Taking Flight

by Windsor, Michelle

  She opens the door, holding it wide for me to enter. “Please, make yourself comfortable.” She watches as I pull out one of the cushioned leather chairs, and then as I lower myself into it, nods once I’m seated. “Can I get you anything? Coffee, tea, water?”

  I smile politely. “No, thank you, Ms. Crosby.”

  “Very good.” She smiles back at me. “I’ll let Mr. Peters know you’re here. He shouldn’t be long.” She turns on her heel and strides away before I can reply.

  I try to sit patiently, but that lasts about three minutes before I stand and move to one of the windows. The view is astounding. Something I could definitely get used to. I press my hand against the glass to lean forward, trying to see if I can catch a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty. I jump when someone behind me clears their throat. I spin around, embarrassment flaring in my cheeks (yet again), as my eyes land on a man in his mid-forties, an amused smirk dancing on his lips.

  “It’s a nice view, yes?” He steps further into the room, shutting the door behind him as he does, and stops when he’s a foot shy of me. “Ms. Adams?”

  “Mr. Peters?” I grip the hand he’s reached out to me and shake it. “I’m so sorry about that.”

  “For enjoying the view?” He releases his hold to wave my apology away. “Don’t be silly.” He moves to sit at the table. “Please, take a seat, and please, call me Ross.”

  I sit in the chair I claimed earlier, clasp my hands in front of me, and dive in. “It’s truly an honor to meet you, Ross. I’ve been an admirer of yours for many years. I truly appreciate the opportunity and consideration of this position.”

  “It’s you who deserves admiration. I’ve been watching you the past year. You’re good. You’ve earned that seat you’re sitting in right now.” He slides a folder across the table to me and points to it. “We’re already prepared to make you an offer. Everything you need to know is in that folder, but let’s talk a little more about the role.”

  My heart thunders in my chest at his words. They’re already making me an offer? I was not expecting the process to move at such a quick pace. I give myself a mental shake and concentrate on what Ross is saying. We spend the next hour talking about the position, how I’d integrate and work with him, and about the current media concerns of the company. It’s everything I want and more.

  “So, if you don’t have any further questions, I think we’re done.” Ross concludes, rising to move around the table to shake my hand. “I hope the next time I see you, it’s to show you to your new office here at Harrison, Harrison & Watkins. It’s truly been a pleasure.”

  “Thank you again.” I shake his hand and smile warmly. “I promise I’ll be in touch with my decision quickly.”

  “Mr. Harrison will stop by in just a minute to give you our official partner pitch.” He gives me a wink. “But make no mistake, the job is yours if you want it.” With that, he gives me a quick wave and exits the room.

  I can’t help the grin that’s plastered to my face. This is really happening. I knew I was a good candidate for the position, but this seemed way too easy. I reach over with two fingers and pinch the skin on the back of my hand to make sure this isn’t some crazy dream I’m having. “Ouch!” I flinch at my own action.

  “I was right.” A deep voice sounds in front of me, goosebumps bursting across my flesh at the familiar tone, my head snapping up. “You look like a million bucks in that outfit.”

  “Fin?” I take a step back, blinking rapidly to make sure what, or who, I’m seeing in front of me is real. I watch, speechless, as the door shuts quietly behind him and he strides towards me. He looks even more handsome, as if that was even possible, in the dark suit he’s wearing, the crisp white of his shirt making his eyes look even brighter.

  “I don’t think we ever formally introduced ourselves.” The corners of his lips twitch as he takes one of my hands into his, the heat that surrounds my fingers intimate as he grips them. “Griffin Harrison, Senior Partner at Harrison, Harrison & Watkins.”

  My mouth falls open as I take another step back, my hand dragging out of his as realization dawns. “Holy shit. You knew who I was the entire time.”

  “Well, the company did book your ticket,” he chides. “And, not coincidentally, mine too, making sure we were seated together.”

