Page 34 of Grump and Grumpier

When he brushes a strand of my hair back from my cheek, something inside me crumbles, but I ignore it the best I can. I start to move on him again, squeezing my inner walls to grip him tighter, making his eyes widen and his nostrils flare.

I keep looking into his eyes, which are dark but also somehow brighter than their usual smoky hue, as I rise and fall on him, faster and faster, until my thighs are slapping down on his lap and sweat beads on my brow.

It’s exhausting but rewarding work, watching him get lost in sensation as I ride his cock. He helps me move up and down at a steady pace, until his eyes go shut, and he brings me down, staying buried deep as his cock starts to pulse inside me.

It feels much more intimate than our previous encounters, and I love being able to watch him lose control. He groans as he empties himself, and I wish there was no barrier between us. I’d love to be so full of him that it was dripping out of me.

At that thought, I could nearly come again myself, but I put my focus on watching him as he passes his peak, then shudders as he lifts me off his cock. He doesn’t move me off his lap, though, and I take advantage of the proximity and his vulnerable state, to slide a hand along his cheek. There’s coarse hair there, and warm skin, and I long to kiss him, but that’s not something we do.

When his eyes find mine, I’m suddenly self-conscious and pull my hand back. Caressing his cheek isn’t something we do, either.

Behind my embarrassment follows a familiar wave of guilt. Now that the fog of lust has cleared, everything looks different. Awkwardly, I get to my feet, tucking my breasts back into my bra, straightening my underwear and my dress.

“I don’t know why I let this happen,” I say, mostly to myself. That’s not true, though. I do know why—these men are irresistible.

How most of the office feels about coffee—that’s apparently how I feel about them.

“I guess it’s because there’s a time limit. There’s an end date, and I’m only working here on a temporary basis.” I don’t know why I’m rambling about this. I seem to feel the need to justify my actions, even though I’m pretty sure the men don’t care about my lapses in moral judgment.

In fact, as I turn, Derek is waving off my words, completely unconcerned, but that doesn’t ease my sense of guilt.

CHAPTER 27

ANA

After only a brief followup conversation, during which Derek and Jansen were distracted by something other than wanting to have sex with me, they agreed that we could try out Bring Your Pet to Work Day once a week.

I poll the staff to make sure no one has allergies, do some pet proofing by securing cords and bringing in a few gates to block off areas like the break room, and draw up policies so that things will go smoothly.

Two weeks later, the first trial day arrives. As I expected, a lot of people are very excited to participate, and I wish I had a pet to bring in, but I enjoy meeting everyone else’s. Jackie introduces me to her adorable cocker spaniel mix, Imani has a young boxer, and Gloria’s buddy is a golden lab who lies at her feet all day.

Interestingly, the pet Charles brings in is a reptile,some kind of gecko that’s nearly the length of a standard ruler from head to tail. Thankfully, it spends the day in a tank he keeps at his desk. There are also two cats visiting the office, including one who seems perfectly happy wearing a rainbow-striped sweater that Kenzie, the cat’s owner, says was knitted by her grandmother.

There’s a buzz of excitement throughout the day that’s a welcome change, and it seems that even people who didn’t bring pets are getting in on the fun of it, petting the dogs and socializing more with their officemates. Productivity may take a bit of a hit today, but that’s just because of the first-day newness of it all. After more of these days take place, they’ll become more routine, while still being a nice benefit.

There are a few random barks during the day, but nothing too disruptive, especially compared to our retail manager, Rob, serenading the office with a sexually-explicit song.

After lunch, Jansen summons me to his office with a bellow. He’s rarely one to request a meeting, and his voice sounds a couple of levels above its usual grumpiness, so I hustle over there, concerned that something is wrong.

His door is open when I arrive, and he’s standing behind his desk, looking down at the floor with alarm and disgust.

“What’s the matter?”

“I need you to remove this animal.”

As I get closer, I catch sight of a bit of fluffy white fur, and I prepare to scoop up the little dog, which I recognize as belonging to one of the accountants. But as I round the desk, I see that the dog is very vigorously and enthusiastically humping one of Jansen’s pant legs.

“Oh my god!” I can’t stop the fit of giggles that overtakes me, and I’m bent over laughing, when Jansen roars at me.

“Ana! Do something about this dog.”

“I will …I will. I just need a minute.” Apparently, I’m not the only one who finds Jansen Bennett irresistible. “Actually, I feel like I should give you two some time alone.”

“Ana!”

Pulling myself together, I crouch down and call the dog over to me, then pick him up. As soon as he’s in my arms, he covers my face with kisses. “Hi buddy, who’s a good boy?”

Jansen huffs.

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