Office Politics Ch. 04

I lost all the formatting when I pasted this chapter in. I've tried to put most of it back, but apologies if I missed any of it. Also, last time, I forgot to say thanks to Panaflora for help editing. So Thank you to Panaflora, check out his writing.

K

~

Friday 6:15

It had been three days, seven hours and sixteen minutes since Gabriel had laid a finger on her, or spoken a word to her, or even looked at her for that matter.

It had felt like they were forever running into each other; in the lift, on the stairs, in the kitchenette, by the printer, in the boardroom. Everywhere. But since Tuesday morning she'd hardly seen him.

Still, she was on edge all the time. Especially when he was in his glass office in the corner of their open plan workspace. She was sure she could feel him watching her, when he clearly wasn't. And more than once, she found herself gazing off into space, while memories of that night crept, uninvited into her mind.

She grabbed her jacket, threw her bag over her shoulder, switched off her laptop and headed out. Everyone else had already gone to the bar. Lou and Maddie had begged her to go with them, but she told them she couldn't, she needed to be home for Gran. Which was sort of true, but she was also exhausted and most of all she needed to be alone.

She'd been finding it hard to sleep. And when she did sleep, she dreamed of Him. She woke up feeling hot and flustered and guilty, and when the guilt receded the anger arrived. She was angry at herself for letting him get so thoroughly under her skin that he was coming home with her, living rent free in her head. She couldn't even leave him at the office at the end of the day.

And she felt shame. Shame that she'd given in so easily, shame that she had enjoyed it so much, shame that she had been so disappointed when he had ignored her the following day. She'd felt like some kind of needy, love sick teenager. And she was quite certain that, as hard as she'd tried to hide it, he could read her disappointment on her face, on the rare occasions he deigned to look at her.

Arsehole.

She wondered how many others this has happened with, how often did he seduce his workmates? How often were young women offered jobs in this company only to become fodder for Gabriel's sex life? But she didn't feel she knew anyone well enough to ask.

She told herself it was a good thing, as she reformatted the spring quarter spreadsheet. She was better off focusing on her job, and doing it well. Until Gran was well enough, that she could hot foot it out of this stinking, rainy city and back to her life of freedom and bliss in Thailand, away from arrogant, selfish men.

Almost the moment she reached the lift, Gabriel appeared, as if summoned by the magic of her obsessive thoughts.

She hadn't realised he was still in the building. Surreptitiously she took in the sight of him in the reflective glass. He didn't look at her, or speak. Instead he stood with his hands joined behind him, shoulders back, knees apart, staring straight ahead. Wearing another perfectly tailored suit, in a pinstripe charcoal this time. There was an edgy sort of heat emanating from him.

Her heart was hammering in her chest, her knees were jelly, her fists were clenched so tightly her nails bit into her palms. She was quite certain a band of cold sweat was forming on her brow; it took everything she had not to reach up and wipe it but she resisted. There was no point in pretending his close proximity wasn't affecting her profoundly, because it was. But she didn't want to let him know and yet, she couldn't countenance entering an enclosed space with him. It occurred to her that if she returned to her desk and grabbed the autumn file she hadn't finished preparing, then she could go over it over the weekend.

And more importantly, by the time she got back, the lift and Gabriel would be gone.

*

He thought he'd worked her out of his system, but he hadn't. If anything it was worse now than it was before he'd got a taste of her.

His coat had been on, his bag packed, he hadn't moved until she was out of the door, then he shot up and rushed to the lobby to join her at the lift. He'd wanted to give her no time to come up with an alternative plan, he'd wanted to arrive just as the lift did, but it hadn't and now he was standing alone in the lobby and she had gone back to her desk. He stepped out into the stairwell, pulled the door closed behind him and waited, watching the lift the whole time.

When she returned, moments later, the lobby was deserted, she hit the button again and sagged with relief. When the lift arrived, the doors glided silently open. She stepped in and hit the button for the ground floor. The doors were already closing when Gabriel slipped in behind her.

And for the first time since Tuesday morning, the atmosphere was weighty with sexual tension.