  “So, what is this?” I cross my arms over my chest and lock them there in an effort to restrain myself from slapping him. “Some kind of scheme to embarrass me? Trick me into telling you something or showing you something about myself that you may not discover in an interview?”

  He scratches the scruff lining his otherwise perfect face, a gleam in his eyes as he stares back at me. After what seems like moments, but in actuality is just a few seconds, he explains. “Not a trick. Just a unique way of getting to know what someone is really like in a more relaxed setting.” He paces back and forth then stands in front of me again. “We had already made the decision to hire you, sight unseen, given your reputation and all the different ways we could watch your work online. When we realized that I would be flying back to this office on the same flight as you, I asked them to book my seat next to yours. I wanted to make sure we were getting someone authentic and not someone who knew how to easily contrive herself, as well as the media.”

  “Like the genuine way you represented yourself?” I stomp a foot then throw a hand up as I continue. “You completely misrepresented yourself! And took advantage of me in a situation I obviously wasn’t aware of!”

  “How exactly did I take advantage of you, Chloe?” He takes a step forward, which I counter, flinching when I feel myself bump up against the window, trapped like a fly in a spider’s web. My eyes dart up to his as he continues. “By sharing a couple drinks? A meal? Watching a movie together.” He smirks. “Which you fell asleep to, by the way.” He steps a little closer. “Or was it when I held your hand through a patch of rough air?”

  I stare back at him, my breathing shallow, his closeness only causing me to be more confused. Why does he have to smell so Goddamn delicious? I shake my head in an attempt to clear my thoughts, then make my appeal. “Because you knew who I was. And how much I wanted this job. And how attracted I was to you. And you invited me to dinner. You don’t do that to a possible colleague.” I raise my eyes to his. “How will I ever know if I got this job because I’m the best you could hire, or if it’s because my boss wants to sleep with me!”

  “First, if I wanted to sleep with you, I could have done that last night.” His eyes bore into mine as he grits out his response. “Second, I’m not your boss. Ross Peters is. I’m just one of the partners who work here. Third, you’re getting this job based entirely on your own merits and because Ross loves your work.” He takes another step forward, his body now leaning into mine, his voice a growl as he finishes. “And let’s get one more thing clear. I don’t want to just sleep with you. I want to fuck you, long and hard, and then, I’m going to want to do it again.”

  “Fin.” I gasp when his hips thrust against mine, making his intentions more than clear. “Don’t make this more difficult for me.” I look up into his eyes, almost giving in right there. “You know I’m attracted to you. How are we supposed to work together?”

  He releases my arm, taking a step back as he runs a hand through his tousled hair. He tilts his head toward the ceiling, a long breath leaving his lips before he looks at me again and begins to speak. “I know. I’m sorry. It wasn’t meant to be sneaky, or even a trick. The last thing I ever expected was to be so attracted to you. Or you to me.”

  I snort. “Really?” I wave my hand up and down the length of his body with a dramatic flair. “How could anyone not be attracted to that?”

  “Not this again.” He bows his head, a small smile playing at his lips. “Listen, there is no one that is better for this job than you. It’s yours. On a silver platter.” He steps over to the table and leans against it. “Chloe, the bottom line is the company wants you. To be honest, your job and any direct interaction you’d have
with me will be minimal at best. You deal with Ross. Ross deals with the partners and clients. If this were a conflict of interest for me, I wouldn’t even broach it.”

  “It, being your attraction to me?” I wonder out loud.

  “I think it’s pretty mutual, but yes,” he concedes.

  “This doesn’t feel right. I feel like I’m getting the job for all the wrong reasons.” I move to stand in front of him.

  He grips my shoulders with a gentle touch and stares down at me. “You’re getting this job because you are the best choice. Ross hired you, not me. I’m giving my partner approval. Sex free. No influence.”

  “I need to know that you have no authority or say in my job. That it’s all Ross. I don’t want my integrity comprised by anything happening between us,” I plead, my desire to explore what I’m feeling for Fin obvious. This is a job offer of a lifetime, but, let’s face it; men come and go.

