Claimed By My Boss

Chapter 9

I feel sick. I feel sick. My legs feel shaky. My heart is palpitating and my lungs are refusing to fill themselves. I couldn’t sleep last night. Lying down was even a struggle. I paced my room. I read and re-read Elijah’s Christmas card and every text we exchanged. I tried my hardest to think back on every single conversation we’ve ever had. But those mostly consisted of him ordering me around and never saying thank you. Pointless and useless. I then found myself looking through family photos, questioning everything. And I don’t even know why. Was I expecting to find Elijah in one of those photographs?

I felt weird driving the SUV to work this morning. It just didn’t feel right. Nothing about this feels right. So much for my dream job! My stomach does somersaults as the elevator comes to a halt and the doors slide open. I’m early, earlier than usual. Nobody else seems to be here and that’s how I wanted it. I bypassed my desk and go straight to Elijah’s office. The glass is still fogged and I wonder if it has been like that since I was in there yesterday. How stupid and naive I must have seemed, allowing him to seduce me like that when all along he had some ulterior motive.

I push the door open roughly and am surprised to find Elijah sitting at his desk. He looks as though he didn’t get much sleep either, maybe he’s even been here all night. Good. I don’t let my surprise show as I strut to his desk and slam down the basket he gave me, containing all the gifts inside it too. Including the car key.

“Grace.” His confusion is apparent.

“In that envelope you’ll find my resignation letter.” I point to the white envelope in the basket then turn on my heel.

“Grace, wait!”

“No. I won’t wait, Elijah.” I spin back to face him. “And whatever this f*****g thing is with my parents, I want nothing to do with it. My mother was distraught last night, and I’m not okay with that. So, whatever it is, you drop it. Drop it, Elijah. You have your gifts back, I’ll be gone from here after today, and we can forget everything!”

I storm out and try to slam the door to make my point, but curse when I remember that it’s a soft closing door. Prick. A stupid bastard with fancy glass doors and walls! I have never felt this angry and yet I don’t even know exactly what it is that I’m mad about. But seeing how my mom cried, seeing the concern on my dad’s face, I know that whatever it is that Elijah was there about, it cannot be good.

“You can quit if you like, Grace, but I can’t take these gifts back.” Elijah’s voice startles me from my livid thoughts. He puts the basket on my desk.

I don’t look up from my desk. “Then throw them in the trash. I don’t want anything from you if it means you can manipulate me and my parents!”

“That’s not what this is, Grace. If you had bothered to listen last night then maybe you would understand.”

“Why should I? Who the f**k are you to be in my house? Who do you think you are?” I snarl, standing from my chair.

“You’ll learn exactly who I am soon enough.”

“I don’t care to know.” What doesn’t he understand about that? He’s insufferable.

“That does not matter.”

“You know what, f**k this!” I grab my handbag and walk around my desk.

I don’t even spare him another glance as I walk towards the elevator. I press the button and say a silent prayer that it doesn’t take long to open. Luckily for me it doesn’t. I don’t hesitate as I step inside and press the button for ground floor. But as I turn to lean against the back wall, I see Elijah’s arm stopping the doors from closing. He steps inside like an animal, a predator and I’m his cornered, defenceless prey. He keeps his distance until the doors close and then he presses the emergency stop button. f**k.

“What are you doing?” I snap, trying to act cool.

“It surprised me, you know, seeing how much attitude you have. So unlike your mother. But I’m not complaining. It’s enjoyable watching you pretend to hate me.” He steps closer.

“I do hate you!”

“Mm-Hmm. You hate me. You hate how much I affect you. You hate that you want me. You hate how your body reveals the truths you are unwilling to. Little liar. I guess I hate you too, then.”

“You’re so full of s**t!” I can feel my cheeks heating and I don’t know if it’s from embarrassment or anger. Both.

“Grace.” He breathes, stepping closer so that his breath brushes my face.

“You can’t just do that.” I try and fail to push him away.

“What? Touch you?” His hands rest on my hips and I suck in a breath. “Kiss you?” His lips graze against my neck, just below my ear and a small moan escapes my mouth. “What can’t I do, Grace?”

“Any of it!” I hate how breathless I sound.”

“Are you sure about that?” He skims his tongue along my jaw. “If you could just hear me out, Grace, things wouldn’t seem so… odd.” His body presses into mine and I can feel his arousal. It does nothing to dull my own. My traitorous body becoming a slave to him whenever he is close.

His left hand moves around to squeeze my ass. Hard. His right hand grasps my jaw and he tilts my head up. I feel like a pot of boiling water - simmering, hot, and dangerous. His tongue drags across my lips and I open for him - helpless to the touch. He invades my mouth hungrily. I can feel that he is losing control of himself as his hand snakes between my legs and starts to travel up to my core. It feels so good, and a very large part of me wants to give in. Throw caution to the wind, let Elijah ravage my body and make me feel as good as I know he would. But I cannot. Not after everything. I need to get control of myself, my body’s response to him!

“Stop!” I say breathlessly, not sounding too convincing.

“Is that really what you want me to do, or are you saying that because you think you should?” His hand stops just before he makes contact between my legs.

“No… yes, stop. I can’t do this, Elijah.” He removes his hand and his body from mine. “I’m… it’s not fair. You’ve manipulated me, there are clearly things going on and I don’t appreciate being the only one in the dark about it.”

“I know.” He sighs.

“So, you cannot touch me anymore.” I fix my blouse and skirt.

“I will not touch you until you know everything.”

“Not until I say so, Elijah. If I ever say so.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” His eyes are full of mischief.

“Start the damn elevator.”

“What floor, Grace?” He questions.

I think for a long moment. “Nineteenth.” I decide. No point in making rash decisions. I’ll hear him out and then decide on the best course of action.

“Keep that resignation letter though, and don’t expect me to do much today!” I throw over my shoulder as I leave the elevator and begin the day.