Her face had turned the most brilliant shade of red, but she was trying her best to ignore him. He was trying not to give into the smile that was fighting its way onto his face. He needn't have bothered. She looked everywhere but him, finally settling on staring at her feet.

The very moment the doors had completely closed he moved. He pushed her against the mirrored surface, pinned both her wrists above her head and pressed himself against her, capturing her lips with his own, in a scorchingly possessive kiss.

He pulled back and regarded her through narrowed eyes. He could see her inner conflict playing out clear as day. She hated him in that moment. She hated him with every fibre of her being, but her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were glassy, her breathing was shallow and fast. She might hate him, but she wanted him too, and he just needed to make sure that side was the winning side, for long enough to get her back to his.

*

The lift hit the ground floor with a small bump and Gabriel released his grip on her wrists and stepped back.

While Jess buffeted between relief and loss, Gabriel pushed his hands into his pockets and stood up straight, transforming himself into the absolute picture of civilised professionalism. When the doors slid open, he was still standing far too close, not entirely blocking her exit but definitely in her way. Her heart slammed into her ribs, as she struggled to breathe. Beyond him she could see the lobby and Iris the receptionist, intensely focused on whoever she was speaking to on the phone, Abdullah the security guard, sitting on his usual perch by the door. She should leave the lift, walk through the front of the building and to the station, like she'd done every other day that week, but today Gabriel was standing in front of her.

There was a challenge in his eyes. They were daring her to pass him. Just try it they said, but still he didn't speak a word. Finally, after what felt like a small age, the doors closed again, and Jess was somehow still alone with Gabriel in the lift as it began its descent once more.

It wasn't until they arrived at his car that Jess' critical faculties decided to make an appearance. The beep of the central locking system seemed to shake her out of her daze. His hand was on the door handle of the passenger seat of his car when she finally found words.

"Gabriel. We can't do this again."

He released the handle, took her face in both his hands, and pressed himself against her. "Yes we can." He said against her lips and she was engulfed once again in all that heat and desire.

Somehow, through the assault on her senses she heard the click of his car door open again.

"Come with me."

"Gabriel, I..."

But he was ushering her into the passenger seat of his car, and she wasn't resisting.

As they drove through the dark night, they exchanged no more words. Instead she fiddled with the hem of her top and watched out of the window as the lights of London flew past. In the continuing silence she felt him take her hand in his, and when she looked at him he didn't return her gaze, but instead stayed focused on the road ahead of him.

The silence continued as he parked in his building, and as they travelled up in the lift they saw no one.

The moment they were through the door of his apartment, he pushed her against the wall, without even switching the light on. She found herself gasping for breath, as he peeled off her clothes, brushing his lips against her flesh as he exposed it, until she was naked, and quivering with need.

When he'd stripped her, he pressed his face against her neck and inhaled, and from somewhere deep in his chest came an approving growl.

He lifted his head and met her gaze. The pupils were so large his eyes were almost black. She could feel herself falling into them. He kept his searing gaze on her as he slid a finger into her channel. On discovering she was already wet, his eyes flared with approval.

He cupped her bottom in both his hands and lifted her, and carried her further into his apartment. They didn't go to his room this time, instead he laid her down on the rug in his lounge.

He fished a condom out of his jacket pocket and pulled it on. All the while holding her gaze with his own.

He leaned back against the sofa, and lifted her onto his lap, his hands resting on her waist. They stared into each other's eyes, and momentarily, she was aware that while he was still fully clothed, she wasn't wearing a stitch, and this imbalance troubled her, but then he lifted her hips above him, so he could slide his erection into her, and when he began to move, all thoughts of anything except his possession departed from her mind.

Despite her being on top, Gabriel was still somehow completely in control. He was gripping her waist and holding her slightly above him, so he could thrust in and out of her with firm, slow, delicious strokes, until she was riding a pinnacle of pleasure so hard she thought she might explode at any moment.