  Sensing my internal struggle, he continues to argue, “Chloe, the only thing you need to worry about where I’m concerned is to make sure I look good to the public and the clients. That’s it.” He steps into me then, pulling my body flush. His face just inches above mine as he looks down at me. “Anything else that happens is between you and me. No one else.”

  I lick my lips, wanting to kiss him, to wrap my arms around his waist, but know this isn’t the time or the place. Instead, I back out of his hold and peer back at him. “Okay, I need some time to think and review the offer Ross presented.” A wave of shyness sweeps over me as I continue. “And to think about you.”

  “Fair enough.” He walks to the table to grab the folder Ross presented me with earlier and hands it to me. I retrieve my bag off the floor beside the table and start for the door.

  “I’ll ask Gina to call a car for you.” He pulls the door open for me and allows me to walk ahead of him.

  “Actually, I’d rather walk. It’s not that far, and I could use the time to think.” I turn, extending my hand to him. “Thank you for everything, Mr. Harrison.”

  Chapter Five

  Final Destination

  Strangest day ever. I push the contract and job terms across the table and stride over to the mini-bar. It’s after five, and I am so ready for a damn drink. I grab one of the little bottles of white wine, twist the cap off, and drink it straight from bottle. Sometimes, a girl just has to do what a girl has to do. And, screw it, this is all getting billed to my new company anyway.

  “Cheers to me.” I lift the wine in the air, even though no one is there, and bring it to my lips again for another gulp. I freeze when there’s a loud knock on the door. I set the small bottle down on the table as I pass, and push down on the handle to pull the door open.

  “Griffin,” I exclaim, unable to mask my surprise. “What are you doing here?”

  “We have dinner plans.” His eyes roam over me, his brow creasing as he does. I’m still in my skirt and shirt from earlier. The jacket was thrown onto the back of the couch hours ago, my shirt now untucked and wrinkled at my waist.

  “Oh, I didn’t think we were still doing that.”

  “I was hoping we still were.” His eyes meet mine as he holds up a bottle of Dom Perignon. “And, I promised you this, win or lose.”

  “Come in. You look silly standing out in the hallway.” I roll my eyes then wave my hand indicating he should enter, his ocean scent wafting up into my nostrils when he breezes by. He’s still wearing the dark suit pants and the clean white shirt he had on earlier, but the tie and jacket are gone. “Trying to sway me with champagne?”

  He sets the bottle on the table beside my paperwork, then steps into my space, his body only inches from mine. “More like, trying to seduce you.”

  “You don’t need champagne for that,” I whisper, his lips brushing against mine as I complete my sentence. His hand snakes through my hair to grasp onto the back of my head, and I arch my body into his, our mouths crushing together, our desire finally snapping as we fuse against each other. Even though I’m conflicted about Fin’s interview tactics, there is no denying that I want him.

  My hands slide around his neck as his fingers skim up the outside of my thighs, dragging my skirt with them. My legs wrap around his waist as he lifts and carries me to the bed. Our kiss deepens, his tongue sweeping against mine, him growling in hunger as his body lays over me. He shoves my skirt higher and thrusts his hips into my center, his hard length sliding against the silk of my panties, the friction eliciting a moan from me.

  Hot, full lips deliver a fluttering trail of wet kisses over my chin, down my throat, and into the cleavage of my blouse as he begins to work the buttons. My fingers mimic his actions on the shirt he’s wearing, but before I can complete the task, he pulls abruptly away, yanking it over his head, exposing his bare chest to me. I gaze up at him, his eyes fixed on mine as he jerks my shirt open. I gasp, my teeth catching my lip as my fingers graze down the downy plane of his chest and then glide lower over the sculpted ridges of his abdomen.

