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“Yes, sir.”
I chuckle. “Say it with me, Jim.Jocelin.”
“Heading to the elevator, si… Jocelin.” He sounds like he chokes on the name but manages to force it out.
“Good man. Heading down now.”
I grab my key card and step into the elevator, pushing “G.” When the doors open, Jim holds out the sack of food. “Here you go.”
“Thank you, Jim. I appreciate it.” I step back into the elevator and tap my key card against the reader, then jam my finger on the button for my floor, waving at Jim as the doors shut.
When I reach the loft, the doors open to Gunnar in his borrowed sweats, leaning against the couch, looking at his phone. I inhale sharply, my mouth actually watering, and not because of the food. I try not to stare, but it’s a lost cause, and Gunner’s self-satisfied smirk is deserved. “Like what you see, Joce?”
Nodding in spite of my hot cheeks, I step out of the elevator. “Dear god, yes. The whole ensemble leaves nothing to the imagination, and I adore it.” He pushes away from the couch, and I walk toward him, ogling to my heart’s content. “Those can be yours now. I gift them to you.” Or, really, to myself, since looking at him in that outfit is a very special kind of gift. “This is my favorite outfit you’ve ever worn.” I walk past him and brush my fingertips over his muscular ass. “Should we put on a movie and eat in the living room?”
“Sure. Sounds good.” Gunnar goes to the kitchen to grab utensils, and we set everything out on the coffee table.
Once we’re settled, I turn on some documentary because I know Gunnar likes them. He props himself in the corner of the couch, and I sit close, so we’re pressed together from shoulder to thigh. We eat and watch in fascination as the narrator covers the art of glass blowing, sharing bites of food and the occasional comment until the credits roll. I set down my empty container and lean into his warmth. “That whole show was hypnotic.”
Gunnar nods. “It really was. And fascinating.” He reaches over and takes the remote, turning off the TV. I sigh, knowing what’s coming. He pulls me into a hug and rests his head against mine. “Would you tell me what happened today?”
With a sigh, I settle against him, lacing our fingers together. “I guess now is as good a time as any. But to be completely honest, I’m not really sure I understand it myself. It’s like a fever dream.” He kisses the side of my head, resting his cheek against my temple. It’s centering and helps me stay focused. “When I got back from my late lunch, I was immediately called to Alistair’s office. Nando and Victoria were there. Both Alistair and Nando looked confused, but Victoria was incredibly smug. She’s never liked me, and I knew if she was looking at me like that, whatever the meeting was about, it couldn’t be good.” Anytime Victoria is happy, it’s because someone else is not. That’s a fact.
“Alistair said the contract that I’d been working on for weeks, the one for his big client, was flawed from start to finish. There were key pieces of language missing that exposed the client and our firm to potential lawsuits.” I shift to look at Gunnar. “I know what I wrote. That contract was perfect. There were no flaws.”
He frowns. “You ever have any issues like this before?”
“No. Contract law is something I’ve always been good at. The words always make sense to me. The errors Alistair described are pre-law level mistakes. If they hadn’t been caught…” Fuck.The thought has my stomach clenching.
He scratches his beard. “What would you gain by doing that? And who would possibly believe you’d do it?”
I shrug. “Alistair and Nando seem to believe I had nothing to do with any of it, but their hands are tied. Victoria was gloating, though. She’s out for blood.” Indignation flares in my chest and I turn in his arms to look in his eyes. “She demanded they fire me on the spot.”
Gunnar tenses under me. “That bitch!”
My chest swells with affection for his instant support. “Alistair told her to be quiet.” The memory makes me smile, and I tuck myself back against his side. “He and Nando agreed to paid leave pending the results of the investigation. So I’m off until further notice.”
Gunnar hugs me. “You seem to be in a better frame of mind about it.”
I tilt my head and grin up at him. “There have been a few moderating circumstances since the initial event. And I’m probably still on an oxytocin high.” His beard is soft against my lips as I brush a kiss to his cheek. “Plus, telling you about it and hearing the details makes me realize just how unbelievable the whole thing is. Someone deliberately set me up, and I’m fairly certain I know who. It’s the only thing that makes any sense.”
“What are you going to do?”
That is the question. “There really isn’t anything I can do. I wasn’t allowed to take anything home with me except my personal belongings, so my laptop is at the office under lock and key. I have no way of knowing what’s going on until they tell me the findings, or I’m brought in to answer questions.” I shrug. “I have to trust that Alistair will get to the bottom of it. Worrying isn’t going to make it better.” With a feather-light brush of my fingertips, I trace over the patterns on his forearm. “The good news is, I have my own very handsome distraction to keep my mind occupied.”
“Mmm. I like the sound of that. I’m absolutely willing to be your distraction.” He kisses the top of my shoulder, and I lean into him, wanting his touch. “In fact, what if I take tomorrow off? We could spend the day togetherdistractingeach other.”
I swivel around to face him. “You’d do that?”
“I’ll bet Tadhg won’t mind. He’s very worried about you. I’m pretty sure I’m at your disposal for the next day or so, but I’ll check.” He fires off a text, and a reply comes quickly. Before he responds again, Gunnar puts the phone down, meeting my gaze. “Is it okay to fill him in a bit? He’s really concerned.”
The fact he asked makes me ludicrously happy. That he asked unprompted gives me all kinds of giddy feelings. “Yes. Thank you for asking,mon chéri. And let him know I’ll call tomorrow and explain everything. I just want some down time with you tonight.” I have the best friends.
A few text exchanges later, Gunnar sets down his phone again and pulls me into his arms. “All set. It’s you and me tomorrow, babe.”
“Excellent.” I straddle Gunnar’s lap and wrap my arms around his neck. “Wanna sleep over?”
He slides his hands down my back to cup my ass, making my skin tingle and my cock take notice. “Mmm. I could be persuaded.”
