Mr. Fantasy: (A standalone romance)

by Cambria Hebert

  “We are this summer.” Carter spoke up. “Another one is joining us tomorrow.”

  No one reacted as if this were any kind of big news. I was impressed by Aaron and Knox and the two guards I didn’t know standing just inside the door.

  Dismissing me completely, Alan turned to Carter. “I think if we just sit down and go over some figures, maybe draw up—”

  “No,” Carter insisted. He didn’t yell, but the finality of his tone was more effective.

  “You’re going to regret this, Anders,” Alan threatened.

  “Give your father my regards.”

  The guards stationed at the door moved forward, totally in sync, both reaching for one of Alan’s arms.

  He avoided them, making a rude sound. “I’m going.”

  “Allow us to see you out, Mr. Regal,” Carter offered. “It’s something we do for all our VIP guests.”

  Picking up my coffee, I took a sip, using it to conceal the urge I had to smile.

  Just before exiting, Alan turned back, blue eyes finding mine. “I’ll call you later.”

  My stomach twisted. “Please don’t.”

  Carter made a motion with his head, and the men dragged Alan out, closing the door behind him.

  Melting back into his chair, I groaned. “Thank goodness he’s gone.”

  “Put a tail on him,” Carter instructed Aaron. “I want to know exactly what he does until he’s on a plane out of here.”

  Aaron pulled out his phone, and Carter came around the desk, picked up the landline, and hit a button. “Come to my office,” he said, then hung up.

  Turning to Knox, he gave out more orders. “Call a car, then escort Nora home. Make sure you take her all the way to the door of the apartment.”

  “What?” I exclaimed. “It’s the middle of the workday!”

  “You’ve done enough for one day.”

  Pushing up, I rested my hands on my hips. “If you’re trying to imply that I was somehow the cause of all of this—”

  “You can’t work the rest of the afternoon in my socks and shirt.” He cut in reasonably. “People’s tongues are already wagging enough.”

  Oh. He had a point.

  “I’ll be down the hall,” Aaron said, then slipped from the office.

  Knox headed for the door, too. “Just come out when you’re ready, ma’am. I’ll get you home safely.”

  The second everyone was gone, Carter turned to me. “You lied to Alan about Zero.”

  I executed a very unladylike snort. “He lied about being faithful.”

  The muscle in Carter’s jaw flexed. “Is that why, tit for tat? You wanted to get even for the way he treated you?”

  “Of course not. I already did that when I donated the designer limited edition leather jacket he left at my apartment to charity.”

  The corner of Carter’s mouth turned up momentarily. His lackluster but obvious enjoyment of my revenge made me wish I’d thought of it. Actually, that had been Val’s idea. I’d just gone along with it.

  “Then why?” he pressed.

  Pushing back into his giant chair, I swung my feet back and forth because they didn’t touch the floor. “You didn’t want me to.”

  “I never told you it was a secret project.”

  “But it is, right?”

  Slowly, Carter nodded. “We have a special team working on it. No one else knows about it.”

  “But Alan knows.”

  “I can’t believe you dated that cocksu—”

  “My ears will bleed!” I yelled, slapping my palms over them to keep from hearing his filthy language.

  Rolling his eyes, Carter got back to business. “Don’t tell anyone about Zero or about the rendering I showed you. As you heard, it’s worth quite a lot of money.”

  “That much for a silly video game,” I mused, frankly shocked.

  He smirked. “I take a helicopter to work, and you’re surprised?”

  “No one likes a braggart.” I grabbed my coffee and prepared to leave. “I do miss your island, though.”

  “Do you now?” The suggestion in his voice made me think back to that night and the way he’d made me feel.

  “Knox is waiting,” I declared, stomping across the floor in his socks.

  I was pretty sure they were cashmere. “I’m keeping these socks,” I informed him. “Probably this shirt, too.”

  “Hey!”

  I stopped.

  Carter came around to stand in front of me. “I’m sorry I can’t take you home. I have to deal with this.”

