Lucas – 12. chapter

She had to wait almost an hour.

“Come here,” his voice broke the silence.

She walked over.

“The door,” he said toward the desk as she was already closing it. It wasn’t that she was afraid of him. She knew this would be an unpleasant conversation, but she agreed it wasn’t meant for anyone else. She stopped by the door and he chose not to guide her any further. He picked up her resignation letter and placed it on the edge of the desk, closer to her.

“I’m listening,” he said, looking straight at her.

“I didn’t catch the question,” she replied, lifting her chin.

“Why do you want to leave?”

She frowned.

“You’re joking, right?”

“No. I’m asking seriously.”

“Lucas. You raped me!” her voice rose.

“You liked it!” he shouted.

“No, I didn’t!” she shot back.

He raised his eyebrows in shock and anger, drew a sharp breath, pushed his chair back and stood up, bracing his knuckles on the desk.

“Damn it, I fucked an orgasm out of you. Don’t stand there now telling me you didn’t like it.”

She answered only after a few seconds, calmer now.

“I’m not saying it wasn’t technically pleasant.”

“Oh. Pleasant?” he repeated sarcastically. “All right. Go on.”

“But no one is going to take that kind of liberty with me.”

He walked around the desk but didn’t come closer, just leaned back against the edge, arms crossed.

“So you’re really that angry I made you obey?”

She shook her head sharply.

“Lucas, I am not obligated to tolerate this. You have no right.”

“For that massive fraud of yours, you deserved a little lesson. And admit it, you got off very well, considering what you deserved.”

She snorted.

“In a normal world, a termination would have been enough.”

“You wouldn’t have given a damn. My punishment was far more effective. And I won’t deny it was more enjoyable for me,” he added with a wink.

She kept her voice down with effort.

“Lucas, no one touches me without my consent. No one treats me like a child and disciplines me.”

She looked incredibly sexy like this. Determined and brave. The thought of grabbing her and taming her tempted him. A stupid adolescent phrase, “bend her over and pound her,” flashed through his mind. He didn’t dare even let the conversation drift in that direction, let alone act on it. He didn’t have to. The immediate response of his body gave his thoughts away to Lucia. Blood rushed into his pants, and it showed at once.

“Are you doing that on purpose?” Lucia frowned, then lifted her gaze back to his eyes.

“No. Sorry.” He shoved his hands into his pockets, hoping it would hide it. “I told you I react the moment you’re in the room. I can’t control it. And by the way, between the two of us, it’s more on you.” He smiled at her provocatively.

“Maybe you should spend more time in the bathroom,” she snapped.

“If it makes you feel better, I jerked off twice this morning,” he countered.

“I am not discussing this. Sign it.”

“No. You’re not going anywhere.”

She scoffed.

“I think you don’t fully understand the situation. Let me explain. If you don’t sign it, HR will. And if you interfere and they refuse it, I simply won’t be here tomorrow. Or do you really think gross misconduct means anything to me?”

He had forgotten that part. And she was right.

“Okay,” he said slowly. “Let’s try to make a deal. I can try to… stop using force on you.”

“You will not try. This ends. Period.”

He looked at her, realizing he had nothing left to fight this war with. But he didn’t want to lose her.

“Then let’s try this another way,” he said quietly. “Is there anything… Anything at all… Anything I could do that would convince you to stay?”

She hesitated. Then shook her head.

“No. Only if you promise you’ll never touch me again.”

He hated it. But it was light at the end of the tunnel.

“Fine,” he agreed reluctantly.

She was surprised. She hadn’t expected him to agree.

“…Still sign it,” she added after a moment.

She continued before he could object.

“We’ll do it like this. I worded it as termination by mutual agreement effective today. There’s no date. You sign it and I keep it. You promise not to touch me without permission. I promise not to use it as long as you keep your word. If you break it, including accidental contact while handing papers or in a crowded elevator, I’ll add the date and submit it to HR.”

He hesitated.

“That’s a liiittle harsh. It could happen that we… I don’t know, both bump into the same door at once.”

“Yes. And that’s when I can leave,” she shrugged.

He watched her, breathed in, breathed out. Turned to the desk. Pulled the paper closer. Took the pen. He didn’t read it. He just thought. Then, with a trained motion, he signed his deal with the devil. He turned and handed her the paper.

“Fine. Back to being colleagues.”

She took it and folded it in half without a word.

“Which means you’re my subordinate and you’ll carry out all my tasks in the office.”

“Work tasks. From my original job description,” she nodded.

She turned and walked back to her desk, clearly satisfied.

He was convinced this sulk would pass in a day or two. Still, the feeling sat wrong.

He called Peter for a drink, grabbed his jacket and passed Lucia.

“You can go home. I’m leaving and I won’t be back today.”

In situations like that, she usually thanked him and wished him a nice day, but now his permission, however harmlessly meant, only made her blood pressure rise, so she stayed silent. He took two steps, then backed up. She looked at him questioningly. He stood there with his hands in his pockets, thinking.

“I’m in different pants, and you’ve got a different bag. Did you leave yesterday’s one at my place? Want me to bring it?”

“No. I took it.”

“Okay.” And he started to leave.

“And for that, I’d be in jail,” she muttered.

“What did you say?”

She flinched and turned back.

“Uh. Your pants were neatly hung in the bathroom. You clearly weren’t in a hurry to come after me,” she said, deciding to deflect by attacking.

He glared at her with open hostility. He hesitated for a moment, then said.

“Would it surprise you if I told you I mainly went there to jerk off? Otherwise I would’ve fucked you right there on that bed.”

She stared at him.

“I was afraid I wouldn’t have had time to get you aroused and you’d truly see it as rape.”

She held his gaze for a few seconds, then looked away and turned back to her monitor.

“Your good intentions don’t interest me. You had no right. In any case, it’s settled. Have a nice evening.”

He hesitated for a few seconds, then left.