by Adele Niles
Four
Owen
I can’t help but stare at her legs. Addy’s dress has slid up, revealing her thigh. It’s more skin than I’ve ever seen on her.
I hold back my desire to reach over and touch her leg. I can feel my cock getting harder, making my pants tighter. My cock is going to have to relax for a bit. There’s no way it’s getting out tonight. Not with Addy.
I have rules. We have rules.
No mixing business and pleasure.
“I can’t believe I drank that much,” Addy says. “I’m so embarrassed.”
She turns away from me, pretending to look out of the window.
“Don’t be. It’s not like you did anything stupid. Besides, it’s just me.” I realize how that sounds, like I’m her friend, but we’ve never interacted like that before.
Those rules and beginning to break and I know I need to get Addy home and away from me, before something happens.
“Right here,” she says, pointing to the building. “I’m on the first floor.”
She quickly grabs her purse from the floorboard of the car and rifles though it, I assume, looking for her keys. Her door is now half propped open and I get out, walking around to her side to extend a hand.
“I’m fine,” she says. “I actually feel really good.”
“I know, but it would make me feel better that I see you to the door. There’s something about leaving you at the curb that seems wrong.”
“You’re my boss. It’s fine.” Addy gets out of the car and smiles at me.
Fuck, that smile of hers gets the blood flowing to my cock again.
“Well, since you’re out of the car. You might as well.” Addy unlocks the door to her apartment and pushes it open, looking back at me. “Coming in?”
Without hesitation, I follow her in. This is going to be bad. I can feel it.
She drops her keys on the counter and turns on a few lights. It’s a small, modest apartment, everything is organized and perfect. Just the way I would have guessed she kept things.
“Well, now that I see you’re home safe, I should get going.”
“I owe you a drink,” she says. “You left yours at the pub, I don’t think you had more than a sip. I don’t have any bourbon, but how about a beer?”
My head says go, but my cock says stay, and so I agree to have a drink.
Addy kicks off her heels and returns from the kitchen with a bottle of beer in each hand. The bottles frame her perfect tits.
“Owen, can we just keep this between us? I mean, I don’t want anyone else from work knowing about this.” Addy takes a swig from her bottle and leans against the back of the couch across from where I’m standing.
“Promise. I won’t say a thing.”
Immediately guilt pours over me. She doesn’t know. No one other than the executives know. My third rule. When the contract is up, I move on. No parties, no long goodbyes. In fact, no goodbyes at all.
“Thank you,” she says as she rests more of her weight on the back of the couch, causing it to scoot away from her.
I quickly grab Addy around the back, pulling her close and stopping her from falling.
Her body slams against me. Her thigh is perched between my legs, her breasts pushed against my stomach, her head just below my chin where I can take in the scent of strawberry.
Addy looks up, her face red. More embarrassment. And before I know it, her lips are planted firmly on mine. I try to hold back, but it’s too late. My mouth is already on hers, my tongue darting between her lips, dancing with hers.
I glance away long enough to find someplace to rest my bottle and then return to the kiss I’ve wanted for the last twelve months.
Her hip presses in to my throbbing cock as I pull her closer. I work my hands down her back, cupping her ass and then working back up to her shoulder, revealing her bare skin beneath the dress.
My kiss moves from her mouth to her neck to her shoulder. I’m ready to go lower, to bring sheer pleasure to her.
Addy’s hands are around my waist. She traces the band of my pants until her hand comes to stop on the thickness of my cock. She rubs it as I thrust my hips, pushing my hardness into her hand.
She strokes the head of my cock through my pants. I can’t take much more of this. I need her. Now. Twelve months of holding back, deliberately keeping my distance, and not breaking my rules is about to end.
I pull her in close, lifting her around the thighs as her legs wrap around me.
“Where’s your room?” I pant, ready to take her.
“Down the hall to the left,” she says in between kisses.
In only a few steps I’m in her room and on her bed.
I move my hand along Addy’s thigh to her ass. Her dress is pulled up and only the thin material of her panties and my pants separate my cock from breaking down the door to her heaven.
Our mouths meet again as she bites my bottom lip, sending a jolt of pleasure to my brain. I trace my fingers around the thin line of her panties until I find the warm, wet front.
Addy moans and within seconds she’s totally and completely relaxed on the bed.
“Addy?” There’s no response. “Addy? Are you okay?”
My question is met with a snort and then more silence.
I carefully lift myself off of her. My cock is still hard and throbbing at the thought of finally getting what I’ve wanted for so long. Then guilt washes over me.
Maybe it was just the alcohol.
I adjust her on the bed, placing her head on the pillow and pulling the comforter over her body.
There’s a reason why I’ve never broken my rules.
This is why.
Five
Addy
My head pounds as I roll over in bed. I squeeze my eyes shut to block out the light coming in from the outside.
I’m never drinking again. Ever.
I didn’t even think I drank that much. I fling the white down comforter off of my body and then shock hits me.
I’m dressed. That’s good, right? But I don’t remember putting myself to bed. Someone else did. Fuck.
