Behind the Desk

Brooke recognized his footsteps as soon as he stepped out of the lift. Adjusting her blouse so that the barest hint of her black bra peeked out, she waited for him to round the corner with her stomach in knots. As usual, she found herself fretting about how her frizzy blonde hair just wouldn't behave, but she tried her best to ignore it and a smile onto her face.

"Morning, Brooke," he said, waving casually as he sauntered past and took his earphones out. She could just make out the faint tones of Maroon 5's "Moves like Jagger" - a classic.

"Good morning, sir," Brooke smiled.

His eyes flicked down to her cleavage, and her stomach flipped in delight as he lingered for a moment. But it was only ever a moment. Turning away, he opened the frosted-glass door and disappeared into the office.

Exhaling slowly, Brooke allowed herself to slip into her usual morning daydream. She would open the door to the office and lock it behind her. Then, locking eyes with him, she would slowly - ever so slowly - unbutton her blouse, daring him to look away. Once it was unbuttoned, she would start to dance for him, shimmying her skirt down her legs -

The lift dinged, snapping her out of her trance, and she quickly pulled her blouse up into a more professional state. An older woman with graying hair and a worn pantsuit rounded the corner and nodded at Brooke. She smiled back and buzzed her in, trying to catch a glimpse of him in the second that the door remained open.

Two hours later, the door opened again, and the woman emerged as he held it open for her. Brooke's gaze was drawn to his arms, exposed by his rolled-up shirtsleeves. With every ripple of muscle under his skin, she felt her heart beat faster.

"I'll get Jared to sort out that kink, he's got the best eye for those sorts of things," the woman was saying. "And once that's done, we'll be able to get started on the new bonnet."

He nodded. "Perfect, thank you, Jessica," he said. There was a note of tiredness in his voice, imperceptible to anyone except Brooke.

The instant Jessica was back in the lift, his smile faded and he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "When's the next meeting?" he asked, glancing at her.

"Not for another half hour," Brooke said. He nodded gratefully and rubbed his back, wincing. "Are you alright, sir?"

"Yeah, fine," he said, continuing to work the knot. "Just a little sore - I might have overextended myself while batting last night."

Brooke smiled as an idea sparked to life inside her brain. Opening her mouth, she found it dry in anticipation, and she coughed softly to clear it. He looked at her quizzically, and she nearly melted. But she soldiered on. "I could, um, give you a massage," she suggested. "Sir."

The offer hung in the air for what felt like years, and Brooke felt her leg tremble as his sharp eyes scrutinized her expression.

Then he shrugged. "Sure."

Holding the door open for her, he led her into the office. Despite working there for months, Brooke could count the number of times she had been in this room on one hand. The office itself was sleek and minimal, with a large pine desk, three cushioned chairs, and a single painting on the wall - a landscape of a tropical coastline. Floor-to-ceiling windows looked out over the Manchester skyline, letting what natural light there was from the overcast sky fill the room.

He sat down in his chair and slumped down, looking at her languidly. "Where do you want me?"

Brooke fought down the urge to say On top of me. "There's fine," she said, hovering behind him. Hesitantly, she placed her hands on his shoulders, and her breath caught as she felt his muscles through his shirt. She began gently massaging him, timidly at first, but gradually applying more , and was rewarded by a deep sigh escaping from his lips.

"Woah, yeah, right there," he groaned, then looked up at her and laughed sheepishly. "Sorry, that sounded far too sexual."

Brooke laughed nervously and blushed as she moved her hands down his body, kneading him all the while. For a few minutes, the only sound was his heavy, relaxed breathing. Then, she decided to push her luck. "This might be a little easier if you took your shirt off," she said. As soon as the words left her lips, she found herself scared to breathe.

He glanced up at her, and her stomach flipped. Wordlessly, he unbuttoned his shirt and brushed it off, revealing a muscular chest and a six pack that made her knees turn to marshmallows. Tentatively, she placed her hands on his back and resumed the massage, trying to keep her focus despite the fact that her skin was on fire with lust.

Another few minutes passed, which were incredibly tense for her, and incredibly relaxing for him. Brooke kept rehearsing her next step in her mind, kept opening her mouth to say it, but kept chickening out at the last moment, until, finally, she plucked up the courage. Bending down, she whispered softly in his ear, "I can go a little lower if you want."