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“You do enjoy it? Work, I mean.”
“Not every day. Today was not a day for enjoying work. On balance, I’m happy, babe.” He shifted onto his side. “How’s the arse?”
“Today, she is not enjoying herself, but, on balance, my arse is very happy.”
He laughed at my comparison.
“My clit is extremely happy. So thank you for that.”
His face became serious again, and he traced his finger around my right nipple, tickling it. “I can’t always be what you want me to be. I’m trying to be consistent.”
“I understand.” I trapped his hand under mine. “If you want to end our agreement, go back to the bedroom-only dominance—”
He shot his hand up and over my mouth, smothering my last few words. “No. We’re not going back. At least, I’m not. Bear in mind, I’m balancing many spinning plates, and I don’t want you to be one of them. I need you, babe. Your submission and love.”
“You have them, always.” I kissed his hair, those wondrous golden locks.
“Thank you,” he murmured.
Knowing he was dealing with work issues, I tried to keep my own problems out of his eyes and ears. All I needed to do was progress my art gallery, which I did with as little fuss as possible. My part-time work remained sporadic and without a rigid timetable, as I wanted to be there if Jason needed me.
I tried to encourage him to have lunch away from the office with Joshua and me. However, the tactic wasn’t always a success as he fobbed me off with meetings. I offered to bring him homemade sandwiches, instead. He accepted the suggestion, and I arrived a few days after his stress-laden Wednesday to find his office door wide open and no sign of Jason.
“Sorry, Mrs Lucas, he’s held up somewhere on the fourth floor,” said Melissa. “No Joshua?”
“No.” Obviously, since I was quite alone. “With the nanny.”
I deposited the sandwiches on his desk and sat in his leather chair admiring the view of the city through the vast window. I glanced at my wristwatch; still no sign of him.
I abandoned his chair. “Melissa, where would I find Penny Ryan?”
She checked her computer and gave me Penny’s location on the fifth floor. Penny was a former colleague from my short spell working for Jason’s company, a person I had avoided meeting for a long time. I had originally categorised her as a bitch with no redeeming features. However, she’d mellowed since her mother’s death, and we’d managed to form a kind of friendship.
I located the fifth-floor office space and found her little desk in amongst many others all lined up in rows. She stabbed at her keyboard, her decorated nails clattering on the plastic, and I held back, feeling a little guilty about interrupting her.
“Penny?” I edged closer.
She thumped a hand to her chest. “Good grief, Gemma. You made me jump.” She rose and we exchanged the customary non-contact peck on the cheek.
“How are you?” she asked, glancing past me as if she expected Jason to loom behind me.
“Good.”
“Your little boy?” She offered me a nearby chair.
“Growing.” I showed her a small photo, which I kept in my handbag.
“Oh, he doesn’t half look like his daddy,” she remarked, handing me it back.
“Yes, doesn’t he,” I agreed, tucking it back
in my purse.
Others in the room took note of our conversation, their heads bobbing up and down. I doubted they knew who I was because I rarely circulated around the building during my visits.
We chatted. Having touched on my personal matters, she revealed her recent engagement, and I congratulated her.
“I have to go,” I said, rising from my seat.
