The NYCE Girls!

by Raquel Belle

  “Are you sure you’re not psychic?” I said.

  She smirked and drank from her glass. “I’m just observant. Now, out with it.”

  “Yeah, I mean…you’re right I guess. Maybe if we weren’t arch enemies and had met under normal circumstances, I would’ve dated him and seen where things went, but that’s not the case here. Enemies don’t…have sex—they screw each other in different ways.”

  Jasmine laughed. “Beth, please! He’s not your nemesis. You guys are like seven-year-olds flirting… If you were on a playground he’d have pulled your pigtails and pushed you into the sandpit.”

  “But that doesn’t change the fact that he’s a legitimately bad person. His practices as a journalist are like…” I paused to search for the words. “They’re medieval and low!”

  Jasmine tilted her head, considering that, then she drank from her glass again. Two guys sat beside us, and they looked around our age—young and cute in a frat boy kind of way.

  “And he’s such an asshole, in general. When I went to see the musical, he was there with a date and practically ignored her the whole time, just so he could mess with me. He’s probably a player too, and I definitely don’t need that in my life.”

  “Yeah, that’s not cute,” Jasmine said, “but you’ve been on this hiatus from men for a long time now, Beth.”

  “It’s done wonders for my stress level, Jazz. The only downside is loneliness and the lack of a real penis attached to someone to keep you warm at night.” Jazz and I both took long drinks. “Are you on the market, or are you still using work as an excuse?” I asked.

  Jasmine laughed, dryly. “Of course, I’m on the market, but I’m not actively looking for anyone so…no one is actively looking for me either.”

  I sighed. “Well, just look at us—two eligible, fine as hell single women. We could be having so much more fun if men weren’t so…ugh.”

  “Lord, this conversation got depressing real quick,” Jasmine said, and we both cracked up. “But back to Anthony. You never know. He could just be putting on an act when he’s around you. With his journalistic practices aside, though, he could actually be a nice, maybe even fun guy.”

  “I doubt that… I think it’s best I forget about the kiss and ignore all this attraction to him,” I said.

  Jasmine looked at me as if she wasn’t so sure. But she didn’t say anything as she picked up her glass. “What are you going to do when you bump into him again?”

  “I honestly don’t see how that’s possible anymore. I had my interview with Jonathan, as did he, and we already saw the musical, so there’s no other opportunity… I mean reason…for us to cross paths again.”

  “You never know…”

  “I hope we don’t,” I said. I didn’t want to ever face him again after what happened.

  Jasmine sighed. “Anyway, when it comes to work, don’t let him affect your story. If he really is an asshole, and it’s not an act…it could just as easily be a ploy to get you off your game.”

  “Holy shit, Jasmine. You’re so right about that! And here I am moping. Whether it’s his plan or not, that’s how I should think of it. That way I can put distance between myself and what happened as a fluke. Anthony is evil, and he devised a plan to throw me off. Well, it’s not going to work.”

  Chapter Ten

  Anthony

  After kissing Beth, I sported a halfie the rest of the day, which got worse every time I thought about her. A day later, and I was still getting aroused thinking about our kiss, and it was pissing me off. She was pissing me off…because she got under my skin, and she had a source feeding her info on the fucking Common Templars. I stared out of the window of my office at The Tribune and watched people walk back and forth around the cubicles, to the editors’ offices and the break room. How the hell was I going to get my hands on Beth’s source?

  Then it struck me, and I rolled my eyes at how obvious it was. I picked up the phone and called The Post.

  “Post editorial,” a breathy receptionist answered.

  “Hi, my name is Anthony Preston, and I’m calling from The Tribune.”

  “Good morning, Mr. Preston. How can I help you?”

  “I was hoping to get an appointment with one of your writers. I believe her name is Beth Espinoza?” I turned around in my chair and faced the city behind me. The Post was only two blocks away from The Tribune. But the Wently building was a golden skyscraper that stood out from the others. I peered at it, imagining I was staring at Beth’s office.

