Frozen

Chapter 11)

Brianna

"You're fired."

I held Barney's gaze, slowly shaking my head.

"You know I need this job," I whispered.

He swallowed and opened his mouth to say something before closing it again. He shut his eyes and slumped back against his desk, scrubbing his face with the palm of his hand and muttering a few choice words.

I walked over and perched on the desk so my hip was touching his.

"I don't think you can do that during the real deal babe," I said, bumping his shoulder lightly with my own. He raised his face up to look down at me for a few seconds before his hand wrapped around the back of my head and brought it closer. I felt his lips on my forehead for a few seconds before my face was tucked into his chest.

"I can't believe this is happening," he muttered.

"I know, Barn," I whispered, bringing my hands up to rest on his chest. His arms came around my waist and wrapped tightly, and I felt his cheek press into my hair and he sighed again.

One of his employees of three years, Carmen, had been marking official receipts lower than the customer's actual bill and taking the extra. Barney's guy who kept an eye on shit like that had realized what she was doing about three hours after she started doing it, but needed proof. When he got it, he brought it to Barney, who was now charged with the task of firing her. Not a big deal, except Barney had been there when Carmen got pregnant and had her first kid. Then when she got pregnant again and had her second kid. Then when her husband split without so much as a note, leaving her with a toddler and a baby.

"When did you get off your shift?" he murmured.

"About half an hour ago," I said.

His cheek shifted and I once again felt his lips before he pulled back to look at my face.

"Do you want me to get you a ride? Or do you want to wait until this is over so I can take you home?" he asked.

He had spent the night with me and Bentley after Bent's nightmare and taken me to work the next morning.

"I called the baby sitter to pick up Bentley an hour ago. I'll wait," I whispered.

A small grin lifted the corner of his mouth.

"Good," he whispered back.

His head descended to mine and about a second before our lips touched, there was a knock on the door.

We both sighed and he brushed his lips against mine in a barely there touch then pulled back.

I made my way to the door and opened it to a very pretty, petite blonde who was wearing a small, happy, expectant smirk on her dainty face. When I opened the door, however, her lips twisted into a confused frown, which got even more so when she saw I was casually dressed in ripped jeans and a crop top instead of the uniform.

I felt a warmth right behind me and a hand on my waist and her eyes left me and went to Barney's hand, growing more confused and a little irritated, then shooting to Barney's face, adding some lust into that mix.

I looked up at Barney's face to see that he missed all these emotions because his warm gaze was trained on me.

"I'll wait at the bar," I whispered.

He nodded and his thumb rubbed my hip once before he released me and I walked around Carmen.

Barney

Barney let a cool, polite but distant mask slip over his face and he walked to the wall across the room from the couches and leaned against it, crossing his arms over his chest. Carmen sat down on the couch with a casual but alert demeanor.