Ground Floor: Toys and Games (9 page)

“I was just leaving, Mr Kelsey.” She flustered past Jamie’s father.

“I thought I told you to put an end to that.” Kelsey senior fixed him under his steely stare.

“And I told you that wasn’t going to happen. Now, what can I do for you?” Jamie would neither confirm nor deny that he had been doing something he shouldn’t during office hours. Although, it had been a close call. He could’ve lost everything he had worked so hard to build here if his father had caught them. Jen and the store were his main priorities and he needed to find a way to have both without putting his future with either in jeopardy. Perhaps it was time he reined himself in, on the work premises at least. He was a grown man. He should be able to control his urges to some extent.

His father pulled up a chair and sat down with his elbows leaning on the desk. “Stop pissing about. I need to know you’re up to the job or else…”

The threat hung in the air like a bad smell.

Jamie caught sight of Jen’s gift sitting on the corner of the desk, a little bag of ammunition just waiting for his father to launch at him. He casually removed it and dropped it at his feet on the floor.

“Or else what, Dad?” After years of dancing around the subject, here came the crunch, his future all mapped out on his parent’s say so.

To Jamie’s horror, his father dropped his head into his hands. “Or else we’re all finished, James. If you aren’t up to the job, there’s no one to replace me when I’m gone.”

Jamie couldn’t bear to hear such a defeatist attitude coming from the stalwart. It didn’t even sound like he was referring to retirement, rather something more permanent. “Don’t talk like that. You have years to head the store yet, with me to back you up.” As long as finances held out, and he was working on that.

John Kelsey shook his head and said in a voice smaller than Jamie had ever heard from him, “I don’t think so, son. I have to go into hospital soon for a heart bypass.”

Jamie’s stomach dropped into his shoes. He could have dealt with disappointment, bankruptcy, a demotion, anything but this—his father’s mortality. How could Jamie ever make him proud if time was against him now more than ever?

“It’s a straightforward procedure, right? They perform those all the time.” Jamie scrabbled around for reassurance.

“I’m an old man. There could be complications from the surgery. Even if I come through the operation it could take me months to recover. I don’t know if I’ll ever be fit enough to come back. That’s why I need to know the store’s in safe hands.”
One less thing to worry about
.

“I’ve got it, Dad. I learnt from the best remember?” Suddenly, his father’s tiredness and general increase in crankiness made sense. He must have been suffering in silence for some time and attending hospital appointments in secret before he’d gotten to this stage.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” When Jamie took the time to study his face he could see how pale he’d become, his skin almost translucent, probably with worry. Once the initial shock wore off, Jamie couldn’t help feeling slighted at being kept in the dark. He imagined it was just another way for his dad to show how little he thought of him.

His father sighed. “I didn’t want to distract you from your path here in the store. Although, it seems you’ve found distraction elsewhere…”

“Jen’s more than a distraction. I’m going to ask her to move in with me. Surely, that should put your mind at ease somewhat, knowing I’ve finally settled down?” The admission clearly came as a surprise to both Kelsey men. While the elder looked as though he’d won the lottery at the news, junior was still wondering which part of his anatomy had been ruling his head when he’d spoken. Undoubtedly he wanted her in his bed every night, but when it came down to it, he knew he wanted her by his side on a more permanent basis. He loved her.

“She seems like a lovely girl but what I said still stands, mind. Don’t mess her about. A good woman could be the making of you, James. I wouldn’t have gotten here today without the love of your mother, God rest her soul.” He sat back in the chair, some of the rigidity leaving his body as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

Until Jen, Jamie had never thought he would ever have the great love his parents had. If he were honest, he wasn’t sure he’d ever wanted that all-consuming passion. Now he had no choice. She was part of him.

“I think Jen will keep me on the straight and narrow. Now, enough about me, we need to take care of you. I want to know everything that’s been going on and what I can do to help.” Jamie shook off his selfish thoughts to focus on his father, more determined than ever to succeed, as both a businessman and a son.