  I put a hand on his chest to stop him from speaking. “Don’t ever apologize for anything you don’t do wrong,” I said, then followed up with, “even to me.”

  He smiled, and it lit up his endlessly onyx eyes.

  Unable to resist, I brushed some of the hair falling over his brows off to the side. “You have really beautiful eyes,” I whispered.

  Surprise flashed in them, but then I was against his chest, wrapped tight in his arms. I hugged him back, laying my cheek against his chest.

  “Do everything you need to do. Don’t worry about me. I’ll hang out with Val. Maybe hit the beach.”

  “I’d rather be with you.”

  It kinda made me all mushy inside when a commanding guy like Carter said things like that to me. It made me feel kinda commanding, too.

  “You shouldn’t say that to a woman who isn’t your girlfriend.”

  Carter pulled away. “Maybe I should go tell Meghan, then.”

  I took a running leap and jumped on his back. He laughed, catching my legs just before I slid down his body.

  “What is this?” he questioned, lifting me higher and glancing over his shoulder.

  “I’m trying to stop you from doing something you will most definitely regret.”

  “Says who?”

  “Me.”

  “Good girl,” he mused. “Are you jealous?”

  “Of course not.”

  Carter’s office door swung in, and Bryan stepped inside. The second he saw Carter standing there with me on his back, his eyes widened. “I don’t even want to know,” he muttered and continued by as though he hadn’t seen a thing.

  Carter carried me over to the door where Knox waited. Offering his back to the guard, he said, “Make sure she gets home safely.”

  Knox pulled me off Carter and planted me on my feet.

  “See you later,” he said, keeping a respectable distance between us.

  “Bye.”

  After a moment of us just standing there looking at each other, Knox reached around and pulled the door shut between us.

  Carter

  Alan Regal.

  Nora’s ex.

  Son of the unscrupulous Lewis Regal.

  Awful Alan.

  I had a bad feeling about this.

  Nora

  “Don’t forget we both have to work tomorrow!” I called over the blasting music.

  “I know. I know!” Val assured as she shook her hips.

  Grabbing her, I looked directly in her eyes to make sure she was listening. “It’s your first day at Ansoft. No getting drunk.”

  Holding up her hand in solemn vow, she proclaimed, “No drinking, just dancing.”

  Satisfied, I let her hips return to the beat. “Good. I’m getting a drink!”

  “Hey!” Val protested. “You just said—”

  “I said tomorrow is your first day. It’s not mine!” Cackling at her sour face, I went off to the bar to order a vodka and cranberry juice.

  I’d earned this drink. Today was all kinds of messed up. Facing off with Meghan, the secretary from hell. Dealing with nosy and jealous co-workers. Busting my ass in the hallway and ruining my shoes. And let’s not forget the cherry on top of this crap sundae… Alan.

  I was still confused as to why he showed up here and what he could possibly want with Carter’s game.

  Seeing him again brought back a bunch of unpleasant memories that I preferred to block out. It wasn’t like I was still pini
ng away for him. I was totally over Awful Alan. But judging from the way my stomach collapsed when I saw him, I was willing to admit I might not be over all the shitty things he’d done to me.

  Betrayal and broken trust leaves behind wounds that take a long time to heal.

  Coming to Miami was a way for me to start over. To get away from all of that.

  Then he showed up. The twerp.

  The second the drink was in my hand, I took a giant gulp. Then another.

  A man standing nearby sidled up to me. “Bad day?”

  “I’m a lesbian,” I blurted.

  Taken aback, the man’s eyes widened. “What?”

  “I’m not available. I’m a lesbian. That’s my girlfriend over there.” I pointed to Val on the edge of the dance floor.

  She waved.

  “Good for you,” he said.

  I laughed and downed the rest of my drink. Leaving the empty glass on the bar, I went back to Val, allowing her to lead me out onto the crowded dance floor filled with flashing lights.

  “I told that guy we’re together,” I said by her ear as we danced.

