Chapter 43 : Back in the City

Cat POV Our time in the Caribbean wrapped up faster than I wanted it to. In just a few days, we were able to set the groundwork for the project, talk to potential contractors, and move along with the negotiations for the tract of land. I didn't meddle with that; anything to do with Victoria was on Luke. We went back to the city, and I returned to work at the office. Luke and I thought we could keep things professional, but it wasn't proving to be easy. During a morning briefing, Luke sat at the head of a conference table. The rest of the department heads, including me, sat around the table listening to a presentation by a bridge engineer about a potential new market. Luke's firm primarily dealt in real estate, but building bridges was a very lucrative business he was considering expanding into. During the presentation, I was taking notes when I felt a prickle down my spine. Glancing up, I saw Luke staring at me with deep, smoldering eyes. My cheeks flushed, and I looked down, trying to focus on taking notes. Sometimes, he stared at me so hard, I was sure other people noticed, too. "I want to know more about what it takes to engineer a safe bridge," Luke commented, not taking his eyes off me. The bridge engineer scurried around gathering some other pages. He moved to his laptop and changed the image on the projection screen. "Bridge safety depends on the size, length, and region. Geography and weather conditions have to be taken into consideration…" the engineer kept explaining, but I had tuned him out. Behind Luke, there was a buffet table with catered sandwiches for our meeting. I dropped my pen and headed to the table. Carefully and covertly, I brushed past Luke, just enough for him to get a whiff of my perfume, which I knew he liked. He shifted his chair slightly, and I heard him inhale through his nose. A shiver ran down my spine, and I quickly grabbed a sandwich and returned to my seat. We teased each other all day long in the office, and as worried as I was that other people would notice, the thrill of secrecy kept me pushing the envelope. When I ate my sandwich, I waited for Luke's eyes to come back to me before I locked eyes with him and slowly licked my lips. Luke's jaw tensed and his eyes followed the motion of my tongue, getting brighter and brighter. Suddenly, the lights snapped on, and the projection presentation ended. Luke tapped the tabletop and spread out the papers in front of him, looking at the data. "Get me some estimates on these kinds of projects. I want to know the cost versus profits and see if it is an expansion that will benefit us," Luke insisted in a demanding tone. The bridge engineer nodded and promised to have them on Luke's desk that afternoon. After the meeting, I headed back to my office. I still hadn't filled my wardrobe with fancy suits, blazers, and slacks. While I could dress professionally, I knew I still stuck out like a sore thumb. People always stared at me, and I'd learned to ignore it. The one thing I hadn't gotten used to yet was how some of the people in the office seemed to hate me on Victoria's account. She was involved in the company, behind the scenes, but they knew her from company parties and events. I didn't know why they would all hate me because of Victoria. It wasn't like Luke and I were public with our relationship. Victoria was the type to spread rumors, but I wasn't hearing rumors, just getting dark glares from people as I went about my daily work. Generally, I kept my head down when going from my office to the conference room and anywhere else I had to go. Luke and I constantly flirted when we passed each other, but I avoided going into his office to be alone with him. I didn't trust myself to be alone with him with how much tension was constantly between us at the office. At around four o'clock, the office started emptying. It wasn't the end of the day, but there were some employees with families that Luke let work partial days from home so they could look after their kids. On my way to the bathroom, I heard two women at the water cooler whispering. They were obviously talking loud enough to make sure I heard. "Well, I heard she's been trying to seduce the boss." I rolled my eyes and turned down a different row of offices. It wasn't the most original rumor, and it wasn't the worst I'd heard. As annoying as it was, I knew it was just dumb office politics. I was the new girl, and I wasn't an Ivy League graduate. They thought I was an easy target, and I'd run away with my tail between my legs if they bullied me hard enough. While I was washing my hands, someone else came into the bathroom. I didn't look up from the sink until I heard the bathroom door lock click into place. Glancing into the mirror, I saw Luke behind me, staring at me with a hungry look. "What are you doing?" I asked, my voice a low gasp. "You," he growled. He came up behind me and grabbed