Chapter 8 Accidents Happen
Accidents Happen
As I got out, I scanned the area, looking for his ride, and saw the convertible parked in the lot across the street. Well played.
“What are you doing here?” I sighed as I pulled the office key from my bag.
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” Raymond shook his head. “You said you were going home. You lied to me, Jericha.”
“God forbid a woman changes her mind.” I threw my free hand up. “Besides, I told you—I want to write this up while it’s fresh in my mind.”
“Great. I’ll help.” He smiled. “I really should give you my point of view to make the report as thorough as possible.”
“You could always just write your own report and we can file them together.” I offered an alternative that would get him out of my hair.
Raymond stepped around me as soon as the door was unlocked and strolled inside, holding it open for me. “I like my idea better.”
“Of course you do,” I muttered as he waved me through.
Raymond followed me through the building, shadowing everything I did, including grabbing a snack and a bottle of water from the kitchen. He hummed as we moved through the space and yawned when I finally headed for my office.
“If you’re that tired, you can always go home.”
“And leave you to write our report by yourself? I could never do that.” He placed his hand on his chest. “That’s no way for a gentleman to behave.”
Inside my office, I turned on dim lighting, hoping it would convince him to go home or at least go to sleep and stop bothering me. Just as I sat down at my desk, I heard Raymond groan. I looked up to see him wincing in pain as he pulled off the jacket he wore.
“What’s wrong?” I asked. “Are you hurt?”
“Just a little pain, no big deal.” He winced again. “It’s expected after being knocked around in a fight.”
I got up and walked around the desk. “Let me check it out. If you’re hurt, I need to add that to my report.”
“Anything for your report.” He winked at me. “Have your way with me.”
“Hush and sit down so I can see.” As soon as he sat, I could see the faint stain of blood through the white shirt he wore. “You’re bleeding.”
“Am I?” He looked back at me as I pulled his collar to the side.
“Take that off. It doesn’t look that bad, but I should clean the wound and bandage it. Better to avoid infection.”
“You sure this isn’t just a ploy to get me out of my clothes?”
“Fine, let it get infected. The contracts are signed.” I rolled my eyes. “Drop dead if you want to. It won’t hurt my business.”
“Harsh!” he said and carefully stripped away the shirt while I pulled out the first aid kit from my desk.
“Something about this doesn’t feel right,” I spoke as I poured peroxide on a cotton ball.
Focus on the task, girl, not the muscles or the tattoos on his back and chest. He’s hurt. You’re better than a man. Focus!
“Is it that bad?” Raymond twisted his neck, trying to see what I was doing.
“Not the cut.” I grabbed his chin and turned his head back forward.
“Sit still. I’m talking about the men at the lot tonight.
I can’t understand the motive. Even if they were there to scope the place out, they didn’t look prepared to take anything.
No bags, no tools. Hell, I didn’t even see a car. How did they get there?”
“You’re really concerned about this, aren’t you?” he chuckled.
“Shouldn’t I be?” I paused. “Why aren’t you? I mean, our reputations are on the line here. Even if you don’t plan on staying in the business, your name is attached to this. It should matter to you.”
“I think it’s premature to jump to conclusions now. We have little evidence, and this is a first occurrence.”
“Maybe you’re right.” I continued cleaning his cut, then placed the bandage over it after adding the antibiotic ointment. “There, you should be just fine.”
“Thank you.” He craned his neck as he tried to examine my work. “Look, I get it. This is a major contract, a pivotal moment for your business, but you’ve been here before. You’ve done this on a smaller scale. If you weren’t ready to handle this, you wouldn’t be in the position you are.”
When he stopped speaking, he looked up into my eyes.
And then, every damn moment that followed felt way too intense.
The moonlight pouring through the windows glinted off his green eyes as he looked at me, a strange intensity in their depths.
For a moment, I forgot how to breathe. My heart leaped into my throat, and my pussy tightened.
Oh, shit!
Panic! It was time to get away from him.
“You know, maybe you’re right. The report can wait.” I moved away from him, quickly put up the first aid kit, and grabbed my bag to head for the door.
But Raymond stepped in my way.
He towered over me, looking down with those eyes that felt deeper by the second. “Are you really going to run away from me again?”
“I’m not running away.” I shook my head.
“You’re moving so fast, you left your keys on the desk.” He pointed over my shoulder.