  Val laughed.

  The song switched to an equally upbeat one. The music was so loud it vibrated my skin. The vodka I’d sucked down sloshed around in my empty stomach, making my limbs feel loose and warm. I probably shouldn’t have chugged it so fast, especially since I hadn’t eaten dinner, but I didn’t care.

  We continued to dance until a guy with a sleeve of tattoos came up behind Val and pulled her around. She glanced at me, and I waved her off, telling her it was okay.

  I was hot from all the dancing I’d done, so I headed back to the bar for a bottled water. I debated ordering another vodka but decided since I was already feeling kinda buzzed from the first one, I’d better stick to the water.

  I’d downed about half the bottle when Val appeared to steal the rest.

  “This place is great!” she yelled, setting the empty bottle on a nearby table. “Let’s dance some more.”

  I made a face, and she rolled her eyes. A waitress wearing a bright-yellow tube top, carrying a tray of colorful shots, happened by. Val squealed and grabbed two, one red and one green, handing them over so she could dole out some cash.

  She turned back and reached for one, but I held it back. “You said…”

  “It’s just one,” she whined. “I’ll dance it all off.”

  Shrugging, I handed it over, and we clinked the tubes together before downing them in one shot. My lips puckered at the strength of the alcohol, but then we were dancing again and I didn’t care.

  I don’t know how long we grinded in the crush of people beneath the flashing multicolored lights. I was good and buzzed, maybe slightly tipsy. The vibration of the music coupled with the strobe lights made me feel even more off-kilter.

  Someone slipped up behind me, arms going around my waist to plaster close, matching my movements. For a second, I leaned back, thinking it was Carter, but even tipsy, I knew right away it wasn’t him.

  Pushing at the man’s arms, I jerked around, accusation in my eyes.

  “What’s the matter, Nor? You used to love to dance with me.”

  “What the hell, Alan? Are you stalking me now?” I yelled.

  Grabbing my hip, he tried pulling me close again. I attempted to shove him away, but all I managed was to bump into someone dancing beside me.

  “Val!” I yelled, scanning all the people for my friend.

  “C’mon, sweetheart. Don’t be like that,” Alan insisted, pulling me close again.

  “Don’t touch me!”

  A few people turned to look, and Alan played it off, slinging his arm around my shoulders and forcibly walking me off the dance floor. I struggled to get out from beneath him, but all he did was clutch me tighter.

  “How about a drink? Vodka and cranberry, right?”

  Was I supposed to be impressed he remembered what I drank?

  “I’m going home.” Turning back to go look for Valerie, I hoped he would get a clue.

  “Just talk to me,” he pleaded, making me turn around. “Please.”

  “We don’t have anything left to say.”

  “I came all this way to see you. The least you could do is give me five minutes.”

  “You came for work. Not for me.”

  Adamantly, he shook his head. “That’s not true!” he yelled over the music. “I came for you. The business thing is just a favor for my dad.”

  I glanced around some more, hoping to see Valerie, but there were just too many people.

  Alan’s hand closed around mine. I glanced down at where he held me and then up at his face.

  “Five minutes.”

  “Four.”

  His dimple made an appearance, and I wondered to myself why some bad guys had to be so easy on the eyes. I let him lead me farther from the dance floor and the crowded bar, toward the front where there were less people.

  Finally, he stopped and turned to face me.

  Yanking my hand out of his, I crossed my arms over my chest. “What do you want to say?”

  “I miss you.”

  I laughed. “Are you kidding me? You miss me?”

  “It’s true.”

  For a minute, there was a pang of hurt inside me, but then I remembered how easy it was for Alan to look sincere even when he wasn’t.

  “You don’t miss me. You miss having someone you can put down to make yourself feel superior.”

  “I hurt you, and I’m sorry.”

  I didn’t say anything.

  “I took advantage of you, and I want to make it right.”

  “Then leave me alone. Stop coming around.”

