Arranging the things on her desk Anna frowned, lifting up another pile before setting it back where it was. She ran her fingers through her hair as someone knocked on her open door. Turning she held back a groan and forced a smile to see Green there.

"How can I help you Alex?"

"I think the better question might be how I can help you." He pointed to her desk, "Looking for something?"

"I think I misplaced the test key was I was writing the other day and I don't want to have to start all over again."

Green shrugged, "You can do what I do and just use the same test every year."

"I don't trust students not to cheat." Anna shrugged, "I can rewrite it. I was only partway through it anyway and it won't take much more effort to just redo it."

"But then there goes your evening."

"We all make sacrifices for work I guess." She pulled the papers into her bag, filing them appropriately before nodding at him, "Are you looking forward to your end of term exams?"

"I think I'm looking forward to two weeks vacation before fall semester starts." Green took a step into her room and closed the door slightly. "I actually came here to apologize for being such an ass the other night."

"I think that wouldn't be entirely inappropriate." Anna set her bag on her desk, fitting her laptop inside it. "But I understand your frustrations and it was fair. I didn't exactly treat you as well as I could've and that deserves an apology on my part."

"Then we can exchange apologies and call it all good then?" Green held out a hand and Anna shook it.

"I hope so."

She went back to making sure her office was in order before stepping toward the door. Green opened it for her and stood by her side as she pulled it closed to lock it. Anna just tucked her key ring back into her pocket when Green spoke.

"So are you staying with us into the next semester?"

Anna paused, fiddling over the keys, "What gives you the impression I'm not?"

"I heard a rumor round the water cooler."

"Our offices don't have one of those."

He shrugged a shoulder while thrusting his hands into his pockets, "Then I heard it from one of the office secretaries when you took your meeting with the Dean last week."

"A new opportunity's arisen and I think I owe it to myself to look into it."

"But you're doing good work here." Green motioned toward his office, "And I'm right down the hall so…"

"Maybe that's a better reason to leave." Anna shrugged, "It's got to be hard to realize that we didn't work out and then still have to see one another at faculty meetings and conferences."

"I'm an adult and I think I can take it."

"Then I applaud you but I…" Anna shook her head, "At the end of the day, much as I enjoy teaching, it's not what fulfills me."

"And what does?"

"I'm still hoping I find it."

"I think you already did and you're just not saying because you're embarrassed it's that John guy." Green's eyes hardened, "Does he fill you?"

"That's none of your business and even if he did this has nothing to do with him."

He scoffed, "You can't possibly tell me that old man makes you happy."

"If you must know then yes, he makes me very happy." Anna put up a hand, "Why am I even having this discussion with you?"

"Because I still care about you Anna and I think you care about me."

"I do care about you. I wish you all the happiness in the world and I hope you find your job and life wonderfully blessed but I don't care about you the way you want me to."

"I think you're lying." Green's hand reached out and snatched her arm. "I think you're pretending not to feel for me what you really do, deep down."

"And I think you need to let go of my arm before I show you what the United States Air Force taught me to do with people like you." His hand released and Anna stepped back, "I'm sorry to inform you, Mr. Green, but I'm leaving this job and we're not a thing. We weren't ever really and we'll never be."

"And you don't feel the least bit sorry do you?"

"I do. I feel sorry that I hurt you but I won't apologize for being true to my feelings, even if they're not for you."

They stood in the hallway another moment before Green snorted and walked away. Anna sighed, going to turn the other direction herself, when she realized she left her bag in the office. Letting her neck fall back with a groan she went back to her door and jammed the key into the lock before using her shoulder to try and force the door.

A voice cleared their throat next to her and Anna sighed with relief to see John. He pointed to the door and she stepped aside. With a swift push he managed to free the door and let them both inside.

"Thank you." Anna reached for her bag on the desk and pulled it to her shoulder. "I thought I'd be trapped her all night trying to get that thing open."

"Have you got a lot to do?"

"Enough." Anna paused, narrowing her eyes, "Why'd you ask?"

"Because I might want to take you out but if you're busy I'll schedule another night."

"Still wanting to get to know me Mr. Bates?" Anna leaned back on her desk, folding her arms over her chest as she allowed a smirk to take over her face. "What else is there to know?"

