Kiss A Ginger Day: A steamy workplace romantic comedy

Chapter 24

Roger hovered in Alice’s office doorway, a security guard dressed in all black behind him about fifteen feet away. She was honestly shocked to see both of them.

Roger cleared his throat. “I suppose you heard.”

“I did.” She returned to look at her computer screen, unsure of what to say. Sorry? How could you? Could you have been any more idiotic?

Then again, maybe she was the idiot. She hadn’t noticed what he’d been up to. She’d been kept in the dark not only by the company’s owners but by the man she’d been sleeping with—a man she concluded last night she should have never slept with so soon. It clouded her judgment. As Theodore had said, she was trusting—too much, too soon.

“I’m stepping down, effective immediately,” Roger said. “But I wanted to say goodbye.”

It took effort to keep her eyes on her screen. “Goodbye, Roger.”

“I’ll miss you.”

That made her look up. “Don’t.”

“We could have been good together. I wish things had turned out differently.”

A completely uncalled-for laugh rose up her throat. “Good? We were never together, Roger.”

He stepped farther in, causing her to jump up. He looked visibly taken aback that she’d startled so badly. He showed her both of his palms. “Alice, you’ve got to believe me. I never meant to?—”

“To what? Steal? You should have thought of that before.”

His face hardened. “You’re a smart woman. Surely you don’t think I?—”

“What? That you embezzled? I saw the evidence with my own eyes.”

Then it hit her. He dangled a promotion to keep her malleable. Quiet. “You were never going to make me CFO, were you?”

He cleared his throat. “You’re young. You have time?—”

“Time?” How she put up with him for so long, she’d never know. “Yeah. I have that. But you don’t.”

His face purpled. “This office will be lost without me.”

“Oh, really? I’d say this office is feeling better. You know Theodore?—”

“Who you’re fucking.”

Her belly dropped to her knees. “Excuse me?” she spluttered. Her face turned into a human sunset, which only added to her humiliation.

“I know all about it.”

A sliver of defiance rose inside her. “From whom?”

“How about everyone?”

“Oh, really?” Her voice had risen, and the security guard shifted on his feet in the background.

Roger tsked. “As smart as you are, you’re easily fooled.”

“No, I’m not.” Except Roger had fooled her, hadn’t he? Changing up the books? She’d utterly failed at her one job.

“Then why are you with a guy who flits from office to office, all managed by the O’Flannerys, of course, leaving a trail of broken hearts?”

“He flirts with everyone.”

“And sleeps with them, too.”

Alice wasn’t na?ve enough to think he didn’t have liaisons now and again. He was a guy. Was everyone supposed to believe he’d be celibate? But then a part of her—probably the smart part everyone kept referencing—spoke up. He was a flirt and probably did have his trysts. But before or after his fiancée dumped him for his best friend? Only one thing she knew for sure. He moved on to the next gig and didn’t take anyone with him.

She closed her eyes for one long second, then snapped them open “So? It doesn’t matter what he did in the past.” The lie felt like a burn on her tongue. But she wouldn’t let Roger see the way his words impacted her.

“It’s not in the past. It’s happening right now. With you.”

His words fit inside her, like interlocking pieces meant for only her. They felt like the truth.

Gah. Had she been so blind? Been the candidate for Miss December with Roger and Miss January with a different guy? She refused to believe it. She was still mad at him, but she honestly believed Theodore had good intentions.

Roger stepped forward. “I have it on good authority that Theodore does this everywhere he goes. I’ve known the O’Flannerys a while, too.” He’d softened his tone, as if trying to console her. He reached his arm out, and she recoiled.

Roger sighed heavily and dropped his arm. “He charms. Seduces. Acts chivalrous.”

Jesus. Her thoughts exactly. Except she believed it was all for her. “You’re wrong about him.” She would defend Theodore until he gave her reason to not. Theodore was a good consultant. She’d seen how he got people to open up and talk. She also admired how he not only did his job, but he had fun, too.

