A beautiful brunette sat at her desk that Friday evening, barricaded in her tiny corner office. On the polished glass door read a name:
Rachel Rose
Junior Associate
The professional environment that had been bustling with lawyers, scrambling from office to office, was now empty and quiet. Every employee who worked their regular nine to five was now relaxing at home, eating dinner, making love to their lovers, or fast asleep. Their lives demanded a strict sort of routine as soon as they stepped out of their homes. Such was the life of a lawyer.
Rachel should have been home. She should have called it a day like the rest of her colleagues, but she knew she wouldn’t have much to look forward to once she walked into the apartment she shared with her boyfriend, Casey Levy. Instead, she spent her free hours cooped up in her office with a desk full of case files, and a mind that was a chaotic mess.
Feeling overwhelmed by her decision, she hid her face in her hands and tried to hold back her reservoir of tears. Ever since Casey started working at the Zimmerman law firm, Rachel was relieved and happy for him because she wanted the man she loved to move up in the world, even if it meant that they would no longer be working together at the same place. That was how they had met two years ago, when he was hired as an associate working for Gabriel King. But Casey was no longer working there. Instead, he had officially allied himself with the opposition, and was happy about his decision because his pay check was bigger.
But Rachel’s world, and the couple’s blissful happiness crumbled to the ground when she’d heard rumors that Casey was having an affair with his assistant, Amy. Of course Rachel had confronted him about these scandalous rumors as soon as she’d heard them, and just as she had hoped, he had denied the allegations. Yet as the months passed, Rachel noticed that their relationship was slowly slipping into troubled waters. Casey was spending more time at work and less time with her, and whenever they were together, he was moody or too tired to be intimate with her in bed. This only increased her growing suspicions and led her to conclude that he was indeed having an affair behind her back.
The couple argued a lot, and Rachel was just so exhausted. She was tired of showing up to work feeling drained, going home feeling even more fatigued, fighting with Casey and repeating it all over again. That is why she had resolved to stay in late that evening and keep her mind busy.
Her friends at work were the only people she looked forward to seeing. Rhonda was always a sweetheart, and although Rachel knew she could tell her anything, she wasn’t about to candidly discuss her most personal thoughts because:
1. She couldn’t always handle Rhonda’s brutal honesty
2. Casey was Rhonda’s friend too, so she couldn’t vent all her negative feelings
3. If Rhonda knew her biggest secret it would make things awkward between them
Her other colleague, Richard, was an eccentric man. Although she considered him a friend, he functioned on an entirely different wave length than Rachel. The big boss who owned that law firm was none other than Victor Alistair. He was old enough to retire, but there was no way he was going to step down when he had worked so hard to attain his position. He had made some friendly exchanges with Rachel every now and then, but their relationship was strictly professional. He was the boss and Rachel made sure to work hard enough to stay on his good side and not get herself fired.
It was an exciting and turbulent year for Rachel Rose. She had accomplished a lot in the past five years and was finally on her way to becoming the best damn lawyer she always wanted to be. But her love life was an absolute mess. Working under Gabriel King as his apprentice was not easy. He was a cutthroat attorney with a remarkable reputation that intimated almost every lawyer who dared to challenge him in court. Gabriel King did not lose a case. Ever. His clients were always happy, which meant the firm stayed successful, and the steady cash flow of millions kept piling into Victor’s bank account.
Rachel admired Gabriel’s success and work ethic. He was a senior partner and she’d hoped that she would one day be rewarded with a promotion that would make her exactly that. She dared to dream.
Juggling school and work was not easy. It was much harder than she had anticipated, and Gabriel wanted her to be a hundred percent committed to her job at the firm. That was his number one expectation when he decided to take her under his wing. Of course, she had enthusiastically expressed that he would see nothing but the best from her.
But that particular night, Rachel just wanted to quit everything—her job, her relationship, school, her life … all she wanted to do was forfeit.
I’m tired, so very tired, she thought in despair.
