It was most definitely time to go work out and expend some of his pent up energy. He went down in his private elevator, avoiding Amy the rest of the day, choosing to communicate through email only. It seemed to be much safer that way for the both of them.

Chapter Two

Time flew by quickly for Amy as she learned her new job. Lucas was away the most of the time and communication was done through email. Joseph stopped by the office a few times to help her with things and they ended up chatting for hours.

Lucas fired the blond receptionist, which thrilled Amy as the woman had shot daggers at her every time she came in and out of the office. Amy had wanted to shout at her that she wasn’t interested in the boss and she could have at him but somehow she’d managed to maintain her composure.

The new receptionist was a great guy and with the boss gone, when she had spare time, she would sit there with him chatting about everything. She’d only been working with him for a few weeks and he was quickly becoming her best friend.

Her buzzer sounded. “Amy darling, it’s lunch time. I need to get out of this place before I go insane. Let’s head out for some far too greasy pizza and soda,” came Tom’s energetic voice through her speaker.

“I’m on my way out. Give me five minutes to finish this email for Mr. Anderson and then I’m all yours.”

Amy came out of her office and Tom threw his arm around her waist as they headed for the elevators. The door came open just as he was leaning down towards her in what would seem like an intimate moment to an observer, which was what Lucas saw as he stepped through the open doors.

“What’s going on here Amy?” he practically shouted. “Have you forgotten this is a place of business? I’m gone a few weeks and you think you can parade your boyfriends in and out of here? What if I’d been a customer?” The barely suppressed ire in his voice surprised Amy.

Tom smiled to himself, turning so his new boss couldn’t see. He could instantly tell the boss was jealous. Well, this is certainly interesting he thought to himself. He decided to have a little bit of fun, “Hello Mr. Anderson, Ms. Harper and I were just stepping out on our lunch break. We already set the phones and will be back in one hour.” With that he pulled her into the elevator and they were gone.

Before Lucas had time to react the doors shut, leaving him stunned and more than a little angry.

He almost followed them down so he could drag her back up to the offices. Only years of tightly managed control had him staying where he was. What he really wanted to do was pitch Tom out of a window and haul Amy into his arms. He’d avoided her as much as possible in hopes that he would get over his infatuation but the way she looked at him didn’t help. He could see it was a mutual attraction and she was fighting her growing feelings for him as much as he was fighting his for her.

He sat there stewing the entire hour they were gone, not getting any work done. He just paced from one end of his office to the other, waiting impatiently.

“You know you let him think we were sneaking off for some illicit affair during our lunch hour.

I’m going to catch hell for that,” Amy tried to say as sternly as possible as her and Tom sat down.

“I couldn’t resist. He had such a sour expression on his face at seeing you locked in the arms of my beautiful self,” he chuckled.

Amy had been fighting her attraction to Lucas from the moment she’d met him. She knew he wanted her but she also knew it was a really bad idea to get involved with her boss. She wasn’t one of those women who slept her way to the top. She wasn’t even close to being one of those corporate barracuda women anyway. She was working hard so that one day she could provide a stable home for the family she’d always wanted. She would never bring a child into the world without first making sure she could give that child the best possible home life.

“You were holding out on me you know. I had no idea the boss was hot for your body,” Tom continued.

“He isn’t hot for my body,” she said. “He just likes to be in control of everything, including his employees. Just you wait, he’ll be telling you who you can date as well,” she said, starting to see some of the humor in the situation. She knew that they would both end up getting over the attraction soon enough and she in no way wanted Tom to know she thought her new boss was stunning and made her breath hitch each time he walked in the room.

“Darling, I can already tell I’m not his type, unfortunately,” he sighed, being over dramatic. “I would love to change him but there are some men that only have eyes for the hourglass. Poor me, I’m destined for heartache seeing that piece of man hunk on a daily basis and never having a shot.”

Tom had successfully pulled her out of her melancholy. She knew she was going to have to put up with Lucas’s bad mood when they got back but for the moment she and Tom were having a great lunch.

They finished up and then walked back to the office, making sure not to touch. Amy felt no need to press her luck any further that day. She didn’t want to lose her job because the boss thought she was the office floozy.

Before she could even sit down she was getting buzzed into Lucas’s office. “Ms. Harper, can you please step in here? We have a lot of things to go over this afternoon and because of your extended lunch we’re behind,” his voice snapped over the intercom.

Amy sighed, knowing her peaceful day was officially over. She gathered her laptop up and headed for the door that connected their offices. She did grumble a bit to herself though as she’d made sure she didn’t take an extended lunch and had in fact been back about ten minutes sooner than she needed to.