I quickly replay the night in my head and the first thing that comes to mind is Owen. Double fuck.
What did I do? I jerk myself up so I’m sitting. The room spins and my head throbs. I fall back on the pillow and close my eyes as I replay the rest of the night.
Drinks at the pub. Owen driving me home.
I pause on how that sounds in my head. Any other time it would be incredible. This time though, it sucks, especially given the circumstances.
The image of his face, that gorgeous smile, and those lips fill my mind. I can feel his lips against mine. I feel the plumpness of his bottom lip between my teeth as if it just happened.
Shit. I kissed my boss. Then the reality hits me. My hand was on his cock. His huge cock. His mouth was on my neck.
Then black. No memories.
I reach for my panties. They’re still on.
Did I have sex?
“Oh, no, no, no, n0! Addy, tell me you didn’t fuck your boss.” I’m screaming to myself, hoping to jog a memory, but all I do is cause my headache to hurt more.
Now there are two things I’m never doing again. Drinking, and going to work. I can’t bear the thought of having to face Owen.
Did I dream that he was into me? Did I attack him and he just gave in? The one thing I’ve been fantasizing about for the last twelve months actually happens, and I can’t fucking remember it.
I decide to lay in bed for another hour before I stumble into the living room, wondering if I’m going to see the aftermath of last night.
The couch is slightly pushed off center and I immediately remember Owen grabbing me and pulling me close. Then I kissed him.
I try to block everything out of my head as I shuffle into the kitchen and pour a glass of water. I grab a banana off of the counter. My phone sits on the table next to my key and I hesitate to look at the screen.
No new messages. I exhale a s
igh of relief, knowing I escaped one more bit of drama.
At least for now.
“I’m not leaving this apartment ever again,” I say, moving back to the bedroom. I catch a glimpse of myself in the floor length mirror like I had yesterday morning. I still look good, albeit hungover.
Reaching over my back, I pull the red dress off over my head and drop it on the floor, standing in my red bra and matching panties. This is my outfit for at least the next twelve hours.
I crawl back in to bed and drop my phone on the nightstand. I’m going to have to retrieve my car from Manny’s sometime before Monday. Just not today.
Six
Addy
I spent the weekend huddled in a ball under the covers, dreading today. I broke free for a total of fifteen minutes to catch an Uber to grab my car from Manny’s.
I had kept my headphones in and sunglasses on, blocking out the world, even though it was six a.m. and the parking lot was empty, except for my little maroon car.
Two words were uttered to the driver, hello and thank you.
I keep to my usual schedule, arriving an hour or so before everyone else. I’m choosing to blend in to the background of the office, and my outfit matches my mood.
Black leggings. Black shirt. Black boots.
I have a weird emo, goth vibe going on, but it fits me. I’m dreading the minute I have to actually see Owen. I’ve been rehearsing what I’ll say to him, how I’ll apologize.
Unless he doesn’t bring it up. Then I’ll say nothing.
I’ve spent my quiet hour playing out scenarios in my head, and before I realize it, the gossip has started.
“Can you believe Don is gone from HR?”
“Yeah, him and about five others,” a voice says.
“Not to mention the support group. They leveled IT.”
I’m jolted back to the reality of things. Our project helped the bank cut jobs for the merger. People were let go Friday while I was out drinking and hooking up with my boss.
I guess things could be worse.
I put on my headphones and try to tune into the flood of emails I’ve received over the weekend.
My heart sinks. An email from Owen. Subject, Thank you.
I can’t bear to open it. What’s he thanking me for? Why would he send me an email at work? A million thoughts race through my mind when I hear Chris over the cube wall talking to Alana.
“I can’t believe he’s gone,” Chris says. “No goodbye, I mean, what the fuck. He comes here, gets people fired, and then he’s done?”
Immediately I realize that the selfish me believed Owen was only emailing me. But no, this message from Owen went out to everyone.
I quickly click open the email and read it.
Owen’s gone. No long goodbyes. No party. Just a thank you for being such a great team.
A mix of rage, sorrow, and devastation flows through me. I hit reply as my fingers hover over the keys. Again, selfish me thinks that he left because of Friday, but then I realize the project’s over. He didn’t have the decency to personally say goodbye to me?
Fuck, I grabbed his cock, and he couldn’t say goodbye?
Words are flooding my brain as to what I’d love to say. But maybe I shouldn’t say anything at all. Maybe it’s a good thing.
I have one foggy, but great memory.
No. Screw that. Resentment takes over and my fingers fly over the keys.
Seriously? You can’t even say goodbye? Nothing? No calls, texts.
I include a barrage of other harsh things. Then I make sure the email is going to only one recipient, Owen. It would suck for the entire office to see my indignation.
Then I hit send. My heart sinks as I immediately want to reach through the screen and pull the email back.
It’s too late. A minute later, the email comes back, as if I willed it.
Recipient not found.
Not only has he left, he’s unreachable.
