Free No Longer Needed by Brenda Grate Page A

getting her way.”
    Connie struggled to hold back the smile, but it broke through anyway. She slumped in defeat and leaned back against the cooler door. The kitchen staff bustled around them, too busy to notice their discussion.  
    Dammit, she loved this place and she wasn’t going to sell out, no matter how routine it had gotten. Not to Archie McDougall anyway.
    “Are you sure about this, Con?”
    “About what?”
    “Are you sure you don’t want to sell?”
    Connie stared at Rick with her mouth hanging open. She snapped it shut and glared at him. “How could you ask me that?”
    Rick looked at her with knowing eyes.
    “You’re losing your fire. Plus, you’re fighting awfully hard with McDougall when all you have to do is say no with conviction.”
    Connie looked at the floor.
    “I think he’d stop coming back,” Rick added. “If he actually believed you weren’t going to sell to him.”
    Connie grabbed Rick’s arm and dragged him down a short hallway from the kitchen into her office. She pushed him into the chair in front of her desk and stood over him with her arms crossed. “How can you say that to me? I love this place.”
    “Methinks the lady doth protest too much,” Rick said with a smug look.
    Connie fumed while she paced. Her desk phone rang. She stomped over, gave Rick another glare and then snatched it up.
    “Il Giardino.” Connie had to give herself props for being able to sound so calm considering the storm raging inside her.
    “Con? It’s Em. Do you have time to talk? Or can you call me back when you’re free?”
    Emma always did that. Connie’s temper rose another notch, but she held it back. Emma always put herself last, like the least important person on the team. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to bring her thoughts into focus.
    “Con? You there?”
    “Sorry Em, it’s really busy. I would love to talk, but I’ll probably have to call you back. Just give me about ten or fifteen minutes, ‘k?”
    “No problem. Take your time. I’ll be here all evening. You okay? You sound pretty stressed.”
    “Yeah, I’m fine. No worries. Just a busy night. I’ll call soon.”
    Connie hung up, dropped into her chair and put her head on the desk.
    Rick stepped around the desk and massaged her neck. Connie moaned and moved to give him more access. He took her shoulders, pulled her upright and dug in with his strong fingers. A ripple of pleasure ran over her skin, and her muscles loosened a fraction. Rick had magic fingers.
    “You need some time to chill, woman.”
    Connie whimpered in protest as he stepped away, but he was soon back after locking her office door.
    “Just take a few minutes to calm down and everything will look much better when you step out again.” He went back to massaging her neck.
    Connie let her head drift back until it rested against his hard stomach.
    “Mmmm …” she sighed. “You’re so good at that.”
    “I know, baby,” he said, softly, suggestively, while his hands roamed lower. Connie’s eyes snapped open when they cupped her breasts.
    She struggled to get away, but he used his forearms to push her back in the chair.
    “Let me soothe you, this is what you need.”
    “Rick,” Connie protested despite the delicious sensations curling up in her. “We don’t do this anymore.”
    He laughed, a rumble in her ears. “Why not? We’re very good together. You’re free, I’m free. We’re both adults and friends.”
    Connie looked up at his face over hers. “Free? You’re not with Rebecca?”
    “Nope.”
    Connie didn’t miss the pain that flashed in his eyes. “I’m sorry, Rick. I know you really cared about her.”
    “It’s okay, wasn’t meant to be.” He dropped closer and kissed down her jaw and left a wet trail of kisses over her neck, ending on her collarbone.  
    Connie shivered and gave up the fight. Rick was exactly what she needed.
    He stepped back and spun her chair toward him. He took the hem of her T-shirt and slid it smoothly over