest, and my stomach just flipped over the minute I saw him at his long table that sits smack-dab in the middle of his office. He looks busy and focused. His jacket and tie are both off, and his shirt is unbuttoned revealing the top of his undershirt. He’s bending down looking at something on the big table that sits in the middle of the room. When he looks up, he smiles. “Well, hello Lexie. What are you doing here?”
“I work here.”
He chuckles softly, “I know. I mean, you never come to my office.” He’s standing up to his full height now.
“Oh, well, I thought you should know.” Oh, no. Why did I agree to this? I don’t want to tell him about the video. I step toward the table. “Th-there’s a video.”
“A video?”
“Of us. Kissing. At, at the art gallery.”
“There is?” Gabriel looks pleased with that news. “Where’s it posted?” he asks picking up the iPad that’s resting next to him.
I walk around the table to get close enough to peer at the screen. “It’s on YouTube.” I watch as he brings up the site. “Hot kiss at Chicago art gallery.”
He types in the name in the search box, and when it appears, he taps on the video. It’s more than two minutes in length. I don’t remember us kissing for two minutes. When he hits play, we stand silently, watching. At about thirty seconds in, I feel Gabriel’s left arm slide over my back down to my waist. When he reaches my side, he squeezes gently.
At a minute in, I feel him pull me closer to him. At a minute ten, I feel his breath on my neck. “That’s one hot kiss, Lex.” His voice is low and husky.
I nod because if I speak, he’ll know I feel the same. At about one minute and thirty seconds, Gabriel sets the iPad down and turns me in his arms. The hand that held the device is now behind my head, fingers wrapped in my hair. “Lexie,” he whispers as his lips descend onto mine. I respond in kind. I wrap my arms around his neck and pull myself up until we’re chest to chest. I have to arch my back to get closer to him. His palm slides down over my bottom and when I feel him squeeze, I moan in his mouth.
Pulling away he mutters, “Jesus, Lexie. You’re the sexiest fucking woman I’ve ever met.”
Without a word, I arch further into him and take his mouth. I slide my tongue over his bottom lip, turning my head slightly in an effort to touch my tongue to his. His hand squeezes my bottom again. Then the hand that was in my hair has joined his other. With two large hands cupping my ass, he pulls me up until I’m sitting on his large table. My skirt is so tight; I can’t move my legs apart to make room for him, so Gabriel does a little creative problem solving. He uses his palms to slide the skirt up my legs until he sees the tops of my garters.
“Holy hell. You wear those to work?” he says looking down at the tops of my legs. I’d be self-conscious at the size of my thighs as they’re splayed out on his table if it weren’t for the fact the front of his pants are tented. A lot. I mean, it’s not one of those Pup tents. No, I’d say his sleeps six.
“Most of the time, yes.”
He wraps his arms around me and pulls my backside forward until his front is pressed against my center. “Oh.” I squeak.
“See what you do to me, Lexie?”
I scoot myself forward another inch to get closer. “I do.”
Gabriel leans down and kisses me hard and fast. He’s so passionate I’m breathless from his desire for me. His palm moves to my shirt cupping my breast. I slide my fingers into his hair and press my hard nipple into his hand. As he pinches me there, he starts to grind into me. Wow. I want to scream his name because it’s been so, so long. Before we can get any further, I see a bright light hit Gabriel’s face.
He jerks his head up and looks toward the door. “Jesus, Katya. Don’t you ever fucking knock?”
“Oh, uh, I’m sorry, Gabriel.”
Gabriel’s still palming my right breast as he stares at his assistant. I finally turn my head to look at her too. She’s not moving. She’s just staring. “Can you please go?” His voice isn’t as angry as it was a second ago but he’s still not happy. We watch her turn to leave, but she leaves the door open when she goes. “Jesus,” Gabriel mutters as he pulls away from me. “I’m sorry, Lex.”
I slide off his table and adjust my skirt and blouse. “It’s fine. We shouldn’t have been doing that at work. I’m sure it’ll get around and…”
“No. It won’t. I’ll tell her to keep it to herself.”
