Page 22 of Past and Present

“I thought you could use some company. It seemed like you had a rough day.”

He whirled when the voice he heard wasn’t Marissa’s.

Jill stood in his office unbuttoning her coat.

Dear God please don’t let her be naked under that thing, Lance thought as he set his drink down and folded his arms across his chest.

Jill shrugged the jacket off. She wasn’t naked, but she might as well have been.

“What are you…” Lance trailed off when the woman sank to her knees.

“Is this what you like?”

“Jesus fucking Christ,” he muttered under his breath as he picked up his desk phone and dialed building security.

“Everything OK Mr. Moss?”

“Fine, Eric, but I’m going to need someone up here to escort Ms. Chester from the premises and make sure her pass gets taken away.”

“On our way.”

The call ended and Lance walked behind the girl who was looking at him as if she didn’t understand what was happening.

“If you don’t want to be escorted from the building in just whatever that get-up is you might want to put your coat back on, Ms. Chester.”

He picked up his cell phone as the woman shrugged the coat back on.

“I don’t understand. I thought you would be interested.”

Lance scratched his head. “Was she stupid or mentally ill?”

“I’m not even sure where to begin, Ms. Chester. I’m a practically married man, I’m your boss, and I’ve never shown so much as a whiff of interest in you. What could have possibly given you the idea that I would be interested?”

She rolled her eyes. “I heard you on the phone last week. You told someone you were breaking up with Marissa and they would be the first to know when it happened.”

Lance just stared at her. What the hell was she talking about? “I’m not even going to justify that with a response. Get up off my floor.”

He pressed a button on his phone and held it to his ear.

“Hello, Kitten,” he said, sounding purposefully seductive.

“Hi,” she said, sounding a little confused. “I thought you were working late.”

“Oh. I am. But I thought you might enjoy a little distraction. Are you still in your office?”

Marissa giggled. “I am. Are you going to make me do something dirty?”

Lance turned away from Jill and grinned. “I’m sure I can come up with something. But I have something different in mind. Head downstairs and wait for security. You’ll understand in a few minutes.”

When she hesitated he said, “Be a good girl, Riss. It’s always so much easier when you just listen to me, isn’t it?”

He’d turned back to Jill who was backing toward the door.

“Yes, Sir,” Marissa said in his ear.

“Good girl. I have to go.”

He stuffed the phone in his pocket and snarled at Jill. “Not fucking step further. You wanted my attention. You have it.”

---