Chapter Thirteen

Jamie stood at the entrance, beaming with pride as the store filled with eager families. If nothing else came of today he’d at least increased the footfall into the store. After that it was down to the departments to do their sales mojo and work some magic with the figures.

“How’s it going?” Jen appeared by his side with paper and pens for those taking part in the Easter egg hunt.

“So far, so good.” No doubt he would find out tomorrow when he and his father went over the books. He doubted there would be any forthcoming praise unless his Easter promotion was a financial success.

“You could always stick a pair of bunny ears and a fluffy tail on and go on the charm offensive,” she teased him.

“Now, if you were to do that we might just have a sales bonanza.” The thought alone was enough to distract him from his important duties today.

“That outfit’s for private use only. I don’t shake my tail for just anyone, you know. And while we’re on the subject, I thought I might make use of my present.” She turned on her heels leaving him wondering if and when she would.

Their sex life certainly hadn’t waned since she’d moved in. No chance, not when there was so much to learn about each other’s bodies. It went beyond the physical too. If anything, living together added another dimension to their relationship. There was nothing he enjoyed more than taking her home with him after a day’s work and enjoying a glass of wine over dinner.

He talked to her about everything from the trouble with his father to the latest gossip from the shop floor, and they laughed and loved in a way he never thought he could. Between them they’d also done their best to ease his father’s stress about his operation, accompanying him to appointments and spending quality time with him. At long last Jamie seemed to be developing a bond with his father. The doctor’s prognosis was good, given his general fitness and healthy diet, so he hoped to have the old man around for a very long time.

“I see the stock is flying off the shelves in the toy department.” His father made an unexpected visit in the midst of the melee.

“It certainly is. Looks like the risk paid off. I was thinking we should look into online promotions too, and selling on the Internet.” Jamie tried again to get his attention.

“Make sure you don’t run short in the meantime.” It wasn’t a straight ‘no’, so Jamie was already working on his next plan of attack as his father walked away.

“Oh, and, son.” Mr Kelsey stopped in the middle of the floor and looked around the thriving store. “Good job.”

If they could get past this operation without too much trauma, things boded well for the future. His father’s simple praise and the thriving shop put him firmly on the path to perfect happiness. Jamie couldn’t have puffed out his chest with more pride at what he’d achieved if he’d have been crowned King of the world. Once he had things settled on the store floor he’d go and celebrate with his Queen.

* * * *

With all the extra customers Jen barely found a minute to lust after her live-in lover. Every now and then she was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of him moving between the marble pillars. Dressed in his pristine black suit, he looked like a male model strutting down the catwalk with a new confidence she hadn’t seen in him before today. It was well deserved after he’d pimped the store’s profile to maximum effect. She was sure his personal appearance and individual attention to every shopper who happened past had something to do with their success too. What woman wouldn’t enjoy a warm smile from such a gorgeous guy? She would have to admit to feeling a little smug, safe in the knowledge she was the one going home with him at the end of the night.

“Thank you. Have a nice evening.” She saw off the last person in the department with a smile. Another upside of the Easter campaign was that she was so occupied with customers she hadn’t seen the time flying by. In less than an hour she could be cosied up in bed with the boss man. A shiver ran across her skin at the thought and she just knew these last sixty minutes would drag by.

Jamie manned the front doors, extending his professional courtesy to the end to acknowledge everyone as they left. A crocodile of staff followed soon after, shrugging on their coats in a hurry to end their working day. Jen was as anxious as the rest to get home and curl up with her man. Unfortunately, her other half was responsible for shutting everything down before he left. He’d already made his way up to the office while she waited for him like his faithful lap dog.

She smiled to herself. In some ways this was more of a marriage than the one she’d had with Lee. Where one went, the other soon followed and they lived together as a team, working in harmony to make each other happy. Not one half of a couple who would never receive the same support as they gave.