  “Beth, okay…let me check if she’s in the office today,” she said. I heard clicking sounds on a computer and checked my watch. It was ten in the morning, so she should be in the office. “Yes, she’s here. You can come in at any time—she doesn’t have any other appointments.”

  “Great, thanks so much,” I said, smiling like the Grinch. She hung up, and I grabbed my leather jacket, shrugged it on, then hurried out of the office. The elevator in our building was mirrored. I fixed my hair on the way to the lobby then jogged out and walked at a decent pace to the Wently building. Their security check was simpler than a lot of the city’s popular skyscrapers. I got in with a visitor’s pass and took the elevator to The Post’s offices. When the elevator opened, I stepped into reception, which was sectioned off from the news floor by glass.

  “Hi, welcome to The Post…do you have an appointment?” The receptionist asked.

  I nodded. “We spoke on the phone. Anthony Preston for Beth Espinoza.”

  She pointed to the door that led into the offices. “You can go on ahead. Beth’s office is the second on your right.”

  “Thanks.” I stepped behind the glass and surveyed the floor for any sign of Beth. She wasn’t hanging out at any of the cubicles. I found her office, and the blinds were closed, so I knocked. When there wasn’t an answer, I tested the handle and then poked my head in. It was empty. But her phone and her laptop were sitting on the desk. She’d probably gone to the bathroom or something.

  I slipped inside and shut the door behind me. What the fuck was I about to do? Snooping wasn’t normally my modus operandi, but what would she give me willingly? I had no leads, and this cat and mouse shit with Beth was wasting my time and getting way too confusing. I stared at her open laptop for a few breaths, then went right for it. Google was open but nothing else. Nothing Jonathan Fitzwales or Common Templars related. I opened Finder and did a search of her files, but typing in Jonathan’s name came up empty. She was smart—she didn’t save her work under obvious names. Her cell was beside the laptop. I felt a thin sheen of sweat break out over my skin. This was nuts but, hell, I was already snooping, so I might as well do a good job of it.

  “Fucking, A…” I said and picked up her phone. There was a text from Brother and another text from an unsaved number. I tried to open the phone, but it was locked with facial recognition. I went back to her laptop and opened up her Documents folder. Then I heard a noise from outside and looked up. Beth stood in the doorway with a cup of coffee in her hand and fire in her eyes.

  “What the hell are you doing!” She stepped inside and slammed the door behind her. I held up my hands in surrender, with a sheepish grin on my face.

  “Can you blame me?” I said.

  “I swear, if I could wring your neck and get away with it, I would right now. This is a total violation!” Beth put her coffee down on top of her filing cabinet and quickly came around the desk to see what I was looking at.

  My heart was pounding as if I were a kid who’d just gotten in to huge trouble. The only thing I could resort to was playing it off. “You don’t name your files correctly. I could’ve been out of here by now if I was able to find anything.” I looked her up and down. She was wearing jeans and an oversized green sweater that brought out her eyes. Her hair was down again, and it made her look a lot younger than she probably was.

  “If you think, for a second, that I believe you…then you’re a lot more of an idiot than I gave you credit for,” she said. “What did you find
?”

  “Nothing! I swear. Your phone was locked, and I didn’t have time to open any documents, clearly,” I said. I stepped closer to her so that my jacket brushed her hip, and she pushed me away. She met my grin with a glare.

  “I should have security come up here and fucking escort you out of the building,” she said while looking through her ‘recent’ folder. I pressed my lips together, she was right. I was an idiot because I could’ve found what I needed if I went there first. “You’re beyond low, you know that?” She said and closed her laptop, then put her hands on her hips.

  “I know that, and you know that, so you shouldn’t be surprised, right?” I said.

  She shook her head at me and pointed to the door. “Please leave.” With her hands on her hips, she waited for me to do her bidding.

  I searched her face. Was she really not going to mention our kiss? I smiled. “Haven’t you been thinking about me?”

  “Why would I think about you? You don’t have anything I want, and there’s no reason for us to keep seeing each other only to argue every time. Again, I ask, please leave.”

  “You gotta give me a bone, Beth.” I stepped closer to her again, but that time she didn’t move.