“I’m not.”

The security guard was closer now. “Sir? Time to go.”

Alice crossed her arms over her chest. “Have a nice life, Roger.” She pushed past him and marched to Theodore’s office. Roger was trying to make her paranoid. She was having none of it.

Upon her entrance, Theodore lifted his gaze from whatever he was peering at on his desk.

He grinned widely at her. “Just in time for lunch. Outside.”

“No time.” She raised her hand. “Not today. Just had a little chat with Roger.”

His face steeled. “Need me to kick him out for you?”

“No. He’s being escorted out as we speak.” She closed his door and turned to face him. “I need to know something. About your time at the other O’Flannery companies.” She wouldn’t stew about it. In fact, she’d never again hold back a question that needed asking. She and mystery were no longer on speaking terms.

“We talked about that last night. No one’s embezzled as far as I’ve heard. Suzy would have their balls on a stick. In fact, Roger has no idea how lucky he is.”

“No.” She shook her head. “Do you do this …” She waved her hand between them. “Get a new girlfriend at every one of your gigs and then move on?”

“You still don’t trust me.” His mouth set in a grim line.

“I don’t know you that well.” It was true.

A muscle in his jaw ticked. “Well enough, I’d say. At least enough to not accuse me of something you keep making up in your head. That’s what’s going on, isn’t it? God.” He shook his head. “You sound like Beatrice.”

The nerve.“There’s more to that story, isn’t there? What happened?”

His face turned to stone. The usual twinkle in his eyes extinguished. “I’m not talking to you about her.”

Fair enough. She was heading down a rabbit hole, and his past relationships weren’t her business. But she had reasons to be suspicious. “I’m not making up anything.”

Except she had.

She’d made up she and Theodore having a future. Shit. That little truth landed in her gut like an anvil. She’d believed there was National BAE Day waiting for her in June. “Tell me, once you’re relieved of your duties here, where to next?”

He lifted one shoulder. “Back to London for a spell. Then, Suzy mentioned a fresh start in some AI generation?—”

“Do you love me?” Her breath stalled in her throat. The question couldn’t be held back any longer. Perhaps it’d been sitting there for weeks, souring until she had to spit it out.

He shuffled on his feet. His lips parted to speak but then closed as if no words came to him. Certainly not a yes.

She nodded slowly, and her eyes still stupidly pricked. “It’s okay. Really.” Or it would be once she had time to think about how to unravel the emotional minefield she’d landed in.

The ice in his eyes melted a bit. He quickly rounded his desk and took both of her hands. “Yes.”

He yanked her into him. All she could focus on was his blue eyes, and the growing warmth in them. Their lips met halfway. The kiss wasn’t gentle. Lips, tongues digging in deep as if they were trying to dissolve the distance between them. Noisy breaths came through his nose, and his hands clutched at her back, keeping her tight against him. She loved being swallowed by his body, his mouth.

She’d vowed to keep a little anger tucked away inside for him keeping her in the dark for so long. Yeah, that pledge melted to nothing under the force of his kiss.

When they finally broke apart, he kept his forehead against hers.

“You love me.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

“Yes. But …”

The worst word in the English language after I love you was “but.” She swallowed and lifted her head to take in his beautiful eyes.

His hold loosened, and he stepped backward. “My job here is done. I leave tomorrow.”

Her heart panged painfully. “Tomorrow. So soon?”

“Yes. It’s …” He let his words trail off.

She was a big girl. She could take the turn of events. “Well, damn. Just when I took your advice and made a doctor’s appointment.”

He gave her a half smile. “Good. You’ll call me and tell me what he says?”

Not discuss it over real tea in person or have him tell her when it was National Fainting Day. That was when her heart nearly split in two. He knew it had to be over, too, didn’t he?

“What she says. And yes. I’ll … call.” Because he wouldn’t be there.