The sadness that sometimes rained over her when she thought of Lee now, was mainly linked to the fact he would never get to experience the kind of love she had with Jamie—that eat, drink, think about nothing else except your partner deal that gave life meaning.

Jen lifted her bag from behind the counter so she was ready when Jamie came down again. As she started to zip it shut, she caught sight of her Easter egg inside. She forced the bag open again to retrieve her gift and turned it over in her hands. It was cold and unappealing but bought with love. The knowledge that Jamie had taken time to think about how to please her was enough to turn her on.

* * * *

She rode the elevator in some discomfort and bewilderment. The foreign object lodged in her nether regions wasn’t doing much to stimulate her. As the door opened, Jamie stepped in beside her to end her idea of another office rendezvous.

“Are you ready to go?” He jabbed at the button on the panel to restart her descent.

She nodded but now she was pre-occupied trying to figure out how to remove the gizmo discreetly.

Jamie stared at her, a frown crinkling his forehead. “What’s wrong? You’re not your usual chirpy self.”

“Nothing.” She tried not to tense up, in fear that her body would swallow the sex toy whole and make it disappear forever.

The intense scrutiny he put her under made her squirm even more.

He arched an eyebrow. “You’ve used it haven’t you?”

She took a sudden interest in the ceiling, refusing to look him in the eye and lie. “Maybe.”

The briefcase in his hand hit the floor with a thud. He swept his desire-darkened eyes over her turning the elevator into a pressure cooker of raging libidos. “Well? How does it feel?”

“It’s not doing anything for me. I find it a bit, impersonal, to be honest.” She would much rather swap it for the real thing, but for the moment she was totally cock blocking them both.

“Perhaps I can help you out.” Jamie advanced on her and she leaned back to hold onto the steel bar behind her for support.

That first kiss at the end of the shift was always the most passionate, reflecting all the dirty thoughts they’d had about each other during the day. He took possession of her with his lips, reminding her she needed him to feel complete.

Whilst he fished for something in his suit pocket, he used his other hand to cup her face and keep her close. She jumped when a low humming sound echoed around the small confined space. It took a moment for her to associate it with the gentle movement going on inside her.

“What’s that?” She broke off the kiss to query the buzzing.

Jamie grinned and waved a small plastic box in front of her. “I forgot to tell you, your little friend is remote controlled.”

“You bast—” The insult turned into more of a moan. The humming became high pitched as he increased the speed of the vibration, stimulating her pussy to the point of total saturation.

“What? I’m just trying to make it more personal for you.” He began to unbutton her blouse and slipped a hand in to fondle her breast.

The lift came to a halt, but she couldn’t get out even if she wanted to. Jamie liberated her from her bra and attended her tight nipple with his teasing tongue. The humming went up another notch and Jen clung to the bar as if her wobbly legs depended on it. Jamie sucked her sensitive flesh to the point of being painful but it only increased her pleasure threshold.

As her inner walls closed around the stimulator, she rocked her pelvis, riding out her ecstasy. She held on as long as she could but the intensity of the vibration was so great, so deep, she came with a cry that drowned out the incessant buzzing.

Jamie looked almost as spent as she, except whilst she had one tit hanging out of her blouse and cum running down her thighs, he remained in pristine condition. Jen retrieved her dignity as best she could. She’d make sure to remove the blasted love egg before they left or her demon lover would be buzzing her the whole way back to the apartment.

“That seemed a bit too one-sided, don’t you think?” That wasn’t a remote control in his pocket. He was definitely happy to see her.

“Oh, I have plenty of time to get pay back. Let’s go home.” Home. The very word drew a sigh from her. The one place she could relax, be herself, and share life with the man of her dreams.

Jamie put his arm through hers as they finally left the elevator, and escorted her through the store onto the dark streets of Belfast.

Kelsey’s Department Store stood tall and proud, the perfect backdrop to yet another love story in its long and powerful history.

Also available from Totally Bound Publishing:

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