“And you don’t want to see that hot hunk of muscular love again?” Leeanne asked. Leave it to her to come up with a phrase like that. If she only knew what had really happened, she’d understand why I was running scared with my tail tucked between my thighs.
“No! Pearson said if I ever so much as got near him, he’d personally kill me. Apparently, Evan is the worst kind of womanizer. And if Pearson said that, he must be the man-whore to end all man-whores because Pearson was one himself.”
Leeanne gave me a pointed look. “Just because you go out with him doesn’t mean you have to sleep with him.”
It took every ounce of control I had not to squirm under her gaze. “I do realize that, but it’s best to stay away.” My hands suddenly became an item of interest to me.
“Hmm, I think you’re crazy. I would hop on that pony and say giddy-up in a heartbeat.”
My head jerked up so fast, I almost pulled a muscle in my neck. Could she possibly know? There’s no way.
“You’d what?” Starr asked, laughing.
“Hell yeah. Did you take a close look at him? Womanizer or not, I wouldn’t pass up that opportunity for anything. As they said in my day, I’d let that man eat crackers in my bed any time.”
“I don’t get it,” Starr said.
Leeanne rolled her eyes, which made me snort. I was the biggest snorter around when I laughed. Leeanne was the last person you’d ever expect to give an eye roll.
“It means that I wouldn’t mind if he left crumbs in my bed. You know, eating crackers, and leaving the messy crumbs on your sheets?”
Starr stared at her with a lost expression.
“Oh, never mind,” Leeanne said. “Anyway, Sylvie, I think you’re crazy. Grab that man, latch on with both hands, and take that thing for a spin. He’s the absolute Lamborghini of men. That’s my advice and that’s all I’m going to say.”
If only she knew I’d taken that thing for a spin, and worn out the tires, she’d be shocked. Maybe I should ask her about clit flogging. No, I’d best keep my mouth shut on that one.
My phone rang, interrupting us. “Sylvie West.” It was Lisa, the admin. After I hung up, I wanted to die.
“What now?” Leeanne asked.
“He called.”
“And?” Her eyes lit up like sparklers.
“I told Lisa to tell him I wasn’t in. He said he’d call back later.”
“Well, Ms. West, what are you going to do? The man sounds persistent.”
“I don’t know.”
“Ride that pony,” Starr said. “I’m on his side. He can’t be that bad if he’s your cousin’s bestie.”
Why can’t Rose be here when I needed her the most? And there was no way I would call and interrupt their honeymoon. I was a big girl and could take care of my own problems.
Oh, yeah, I sure did a great job of demonstrating that at their reception.
Two
Evan
Sylvie West. Her name rolled off my tongue like velvet, exactly like her pussy had. I could not stop thinking about her. This was the first time a woman had affected me so. And to think she had forced me to do the walk of shame. Every time I thought about it, my mouth curved into a smile. But what did me in the most was her lack of inhibitions between the sheets. I adored how free and easy she was. Why couldn’t every woman be that way? I couldn’t stand when they played shy until you coaxed them out of their shell and all of a sudden, they became insatiable.
The flight home from St. Lucia had been unbearable. I kept thinking about how it would’ve been great if we could’ve become members of the mile high club. That was the wrong thing to think of too, because I ended up with the worst erection the entire flight.
Even now, I kept replaying Saturday night in my head, seeing her jumping on the bed, naked, and how she sucked me off. She was fabulous. If I didn’t pull my head out of this scene, I’d be in huge trouble. But, if I didn’t see her again soon, I didn’t know how I would cope. I sounded like a teenager in puppy love. What the fuck. Think with your brain and not your dick, Evan.
I was in the elevator, on my way up to StarWorks Financial when an idea struck. I would hit her up with some flowers this morning. I knew she worked in the rehab center Pearson had gone to. I had been there the day he checked out, but couldn’t remember the name of the place. I could always call my mom. She never forgot those kinds of things.
My feet chewed up the floor as I didn’t waste time getting to my office. The receptionist greeted me as I walked in.
“Good morning, Mr. Thomas.”
“Morning, Sharon.”
“Can I send coffee down?”
I called back, “Yes, thanks,” and kept moving.
My assistant, Cole, was already at his desk when I rounded the corner. He rose when he saw me.
“Mr. Thomas. How are you this morning?”
“Just fine, Cole. And you?”
“Fine, sir.”
I was the CEO of a hedge fund I’d started. Cole was a great assistant. I was grooming him to become a compliance officer.
“What’s on the agenda for today?” I asked.
“The Director of Compliance sent up the reports you requested on the acquisition you’re looking into. I’ve reviewed them and everything looked good to me. They’re on your desk, sir. You have an appointment with Brightwater today. Mr. O’Quinn will be joining you, of course.” Tom O’Quinn was the CFO.
“What time is the meeting?”
“Eleven in the conference room and then lunch afterward.”
“Good. Plan to be there. I want you to sit in and take notes for me.”
“Mr. Thomas, are you sure?”
I frowned. “Have I ever asked you to do anything I wasn’t sure of?”
“No, sir.”
