Spill The Coffee

“See you then … Okay … Thank you. Bye.” Lacey ended the call and placed the phone on the receiver. 

“Have you seen the new intern?” Jade walked up to Lacey’s cubicle and planted herself on the corner of the desk. 

“Did I ever!” Lacey wiggled her eyebrows up and down. “I just want to grab him by the tie and do unspeakable things to him.”

“Same. And those green eyes. I swear, I’ve drowned in them several times.”

“Speak of the devil.” Their eyes travelled down the hallway to the figure walking towards them. 

“Tits up.” Jade jumped off the desk and straightened her skirt. 

“Hello, ladies.” Green eyes shifted between the two of them. 

“Theo, you look as handsome as ever.” Lacey flicked her wavy black hair over her shoulder.  

“Not as beautiful as you ladies.” His focus stopped on Lacey and she could feel her cheeks heat up.  

“Have you been settling in well?” Her elbow rested on the desk. 

“Yeah, everyone has been really nice.”

“Well, just holler if you need any help. We could talk over a coffee or lunch …” She leaned forward and placed her chin on her entwined hands. 

A slamming door caught their attention and had Lacey out of her chair at once. 

“Sir!” Her voice pitched an octave higher. “I didn’t see you there.”

“Clearly.” Her boss, Grayson, grumbled.

She could have sworn his eyes got a shade darker as his gaze moved to Theo and back to her again. 

“I’ll talk to you later.” Jade excused herself, grabbing Theo by the arms and dragging him away with her. 

“Why is your jaw so tense? Have you not been using your night guard?” Lacey crossed her hands over her chest. 

“What? No!” His eyes briefly dropped down to where she crossed her arms but he swiftly turned around and walked back into his office. 

“Weird. He didn’t even ask for anything.” She stared at the door for a split second and took her seat again. 

Halfway through an email, a loud crash from Grayson’s office had Lacey on her feet in seconds.  

Knuckles rapping against the wooden surface, she pressed the handle down and opened the door. 

“Is everything all right, sir? I heard a crash and …” her voice trailed off as her eyes travelled up and down. The image of Grayson’s naked chest did funny things to her stomach. “You’re naked.”

“I spilled coffee on myself.” He brushed over his abdomen with his, now dirty, shirt. 

“I can see that.” Lacey’s head cocked to the side and she couldn’t take her eyes off his beautifully hairy chest. 

“Luckily I didn’t spill it on my pants.” He patted the front of his pants which of course drew her eyes down south. 

“Such a shame.” A lock of hair swirled around her finger. 

“What?” Grayson’s hand stopped mid-waist and she realised he was staring at her. 

“What?” She raised her eyebrows. “I’ll go get you a clean shirt.” She turned around, nearly bumping into the doorframe. “That came out of nowhere.” She giggled, patting the frame as she looked back at him causing her to stare again. 

“Lacey?” Grayson crushed the shirt tighter and casually tossed it from one hand to the other, his body fully facing her now. 

Her pupils widened as she cleared her throat. Slowly her gaze travelled up from his belt until she met his raised fiery, auburn eyes. 

“The shirt. I’ll be back with your shirt.” She recovered before bumping into the doorframe again, slamming the door behind her. 

Five minutes later, a clean shirt - she kept in stock- in hand, Lacey knocked on Grayson’s door again. 

“Enter.” His rusty voice vibrated through the door. 

Mentally prepared for his nakedness this time she tried to keep her eyes focused on his hairline as she handed him the shirt. 

“Thank you.” He flicked open the shirt, smoothly slipping it over his back and arms. If she wasn't careful, she’d be drooling on the floor. 

“Was there anything else?” One by one his fingers glided over the buttons. 

“So hot.” Slipped out of her mouth which was quickly recovered with “our day, your day. It is so hot today, is what I’m saying. Would you like some coffee?” She clapped her hands together in an attempt to center herself. It definitely didn’t help that he looked up at her through his long, thick eyelashes. 

“Sir, you wanted to talk to me?” Theo stepped into the office. 

“Yes. Lacey, close the door behind you.” Grayson pressed his one fist against the table with his other hand resting on his hips, his eyes not meeting hers. 

She looked at Theo to which he only shrugged his shoulders. 

It made her question Grayson’s sudden change in mood. Yes, he had been kinda grumpy all day - which was not unusual - but now he just dismissed her? 

Heels clicked on his wooden floors and she picked up the dirty shirt from his desk. 

“Would you like some coffee?” She asked Theo as she walked past him. 

“That won’t be necessary. This won’t take long.” Grayson looked at her with intent. 

“Right.” She gave a sympathetic glance to Theo before disappearing through the door. 

Curiosity got the better of her because she found herself on her knees, one ear pressed against the door, trying to construct a comprehensive sentence through all the mumbling. 

To get more comfortable, she pressed both her hands against the door but lost her balance when the door swung open, causing her to fall flat on her face. 

Lacey could feel her heart rate exhilarating as a million different scenarios, of what was about to happen next, ran through her mind. 

Boxing up her shame she got to her knees. Her gaze slowly moved up as she followed the black dress pants in front of her. 

What she did not expect was the slightly drunken expression on Grayson’s face and the wave of sexual tension that hit her. 

“You should stop looking at me like that.” He purred, eyes turning a shade darker. 

“Like what?” Her dumb brain responded. 

His only response was his fingers carefully curling up into fists. 

“You are going to be the death of me.” Grayson held out his hand, pulled her up and moved back to his desk. 

“Where’s Theo?” She was in such a trance, she hadn’t even registered he left. 

“I asked him to go.” 

“Like go get you coffee or something? I know he’s an intern but you could have asked me.” She systematically regained her posture. 

“No, I fired him.”

“You what?” Her eyes widened. “Why would you do that?”

“I’m the boss. I can do what I want.”

“Well, sure. But Theo didn’t do anything wrong.”

“That’s not the point-”

“He’s been working very hard trying to learn as much as he can.” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. 

“That’s not why I fired him.”

“He even asked me how you took your coffee-”

“Lacey, stop.” Grayson placed his hands against the desk. 

“I just don’t understand what he did wrong for you to fire him. Do you know what that would look like on his resumé?” Her hands moved in all directions. 

“Lacey-“

“No, you have done a lot of things I went along with, but not this. Why would you fire someone who didn’t do anything wrong and why-”

“Because he likes you.” Grayson couldn’t control himself any longer.

“Okay?” Lacey shook her head with confusion. “I don’t understand why that should get him fired.”

“You really are oblivious.” He rubbed his hand against his temple. 

“To what?” Her brain couldn’t wrap itself around what he was talking about. 

“I like you.”

“Okay. I mean, I would hope you’d at least tolerate me since we work together day in and day out.”

“No, Lacey. I like you, like you.”

“I like you too.”

“Dammit, Lacey Anne Carter. I’m in love with you.”

“Oh.” A tingling sensation rippled through her body and she wasn’t sure if it was the way he looked at her or the fact that he was unhurriedly making his way towards her. 

It wasn’t until she felt his lips on hers that her body melted into his.