"Well I get to see your domain." John put his hand on the knob, firmly closing the door and turning the lock to leave Anna's breath catching in her throat. "And a woman as powerful and beautiful as yourself should be appreciated in her natural habitat."

"Is that so?" Anna opened her arms enough to drop her bag on her desk chair.

"It is."

"And what, pray tell, could one surmise from this examination of my office?"

John stalked closer to her, planting his hands on either side of her body to grip the edge of the large wooden desk, and brought his lips to her ear. "That you're intelligent, quick, and dedicated. That you're organized, focused, and invaluable."

"I like all of those words." Anna whispered against his ear as John stepped closer and she bit the inside of her cheek when he pressed at her abdomen. "But I don't think those are the words you want to say right now."

"They're not." He growled against her ear, "I want to take you, all over this office, and make this space ours."

"That's very forward of you." Anna gripped the edge of the desk, her hands just brushing his, "I haven't even forgiven you yet."

"Consider this me earning back your trust." John slipped on hand to her trouser-clad leg and rasped his fingers over it. "Would you mind?"

"Not at all." Anna whimpered when his fingers gripped her ass and lifted her to the edge of the desk. "Far as I can tell this is the sturdiest piece of furniture I've ever used."

"Then let's use it." John worked toward her belt and tugged at it to slide Anna toward the edge of the desk. "Mind if I take this off?"

"Are you going to use it on me?"

"Never," He slithered the belt through the loops and let it drape over her office chair. "It's the professor's job to punish students."

"Is that what you are?"

"No." Popping the button on her trousers he pulled the zipper down to expose her stomach and knickers to him. "We're two consenting adults about to have illicit sex in your office. People do it all the time."

"Not sure that's necessarily true."

John paused, fingers about to tug the tails of her blouse from her trousers, "Should I stop then?"

"I didn't say it couldn't be true, John." Anna leaned back, hands running over the edges of the desk to gain a better grip. "I just said it wasn't necessarily true."

"So I'll continue, shall I?"

"I'd rather you did before the custodians or the Dean come by."

"That's part of the fun," The buttons of her blouse opened and John pushed the shirt back enough to leave her bra and chest open to him. "Like when you had your way with me in the back of the cinema."

"Here they call it a movie theater."

"And spell it wrong I'd imagine." He tsked at her, fingers teasing over her skin to have Anna struggling against the tickle. "And you, an English teacher, I'm almost sorry for you."

"Check the postal code, we're in America and we follow different rules."

"And misspelling everything in the process." John dipped down to pull her shoes off and tug enough at her trousers to get them off her legs. "Something as simple as 'neighbour' becomes so unglamorous."

"We're just getting rid of 'u'." Anna sighed and then growled when John's fingers stopped entirely. She looked at him and frowned, "What?"

"I do hope you never want to get rid of me." He stepped between her legs but only cupped her face with delicate hands. "Because I could never be without you again. It was torture the first time and while I know it was my fault I don't think I'd survive another round."

"I couldn't either." Anna pulled his forehead to rest on hers. "I don't ever want to be without you again either John. I couldn't bear it."

"Then I promise I'll never leave you again." His lips ghosted over hers, hands massaging at the back of her head. "This is where I belong and this is where I'm staying."

"Then stay with me." Anna moved the fraction of an inch it took to bring their lips together and before she knew it her blouse joined her trousers on the back of her chair while John's fingers eased her knickers down her legs.

In all the ways Anna thought she would use the desk in that office, this was not one of them. But she hurriedly considered it the best way to use the desk. Especially when John dropped to his knees on the hard floor and immediately set to work.

His fingers and lips worked over her with the utmost care. Teasing strokes and fulfilling sucks had Anna whitening her knuckles as they dug into the edges of the desk. The bite of the angle of the wood into her hands just tipped the pleasure John drove her two when two of his fingers worked inside her while his tongue and teeth played at her nerves. And when he sent her over it was all Anna could do to keep her voice down and not let her colleagues know that her former fiancé made her climax in her office.

