You Never Knew

Chapter 13

"...and that's how I was banned from the local McDonald's!"

I laugh so hard at Joacim's story my stomach hurts as we stumble out of the elevator.

Joacim had taken me an amazing little seaside restaurant, serving the most incredible fresh fish and perfectly chilled sparkling wine. Normally I would never drink during a workday, but to say my judgement was somewhat clouded was an understatement. We shared stories, laughed and casually flirted.

My mood had completely turned around and I felt great as we continued to laugh by the elevator. And that's when I spotted Finn.

My shoulders slump a bit as he, of course, turns and walk away from us, but not before giving us both an ice-cold glare.

Joacim looks at me, puzzled. "What is up with you and...?"

"Don't ask. I do not want to talk about it." I stumble slightly and he laugh warmly.

"Okay, you probably want to get a bottle of water before getting back to work."

I grin at him, and peck him on the cheek before walking off. "Thanks cutie!"

His laugh is so vibrant it makes me smile again. "Meet you in the copy room later!"

I playfully flip him off before turning into the floor's kitchen space. Standing a little too long in front of the open fridge door, feeling the cold wash over me, trying to clear my head. I take a bottle of water, gulping down almost half of it at once. When I lower the bottle to breathe, I notice Finn pass by the doorway to the kitchen.

Boosted by wine confidence, I slam the bottle down on the counter and move out after him. His broad shoulders a few meters ahead of me. Determined not to let him get away this time, I scan the surroundings for somewhere to corner him. I notice what looks like a storage room to the right that will have to do.

I take one last deep breath, collecting myself and then going in for the attack. I catch him by surprise, using my whole bodyweight to push him against the slightly open door. We crash in through it and I'm fast to close it behind us.

I stand there a while, my back against him, staring at the door, suddenly questioning this whole idea. I hear him move behind me, realising I cannot walk away from this.

"We need to talk..." I try to steady my voice, and manage to do so quite successfully. But my hands are shaking as I turn to face him.

"Why?" He is backed against the opposite wall, as far away from me as possible.

"Well for starters, we cannot keep avoiding each other. Or to be more truthful – you have to stop avoiding me!"

Finn looks at me, his eyes dark and... frightened?

"We are colleagues. We should be able to at least be civil to each other." I take a step towards him, igniting a fire in his eyes.

"I... I can't..." He slowly straightens up into his full length, reminding me of just how tall he is.

"Why?"

"Because every time I see you, all I want to do is this..." He quickly closes the distance between us, pushing me back against the door as his lips crash onto mine.

He tastes of coffee and mint, his eagerness not something that he is hiding. His tongue demand access, and my lips grant it. My body is reaction to him, the tension between us electric.

One hand he has tangled in my hair, the other one on my waist. I curl my fingers into his belt loops, pulling him even closer to me.

His mouth leaves mine and he lets out a restraint grunt against my neck, his face covered by my hair. I gasp for air, trying to come up with something to say, but my brain has signed out, leaving me unable to control my lust-filled body.

I arch against him, trying to turn to meet his lips again. I move, making one of his legs slide in-between mine. He presses his lips roughly against my neck as he feels my warmth pulsate against his thigh.

For what seems likes minutes, neither of us move. But then my body refuses to be ignored anymore. I pull him even tighter against me, before moving with him, enough to turn, making his back slam against the door instead.

I look up at him, feeling the amount of restraint he tries to master. Totally in vain, as I've lost all of mine.

I push up against him, making sure he feels exactly how much I want him. He has his hands dropped to his sides, his palms flat against the door. I slowly lick my lips, biting the bottom one as I gaze into his fiery eyes. I reach up, my hands on either side of his face as I pull him towards me.

"We shouldn't..."

"Does it look like I care?" I close the distance between our lips and I can feel him respond to me. I try to savour his taste, his warmth, my body aching for more.

I move my hands down his chest, slowly unbuttoning his shirt. As I slide my cold hands over his exposed warm skin, I cannot help but gasp against his lips.

As I do, he seems to master the very last of his self-control, moving his hands to my hips and literally pushing me off him.

We stand there, breathing hard at each other.

"I'm sorry...", I gasp.

"No, I'm sorry..."He licks his lips, trying to button his shirt back up. "Maybe we should try talking now...?"

My breathing is still shallow as I smile at him. "You know that was just the warm-up, right?"

He glares at me, putting up his hands in front of him, as a shield against me. My brain is slowly waking again, screaming at me angrily.

I increase the distance between me and Finn, fumbling for words. "You are the most infuriation man I've ever met..."

He lowers his hands, slouching against the door. His chest moving with his enhanced breathing.

"...and the most mesmerising."

He smiles almost shyly at me.

"I actually think that I like..."

"Don't say it... please." He looks at me pleadingly. "If you do... it changes nothing."

He looks away, rubbing his neck.

"I need this job. I need the future that it will give me." He swallows hard and I try to brace myself for his next words. "I will not choose you over that. I can't."

The tears sting in my eyes, but I push them away. "So, what do we do?"

He sees me struggling, moving towards me on instinct to comfort me, but stopping short.

His hands fall to his sides and he lets out a deep sigh. "We both want to keep our jobs, so I guess we have to work together for that to happen."

I look at him, suffocating my feelings and focusing on the task at hand. "You have to stop avoiding me. Others are noticing and are starting to ask questions."

"Noted. We are colleagues and we will treat each other as such."

"Nothing more." I hold out my hand to him. He smiles sadly at me before shaking it.

"If things were different..."

"Don't. Just... don't!" The tears finally refuse to be restrained anymore and start rolling down my face. I quickly turn my back at him.

"Kiara..."

"LEAVE!" I feel him hoovering behind me, before he draws a sharp breath. I hear the door close behind him as he exits.

I cannot allow myself to cry, not at work - and not over him!

I look around the room, actually taking in my surroundings for the first time, when I notice two large printers standing in the corner of the room. A laugh somehow escapes my lips.

Copy room... oh, the irony! 

*****

A/N:

Finally, the copy room being put to good use!

Will they be able to be 'nothing more than colleagues'? And why do Finn need this job that much?

Thank you all for your reads, votes and comments!
It means more to me than I can describe!
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