  “Holy shit,” I murmur, any legible words I was going to utter silenced when I feel the heat of his mouth around my nipple. My nails sink into the flesh of his back as his pelvis shoves against me, a silent O shaping my lips as I toss my head back. I feel the clip on my bra release, and lift myself off the bed slightly as Fin strips my torso bare.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he professes, caressing the hair back from my face, dropping kisses down my body until he reaches the waist of my skirt. He grasps the hem with both hands, tugging it roughly over my hips and down my legs until I’m completely naked. His gaze is feral as he unbuttons his slacks, kicking them off as they hit the floor. His cock juts hard against his waist as he slides a condom on.

  I spread my legs as he crawls over me, his mouth crushing against mine as he lines himself against my center, both of us groaning as he enters me in one thrust. I don’t think either one of us could wait another second for this. It feels so utterly like bliss when he begins to move, our desperation for this moment heightening the pleasure.

  “Oh my God, so good, Fin.” I rake my hands down his back until they’re gripping his ass, pressing him harder, faster, deeper inside of me. He lifts himself onto his elbows to brace himself over me, then surges forward, his cock plundering into me again and again. “Yes, yes, yes.” I cry, my eyes clenched as my head rocks back and forth, my orgasm already beginning to crest.

  “Look at me, Chloe.” Fin grunts above me, his hips continuing to pummel me, the walls of my core beginning to tighten. “Look at me when we come.”

  I blink my eyes open to find his staring down at me, so much darker than I’ve seen them before, his desire blazing. “So. Fucking. Perfect.” His hips thrust into me after each word, the next deeper than before, the last one sending me toppling over the edge. His name leaving my parted lips in a strangled breath as stars burst beneath lids I can no longer keep open.

  “Fuck, yes!” His cock plunges into me once, twice, and then a final time as his release throbs against my clenching muscles, both of us panting as we cling to one another.

  When we seem to have caught our breath, he moves, pulling me with him as he rolls onto his side. His length slides out of me with the movement, sending small aftershocks pulsating through my core. I squeeze my legs together, trying to extend the tingling sensation, already wanting more. His arm wraps me close, his heart thundering under my cheek as I drape across his chest. “Was that my signing bonus?” I giggle, high from the orgasm I just had.

  His chest rumbles under my cheek, the vibrations when he speaks ticklish against my ear. “That was the pre-signing bonus.” He moves at lightning speed, rolling me over to trap my body under his, that gorgeous dimple tempting me as he looms over me. “Give me a half-hour and you’ll get a bonus so amazing, you’re going to wonder how you even had a second thought about working for me.”

  I lift my head and capture his mouth in mine, nipping his lip playfully when I pull away. “I don’t work for you, remember?”

  He presse
s another kiss against my mouth then smiles again. “So, you’re going to take the job?”

  “I mean,” I laugh, slapping a hand over my face in resignation, “I don’t think I’m going to get perks like this anywhere else.”

  “You bet your ass you won’t.” He chuckles, rolling again, adjusting me so that I’m straddling him. My long hair hangs between us as I lean down.

  My expression grows serious. “This could be hard.”

  He wiggles his hips under me. “Oh, believe me, it will be. Any second now.”

  I deliver a playful slap to his chest. “I mean working together. Get your mind out of the gutter.”

  “Only if we let it.” He sits up underneath me, aligning his chest with mine, a soft kiss falling against my lips before he continues. “As I said earlier, we really won’t see each other in the office unless we want to. We have completely separate responsibilities.”

  I rest my forehead against his. “Good, because I think I’m going to want to keep doing this.”

  “Good, because if I recall, I warned you that I’d be doing this to you more than once.” One side of his mouth quirks up in a smile before pressing against mine, his fingers digging into my ass as he grinds his growing length against my core.

  “It’s good to know you keep your promises.” I say on a sigh, which quickly morphs into a moan when he tightens the grip he has on my waist to slide my center over his cock.

  “Always.” He growls, capturing my mouth in a passionate kiss, sealing my decision to accept both the job and the sex, knowing in my heart that this is the start of something special.

  Epilogue

  Into the Sunset

  Six Months Later…

  “Hey gorgeous.” His voice, deep and raspy, has me lifting my attention away from the press release I’m reviewing.