I'm Afraid I Won't Be Able to Leave

"It’s nothing, Leah. That Jay Walsh just has a foul mouth! If they hadn’t held me back, I would’ve decked him." Miles Kessler was still fuming just talking about it.

"Jay Walsh? Why does that name sound familiar?"

"He’s the guy who snatched the company car from Doris, and then mocked our department for its poor performance."

With Miles Kessler’s reminder, Leah Sinclair remembered who he was. Baystream provided company cars for employees who hadn’t bought their own to use for site visits.

Sometime before, Doris Harlow had needed to make an urgent trip to a site and went to request a car, but that man had taken it first. Doris Harlow had gotten into a big argument with him.

"Plus, that guy is always telling lewd jokes to female colleagues. Not just in his own department, either. If Doris or the others wore a skirt that was even a little short, he’d make some kind of remark."

Leah Sinclair frowned slightly. "Hasn’t this been reported to management? If Shawn knew about it, there’s no way he’d let it slide."

Miles Kessler looked a bit awkward. "Leah, it’s the kind of thing that happens behind the scenes. When he makes those jokes, people don’t go out of their way to report it. And..."

As he spoke, Miles Kessler snuck a glance at Asher Keating. "People like... the top executives... are all very busy. They wouldn’t bother with this kind of stuff happening among the staff."

"The president is busy, but if something like this is reported, it will definitely be handled," Asher Keating said, looking at him.

Leah Sinclair added, "And making lewd jokes about female colleagues isn’t a serious matter? What would be, then? There have to be boundaries, even with jokes."

"When he made those jokes about Doris before, I told her to go talk to Manager Flynn. But Manager Flynn just said to avoid Jay Walsh in the future, or just not to wear skirts."

Miles Kessler was furious, but what could they do when the manager had said that? Doris Harlow was so angry she cried, and she hasn’t worn a skirt since.

Leah Sinclair clicked her tongue. "I understand. I’ll take care of this."

"That’s great, Leah! I knew you’d handle this. You’re not like those other managers who just pass the buck!"

Miles Kessler’s words amused Leah Sinclair. They sat for a little while longer, and then Miles, seeing it was getting late, stood up to leave. Leah told him to be careful and not to get into any conflicts with Jay Walsh for the next couple of days, and that they would handle everything once she was back at the company. Miles agreed.

Asher Keating walked him downstairs. At the bottom of the building, he offered him a cigarette. Miles Kessler accepted it with some trepidation. After lighting it for him, Asher lit one for himself as well.

As they smoked, he spoke slowly, "Thank you for what you did for Leah today."

Miles Kessler was a little stunned. ’Asher Keating walked me downstairs just to thank me?’

He scratched his head, a bit embarrassed. "President Keating, you don’t have to say that. It was the right thing to do. Leah is a great person, and she’s been really good to us. I know that back then... with that contract she signed with Azure Bay, she must have had her reasons. Jay Walsh doesn’t know anything and just talks about her like that. It’s too much."

Asher Keating’s lips curved into a slight smile. "You really trust her, don’t you?"

"Of course! And when the story broke, I saw a photo of that contract. The date on it lined up with the time our professor was lamenting how Leah had given up her guaranteed admission to grad school. There’s no way Leah would give up grad school just to go work there, right? She’s not stupid."

Asher Keating patted his shoulder. "In any case, thank you again. If you ever feel like you’re done at Baystream, you’re always welcome at Aevon."

Miles Kessler was dumbfounded. ’Is President Keating trying to poach me? No way!’

He quickly snapped out of it. "President Keating, I... I’d better not. I think I’m doing great working under Leah, and I believe she’ll lead us to bigger and better things!"

Asher Keating ’tsked’ to himself. ’My own Aevon was just rejected. What happened to being one of the top three companies that all the graduates want to join?’

After they finished their cigarettes, the two said their goodbyes. When Asher Keating went back upstairs, Leah Sinclair was holding onto the sofa, trying to get back to the bedroom. She didn’t dare put weight on her injured foot, inching along slowly.

Seeing this, Asher Keating quickly swept her up into his arms. "Why aren’t you sitting still? What are you doing?"

"Juanita needed a file, and my laptop is in the bedroom."

Asher Keating placed her on the bed, handed her the laptop, and then went to take a shower. When he came out, Leah Sinclair was done with her work. Asher offered to help her take a bath.

Leah Sinclair’s face instantly turned red. "No! I can wash myself."

Asher Keating glanced at her. "Are you sure? Can you even stand up straight?"

Leah Sinclair felt awkward; she probably couldn’t stand steadily. If she fell again, she might really end up with a permanent limp.

"What’s there to be shy about?"

Asher Keating started running the bathwater and looked at her with amusement. ’He had cleaned her up afterward countless times, and they’d done plenty in the bathroom before. And now she was getting shy?’

Leah Sinclair didn’t know why she was so shy either. Just hearing him offer to help her bathe made her feel incredibly bashful, and the blush on her face refused to fade.

Halfway through the bath, she suddenly realized something. "Wait a minute, Asher. I’m in the bathtub, why do you need to help me wash?"

Asher Keating’s hand paused. He clicked his tongue, then tilted her chin up and leaned in close. "Because I want to. What about it?"

"..."

Leah Sinclair didn’t dare to speak. The look in Asher Keating’s eyes was like he wanted to devour her, and he really did. If not for the bandage on her foot that couldn’t get wet, Asher Keating would have taken her right then and there.

Once they were back in bed, Asher Keating pulled her into his arms and kissed her. It had been five days now; the little troublemaker had been gone for four whole days. Leah Sinclair’s body went completely pliant in his arms.

Asher Keating nipped at her collarbone and murmured, "’Senior?’ Hm?"

The sensation tickled Leah Sinclair, but he held her waist firmly so she couldn’t squirm away. Her voice was hazy as she said, "He only calls me that in private."

Asher Keating nuzzled the side of her head, his voice thick with unconcealed desire. "Say my name."

"Asher... Asher..."

Asher Keating was being careful, mindful of her injured leg, but her coquettish calls of "Asher" seduced him until he finally lost control.

Afterward, Asher Keating didn’t rush to carry her off to be cleaned. Instead, he held her chin and kissed her delicately. When he was done, he looked up at Leah Sinclair.

"If you ever run away again, I’ll break your legs."

He said it, and while the words were harsh, his voice was full of lingering tenderness. Leah Sinclair looked into his eyes, her hand reaching up to trace the lines of his brows and eyes. Her voice was soft, sweet, and inexplicably alluring. "I won’t run anymore, Asher. I can’t bear to leave you."

Asher Keating drew in a sharp breath and gave her a hard kiss before quickly getting up to run the bathwater. He was afraid if he didn’t get up right then, Leah wouldn’t be able to handle it.

Leah Sinclair rested at home for two days. By the third day, she could already get around slowly by holding onto things. Asher Keating was busy today, so Mason Grant was coming over to take her to the hospital to have her bandages removed.

Mason Grant had arrived yesterday. When he saw Leah Sinclair sitting on the bed with a bandaged foot, blinking up at him, he had been angry enough to explode.

He had fiercely demanded to know what had been done to the people who pushed her. Leah Sinclair told him Asher Keating had broken one of their hands.

"Why not their legs?! Your leg is the one that’s injured!"