Corporate Cougar?

I was 36, a year past my divorce, and hot to trot; he was 27 and had the lines of a thoroughbred in a three-piece suit. Our eyes met across the room from time to time during meetings; his were golden brown with gold flecks in them that matched the golden curls that stopped just above his shirt collar; mine were emerald green and smoldering with lust. I was no fool-I knew an office dalliance was not a good idea. Of course, the fact that neither of us was the other's superior was in our favor, but a female in a mostly male profession could be putting her career at risk, just the same. The man always comes out on top on those situations (no pun intended!)

We hardly ever spoke. The furtive glances spoke more than words ever could. The game continued for a couple of months. Then one day, we found ourselves seated side by side at a luncheon meeting. I felt like I'd been struck by a surge of electric current as our fingers touched briefly when he handed me the basket of rolls. My eyes avoided his and I hoped he hadn't heard my slight, sudden intake of breath. When the meal was ended, and everyone leaned back in their chairs to listen to the guest speaker, his thigh grazed mine. At first it was a tentative touch, but when I didn't move mine away, his YSL clad leg settled against mine. Even though I feigned obliviousness, the heat I felt was unmistakable: a warm feeling began at the point of contact, increasing in intensity as it spread up my thigh to the satin clad spot where my inner thigh ended.

My brain was telling me to move away! To shift my position in my chair--it wouldn't be obvious if I was just reaching for my water glass. Just that little gesture could end this now. But the heat was getting to me, and he knew it. As though he could read my mind, he nonchalantly reached for his water glass, moving more of his leg against mine in the process. I have no idea what the speaker's topic was. All I could hear was my own quickening heartbeat, and the heat that seemed to be assaulting my nether regions.

Mercifully the meeting came to an end, and people were leaving. I turned away from him without a word, and left the restaurant. When I reached the parking lot and opened the back door of my Mazda, I placed my briefcase in the space behind the driver's seat. As I turned to open the front door, his shiny black Jetta pulled up beside me.

"Got any appointments this afternoon?" he asked through the open window. I glanced around me before answering; no one else from our office was in sight.

"No, my day planner is clear. I was headed home."

"I'll follow you," he stated, matter-of-factly.

Getting behind the wheel of my car, I glanced at myself in the mirror. My face was flushed; he knew the effect he'd had on me and hadn't doubted for a second that I would lead him to my apartment. So much of me knew this was a bad idea, but reason was replaced by need. I covered the 15-minute drive to my apartment in less than 10. I sprang from my car and had the front door unlocked by the time I heard his footsteps on the walk behind me. He followed me in, and when I closed the door, he placed a hand on the door on each side of me, and leaned his whole body against me while his lips found mine. I gasped when his hot tongue licked my lips until they parted to grant him entry.

We continued kissing as we made our way up the stairs, shedding our clothes on the way. By the time we fell on my bed, there were no longer any clothing barriers between us. To say he had his way with me would be an understatement; we had our way with each other! It was hot, fast, and hard; then it was slow, gentle, and sweet. He was gorgeous as only a 27-year-old man who works out can be. I delighted in every inch of him. For his part, he seemed undaunted by the after effects of childbirth on a 36-year-old woman's body. How could I not find that delicious?

As we cuddled in the afterglow, he rested his head on his hand and looked into my eyes. "When can I see you again?" he asked.

"You can't." I answered.

"Why the hell not?"

"Because there's too much difference in our ages; we're at different places in our lives. And because if they ever found out about this at the office we could be canned," was my regretful reply.

Passion sated, I was not to be swayed. We dressed again, and shared a lingering kiss goodbye. I walked him to the door, thankful that it was Friday and I wouldn't be encountering him again until the middle of the next week at the office.

When our next office meeting came, I noticed his desk was empty and bare. Within a few minutes, our manager began the meeting with an announcement. "You've probably noticed that John is not here today. Unfortunately, we found that he had been embezzling money from his accounts and we had to terminate him."

Everyone reacted with shock. I was just praying that no one knew of our tryst. I hadn't any idea that he had been guilty of any wrong-doing. My concern was that my honesty would be in question-guilt by association. I held my breath for a few days, and fortunately, nothing happened. Apparently John had kept our secret, and for that I was grateful. I decided then and there to never to mix work and passion again.