  He nodded, again doing a good job of looking like he really understood how I felt. “I will. If that’s what you truly want, I’ll leave you alone.”

  “Bye, Felicia!” I sang and went off to find Valerie.

  Yes, I know. I could have come up with a better retort. Let’s just say it was the alcohol talking, shall we?

  He grabbed my arm, pulling me back around. “I’ll leave you alone. I swear. But first you have to do something for me.”

  I made a disgusted sound. “You’re such a creep!”

  “You owe me.”

  Flabbergasted, I stared. “I owe you?”

  “I gave up an internship in New York for you. I was willing to go to that shithole Boston just to prove how sorry I was. And you bailed!” he accused, anger making his face a lot less handsome. “I had no choice but to go work for Regal Tech with Dad.”

  I scoffed. “Poor little Alan had to go work for a huge tech company under the guidance of his mogul father.”

  That flat look came into his stare. The alcohol swimming around in my system put a damper on my fear response, which actually was kinda nice.

  “You know I wanted to get some experience at other places first.”

  I held up my hand and made a talking gesture. “You talk too much,” I said. “Me, me, me. Blah, blah, blah.”

  Grabbing my wrist, Alan jerked me forward. “What do you know about Zero?”

  “What?” I struggled against him, but he just squeezed my wrist tighter. It was the wrist I’d fallen on earlier, the one that was still tender.

  “How did you get an internship at Ansoft? How did you manage to get so close to Carter Anders?”

  “I’m just an intern!” I insisted, my head spinning. The alcohol in my stomach lurched, threatening to make a reappearance.

  Without another word, Alan tucked me under his arm and ushered me out of the club. The hot Miami night hit me in the face the second we stepped onto the sidewalk.

  “It’s so hot out here,” I murmured. It was a lot darker out here, too, despite the lit-up entrance and neon sign.

  The absence of the strobing lights didn’t make me feel any better. If anything, the world tilted more.

  Leaning against the wall, I dug my cell out of my purse. I would just call Val and tell her to meet me outside.

  Alan took the pho
ne the second I held it up, tucking it into the pocket of his shorts.

  “Hey!” I grasped for it.

  “You want it, go get it,” he said, his voice disgustingly suggestive.

  “I don’t need it that bad.”

  It started ringing in his pants, and I glanced down, stricken.

  Tilting his hip toward me and taunting, he asked, “You sure you don’t want to get that?” When I didn’t try to retrieve the phone, he sighed. “I need you to get me as much information on Zero as you can.”

  “I already told you I don’t even know what that is.”

  “Don’t lie to me.”

  “The only liar out here is you.”

  He raised a hand, and I flinched. Chuckling, he gentled his movements to caress my cheek.

  “If you want to keep that hand, you better move it right now.” The sound of the controlled, deep voice cleared out some of the dizziness I felt.

  “Carter!” I gasped, looking in the direction of his voice.

  Three men stepped out of the shadows just down the street, all of them strikingly tall and graceful. They walked in a line, taking up the entire girth of the sidewalk, with purposeful strides and serious expressions.

  Carter stood in the middle, Aaron and Knox flanking each side. All three wore black, and all three of them drew the stares of everyone in our vicinity.

  “What a coincidence,” Alan quipped, “that you should just happen to run into your boss at a club after hours.”

  The way he said it made me feel like Alan somehow knew there was more between Carter and me than I’d told him.

  Forgetting about Alan, I rushed toward my three dark angels. I heard his feet scuffle behind me, so I quickened my pace.

  There was no need, though.

  Carter was there, wrapping his arms around me and spinning so he was between me and my ex. Over his shoulder, I watched Aaron and Knox form a wall behind him, totally barricading us.

  “You okay?” he asked, grabbing my shoulders and staring into my face.

  “I’m okay.” I agreed.

  “What the hell is this?” Alan fumed. “We were having a conversation. I was trying to talk to her.”

  “I don’t want to talk to you,” I called.

  “You promised me four minutes.”

  I made a sound.