He slid a hand between them and found her clit, pressing his thumb against the already sensitised nub, he brought her close to the edge but didn't allow her to tumble over it. Instead he somehow seemed to know exactly how to hold her at the apex. She was almost sobbing with frustration, so lost in the torture that she was oblivious to her surroundings. She tried to grind her pelvis against his, to find relief, but he growled and gripped her thighs, forcing her to still.

"Tell me what you want Jess." His voice was like honey, dripping through her.

She squeezed her eyes closed and whispered his name.

"I love hearing my name on your lips, but you need to tell me what you want."

"I want you to let me come, Gabriel." She whispered. He allowed her to fall forward.

She collapsed on his chest and pressed her face against his shoulder.

"Tell me what you need, baby."

She groaned, unsure if she could articulate her needs.

"Do you like it when I hold you down Jess?" As he spoke he flipped them both over, quick as lightning. So she was on her front beneath him, he was straddling her, he had her wrists pinned behind her back. His hips pressed into hers, so she couldn't move. Squeezing her eyes closed she nodded frantically and whimpered as more heat rushed through her.

He leant forward, so the hard plains of his chest were pressed against her back. "Do you like it when I hold you down and fuck you like an animal?" He asked, grinding his hips against hers.

Oh god, she muttered, squeezing her eyes closed, as the warmth rushed to her face. She was thankful, he couldn't see it.

But still he continued. Pinning her to the floor with his weight and whispering her darkest desires into her hair. "Do you like it when I tell you about all the dirty things I want to do to you?"

"Gabriel please." She thought she might die if he didn't move soon. "I need you inside me..."

"Well it's a start." Leaning forward again, he pushed his hand down between them and found his erection. "I want you screaming my name when you come for me, baby." His lips were so close Jess could feel his breath tickling her neck. She arched towards him as best she could and groaned.

He growled his approval and finally slid painstakingly slowly into her again. She almost sobbed with relief. He held her tight, digging his nails into her hips. She clutched at the rug beneath her, holding on for dear life, as he pistoned in and out and she felt a wild kind of abandonment whip through her, as if nothing else mattered apart from this moment, this man, this glorious thing that was happening between them.

He slid a hand around her front, found her nub and pressed two fingers against it, she released a low, keening sound. He wrapped his other hand around her neck, his grip was firm but not painful, just possessive like everything else he did. He pressed himself against her and began to move again with renewed focus. This was the real Gabriel, she realised, not that buttoned up man she watched move around the office everyday, charming, efficient, organised, but instead, this insatiable creature who would eat her alive in a moment if she let him.

It all became overwhelming very quickly, he matched the rhythm of his thrusts with the movement of his fingers. They moved back and forth across her clit until all the frustration that had been building inside her was released at once. She squeezed her eyes closed, and cried his name, and somehow through the starburst of her climax his dark, curling laughter wrapped itself around her.

She was still scrambling for purchase, still being thrown around in the storm of her climax when he began to move. Really move. And she realised everything that had happened up until that point had been a game for Gabriel. He had simply been toying with her. His grip on her throat tightened, his arm wrapped around her waist so he could hold her against his chest. His thrusts became harder still, and more erratic, until he came, with a roar, and pinning her beneath him, he collapsed.

For a moment she lay perfectly still, enjoying the weight of him, while she caught her breath and waited for her heart beat to slow.

He rolled off her, onto his back and pulled her into his arms, and for a while they rested there, her draped across his vast chest, while he drew slow sprawling circles on her shoulders with the tips of his fingers.

But even with the rug under them it got uncomfortable quickly on the floor. She sat up and reached for her underwear.

"Are you hungry?" He asked. "I could order in."

She didn't answer. She was pulling on her dress when she felt his hand on her arm.

"Jess?"

She stilled, but didn't turn around.

"You're leaving?"

She nodded.

"There's no need."

"I need to get home."

"I need you here." There was an edge to his voice; hard and immoveable.

"I have to go, Gabriel."

Suddenly, she was on her back, pinned beneath him again. He was caging her with his arms.

"Stay." He ordered, between kisses, his steel gaze burning into hers.