Anna lay back a moment as John stood. One of his hands came up to her neck, gliding there slowly enough to bring Anna back around, and she grinned at him. Her own hands looped over his neck and she pulled herself up enough to kiss his lips. The lips that still tasted like her and had Anna licking every bit of scent she could from him.

She bucked against him, one of her legs wrapping over his hip to pull him closer, and sighed into his mouth at the feel of him rising to the occasion. Anna worked her hands to his trousers, snapping the belt loose of the loops and yanking down his zipper. For a split second she worried she broke something but when her hand ghosted over his erection as it strained the fabric of her boxers she realized she could not care less.

The desk wobbled beneath them as John drove toward her grip and Anna winced. John stopped, eyes going wide but Anna only looked to the side a moment before pushing John backward enough for her to slip off the desk. Taking a deep breath she turned and held the edge of the table again.

For the beat that John delayed Anna feared the worst. But when she felt the fabric of his shirt running over her back, buttons catching and imprinting on her skin while his ready erection slid over the globes of her ass, Anna closed her eyes to better focus on the euphoria of being wrapped in him. Her legs spread wider and when John kissed over her shoulder he drove into her.

One of his hands worked over her hair, massaging the roots and brushing it to the side so he could leave kisses covering her neck, while the other came around to massage her breasts. Anna worked her hips back toward him using her grip on the desk to guide her motions, and keened when John drove the air from lungs with his punishing pace. His hand at her breasts teased and nipped through the fabric while his teeth nipped to the beat of his thrusts.

Risking a look over her shoulder Anna saw John's face tightening in concentration while he plunged to the hilt inside her. Anna moaned at the view of him sinking into her and closed her eyes to remember it forever. His hand at her neck brought her back to rest on his shoulder and guided his lips to kiss the column of her throat. She turned into the kisses while his fingers frantically pressed and rubbed her to bring her over the edge for the second time.

John finished not long after, keeping her close as he did, and rested his head on her shoulder while his fingers tangled in her hair. Anna laid her arm over his, fingers tracing the patterns of his veins in his hand, and sighed. They adjusted enough for her to pull loose and reach over her desk for the tissue box.

She passed him a few with a smile before using some for herself. "I don't know what the custodian'll say when they empty the trash. Or come in here at all."

"Crack a window and no one'll even notice."

"Not sure that's true." Anna slipped her legs into her knickers and then pulled her trousers up while John finished buckling his belt. "But it'd be worth it to see if they're willing to say something about it."

"Like it hasn't happened before."

Anna held up a hand, "I don't want to think about the idea that there've been other people having sex on this desk."

"The person who has it after you'll use it without knowing." John stopped, "That is, if you're still taking the job offer I made."

"I spoke to the Dean and we've arranged for me to work out the fall semester, since that's the end of my year contract, and then I'm all free." Anna buttoned up her blouse and tucked it back into her trousers as John fit her belt back through the loops. "She was sorry to see my go but agreed better now than when they've gotten too used to me being around."

"Speaking of that then," John bent, fetching her bag, and handing it over before unlocking the door. "Would you have some time this weekend to see the offices you'll be getting?"

Anna finished tightening her belt. "Are they done?"

"The offices are. We're almost finished with one of the factories and we'll start production there within the month."

"I thought it would take longer."

John shook his head, "We had it all in place and ready to go before Vera stepped in. It only took a bit to get it all back to fighting fit but now we're ready to go again."

"Then I'd be glad to see the offices." Anna snuck a peek at her desk before giggling, "And I'll know I'm the first to use the desk."

"And that's a great comfort to you?" John opened the door and Anna smiled at him.

"A very great comfort to me."

Anna whistled at the office and took a twirl. "It's wonderful."

"We followed the guidelines that would keep the bones of the place," John thumped a fist on the wall. "But we wanted the interior to feel open and welcoming."

"Combination of the old and the new then?" Anna ran a finger over her desk and rested her handbag on the surface before sitting in the chair. "I like this chair."

"Do you?" John leaned on the edge of the desk, folding his arms over his chest. "I saw the one you had in your office and almost cried for you."

"It rolled, that's all I needed."

"It was threadbare and I could swear I heard springs popping whenever you sat down."

