Page 23 of Heal Me

Victoria clenches her fists, her body radiating outrage, and storms away from my desk. I finally take a breath when her office door slams shut. Closing my eyes, I try to calm myself. She’s furious that I spoke with Alistair about Hibernian Press, and he unequivocally confirmed that I would keep them and any imprints as my accounts, until such time as he and Nando conclude that there is too much work there for just one person. I wasn’t privy to the discussion she and Alistair had, but we could all hear the shouting through his office door.

I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that she’s upset. And Victor has been strangely absent today. Though now that I’ve thought that, he’ll probably appear to harass me. I check the time, and debate the merits of staying and working on Alistair’s project versus heading home. My concentration is shot, and sitting here with Victoria several yards away isn’t going to help. I pack up my laptop, grab my coat, and head to Bethany’s desk, planning to work from home for the rest of the afternoon.

She’s on the phone, so I wait for her to finish the call. After she hangs up, she turns to me, eyeing my laptop and coat. “Heading out?”

“Yes. If anyone is looking for me, I’ll be working from home for the rest of the day. I need to finish Alistair’s contract, and I don’t need another distraction.”

She glances at Victoria’s office door and nods, keeping her voice low. “Probably a good idea. But, way to stand up for yourself! I’m so proud of you.”

“Thanks. Though I’m sure that’s not the last I’ve heard from her on the subject.” We fist bump, and I rush to the elevator, thumbing the call button, hoping it arrives before Victoria comes out of her office. The little voice in the back of my mind says I’ve probably just made things infinitely worse for myself with her, but there’s no use worrying about it now. What’s done is done, and I have no regrets. I’ll deal with the fallout if and when it comes.

14

Gunnar

Ipullintotheparking garage and roll down the window. “Hey, Jim. I’m here to see Jocelin Allard. He’s expecting me.”

Jim assesses me like he’s never seen me before. “Name?”

“Gunnar Osouf.”

He squints at me and picks up a phone, covering the number pad as he dials. “One moment please.”

I get another suspicious look before he turns his back to me. I can just make out the muffled sound of my name and ‘verify his description’ before he nods and hangs up. With another dubious glance my way, Jim types into a computer and then cautiously hands me an elevator key card. “Here, sir. This is atemporarycard, which will get you into the elevator and up to Mr. Allard’s floor. You should return it to the guard pavilion as you leave. If you forget”—his tone clearly indicates he knows I’ll forget—“please be aware that the coding on the card will expire four hours from now, so you won’t be able to use it after that.”

“Thanks Jim. I’ll be sure to give it back. Have a good evening.” I give him a big smile and wave before pulling forward and parking in one of the empty spaces designated for Jocelin’s loft.

Me: Made it past the gate.guardsman emoji identification_card emoji saluting_face emoji

Me: On my way up now

Jocelin:facepalm emojiSorry. Jim can be a little overzealous

That’s the understatement of the year. I lock the car and jog the few paces to the elevator, tap the key card against the call panel, then once I’m inside, I duplicate the steps I saw Jocelin do. When the doors open again, I step into an armful of very affectionate Jocelin. “Hi.”

I tighten my arms around him, pulling him close. “Hi to you, too. This is quite the welcome.”

He melts against me, his voice all rough and sexy. “I can make it even better.” The moment his lips touch mine, I forget about anything else. God, his kisses are like electricity rolled in pleasure, baked in sunshine, and I’m addicted. He slides his hands into my hair, tugging gently, making me gasp. Reflexively, I grab his ass, squeezing the firm muscles as we press our hips together. Jocelin’s deliciously filthy moan is like a siren song, and it takes everything I have to let go of his ass and slide my hand up his back, breaking the kiss. I drop my forehead to his, panting heavily while trying to ignore my protesting dick. “Sorry. Got a bit carried away. You caught me off guard.”

Jocelin’s sexy smile doesn’t make it any easier to remember we’re trying to take things slowly. “Don’t apologize.” His fingers tease the hair at the back of my neck. “I really didn’t mind at all.”

Hints of something clean and crisp tickle my nose, and I want to bury my face in his neck and inhale him. But that isn’t a good idea if we want to make it out of the apartment today. I lean back so I can see his face clearly. “Where are we off to? And before you even say it, no, we aren’t staying here. We’ve just proven we can’t be trusted alone together.”

Jocelin glares at me for all of five seconds before his beautiful smile appears. “Fine. We are going to a little bistro around the corner. It’s very cozy and friendly, and I think you’ll like it. Let me get my coat.”

I reluctantly let go but follow him with my eyes, enjoying the way his dark, fitted jeans hug him in all the right places. “You look good, Joce.”

Jocelin slips into his coat and grins impishly. “Thank you. And compliments will get you everywhere.”

“Noted.” I take his hand in mine, giving it a little squeeze. “Shall we go?”

He sighs dramatically. “If we must.” Laughing, he pulls me toward the elevator. This time, we stop at the main lobby level and head out to the street.

A five-minute brisk walk later, we’re stepping through the door of a cozy cafe. The aroma of strong coffee and delicious pastries is heavenly, and I close my eyes, taking in a deep breath. “God, I love the smell of coffee.” I don’t particularly care for the taste, but I can appreciate the scent.

Jocelin grins. “Me too. But I prefer to drink tea.” Yet another similarity we share.

I glance around, taking in the tone of the place. Interspersed among the beautiful pieces of art on the walls are pride flags and photographs of panels from the AIDS memorial quilt. There is a small dining area with a few tables and chairs, shelves of board games, and a larger lounging area with comfortable-looking sofas and overstuffed wingback chairs. Small signs on the tables give the Wi-Fi password. There are a few solo customers and several small clusters of people, but the majority of the customers are same-sex couples, and I feel myself relax. Grinning, I slip my hand into his. “I had no idea this was even here.”

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