Revelation

Part 6

Riding in the taxi to Gerry's hotel, my mind is whirling with the events of the day, not least of which our impromptu press appearance this morning. Gerry had played his part perfectly and I was fairly confident we'd pulled it off even though the one question I had been both expecting and dreading had been tossed in fairly early.

"You've worked together for more than five years now and Gerry, you've certainly had relationships with other women in that time – the latest as recently as six months ago. Has this all happened in that short space of time or have you always known you had feelings for each other?"

I'd bristled at the implication that Gerry had been stringing me along while dating other women and shot a narrow-eyed glare at the cocky reporter, someone I recognised from a particularly scurrilous gossip rag. Luckily, Gerry answered before I could form a response.

He'd looked down at me with a tender expression, lifting a hand to tuck a lock of hair behind my ear as he answered quietly. "We guys can be pretty ignorant about seeing things that are right in front of us. Thankfully, an event can happen that slaps you on the face and makes you sit up and take notice and if you're not a complete dumb arse, you finally realise that the one person you've been searching for is the one who's been right under your nose the whole time."

Despite the colourful language so typically Gerry it made me smile, my knees had wobbled and I'd found it difficult to swallow, the tone of his voice and glow in his green eyes affecting me as much as his words. Even now, hours later, my heart is pounding as we near our destination. The chemistry between us is undeniable and I tell myself to stop thinking of him as my boss, but as a guy I know well and am about to get intimate with.

Holy shit.

The valet opens my door and takes my overnight bag as Gerry pays the taxi driver, then takes my hand as he ushers me before him through the entrance and straight to the bank of lifts to the left of reception. The guy behind the desk gives us a nod before looking back at his computer screen. There are three other people in the lift, all of whom look at us wide-eyed; we don't say anything, but the arm around my waist pulling me to his side is comforting and I rest my head on his firm chest, feeling him press a soft kiss to my hair. We get off at the fifteenth floor and once again Gerry stands back to let me through the door first as we enter his suite.

"You have nice manners for a barbarian," I tease.

"You like that, huh?" he grins, closing the door but moving no more than a foot in front of it.

"You can be quite charming when you want to be," I add, stepping up to him and placing my palms flat against his shirt, feeling his strong heartbeat underneath.

"Nah, you just caught me on a bad day." When I laugh his grin widens, his hands coming to rest on my hips as he draws me closer still. "So, here we are..."

"Here we are." I bring my arms down and pull the bottom of his button down shirt loose over his jeans, sliding my hands underneath to run them over the firm muscle and soft, warm skin of his back.

"Jo..." My name is almost a groan on his lips and it sends electric pulses throughout my limbs. The mothballs around my lady parts begin fluttering wildly. Wanting to meet him halfway, I rise up on tiptoes to bring my lips nearer to his and close my eyes, feeling his breath tickle my face.

The knocking at the door is like a dose of cold water and this time his groan is one of frustration. Without letting me go he reaches back a long arm and opens the door, where we see a very flustered hotel employee with my bag. "Mr Butler, ah...your luggage, sir...ma'am...I'm very sorry to..."