“Hey.” He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “Want to get out of here? I don’t have much to pack, and tonight, we could …”

He let his words trail off. They could what? Act like it was an ordinary night? Indulge in each other one last time? Talk about having text sex in some lame attempt to close the distance between them? He loved her, but what did that mean? What kind of future could they possibly have together? Weekly video calls? Sexting sessions? The occasional weekend?

Still, she nodded and tried very hard not to think about how it was the last time he’d walk across Edison’s lobby to the parking lot. She grabbed her purse, followed him out, neither of them talking or touching.

No one interrupted their slow walk to the elevator, though plenty of people stared. Could they tell? Could they see the blanket of sadness draped over her?

As soon as they were in the elevator, he grasped her hand. “Do you need to get anything from home?”

“Home?”

“I want us to go to my place tonight.”

“No, I don’t need anything.” Except you, she wanted to shout.

He nodded once, and the elevator lurched downward. And for the first time, she understood the saying that sometimes love wasn’t enough.

* * *

With one click of Theodore’s condo door, the air seemed to constrict. She’d followed him to his rental, a place she’d only seen once.

“Haven’t had a chance to clean up,” he said with a half laugh.

She glanced around. The condo was basic, with a couch, chairs, TV on the wall, and a small kitchen to the left. Nothing too personal, nothing to suggest anyone spent much time there. “If this is messy, then how on earth did you stay at my place?” She tried to laugh, but a scoff came out instead.

“You were there. That’s all that mattered.”

Heat climbed up her neck.

He drew closer, and she closed the space between them as if they were two magnets. It was always like that with him. The closer he got, the more she needed to be near him.

With a soft moan, Theodore lifted her up by the ass. She starfished herself against him, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his broad shoulders. Once again, she felt his strength, his size. Her stupid eyes pricked, and she choked down emotion that lodged in her throat.

He walked them down a short hallway to his bedroom. Instead of laying her down on the bed, he sat, keeping her in his lap. His eyes stayed trained on her face as he pulled her shirt out of her skirt.

His palms moved to inch under her blouse. “I need to feel your skin.” His lids hooded when his fingers met her bare back. Little sparks of electricity ignited under his touch.

A long breath escaped her lips as his cock pressed between her legs. She’d never have a man fit her so well.

“We can elevate our sexting to video,” he said. “Or have a regular weekend where we meet somewhere.”

“A regular weekend. Yeah.”

“You’d love London.”

“I would.” She couldn’t care less. “Where’s the AI company you’re going to next?”

“Glasgow.”

“Oh. Far.” It didn’t matter where he was. It wouldn’t be DC, where she was. She pushed his jacket off his shoulders. “I need to feel you, too.”

He rose and deposited her on the bed. Keeping his eyes on her the entire time, he undid his belt and his pants and lowered them, taking his boxer briefs with him. His thick cock sprung forward, and the ache between her legs built into a small fire.

“You lick your lips like that one more time, I’ll lose it right here,” he said as he crawled over her, pushed her down. “And I plan on spending a very long time inside you.”

The way he stared at her, there was no question he wanted her. But there was more there. He’d said she was more than more than a fling. It was in his kiss, the way his hands roamed her body with such intention as if he sought to memorize her.

She captured her bottom lip with her teeth. “That’s one way to miss your plane.”

He shoved his hips between her legs, and they made way for him. “There’d just be another one I’d have to catch.”

Stupid tears formed in her eyes. His eyes blazed, his hands cradled her head. “Hey, it’s not forever.”

“I know,” she squeaked. “But?—”

His lips found hers, and any words she might have spoken were swallowed.

Theodore took his time with her, pressing kisses along her neck. She thought he murmured something—my BAE? At least that was what she thought he’d whispered. She could have imagined it.

His hips started to rock into her with more urgency, and she met him halfway. Her hands clawed at his back, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get him close enough.

It was only later, when he fell asleep and she lay in the dark staring up at his hideous popcorn ceiling that something dawned on her. He didn’t once bring up a special holiday today.