Page 18 of Forbidden Temptations

“Mrs Martin called. She thought you might be getting hungry.” She beamed a sweet girlish smile and held up a plastic bag. “You forgot your lunch.”

“Ah… Thanks… Rebecca,” he nodded, feeling suddenly embarrassed. He’d been in such a fluster that morning he’d left his Tesco’s pasta salad in the fridge and hadn’t noticed until he’d been halfway to work. “Just plonk it down over on that cabinet other there. I’ll get to it in a bit. How much do I owe you?”

She beamed, sweeping past him and around the desks. “Don’t sweat it, it’s on me.”

“Really?” He pivoted in his chair to follow her. “You sure about that?”

“Yeah, it’s nothing. I wanted to check out the Victorian Market anyway, so it’s no big deal.” Her smile seemed to broaden. “And I got abigbonus over the weekend.”

A big bonus? Fuck, what did she mean? Richard felt cold fingers trail down his spine. Was she planning to blackmail him, to keep what happened a secret? He wouldn’t have thought so. The girl generally had all the sly cunning of a Care Bear. Then again, she had told Alice, and who had secretly told him, that she’d been saving to move out and get away from her father.

Hush-money could go a long way there.

Or was she after something else?

Something morephysical.

The prospect made the knot in Richard’s gut tighten and he was torn between terror and being a little turned on. “That’s cool. Well, thanks Rebecca. I owe you-”

“Urh, Mr Martin, could I have a word with you? Um…”

“Ah, well, now isn’t really the best time. You caught us at a bit of a bad moment and-”

“Aw, don’t be silly Dick, we can spare the girl a moment,” McClaine’s eyes glittered darkly as he gave the girl a slow, less than subtle once over.

Rebecca quickly twisted away from his scrutiny. “Er- no! No, I understand.” Then she gave Richard a sideways glance, a small smile curling those lush pink lips. “If you want, you could just pop round later… If you have the time that-that is, that is, please, I don’t want to put you out and my dad will be out so -”

“Ah… No, that’s alright.” Remembering her standing at the door in that little blackthing, Richard swallowed. He couldn’t be alone with her, not there. He was safe here. This was his work; she wouldn’t try anything here.

And more importantly, nor would he.

He glanced nervously at his co-workers. They were both grinning like a pair of mangy hyenas. “Mind giving us a minute, lads?”

“Sure.” McClaine gave Sing a nudge. “Come on Apu, let us leave Dick Hefner here to tend to his little lady friend.” However, he paused by the door after the smaller man had gone through and threw a sideways glance back at Richard. “Oh, and enjoy yourself Dick, you’re more in need of a blow job than any other white man in history.”

Bastard.

Richard cursed and turned away, flipping him the V-Sign over his shoulder. It was an almost impotent retort, but it was the best he could do with Rebecca in such close proximity. He couldn’t risk over reacting. He couldn't take the chance of giving his work mate cause to think something was going on.

So he kept his attention locked on his screen, even after the door shut and the laughter drowned out by the hum of computer drives. Yet his eyes had a mind of their own and every few moments he caught himself glancing over in her direction as Rebecca jumped up to perch her ripe little derriere on the edge of his desk, her pencil skirt riding up as she crossed her legs to flash him a hint of thigh.

Thighs that had been wrapped around him just days ago.

Growing ever more aware of the stiffness between his legs, while his guts twisted into knots, Richard swivelled around to face her, blindly tapping a few keys to minimise the spreadsheets. Not that he thought she would have any interest in them, but PPI was such a hot topic, better safe than sorry.

Forcing down a dry swallow, he smiled pleasantly at her. “So, what’s so urgent?”

“Well… I wanted to… um it’s just that… Well…” She looked away, a blush staining her cheeks a dusty pink. “I’m sorry. About what happened on Friday, I don’t know what got into me…”

“I think I have some idea.” He couldn’t help a dry chuckle.

“I didn’t mean like that,” Rebecca laughed, the sound high and girlish, breaking the tension that had been building between them.

For a moment.

Then the dam broke, and she started to cry. Fat, glassy tears rolled down her checks in rivers. “I’m so sorry, Mr Martin. I didn’t mean for it to happen. Please, please don’t hate me. I- I couldn’t…”

Her tears raked him. “Hey, hey, hey, come here.” Richard opened his arms. She all but threw herself at him, burying her face into his neck and sobbing loudly as he hugged her back. “It’s okay, sweetheart. It wasn’t your fault. Everything just happened so fast...”

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