Van
I stepped outside, the air cool and clear from the rainstorms that had swept the area yesterday. It was barely after five a.m.—the sun still a long way from being visible, but it might as well have been beaming down on my face, given the mood I was in.
Euphoric would be an understatement.
I left Liv slumbering in her bed, her sleepy goodbye kiss still lingering on my mouth, her double-sized bed that was too small for me. The only way I fit was angled across the mattress, and even then, my feet hung off. Liv slept draped over my chest, her silky, sweet-smelling hair spread out on my skin. I was as stiff as fuck, exhausted from lack of sleep, my shoulders ached from the odd position I had forced myself to lie in all night—and I couldn’t stop smiling.
We had spent the evening talking. Laughing. Confessing. Making love. I finally let her sleep around three and left even earlier than we agreed to make sure Mouse and her mother didn’t catch me leaving. It was too soon to try to have to explain to either of them.
I climbed in my truck, the sight of a parking ticket on my dash not even enough to dampen my mood. I had remembered I should go and move my truck but hadn’t wanted to disturb Liv, so the fine was worth it. I liked how it felt to have her sleep on me. She was warm, smelled good, and, every time I nudged her awake, was more than receptive to my advances. In fact, she woke me once, her talented mouth teasing my nipples as she stroked my hard shaft.
“You were poking me,” she explained with a wink.
I dragged her up my torso, settling her on my thighs, my cock at her entrance. “I’ll show you poking.”
She was astounding.
I glanced in the rearview mirror, her building fading from sight. I already missed her, which meant only one thing.
I was a goner and already totally pussy-whipped.
Surprisingly, I was good with that.
I heard her voice in the hall during the day. I saw her by Sandy’s desk, chatting excitedly about the birth of Bentley’s daughter, Addison. She glanced up as I passed, our gazes locking and a thousand silent words passing between us. The slight flush on her cheeks made me grin, and I winked but kept walking. If I stopped, I knew I wouldn’t be able to resist touching her, and Sandy was too perceptive not to notice the change in our relationship.
Around four, Liv knocked on my door, hesitating. I leaned back in my chair, smiling.
“Hey, Liv. Come in.”
She glanced toward Jordan’s desk, and I rolled my eyes.
“He’s in with Aiden.”
“Okay.” She entered and sat across from me, looking unsure. “Um, having a good day?”
Amusement burst from my throat. “Yeah, you could say that.” I hunched closer over the desk. “You could say you had a lot to do with my good day.”
“Oh. Ah, good. That’s good.”
“What about you, Livvy? You having a good day?”
“It could be better.”
I frowned. “What’s wrong? What do you need?”
“I’d like to kiss you, but I know that’s inappropriate here.”
Her words were unexpected since she was adamant our relationship remain private.
“I’d like to kiss you too.”
She nodded, tapping her chin and glancing around. “Do you have a pencil I could borrow? I seem to be fresh out.”
“Ah, yeah, we keep them in the cabinet behind the door over there.” I pointed to it, confused by the sudden change in conversation.
She pushed the door to the hallway closed. “This cabinet?”
“Yes.”
She opened the door and peeked in. “I don’t see them.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Maybe you can find them.”
I crossed the room and looked over her shoulder. “Right there, Liv. There’s a whole box on the top shelf.”
She rose up on her toes, tilted her head back, and leaned into me, her eyes dancing. “Right where?”
I started to laugh, realizing how slow I was being to her broad hints. I wrapped my arm around her waist, dropping my face to hers. “Right here, Liv.”
I planned to kiss her fast. A swift meeting of our mouths to stop the craving to feel her. Except, once our lips touched, fast went out the window. I slid my tongue into her mouth, gliding with hers, both of us groaning with relief and desire. I cupped her face, angling her neck and kissing her deeper. Harder. She gripped the back of my neck, returning my passion fully. Every rational thought evaporated, and all I could think of was taking her right there. Against my door. Burying myself inside her and hearing her moan my name.
Then I heard Jordan’s voice humming as he walked down the hall. He often hummed as he walked, a fact that I was grateful for since it gave me a chance to move. I tore myself away, hurrying back to my desk. I was glad for the thick wooden surface hiding my throbbing erection. Jordan pushed open the door as I sat down and reiterated, “There’s a whole box of pencils on the top shelf, Liv.”
“Oh, found them!”
Jordan stopped. “Sorry, Liv. Didn’t see you there. I thought maybe Van was catching a nap at his desk and pushed the door shut so not to be disturbed.”
She laughed, lifting one shoulder. “Hardly surprising. Such a slacker.”
“Hey,” I snarled playfully. “Some respect. If I’m going to nap, I flake out in the chair—never behind my desk.”
Jordan chuckled, dropping his armful of files on his desk. “Of course. My bad.”
I gazed at Liv, wondering if Jordan saw what I did. Her bright eyes and full lips that screamed, “I was just kissed,” or if he noticed anything at all.
“Anything else you need, Liv, or is stealing my last box of pencils enough for today?”
“Nope. This is good. I have to get to work. I’m having dinner with my mom at six sharp, so I need to be out of here at a decent time.”
I tried not to chuckle at her covert message. “Sounds good. Enjoy your evening.”
She waved and hurried off. Jordan flipped open a file, scanning the contents, while I reached for the next week’s schedule I’d been working on when Liv came in. For a few moments, the only sounds in the office were the scratching of pens and turning of pages.
Then Jordan cleared his throat. “Van…”
I glanced his way. “Yeah?”
He never looked up, his eyes fixed on the file in front of him. “Call it experience or friendly advice, but if you’re gonna kiss your girl in the office, make sure to wipe the lip gloss off your mouth before pretending it never happened.” A chuckle burst from his mouth. “Pink isn’t really your color.”
I swiped at my lips, cursing when I saw the pink streak on my hand. “I, ah, we—”
He held up his hand, meeting my eyes. “Your business. I think the two of you work great. I also appreciate the need for privacy, so this stays between us. But next time you’re gonna kiss her, I suggest shutting the door completely. Watching you tear across the office to your desk was amusing.”
“You saw that?”
“You aren’t exactly easy to ignore—or the lightest person on your feet. Good cover, though. Pencils.” He stared to chuckle again, picking up his file. “Too bad she took a box of Sharpies.”