Little did she know that as she sat there with her head down on her arm, Gabriel King had just so happened to walk by her office. He was now standing in the threshold of her door that had remained ajar, staring at his best friend’s girl. Yes, Rachel’s boss was Casey’s partner in crime. They had gone to law school together many years back.
Something inside his chest began to squeeze uncomfortably.
“Rachel …”
She gasped and sat upright, looking startled and then embarrassed. “I am so sorry. I…”
“I apologize. I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said in that deep charismatic voice. Gabriel had a Hollywood smile, a charming personality, and a satire sense of humor. Every morning he’d walk across that floor, right past Rachel’s office in his expensive selection of Italian suits, smiling nonchalantly at any woman who was bold enough to hold his gaze. His secretary, Rhonda, would always have his coffee ready for him, prepared to get him up to speed with his latest appointments. If Gabriel ever considered getting married overnight, Rhonda was his first choice as his Vegas bride.
He was a good man, but he didn’t like the world to know it. He had a reputation to maintain, after all. He was a passionate man, but no woman inside that law firm had experienced that side of him… except for Rhonda. Gabriel King didn’t like to play by the rules. He made them. His relationship with Rachel had always remained professional and never too personal. But he just couldn’t bring himself to walk toward the elevators that evening, not when his gut told him that she was in distress.
“Are you all right?” he asked, stepping closer toward her desk.
Rachel looked up into Gabriel’s gleaming green eyes. Astonishingly, they were expressively warm in that instance, which was quite the contrast from the monochromatic suit he was wearing.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” She forged a smile and fidgeted with some documents in front of her.
“It’s late,” he began, “Why are you still in here?” he sounded genuinely curious.
“I, uh… I’m working on that Barrister case you wanted me to look at.”
“You can do that tomorrow. Come on, I’ll get you a cab.” He slid his hands into his pockets.
“No, Gabriel, I…” Rachel paused, running her fingers through her long dark locks in frustration. How am I going to explain that I don’t want to leave yet? Her hazel eyes began to brim with tears. “I just can’t go home right now.”
That uncomfortable squeeze inside Gabriel’s chest turned achingly painful. For the past six weeks he had noticed Rachel’s zombie like state at work. She would get everything done and do her job well, but it was evident that she was so unhappy… and Gabriel knew why. He just felt that it wasn’t in his place to interfere, which was why he’d avoided to approach her sooner about the subject of her well-being.
Last month, Casey had confided in him, confessing that he had slept with his secretary on a late night at his office. Gabriel was always an even tempered man and wholeheartedly believed that “words were mightier than the sword,” but as soon as he’d found out that Casey had been unfaithful to Rachel, he’d thrown a right hook and punched his best friend in the face. Casey had expressed his remorse and assured Gabriel that he loved Rachel, and that it was a onetime mistake. He’d needed someone to confide in and sought the wise counsel of his most trusted friend. Casey hadn’t expected him to react so violently.
Evidently, Gabriel had been disappointed. But what disturbed him even more was the meaning of that punch. He cared about Rachel much more than he’d realized or was willing to admit. All those months that he spent working with her, late nights at his office… a bond had begun to form between the two. His violent outburst symbolized Gabriel’s underlying feelings toward sexy, intelligent, ravishing Rachel Rose.
“I’m sorry.” Rachel broke the silence. “I’m just going through something right now. I promise I won’t let it interfere with my work.” She anxiously wiped her tears away.
Suck it up, Rache! She scolded in her mind.
Gabriel felt so torn. Something told him that Casey had not kept his promise when he’d said that “it would never happen.” A woman as beautiful as Rachel did not deserve to be cheated on.
Worshiped from head to toe, Gabriel thought.
“I’m not concerned about work at the moment,” he expressed with a frown. “I’m concerned about you.”
A part of her so desperately wanted to tell him what was going on. She needed somebody to talk to, but Gabriel was Casey’s best friend.
I can’t tell him what’s going on, and it wouldn’t be professional to get him involved in my problems.