my hips. His lips latched onto my neck and he started sucking against my skin. My knees shook, and I grabbed the edge of the sink vanity, my arms trembling just as much. My stomach fluttered, and I bit my lip to hold back my moan. "L-Luke," I gasped. "Shh," he purred in my ear, nibbling on my earlobe. He slid his hand up my shirt and under my bra, squeezing my breast. "This isn't the place," I argued. "There's an office filled with bloodthirsty employees on the other side of that door." I couldn't keep my voice strong and steady. It was a breathy whisper that was hardly convincing. Luke pulled my skirt up over my hips and nibbled on the back of my neck. All my protests were just formalities. Between my legs, I burned for him as much as he burned for me. The trick was keeping our voices down. Unzipping his pants, Luke pushed inside of me and clamped his hand over my mouth, my moans muffled against his skin. I'd be lying to say I wasn't completely turned on, knowing we could get caught at any moment. ** Ever since returning from the Caribbean, I had pretty much moved into Luke's house. As far as anyone else was concerned, I was still in the guest house. I was spending so much time at his place anyway, Luke had suggested I move my things into his place for convenience. I hadn't argued. It made sense. Usually, I got home before Luke. He had to stay late, and if I stayed late, that would just create more rumors if I stayed late with him. I liked getting home first. It let me shower and change, and Adelle and I would end up in the kitchen while she made dinner. I'd keep her updated on everything going on in the office, and she'd tell me of any scandals taking place at the development site. "I keep hearing rumors that I'm trying to sleep with the boss to get ahead," I told Adelle. She giggled and rolled her eyes as she peeled potatoes for dinner. "Like that didn't already happen." She stuck her tongue out at me. "Hey!" I snapped playfully. "I'm not doing it to get ahead." We both laughed, and she got back to work. I sat at the kitchen island on a barstool, elbow on the counter as I confided in her. "Well, you know it isn't true, so it shouldn't bother you," Adelle said, plopping another potato on the pot on the stove. "I just can't help but feel like these rumors have to come from somewhere," I said, shrugging. "Office gossip is what makes the industry go round," Adelle said. Sighing, she came over to me and put a hand on my shoulder. "Have you talked to Luke about it?" "No. I don't want to bother him with it. Besides, if there are rumors, we haven't done much to stop them," I said, my cheeks getting hot. I looked away from Adelle as she giggled and went back to her cutting board. The front door opened and Luke came in. I turned on my stool to greet him. His face was haggard, his eyes a little bloodshot, and his shoulders were slouched. He nodded to Adella, and me, hung up his coat and briefcase, and then went upstairs. Adelle and I looked at each other as we heard the bedroom door close. "I should go see what that is about," I said. "Yeah. Dinner will be ready in about forty minutes," Adelle said, nodding. I knocked on the door to let Luke know I was there, and then I went in. He was sitting on the end of the bed staring down at his hands. "Luke, what is it?" I asked. I sat beside him and reached into his lap, putting my hands over his. He blinked several times and glanced at me like he was just realizing I was there. "I got a call at work today," he said grimly. "Is everything alright?" I asked. Obviously, it wasn't, but I didn't want to play twenty questions about it. Luke shook his head. "My grandfather is very ill. My dad said he doesn't think he is going to be around much longer." Luke sighed and slouched forward. I wrapped my arm around him and cradled him as best I could in his hunched-over position. "That's horrible," I whispered. "My grandfather is the strongest, smartest, most successful man I know. I learned everything from him," he told me, his voice trembling slightly. "You have to go see him," I said firmly. For a moment, Luke was silent and still in my arms. Then he sat up. He sniffed, combed back his hair, and patted his cheeks, bringing a little color back into his face. "We have too much going on at the firm. I can't take time off," he said. "Luke, this is your grandfather. You don't want to miss this opportunity, or you'll regret it forever. Especially if you prioritize work over seeing him," I said, touching his shoulder comfortingly. Luke looked deeply into my eyes, his face softening. He took my hands and brought them to his lips, kissing each on the back. "You're right. I need to go. Will you come with me?" he asked. He raised his eyes to mine with a hopeful spark. Smiling, I squeezed his hands. "Of course, I will." There was no doubt in my mind that Fiona would be there too. But I was going to support Luke. He needed me.