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"I just... I can't." Jess felt uneasy about telling him she cared for an elderly relative. She just wasn't ready to share that part of her life with him. And besides, she needed to get away, she needed to be free of the stupefying, enchanting effect he had on her. She needed space and time to process everything that had just happened, and why she seemed incapable of any kind of agency when she was anywhere near him.

He was still kissing her, and she could feel the fog of arousal begin to descend again. Shrugging it off as best she could, she sidled out from under him, and sat up again. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against his chest and pressed gentle kisses against her neck. It was heavenly. She could feel her resolve slipping again.

"I need to go." She gritted out.

"Stay," he said again. His voice was laced with steel.

She peeled him off her and stumbled to her feet. Jumping up, she pushed her toes into her shoes, and grabbed her bag.

He let her go, but he was tight-lipped and scowling -- clearly, he didn't like not getting his own way.

She'd reached the door when he spoke again. "Let me drive you."

She knew how long the tube would take, Willesden wasn't far, as the crow flies, but it was awkward and she needed to get back to Gran fast... She faltered on the threshold, biting her lip.

But she wasn't ready to let him get that close just yet.

"It's okay, but thanks." She could catch an Uber. Her paycheck was landing on the 25th, she could afford it.

He narrowed his eyes, and was about to speak again when she added, "I'll see you tomorrow."

She left before he had the chance to reply/

Monday morning.

He wasn't in the office again for the first half of the week. Which, as Joanie would say, was a blessed relief. Jess found she actually quite enjoyed her job, when Gabriel was absent. She found she was more relaxed and focused without his oppressive presence hovering around her.

At first, she felt a bit miffed that he hadn't mentioned that he'd be out, but to be fair, she hadn't really given him a chance to, she'd hot tailed it out of there so fast they'd exchanged barely a word. There wasn't exactly time for pillow talk.

She smiled to herself when she remembered his stunned expression as she'd walked out. She hadn't left to taunt him, it hadn't been her intention to play any kind of game, her need to get away from him had far more to do with getting back to Joanie, and finding a bit of headspace, but all the same, it had been a very satisfying moment, and his face had been an absolute picture.

"What are you looking so pleased about?" Asked Lou.

She could feel her face warm. "Oh, just remembering something that happened at the weekend."

"Ooh! You're blushing, this must be interesting."

"Joanie's much better, our appointment with the consultant went well, she's making a great recovery from her surgery."

Lou smiled. "I'm going to let you change the subject on this occasion, because we're in the office, and we should be working, but I am going to need to hear about this weekend at some point, missy. But what about Joan, when can she come in?'"

"Oh soon I expect, she's itching to see the place."

"I'd love to hear about her experiences of the swinging sixties."

"And she'd love to come in, she always wants to hear about my day."

When she'd crept in, later that evening, wracked with guilt, it had turned out Joanie was fine. She'd gone and made herself one of the ready meals Jess had stocked the freezer with in case something came up and "it wasn't too bad."

Jess had apologised profusely, but Joanie seemed to be pleased she was back later than usual if anything.

"You look different dear, flushed, rosy... what have you been doing anyway?"

Jess blushed profusely.

"Are you seeing someone?"

"No!"

Joanie raised her eyebrows. "I know you too well missy, something is going on."

"Okay, kind of."

And that was the start of a campaign of sorts.

"You don't need to come straight home every night, you know. I'm better now."

"But that's the whole point, Gran, that's why I came back."

"But you're young and in London, you need to live a little."

"I came to London to look after you."

"I'm not a full time job though Jess, you can have a social life too you know."

But her siblings disagreed and so did she.

Friday 5:45pm

When she'd got into work on Wednesday morning he was back, she could feel it as soon as she arrived in the building. The atmosphere was different, everyone was more focused, less chatty.

Again, he ignored her all week and she was so certain that was it now. Maybe he'd finally got the message, perhaps he finally understood that she didn't want to have a thing with someone she worked with, however pant-meltlingly gorgeous he was. Or maybe it was just that he wanted everything on his terms, or not at all. Either way, it was a relief. She was still aware of his presence for every passing second she was in the same building as him, but the intensity of her feelings eased off as the days passed.