He took a moment to contemplate a spontaneous thought. “Would you like to join me for a drink?” His question surprised her. “In my office,” Gabriel added, as if that made his proposition safer.
~oOo~
She’d always loved his expansive work space. His collection of abstract artwork was very impressive; they disguised the mundane vibe that all the other offices had in the building. Rachel sat on a comfortable black leather lounger, sipping on a glass of Scotch. The city lights twinkled in the distance as she stared out the window.
Gabriel stood in front of his desk, leaning his weight back while drinking his liquor. His eyes were determinedly fixed on Rachel. A vinyl was spinning on his old record player, changing the atmosphere with some relaxing mood music. It occurred to him in that moment, that the reason why he didn’t like to be around Rachel (unless it was absolutely necessary) was because he was attracted to her… sexually.
She was wearing a silk white blouse, tucked inside of a grey pencil skirt, with a thin silver belt fastened high at the waist. Her office attire was as always immaculately perfect and modestly sexy, similar to Rhonda’s wardrobe. The only difference between the women was that Rhonda was ten years older, blonde, and her skin was white as snow.
It was hard not to notice Rachel’s cleavage. She was undeniably sexy; long toned legs, a generous bust size, and her olive complexion made every fair skinned woman jealous in the winter. As a biracial African American woman, she was movie star gorgeous. Her catlike eyes were an alluring, warm hazel color, and her lips were proportionally plump and kissable. He could not believe that she had been working under his nose for two years, and he had only recently noticed her.
“Do you want to tell me what’s bothering you?”
She met his eyes and held her glass in her lap. There was hesitation, but the pain was so palpable in her eyes. “Casey and I are having some problems.” She took another sip, hoping to get drunk enough to numb herself.
Gabriel stayed silent, waiting for her to get everything off her chest.
“I feel like he’s cheating on me—and I know what you’re going say, ‘Casey would never dream of being unfaithful to me,’ but all the signs point to his betrayal. He keeps denying it and says I’m paranoid and insecure. It’s killing me, Gabriel. We fight almost every day. I invested so much in this relationship, my time, my money,” she lowered her voice, “… my heart. And now I feel like a fool… again.”
Gabriel could no longer pretend to be oblivious. “Look, Rachel, there’s something I need to tell you.”
She stared at him with her doe-like eyes and waited for the ugly truth.
He hated to be the bearer of bad news, and technically, Gabriel was breaking “bro code,” but he cared about Rachel as a human being, if not a friend. Despite the fact that he’d always had Casey’s back in any fiasco, he could no longer allow him to abuse his power, especially against an exceptional woman who loved him so much.
Hubris, Gabriel thought. Casey Levy had become too proud. His success had got to his head, and now Rachel was getting hurt.
He was expecting her to break down in tears after he told her about her boyfriend’s transgressions, but she did nothing of the sort. She placed her drink down on the coffee table, stood up, and stared straight at Gabriel; hazel piercing into peridot.
“Casey came home with bruises that day.”
No, don’t ask me what I think you’re going to ask, he groaned in his head.
“Were you the one who punched him?”
Gabriel hesitated, but his penetrating gaze never left hers.
“Did you hit him?” she asked again, her expression unreadable.
Still, no response.
“Gabriel?” Rachel was desperate for an answer as she took a few steps closer to him.
He could smell the sweet scent of her perfume, and he couldn’t tell if he was more intoxicated by the look in her eyes, or that tantalizing fragrance that made him want to…
“Why won’t you…”
“Yes,” Gabe blurted out at last. “I did it.” He watched her carefully, hoping to catch the slightest reaction. “I knocked him out.”
Rachel’s emotions were amplified and running wild. It took every ounce of strength to keep them in check, but a poker face was extremely hard to pull off at the moment. Her lower lip trembled. “Why did you do it?”
Are you kidding me? He thought. “Because he took a page out of the douchebag manual I had warned him to avoid, screwed some broad, and hurt you.”
His admission left her in shock; speechless for what seemed like the longest five seconds of Gabriel’s life.