Lucas didn’t look up as she walked into the room. She silently crossed the floor and sat down on the opposite side of the desk from him. They sat there for several minutes in uncomfortable silence. She began to squirm which ticked her off even more. How dare he make her feel like a school kid sitting in the principal’s office because she’d been caught necking on campus?

Lucas knew the second she entered his office. She didn’t make a sound but her scent engulfed him. His eyes were locked on the computer screen while he punched buttons on the keyboard, though he had no clue what he was doing. For all he knew he could’ve given away millions of dollars.

He knew he had to make a comment sooner or later but he was still too close to grabbing her out of the chair and making her forget any other man but him. He was imagining throwing her over his desk and ending the torture for both of them. He could brand her his and she would have no thoughts of any man but him. The thought of her crying out his name was almost his undoing.

“Did you finish that Nielson report I emailed you?” He finally spoke and was satisfied to see her jump at the sound of his voice. For some strange reason her reaction relaxed him. He liked how he made her nervous. He wondered what else would make her jump.

Lucas stood up, walked around his desk and sat on the edge of it, leaving them only inches away from their legs brushing. He noticed she sat up even straighter if that were possible. Her legs were locked so tightly together he was surprised she didn’t jump up suddenly with a muscle spasm.

After what seemed like hours but was in fact only seconds, Amy handed him the file wordlessly, having anticipated he would be asking for it. He took the file from her, making sure their fingers brushed. He noticed goose bumps appear on her arm.

He started feeling much better, knowing he was back in charge. He pretended to read the file, taking his time, enjoying the close proximity. “Very good,” she once again jumped as if she’d forgotten they were sitting there in the room together.

She was far too strong to admit he was making her feel anything and there was no way that she would cry mercy. He’d figured out that much about her from the first day they’d met. If she’d looked upset in any way at all then he would’ve found the will power to pull away from her but he could see the passion shimmering in her eyes and he knew how she was feeling.

Lucas shifted his weight causing his leg to press up against hers. She sat there frozen. It was obvious she wanted to move but didn’t know how to do it without being noticeable about it.

He was getting way too hot sitting so close to her so he gave them both a break and started pacing the room to create some distance. “Very good work,” he finally said about the file. They got into a comfortable routine after that and the rest of the afternoon they worked well together.

The air was filled with tension but they made a good team when they both focused.

He didn’t want to let her leave. He was enjoying her smell surrounding him. He was enjoying the way her eyes would dart to him and then look away. He was enjoying the intoxicating way her curves made his body tighten.

She didn’t understand the attraction towards Lucas. She had to continually tell herself she couldn’t stand his type. She didn’t need, nor want a man in her life. She liked her life just fine and wanted no man to step in and tell her how to live. He was just another guy, like so many other men she’d been around before him.

She would never go for a rich, egocentric billionaire like her boss. She prided herself on the wise decisions she always made and the fact she was careful to stick with her goals. She couldn’t mess up all of her carefully laid out plans by having a meaningless affair.

At five that evening there was a knock on the door. “Come in,” Lucas spoke up.

Tom bounded into the room. “Hello Mr. Anderson,” he spoke, before turning towards Amy.

“You ready to head out? I got the phones switched over and I’m dying for a bloody Mary and some hot wings.”

Lucas glanced at the clock and then narrowed his eyes at the unwanted intrusion. How had the day gotten so far away from him? He certainly didn’t want Amy rushing off with Tom for drinks.He wanted to keep her there with him.

Amy started to get up from her seat when Lucas spoke up. “We have far too much work to finish up tonight Tom. Amy will have to miss out on happy hour,” he said too rudely for her liking.

“It’s okay Tom, I’ll just catch the bus home tonight. I really appreciate the ride in today though.

I’ll see you on Monday.” She gave him an apologetic smile and then went back to work on her laptop.

“Okay Hun see ya on Monday,” he winked at her.

“Have a great weekend Mr. Anderson.” Tom breezed out quickly and once again Amy was alone with Lucas. She stared after Tom for a few minutes with longing. She would love to just sit down and have a drink. Her nerves had been on edge all afternoon.

Lucas’s mood seemed to deteriorate once again after Tom left the room. “Why didn’t you take your own car into work today?” He finally asked, ending twenty minutes of awkward silence.

“I don’t have a car. I usually just ride the bus into work but Tom doesn’t live too far from me so the last couple of days we’ve been carpooling together. I have no problem riding the bus though.” She resented having to explain things to him.

“I’ll give you a ride home tonight since I’m keeping you late,” he said as if the matter was instantly settled. He didn’t expect anything but her compliance.