  She looked up into my eyes and shook her head. “I don’t owe you anything. I got my source through hard work and resourcefulness. You should try it sometime.”

  My jaw flexed with annoyance. “I am resourceful. That’s why I’m here. It’s fine if you want to forget our make-out session. I mean, it was mediocre at best. Just help me out a little, Beth. Journalist to journalist.”

  She laughed. “Why should I help someone who gets off on insulting me? Go fuck yourself, but first, GET OUT!”

  I smiled then stepped around her and sat in her desk chair. “No.”

  Beth closed her eyes briefly and took a slow, deep breath.

  Chapter Eleven

  Beth

  I couldn’t believe the situation that I was in. Never in a hundred years did I think Anthony would be so bold as to show up in my office and snoop around. He stared up at me with that stupid, smug grin, and my hand itched to slap him all over again. He pulled his leather jacket around him and got comfortable. His hair flopped into his face, and he ran his fingers through it to brush it back.

  “What’s it going to take for me to get it through your thick skull? You’re not getting anything out of me!” I said.

  “Beth, here’s how this is gonna go,” he said and leaned forward.

  I shook my head. He folded his hands in his lap and sat there, challenging me with that smarmy look on his face. The urge to hit him grew to a fever pitch inside of me.

  He looked me up and down. “You’re gonna answer my questions about the Common Templars, or you’re going to give up your source. Then I’ll gladly be out of your hair. Unless…you know…” He stood and came close to me. So close that I smelled his cologne. My traitorous body reacted with a flush of heat and lust.

  He smiled, slow and cat-like. “Unless you want me to stick around for another kind of relationship. It doesn’t have to be anything serious.”

  “You’re joking,” I said, while shaking my head. Heat filled my chest, and the urge to hit him was almost too much. Why was he making this so painful? I just wanted him to leave because he was standing too close, and he smelled too good, like body wash and cologne.

  Anthony smirked and leaned forward. He brushed his lips over mine, and my intimacy-deprived body leaned into him. I shouldn’t kiss him back. I should kick him out. It would be the smart thing to do. Instead, I combed my fingers into his silky hair and bit his bottom lip. He exhaled and cupped my neck, as his other hand reached down to grab my ass. He licked my lips before his tongue met mine. My pussy throbbed with need and my self control went out of the window.

  Anthony put both hands on my ass and pressed my hips against his. I felt his full-on erection and gasped. I had a brief out of body reverie that Anthony wanted me more than I wanted him and the thought felt really good. I slid my hand between us and rubbed his cock through his jeans, feeling the full impression of it. He was big, both thick and lengthy. Anthony picked me up and sat me down on the clear side of my desk. He took off his jacket and his eyes seemed even more electric when he looked at me. Underneath was a plain white t-shirt, and I saw just how muscular his arms were. He always looked so lean and slim, but there was a whole masterpiece undiscovered beneath his clothes.

  He braced his arms on either side of me and kissed my neck slowly, like he was savoring the taste of me. My vision blurred for a moment, while my clit throbbed like crazy for some relief.

  “Tell me if this is happening right now?” He said, his voice hoarse with arousal.

  I glanced down at his jeans, the imprint of his cock was clear as day. “What do you mean, this?”

  “I mean, I want to keep going, do you?” He asked. He kissed me again and flicked his tongue against mine. I imagined the sensation against my clit and a sensual shiver moved down my spine.

  “Yeah,” I whispered, refusing to think about anything else other than how he was making my body feel in that moment.

  Anthony unbuttoned my jeans, and I lifted my hips so that he could pull them off along with the thong I thankfully had on. He knelt and pulled my legs to rest on his shoulders. I couldn’t look away from his eyes, trained on me, as his mouth moved closer to my cleft. He flicked his tongue against my clit and the sharp spike of pleasure made me gasp.

  “Fuck what I said before, Beth. I’ve wanted to do this since we were in that hallway,” he said. He sucked on my clit then ran his tongue around it. My belly quivered with the pleasure, and my body flushed with heat. He continued to suck and nibble gently, as he slid down, licking my wet folds and kissing my pussy lips…he made a feast out of me.

