Frozen

Chapter 5)

Brianna

I knocked on the door to Barney's office with my heart pounding in my chest.

It was unprofessional.

It was uncomfortable for him.

It was crossing the line.

That's what he would say to me. That's why he called me into his office the day after he took me home and I bawled my eyes out and then he left.

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I got a hold of myself and raised my face slightly, wiping at the wet on his shirt.

"I'm sorry," I said hoarsely.

"Don't be," he said back, tucking my hair behind my ear. I gathered the courage to look up into his eyes and I saw the same expression that was on it earlier. The one that vanished quickly that I couldn't quite pick out.

Well, now I knew what it was, seeing it up close in those baby blues.

Wonder.

He was looking at me with wonder.

"What?" I asked, almost shyly.

Just like last time, the wonder vanished from his face, leaving a blank slate.

"Nothing," he said gently but with no emotion.

All this back and forth was giving me whiplash.

"You've gotta stop that," I snapped.

He looked surprised and blinked.

"Stop what?" he asked.

"This hot and cold bullshit. One second, you're looking at me like you want to rip my clothes off, the next you look like you want to throttle me, then you're all sweet, then you're just completely impassive. There's like four different Barney's and I don't know if I can keep up," I said, exasperated.

He took a step back and shrugged indifferently.

"Then don't try," he said simply, turning around and walking away.

I took a deep breath and let it out in a huff, deciding that was enough excitement for one day, and went to bed.

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And now I was here, standing in front of his office after receiving an email from him that was short, and to the point.

Brianna,

Come in today at 8:00am, we have something we need to discuss.

Barney.

So, I came in at 8:00, which was rather convenient as I could just come right over after dropping Bentley off at school, and went straight to his office, not even taking a second to look around at the club, which was turned into a high-end restaurant in the daytime.

The door opened almost immediately, and Barney's face, as it often does, gave away nothing. I felt horribly underdressed in my sweatshirt and ripped jeans, compared to Barney's all black three piece suit, the pants hugging his ass way too well, the jacket stretching over his broad shoulders in a way that was not healthy to my sanity.

God, all over shiver.

At least he's going to fire me. Then the torture of seeing him every day and not being allowed to touch will be over.

Barney didn't say a word as he waved me inside his office.

As soon as I was a safe distance away from the door, it was shut and I might be wrong, but I think I heard a lock click.

I spun around to see Barney looking at me with that same unreadable expression.

"Does this time work for you?" he asked.

The question was so unexpected, my eyebrows drew together and I think I gave him a nod because he continued.

"One of my day girls wants to be moved to a night shift. I gave her yours."

I closed my eyes for a second before nodding and attempting to give him some small semblance of a smile.

"So, if you're okay with the longer hours, then I'd like you to start now," Barney continued, sitting on the edge of his desk, and reading my every expression carefully.

I froze and blinked once.

"N-now?" I stumbled.

"Yes. Your new hours are from eight to four," he said calmly.

Calmly, as if he didn't just rock my world.

Eight to four.

Not only was it two hours longer than my last shift, giving me two extra hours of pay, but that meant I could drop off Bentley at school, go to work, and pick him up on my way home from the after-school care, and he would only have to be there for an hour.

I wouldn't be spending fifty a day on a babysitter anymore.

I would have my whole evening with Bentley.

I would get paid more.

With wide eyes that I'm sure had some glaze to them I took in Barney.

He gave me everything and he has absolutely no fucking clue.

Maybe I should tell him.

I opened my mouth, but he shook his head subtly. I don't know if it was conscious on his part, but it still stopped me.

I walked forward slowly until I was right in front of him, and he straightened up from his position leaning on the desk and that brought us about an inch and a half apart.

"Thank you," I whispered, leaning up on my tip toes to kiss his cheek. I let myself linger for a second, subtly taking in his spicy, masculine scent, then I slowly pulled back to see his eyes closed and one corner of his lips tilted up.

For some reason, with some courage I didn't know I possessed, I leaned in again, except this time my lips landed square on his.

Since my eyes were already open, I saw the exact moment his flew open in shock, and I counted the seconds that we stayed that way. No one moving, lips touching, challenging each other with our eyes. Two...three...four...

On five, Barney's lips parted slightly and my eyes fluttered closed.

Six, my lips followed suit and the tip of his tongue reached out.

Seven, my hands curled themselves into the lapels of his suit jacket, and his formed steel bands around my waist.

Eight, he tilted his head and took my mouth deeper, using a whole lot of tongue and a whole lot of skill.

Nine...ten...eleven...I lost count and then it's just me and Barney, our lips moving in sync, his arms trapping me into something I didn't know existed. Something I thought my father had taken away from me forever and even though I had come to terms with the fact that I would never have it, I couldn't express the relief I felt that I have it back.

A place where I feel completely and totally safe.