I looked back to see the key ring sitting next to the water I hadn’t finished.
“Oh, right?” I reached back, snagged the key, then continued my escape. But this time, he grabbed my wrist, halting my movement.
“Wait,” Raymond said. “Don’t go.”
“What are you doing?” I looked at my wrist, his large hand wrapped around it. “Let me go.”
“Jericha,”
I pulled, snatching away from him. “I’m going home. You’re the one who was insisting I rest, remember?”
“What is your problem with me?” His question caught me off guard.
“I don’t have a problem with you.” I shook my head.
“You shield yourself from me whenever I—”
“Whenever you what?” I cut him off. Was he doing it on purpose? Trying to get me riled up, trying to get under my skin?
“I just want to get to know you better.” Raymond’s shoulders dropped. “I swear it's like you refuse to just be yourself around me without that barrier you’ve put up. I keep getting these glimpses of you, the real you, and then you push away again.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I patted the side of my head. The tight bun I pulled my hair into was screaming for release. “Your shoulder still needs to heal. You should go rest.”
“My shoulder is fine, Jericha.” He rolled his neck, lifting his shoulder for me to see. Then, he did it. Raymond grabbed my wrist again, this time pulling me closer.
A gasp escaped me as he shifted our position and put himself between me in the door. So much for a quick escape.
“What are you doing?” I looked around him at the door.
“Nothing,” he said heavily, taking a pressing step toward me.
“This doesn’t feel like nothing.” For each step he took, I took one back until my ass hit the desk. “Raymond, stop.”
The corner of his lips twitched upward. “Stop what?”
“Really?” I narrowed my gaze.
“You want me to go?” He was right up against me. “Is that what you want, Jericha?”
“Why are you doing this?” I was damn near panting from the feeling of having him so close to me. What happened to playing it cool?
“Answer the question. Stop running from me.”
I said nothing, defiantly crossing my arms over my chest in protest of what he was doing, stopping him from getting any closer. Hell, if he did, he might be able to hear my heart racing.
“You’re so bold until it’s just us, alone, when you can’t hide from me.” He took a deep breath, eyes locked on mine. “Fine, I’ll go.”
He abruptly turned, the scent of his cologne lingering in the air as he moved away.
The idea of him leaving felt like a physical blow—a sudden, sharp pain pierced my heart at the thought of never seeing him again.
So, I turned the tables on him. With a firm grip, I grabbed his arm, yanking him back to my side.
Overzealous, I pulled him too hard. He spun around and I lunged forward, landing awkwardly in his embrace, my breath catching in my throat.
We paused, eyes locked, and a million unspoken words hung in the air before I kissed him.
“You just wanted to be in control, huh?” Raymond smiled against my lips.
“Shut up.” I pushed him away. “That was an accident.”
“You accidentally grabbed me and kissed me?” He chuckled. “Never seen such a passionate accident before.”
“The only thing I meant to do was stop you from leaving.” I straightened. “I stumbled, that’s all. The kiss wasn’t supposed to happen.”
“And now that you’ve kissed me? Accidentally, of course.” He stepped closer to me. “What happens now?”
“It was an accident.” I avoided his question. “Accidents happen all the time!”
“Oh, I'm sure it was.” He took another sure step toward me, this time getting so close, he pressed me up against the edge of my desk.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I gulped. “That wasn't an invitation for whatever you think you're about to do.”
“Who said I was going to do anything?” The smirk lifted the corner of his mouth. “I’m just standing here. You want me to go? Say the word. But considering you stopped me from leaving…”
“What is this?” I didn’t mean to say aloud. That was supposed to be an internal thought, but he smiled when he heard it.
“This was a budding friendship until you kissed me.” He slipped his hand around my waist. “Now, it's something more.”
I grabbed his arm, resisting his hold. “And what if I don't want it to be something more?”
“I have a feeling you do. You just want to be in control.” He stepped back, putting his hands out to his sides. “So, Jericha, I'll give you the control you want. You say the word, and I’ll leave, but hesitate, and I’m taking control.”
“I—”
“Three…” He took a step closer. “Two…” Another step brought him within arm’s reach.
“One.” Raymond ended his countdown then reached out for me, pulling me into his arms. He paused, giving me just half a second to refuse him.
When I didn’t, he leaned in to put his lips next to my ear and, in a voice so deep it felt like fingers in my pussy, said, “I thought so.”