“Be prepared. I want you to know all the facts and figures for Brightwater. Can you tell me right now what your opinion of them is?”
“Yes, sir. I think they would be a good addition to our portfolio.”
This was a test I hadn’t let him prepare for. “Why?”
“They are above board in everything. No violations of any kind regarding compliance. Their returns are solid. Nothing to indicate anything out of order. I like where they are going with some of their investments. They’re looking at things that some of our other accounts are avoiding, such as some of the tech investments others seem to be missing.”
“Tell me more.”
“Mr. Thomas, I’m heavily involved in the video gaming industry.”
“Go on.”
“I actually compete, for fun and for money.”
My brows rose. He flushed when he noticed. “Is that a fact? And just so you know, I’m not judging you. I’m only interested.”
“Yes, I’m actually on a team where we compete nationally. This is why my interest is so keen. Some of these smaller stocks yield excellent returns, such as AVID. You may want to check them out. But Brightwater invests in these and that’s one of the reasons I’m a fan.”
“Good to know. I’ll dig in a little deeper then.”
My coffee arrived and after my second cup, I was finished with my review of the compliance reports. The team had done an excellent job of vetting Brightwater. I went on to investigate some of the tech stocks that Cole had mentioned, and again, I was impressed. It would be good to have these on board for more diversification. This fund seemed to be something StarWorks could certainly benefit from.
First, I sent a congratulatory email to the Director of Compliance and her team on doing such a thorough job. Then I called Cole in.
“You wanted to see me, sir?”
“Yes. Good job on this. I’m curious. On all these tech stocks, a few of them are traded under different names, and in the Chinese market. I want more information on the solidarity of the Chinese gaming industry. I don’t want to jump in feet first and have the whole dam thing collapse. Understand?”
“Absolutely. But the industry is so huge and even part of Vegas now, I hardly th
ink that’s an issue.”
“Which of them do you recommend over the others?” I asked.
“The Chinese actually own several of the gaming stocks. One of them, Ace High, has produced the most. It’s traded under the name Trevor. They developed the number one game in the industry. I’m sure you’ve heard of it—Day Light?”
I chuckled. “This is completely out of my league. I played Game Boy when I was ten.”
“Game Boy? Like Mario?”
“Yeah. I loved Super Mario.”
“Well, you need to get up to date, sir. The gaming industry is nothing like that now.”
“I don’t imagine it is. Don’t you compete with people online?”
“Exactly.”
“To be honest, I don’t have much time for that.”
“I’m not a huge sleeper so I do it during the night.”
“You’re still young, Cole. Wait until you’re my age.”
He laughed. “Mr. Thomas, you’re what? Thirty-five?”
“On the nose.”
“I’m not that far behind you at twenty-seven.”
“Just wait.” I remembered thinking that when I was his age. “Thanks for the information. Be ready to head to the conference room at ten forty-five.”
“Yes, sir.”
After closing the door, I ran a quick search on rehab centers in Westchester County and ironically, there were over a dozen. That left me with looking at each one of them. It didn’t take long for me to locate Flower Power Serenity Center. The pictures of the place were the giveaway, especially when I saw the VW van decorated with all the flowers and peace symbols. I called the number listed and asked if a Sylvie West worked there. The woman who answered wasn’t very open to my question, so I told her it was only because I wanted to send flowers. She immediately answered. My next call was to place the order and send the message. I hoped Sylvie was impressed, because the bouquet she was about to receive was going to be quite large.
After waiting for about an hour, I called the center back and asked to speak to Sylvie. I was put on hold, but when the receptionist came, she told me Sylvie wasn’t in. I asked for her cell phone number, but she wouldn’t give it to me.
I went back to work and in no time, Cole reminded me of our appointment. Grabbing all the reports I’d need, I placed them in my bag and met him outside my office. We proceeded to the conference room and took our seats as we waited for the others.
Cole was nervous, but I reassured him. “You’ll be fine. I’m not going to put you on the spot or anything. All you have to do is take notes and remember their names.”
He visibly relaxed. “Thank you, sir.”
Everyone trickled in and the meeting began with introductions. It ran very smoothly and at the end, the officers of our company excused ourselves in order to discuss things. We all voted unanimously to make the offer. Brightwater accepted, and we went to lunch to celebrate. I was excited to get them added to our portfolio.
When we returned to the office, Cole emailed me his notes an hour later. That’s when I decided to try Sylvie again. This time, she told me Sylvie was gone for the day. It wasn’t even three yet. Was she ill? I asked, but the receptionist wouldn’t tell me.
“Are you sure you can’t give me her cell phone. I’m her cousin, Pearson’s, best friend. You must remember him. He married Rose, one of your employees.”
“Yes, I remember him, but we’re not allowed to give out anyone’s number without their permission.”
“I understand. I’ll call back tomorrow. Thank you.”
I’d never felt such great disappointment as I had then. Talking to Sylvie was going to have to wait another day.
Three
Sylvie
During the past five days, Evan had called the center at least a dozen times. I couldn’t keep asking the front desk to tell him I wasn’t here. Eventually I’d have to talk to him, but that was the last thing I wanted.