  “Oh my god,” I groaned. My body twitched with the building orgasm, and Anthony tilted me back just enough to slip his finger into my tight and clenching pussy. He thrust his finger perfectly against my g-spot, and my body shuddered. The orgasm rocked through me. I bit my lip hard to keep from crying out, but still I moaned through my nose.

  “You’re so sexy,” Anthony breathed. He wiped his mouth on my inner thigh and then rose just enough to bite my neck. He tilted me back even further, and then I felt the tip of his cock rub through my cunt.

  “Fuck…” I said. My pussy was still throbbing, and it felt like every time he touched me, more electricity and heat coursed through me.

  Anthony reached into his pocket and slipped a condom out of his wallet. “Can’t tell me that you don’t want me now, huh?” He wrapped my legs around his waist and that mischievous challenge lit his eyes again. His fingers brushed my pussy lips as he rolled the condom on.

  “Shut up and fuck me please,” I said. Anthony laughed then guided his dick to my opening and pushed slowly inside. I groaned, biting my lip to try and keep the noise down. But he felt good, more than good. As his cock filled me up he seemed to touch every sensitive spot inside me. Anthony’s forehead touched mine, and he went still inside me for two ragged breaths.

  “Anthony…” My head fell back, and my hips moved restlessly. Anthony kissed the nape of my neck and pulled my hips forward so that he could hold me up. His hips moved back and forth, thrusting into me fast and deep. I could barely contain my moans of pleasure. He covered my mouth with his, kissing me to drink up the cries of pleasure. It had been so damn long since I’d had sex. My palms started to slide back on the desk so I held onto his shoulders instead as he lifted me with ease and continued to bounce me on his cock. I felt the tip of it kiss deep inside me over and over, my pussy squeezing around him with a near vise grip. Anthony cursed and groaned in my ear, careful to keep his voice low. In that moment, I wished we were anywhere other than my office because I didn’t want him to stop. The pleasure built with each thrust, and my body felt loose like jelly.

  My mind blanked, and then the orgasm tore through me in a rush. I held onto him tight as my pussy strangled his cock with every
wave of my orgasm. He moaned low in his throat, and the delicious sound of it sent another flurry of tremors through me. He put me down on the desk, and stilled, holding himself inside me. He kissed my neck and then finally pulled out—the condom was full. He stood between my legs, his hand gently rubbing my thigh, as we took a moment to catch our breath.

  Then reality set in all at once, and the noise of people working, and having perfectly normal, professional interactions outside the office pressed in on me. The heat that had wrapped around me quickly dissipated, and I gently pushed Anthony back to put on my clothes. I paid him no mind until I sat down with my head in my hands. Finally, I took a slow, deep breath.

  “How about we set up something casual. Maybe dinner? We can talk over seafood and white wine?” Anthony sat across from my desk, his legs open as if they were too heavy for him, and he had a happy glaze over his eyes.

  “Talk?” My arms felt ten pounds heavier, as I reached to open my laptop. I turned on the camera to fix my hair and check for hickeys, which thankfully there were none.

  Anthony smiled at me, nodding his head as if everything was fine, and we hadn’t just had hot fucking sex at my place of work.

  He studied me for a moment. “Yes, instead of arguing, anyway. We can talk about the Common Templars and other things…like…when this will happen again…”

  “Anthony, no,” I said. “I’m not giving you anything.”

  “Whatever, I mean, in general, let’s at least have dinner,” he said. The haughty tone that I was more used to from him came back. He sat forward and ran his fingers through his hair, straightening the disheveled look.

  “No, first it was dinner, then you want leads, then who knows what else. I’m not giving you anything. First there’s no strings…and now?”

  “Aw, come on, Beth. How old are you? Twenty-one?”

  I shrugged. I was close enough to it but still a lot more mature than he was. “Maybe you shouldn’t have ever mentioned the strings. To me, it seems like this is some game you’re playing…and I’m too busy for games, so why don’t you just stop talking and get out while things are still civil.”