“Rachel…”
But there was no opportunity for words or explanations now, because Rachel had finally mustered up the courage to do what her body had been begging her to do for the past two months, perhaps even longer… much before Casey had waltzed into her life.
She had pulled Gabriel forward by his blue silk tie and was kissing him, mouth to mouth, tongue, heat, and forbidden contact.
Gabriel’s mind was racing a mile a minute. It was difficult to rationalize when something below was standing at full attention, pressed up against her thigh. He’d been in many similar scenarios with many beautiful women like this before, but never with Rachel Rose.
Instinctively, he reached for her thighs, hoisting her up. In a flash she was lying flat against his desk, legs spread, shirt buttons flying open before he devoured her neck like a hungry lion that had pounced on an unsuspecting gazelle.
Had anyone passed by his office, they would have been caught. But neither of them cared in that moment. Too much sexual tension had accumulated over the months, it had not been clear to either party of just how much until they wound up tangled in each other.
She held his handsome face in her hands, kissing him without restraint. Casey had completely disappeared from her mind as she surrendered to everything related to Gabriel King and sensation.
He had shaken off his blazer and Rachel was busy unbuttoning his shirt while he continued to kiss her so passionately.
Oh dear God, I’m about to have sex with my boss. She knew she wasn’t dreaming, but was guilty of having many dreams like this the past month and a half.
Gabriel’s hand trailed up her inner thigh, feeling the heat against her soaking panties. She was so wet for him, and this only drove him mad with desire.
Get the fuck off her, asshole. She’s hurting and vulnerable. Don’t take advantage. Live to sleep with her another day, but not tonight, his conscience reasoned.
Rachel was about to unbutton his trousers, when he stopped her and broke their heated kiss.
“I can’t… we can’t.”
She was breathless, cheeks flush and lips swollen from Gabriel’s sexually aggressive kisses.
His heart hammered in his chest and he had a raging hard-on that so badly needed to be taken care of. “I mean,” he whispered, “I want to. I really want to.” Gabriel pressed his forehead against hers, almost wishing that she would pull out his aching shaft and convince him to fuck her senseless. “Actually, you have no idea how badly I want to, but…”
“But we can’t cross that line,” she finished his sentence.
He forced himself to step back and allow her to collect herself while he attempted to gain his composure. Their professionalism had gone right out the window.
Rachel quickly tried to button up her top. “I can’t believe I just came on to you. I am so sorry.” Her hands were shaking. “I shouldn’t have kissed you. It’s my fault.” She quickly tried to straighten her skirt and think of a way to get herself away from Gabriel. “I’m so stupid and pathetic. No wonder he cheats on me.”
Gabriel was deeply upset by her self-inflicted insults. “Hey!” He grabbed her wrist just as she was about to stride past him. “Look at me.” He demanded.
Rachel reluctantly met his eyes that showed nothing but a blazing forest fire in his irises.
“Don’t ever think or say that about yourself, you understand me? Casey’s a fucking loser. He’s the one who’s stupid and pathetic. Not you. Do I make myself clear?” Even when he was trying to comfort her, he couldn’t help but sound so authoritative.
Rachel was shaking like a leaf, and he couldn’t tell if it was because he had frightened her or if she was physically affected the same way he was by her touch.
“I should go.” She waited for him to release her wrist, even though every part of her wanted him to pull her back into his arms.
“Let me get you a cab.”
“I can manage, it’s okay.”
“Rachel…”
“Please just let me go. Don’t make me feel anymore embarrassed than I already am.”
He softened his eyes with sympathy and finally released her.
Her black bumps clicked against the floor as she stepped out of his office and disappeared toward the elevators. Gabriel stood there looking stunned. The past five minutes had happened so fast.
I almost slept with my best friend’s girl… I almost had sex with her in my office! He was disappointed in himself and upset because now his work relationship with Rachel was going to feel awkward.
Things turned out great with Rhonda, though, he thought for a moment.
Rachel is not Rhonda, another voice whispered.
MUSIC APPENDIX:
Jungle-Drops