Rose wouldn’t be back until next Wednesday and I couldn’t wait. She was the only one I’d spill my guts to. I hadn’t even told my sisters what had happened. On the flight home from St. Lucia, they’d tried their best to wheedle the information out of me, but all I said was, he’d escorted me to my room and that was it. Only every time his name was mentioned, my face turned an unsightly shade of red, and Piper would elbow me in the ribs. They knew something had happened between us. I just refused to confess to it.
At work, Lisa told me she would not keep fielding my calls anymore. The man had been nothing but polite. He not only sent me flowers but every day something wonderful had arrived. On Tuesday, a delicious breakfast of cinnamon pancakes, a large coffee latte, and a chocolate chip cookie with a lovely note was delivered to me. The note said:
* * *
Good morning sweets,
Something delicious and sweet for my girl.
Evan
* * *
Even I had to admit, it caused my belly to flutter—not a little but a lot. I devoured those pancakes and they were the best I’d ever eaten. I’d never tell Rose though, because I’d always thought hers were until now.
I thought that would be it because I still wasn’t taking his calls, but no. On Wednesday, at eleven forty-five, a scrumptious lunch of a lobster salad showed up. How did he know lobster was my favorite? It was served with a light champagne dressing, a small crusty loaf of bread, butter, and for dessert, a creme brûlée. Oh, man, he was killing me. Whoever said the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach had it wrong. It was the way to a woman’s heart. This time, his note said:
* * *
My sweets:
I hope your day is as wonderful as you are.
Yours,
Evan
* * *
Surely, this would be the last if I didn’t pick up the phone and thank him. But no. On Thursday, a huge box arrived. Inside was a perfectly naughty thong and matching bra, along with a flogger. I slammed the lid back on the box and stuffed it under my desk. Holy shit, what in the hell was he thinking? My hands trembled as I opened his note.
* * *
Sweets:
My curiosity is still piqued. What about yours?
Yours,
Evan
* * *
My core tightened and I rubbed my flaming cheeks. Jesus, there was sweat on my upper lip. How could he do this to me? I hadn’t seen him in what? A week? Almost. It seemed like a century. What was wrong with me? He should be out of my system by now.
That night when I got home, I opened the box, which hadn’t been easy to sneak out of the building. I worked with some nosey fuckers. I had to stay late and then wrap a sweater around it so no one would ask any questions. Luckily, most of them had already left for the day and the evening shift had arrived.
When I checked out the flogger, I was fascinated. The handle was purple and black braided leather while the strands were black. My fingers touched the long, soft lengths of suede, wondering how it would feel to have him use it on me. I was instantly aroused. Maybe there was a hidden side of kinkiness to me I didn’t realize was there. I put the flogger away and picked up the thong. But when I inspected it, it wasn’t a thong at all. It was a pair of crotchless panties. Good Lord, the man was bold. I stuffed them in the same drawer with the flogger and tried to forget about them. Only it was impossible. I ended up using my vibe to get rid of the wicked feelings they evoked.
On Friday, I dragged myself into the center. Lisa stopped me and said, “I’m done. If he calls today, I’m sending it through.”
“Fine.” I was done holding him off too. If the man couldn’t take a hint, I would have to pull up the big girl pants and tell him. I was too tired to argue with her anyway. That stupid flogger had kept me up all night. All I could do was think about what it would actually feel like if he used it between my thighs.
I opened my office door and practically threw my crap on the desk. Coffee was an urgent necessity, so I marched to the cafeteria and grabbed two huge mugs worth. On my way back, I
bumped into Leeanne, literally, and spilled one of them down my white shirt.
“Shit.”
“Sorry, Sylvie. I wasn’t looking.”
“Same. And I didn’t bring an extra shirt today.”
“I don’t have one either. Maybe someone up front does.”
“I’ll check.” I cursed myself for taking my sweater home last night, and then I cursed Evan for sending me that flogger, which in turn, forced me to use the sweater to hide the box, and which also had made me tired. Dammit.
I went to my office and called Lisa. “Hey, you don’t by any chance have an extra shirt here, do you?”
“No, sorry, but I was just getting ready to call you. You have a visitor.”
“I do? Who is it?”
“Says he’s your cousin. Tall, dark, and super sexy,” she whispered into the phone.
Chuckling, I said, “Yeah, that must be Grey. Send him back.”
“Is he Pearson’s brother?”
“Yeah.”
“Gah, he’s dreamy.”
“They all are.”
“I’ll tell him to come now.”
I was dabbing at my coffee stain when a knock sounded on the door. “Come on in, Grey.”
The door opened, and he walked in. “It’s not Grey.”
My head jerked up to see Evan standing there. “What are you doing here?”
“Sorry for the subterfuge, but I had to find a way to see you. You’re quite stubborn, you know.”
“So you lied?”
He shrugged. “With permission.”
I gawked at him. “What does that mean?”
“It means I spoke to Grey first. He said it was okay.”
“Oh, my God. You’re both conspiring against me.”
“Sweets, I only wanted to return something of yours and you gave me such a hard time of it, this was the only way I knew how.”
One Indecent Night Page 2