Seven
Owen
A month has passed since I left that last job at the bank. Even though I’m busy with my new contract, I can’t stop thinking about the last.
Addy.
That night. What almost happened.
I broke all of my rules and the only thing I’m regretting is not saying goodbye. Not talking to her again. Not staying.
This new contract is only a few hours north of the last one. Drivable distance. Close enough that I could return to the bank and explain things to Addy. But I haven’t done that.
I’ve been wrestling with memories of that night. The pleasant memories.
Her kiss. The way she felt. What we almost did.
I can’t live like this—I can’t let more time go past without reaching out.
Clicking the new email button, I choose my words carefully. Starting with, I’m sorry.
Then I explain my rules, why I left, my need to be unattached from people at work. I add that none of that makes a difference now. I’m tempted to get in my car and drive back to just confront her, but I doubt she’d see me.
She probably regrets that night.
I take a deep breath and hit send. A moment later, the email comes back.
Recipient not found.
I know exactly what that means. I flip through my phone and find Chris’s number from the bank and hit dial.
“Hello, First National,” Chris says.
“Chris, it’s Owen.”
“Hey, Owen, how are—”
I cut him off before he can get into a long conversation. “When did Addy leave the bank?”
“About a week after the project ended. To be honest, she didn’t seem that happy. I mean, she never really spoke to anyone.”
“Did she leave contact info?”
“Not with me. She just left. Kind of like you did.”
I hang up the phone without saying anything else. It’s time to take a drive.
* * * * *
Two hours later, I’m standing in front of Addy’s apartment door.
I’ve rehearsed what I’m going to say. What I’m going to do.
I knock.
No Answer. It’s almost after seven at night. I knock again, and then the neighbor’s door opens behind me.
“She moved out a few weeks ago,” the woman says.
“Did she say where she was going?”
“Up north. She said she took another job. She is such a sweet thing. I hope she’s doing well. Tell her hello if you see her.”
I nod and walk away. Defeated.
I can’t remember when anyone had a hold on me like Addy. Enough that I fantasize about her. My last image of her in that red dress. I can feel her skin in my hands and immediately my cock comes awake.
I enjoy the feeling.
I’m thirty minutes into my two-hour drive as I rub my thumb across my hardness and think about her. Blood flows more fiercely with each stroke. Her red dress. Her plump tits. The taste of her sweet lips. I will myself to stop touching myself so I can concentrate on the road.
Difficult to do, with Addy on my mind like this.
Quickly, I rattle off a list of things I need to get done at the office. Eventually my cock softens, but it’s going to need my attention tonight.
Eight
Addy
The last three weeks have flown by. I’ve only moved twice in my life, and I already know I have no desire to move again.
That means one of two things. Either I stay at this new job forever, or this is my new hometown.
It wasn’t a tough decision to leave the bank, especially after Owen left. If it weren’t for him, I probably would have left long before that. I do owe him for the idea.
This new adventure is the biggest leap I’ve taken. A contract, for three months. It isn’t something I would ever have considered in the past, but the job, and the money, are perfect.
I walk through the huge glass doors of the fourth floor, ready to take on the world. I’m finally back to the old me. Confident, curvy, and sarcastic Addy with an attitu
de, although I never really got to show that before.
“Hi, Ms. Walker,” the receptionist says. “It’s great to see you again.”
I cringe at the fact someone about my age is calling me miss, but I accept it.
“Call me Addy, please.”
A second later, Sharon, my new manager, walks across the lobby and smiles. “Addy, perfect timing. I’m headed to a meeting and I’d love for you to join me. You can leave your stuff in your cube as we pass by.”
Sharon quickens her pace as she points to my cube on the corner. She waits for me to drop off my things, and then scurries down the hall, pausing again at the door. “So, we just got added to a new project and I need someone who can really get in and understand all of the data. I don’t expect you to say anything; just listen for this meeting.”
I nod and follow her in to the conference room. There, I sit at the table filled about ten other people. Sharon does a blanket introduction for me as the new girl.
I hate first days. Everything always seems so awkward.
I try to make small talk with a few of the people around me. Then a hush comes over the room as the door clicks shut behind me.
“Good morning, everyone.”
I can feel my face flush as my heart pounds in my ears. That low, growling voice behind me. I’m conflicted with embarrassment and sexual attraction as I spin to see Owen standing three feet from me.
Our eyes meet and he pauses, smiles, and then continues his introductions and runs the meeting.
I zone out. It sounds as if I’m underwater and nothing makes sense and I pray to God that no one asks me any questions. An hour goes by and eventually everyone gets up to leave.
Sharon hovers over me for a minute. “See? We definitely have our work cut out for us.”
I nod in agreement and slowly stand, trying to steady myself as Owen approaches us.
“It’s good to see you again,” he says with that smile that melts me. It’s obviously a fake gesture, though.
“You two know each other?” Sharon asks.
“Addy and I worked together at my last job. You definitely have a great one here.”
Sharon smiles and gazes at Owen as if she’s trying to undress him right in front of me.