"You're just being dramatic." Anna chided and stood, taking another turn of the office while John remained by the desk. "It was functional and in a position like that function over fashion is critical."

"Then be glad this new job works both fashion and function into its design." John took her chair and closed his eyes with a drawn out sigh. "This is heavenly."

Anna bit back a grin as she sidled close to him. "Do you know what would be more heavenly?"

"What?" John did not open his eyes until Anna opened his belt. "Anna?"

"You did say they're not doing an construction today right?" The belt fell to the side and the zipper left his trousers gaping so she could tug them down his thighs to bunch by his knees. "If we're all alone then I think we should break in the chair."

"We're exposed," John pointed to the large windows of her office behind them and those letting in all the natural light. "Anyone could walk by and-"

"I thought you said that made it all the more interesting." Anna licked her lips and worked her fingers under the elastic band of his boxers to tug them down to join his trousers. "Are you still interested John?"

"I think-"

"Good enough for me." Anna went to her knees and took him in her mouth.

Digging her fingers into the flesh of his hips, Anna guided her motions. Her teeth scrapped over him while her tongue wrapped over him or licked with the flat over the underside of him. Switching between deep draws and shallow swallows left John groaning and wrecked before her.

Smiling to herself she risked a firm hold with one hand when she slipped it down to grip his base. She squeezed intermittently, leaving him bucking at the unpredictability, and dragged out strokes in tandem with her mouth. When he rose to respond she released him and rolled his sack in her fingers. The sound that tore from his throat strangled and sent Anna sucking harder at him.

But just when she could taste him John's hands grabbed at her arms. He lifted her, kissing over her while pawing a bit at her skirt. Anna lifted it and pushed her knickers to the side to leave her open to him. With an adjustment she sunk down on him.

They both paused, their chests filling to their fullest as they realized the significance of the moment. Their eyes met for the first time while in the act and Anna traced her fingers over John's face. All the frenzied fanaticism of their joining lost to the stillness of being wrapped in one another.

His hand came to the base of her spine but only to hold her closer. She tightened the grip of her thighs to bring herself toward him as if they could sink into the skin of the other. And when Anna's hands held John's cheeks in place he finally moved.

Not the frenetic rush of the back of the theater while they tried to tempt one another back to the edge they forgot. Not the illicit affair in her campus office with her ex-boyfriend a few doors down the hall. But the slow and joyous reunion of two people moving toward a future together.

Anna bounced a bit between rocks of her hips and John kept them steady with both feet on the floor while his hands sculpted her body. They kissed when they did not haul in deep breaths and took breaths when they could bear the separation from one another. With closed eyes and steady motions they lost themselves in each other.

Despite their desire for the slow, steady climb the moment sent them to their end. First John and then Anna. She rested her head on his shoulder, the tremors and shakes of her body reflected in the shivers of his, and finally found her breath. Her hand at his shoulder lifted her to look in his eyes before she brushed hair from his forehead.

"I forgive you." John could not speak, only bury his head in her shoulder. She felt the sobs rack through him and smoothed her hand over his back. "I forgive you John."

When he settled again, and they arranged themselves to look more publically appropriate, John set a small kiss on Anna's cheek. "Thank you."

"I realized that I want nothing more than to share my life with you." Anna pointed to the office, "Someone who gives me something like this, without hope for return, is someone who truly means what they say."

"I do." John took her left hand, feeling her ring finger, and finally looked into her eyes. "I once put a ring here, with the promise that I wanted to love you longer than forever. I'd like to make that promise again, if you'll accept it."

Anna smiled and nodded as John went down on one knee and drew a box from his trouser pocket. Opening it he cleared his throat, "Anna May Smith, will you do me the great honor of agreeing, again, to be my wife?"

"Of course I will." Anna held out her hand and allowed John to slip the ring over her finger before he rose to kiss her. "I couldn't say anything else."

"I'd hoped not but I wasn't going to press you." John took her hand, fingering over the ring, "I never thought I could be as happy as you make me, Anna."

"I didn't think so either." Anna grinned, "But I realize I've never been as happy as I am at this moment."

"I'm going to spend the rest of my life making you happy, Anna. I promise you that."

"I'll hold you to it."