Page 9 of Handling the Boss

“You’re too young for me,” she protested. “And I’m your boss.”

“I’m not hearing you say you’re not attracted to me too,” I pointed out.

“It doesn’t matter,” she said, but she sounded unsure, like she was trying to convince us both.

I lifted a hand to cup her cheek. Her skin was soft against my palm and instead of pulling away, she leaned into my palm. Jordan licked her lips, and my gaze fixed on her mouth. When I slid my thumb along her lower lip, she let out a soft gasp.

“I’m going to kiss you now,” I said, moving slowly, giving her time to move away.

When she didn’t move away, I touched my lips against hers. We stood stock still for what felt like hours, then I pressed a little firmer and slid the tip of my tongue against the seam of her lips. She groaned, opening for me, then her arms flew around my waist, pulling me close enough that her large breasts flattened against my chest.

I kissed her like it was the only chance I would ever get, pouring all my emotions into the connection between our mouths. Jordan was no passive participant. Her tongue swirled around mine and her fingers ran up my back and down again before sliding underneath my tee shirt to explore the skin of my back. My skin burned everywhere she touched.

I wanted to kiss her forever. I also wanted to suggest we go into her apartment and finish what we started. But I knew instinctively that she would freak out if we took this any farther, so I gentled the kiss, then slowly pulled back. She made a tiny noise of protest that went right to my already rock hard cock.

“We better stop before we do something we’re not ready for,” I said.

Her eyes widened as her mind caught up with her body. The regret in her gaze hit me right in the gut. When she opened her mouth, I pressed my finger against her lips.

“Don’t tell me it was a mistake Jordan, nothing that feels like that is a mistake.”

“I shouldn’t have let that happen. Not when you’re my employee, and especially not when you’re so young.”

I was tempted to argue with her, but now wasn’t the time. Instead I grabbed her hand and walked her to her front door, pulling her in for a quick hug once she opened the door.

“I’ll pick you up at seven thirty,” I told her.

“What?” This close I noticed that she got a little crease between her eyebrows when she frowned.

“Your car is still at LJ’s, remember? You’ll need a ride to work.”

“Oh, I…,” she paused, clearly looking for a different solution.

“I’ll see you at seven thirty,” I said, making my voice deep and firm. “Now lock that door behind you.”

Jordan

Iclosed the door, then went to the window so I could watch Jim walk back to his truck. I couldn’t see his muscled backside clearly in the dim light, but I could see the graceful, loose limbed way he walked back across the parking lot. My fingers pressed against my lips as I thought about the kiss we’d just shared.

I’d never been kissed like that. It hadn’t been awkward or tentative like every other first kiss I’d ever had. No, that kiss had been a claiming. A promise. I felt that kiss in the depths of my soul. I wasn’t sure what to make of it.

At my age, it wasn’t like I was inexperienced. I’d had my share of relationships over the years, even a few temporary hook-ups. And when I was in my late twenties I got married to a guy I’d been friends with for years.

It hadn’t lasted long – less than five years – but there was nothing dramatic about our break-up. We’d gotten married mostly because it seemed like the thing we should do – especially with both of us facing down thirty and under pressure from our families to settle down -- but after a few years we realized that we were better as friends than lovers. Much better.

My ex-husband was remarried now with a couple of kids, but he was still my best friend. Fortunately his current wife didn’t have any problems with it, because I wasn’t sure what I would do without Matthew in my life. It was Matthew who’d encouraged me to take this new position when management recruited me for the job.

“I’ll miss having you close by, but your life is stagnant here,” Matthew told me with his usual bluntness. “You’ve been living in the same place, hanging out with the same people, doing the same job for years. You’ve been bored with your life for a long time. You need some excitement. You need to spread your wings.”

Digging my cell phone out of my purse, I moved to the couch and dialed my ex-husband.

“Hey Jordy,” he answered, using the nickname he’d given me when we first started hanging out years ago.

“Can you talk privately?” I asked.

I liked Matthew’s wife, but that didn’t mean I wanted her eavesdropping on our conversations. I knew my friend was a vault, but I wasn’t so sure about his wife.

“Hold on.” I heard some shuffling, then a door closing. “Okay, I’m out on the back porch. What’s going on?”