by Nikki Paris
Whoa. She had a shallow opinion of me. I straightened in my chair and replied, “Ms. Piper, I spent a lot of time researching non-profits, and I chose to apply to yours because I believe in what you’re doing.” I raised a single eyebrow at her.
She blushed a little and looked down. “I’m sorry. You don’t know me, and I don’t know you. Let’s start over.” Ash held out her hand to shake mine. “Hi, I’m Ash Piper, co-founder of Bright Starts. I started this non-profit five years ago, with my two best friends, because I believe that every kid —”
“Deserves an honest-to-God fighting chance at a bright future.” I finished her mission statement.
Her eyes widened, and her mouth hung open in shock.
I stared, unsmiling. “I told you, I did my research. If you looked at my application, you’d also see that I’m graduating this semester with a 3.9 GPA.” Ash was hot as fuck, but she had me all wrong, and I was annoyed. “We had fun one night, Ms. Piper, but I’m a lot more than a ‘good time.’ I fully intend to take this internship seriously. I can assure you that I will be nothing but professional from here on out.”
Did I still want to sleep with her again? Absolutely. But even more than that, I wanted to graduate. I also wanted to change her opinion of me.
“That’s…” She bit her lip. “That’s great to hear. I will definitely read over your application today. I apologize.” Ash cleared her throat. “Let me give you a quick tour and then walk you through your responsibilities.”
She re-opened her office door, and I followed her out, watching her tight little ass sway as she walked. Would she fire me if she saw me checking her out?
“Okay, so you’ve already met Lena. She spearheads our fundraising events mostly, but also does a little of everything.” Ash pointed to the desk by the window, and Lena looked up with a smile. “Then, over here, Elliot and Tom work on sweet-talking donors and setting up sponsorships.” She pointed to a closed office door. “Elliot’s not in yet, but I’ll introduce you when he gets here. He’s the co-founder of Bright Starts, and Tom is his assistant.” She paused and then asked, “Lena? Is Tom in yet?”
Lena let out a loud, annoyed sigh. “I’m sure he’s just curling his hair or something stupid.”
Ash laughed and shook her head. “Be nice, Lena!” She turned back to me and said, “We don’t have our own bathroom or kitchen in here. We share with the two other companies on this floor.” She pulled open the door and pointed. “The bathroom is straight down this hallway and to the left. The kitchen is right across from it.”
I leaned forward and looked down the hallway, letting my shoulder brush against hers. I heard her let out a sharp breath, and I could have sworn she pressed in a little closer. “Great.” I turned to smile at her. “So, what will my job be?”
She stared at me, with her gorgeous lips slightly parted. “You and I will be working together on youth outreach and social media.” Ash cleared her throat and looked away. “Follow me back into my office, and we’ll get you all set up.”
I thoroughly enjoyed letting her walk in front of me. The view was to die for.
Back in Ash’s office, she pointed to a small desk and laptop set up in the corner. “Uh, so that’s where you’ll be working. Sorry, I know it all looks pretty unimpressive. We try to use as little as possible for our overhead so that more can go to the kids.” She let out a deep breath and smoothed her white button-down shirt. “You’re probably used to nicer things.”
I raised my eyebrows. “How do you know what I’m used to?”
“I don’t, because I don’t know you.” Ash’s gorgeous blue eyes bore into mine. “We don’t know each other.”
“That’s so true.” I slid behind the small desk and sat in the folding chair. “Sure, I like nice looking things,” my eyes traveled up and down her body. “But I’m a lot more concerned with what’s on the inside.”
Her mouth hung open. “You better not be flirting with me, Camden.”
I laughed. “You wish. I’m talking about your organization. The work is what matters, not the office space.” I opened the laptop, and I could feel Ash’s eyes on me. “So, social media and youth outreach! You need me to post some funny memes and get kids to come to our events?”
Ash rolled her eyes. “It’s a lot more complicated than that. Are you sure you’re up for this?”
“I’m feeling a lot of judgment from you, Ash. Is this how you treat all of your interns?”
She bit her lip. “No.”
I nodded. “I was unprofessional when I walked in here, no doubt, but is it possible that you’re also being unprofessional by judging me as incompetent and immature before you’ve even given me a chance?”
Ash narrowed her eyes, then sighed and said, “Okay, I’m going to have you start by getting familiar with our three programs. Then I want you to read the kids’ bios we’ve worked with in the past, and especially the ones we’re working with now.” She slid behind my tiny desk and leaned over my computer to navigate the web pages I was supposed to read.
She smelled like candy. Her tits were in my face. Fuck! I forced myself to stare straight ahead and focus on her words.
“Here are the program descriptions.” She clicked the mouse. “And here are the bios. You’ll eventually start interviewing the kids at outreach events and writing some bios, so make sure you get familiar with the format.” Ash stood up straight. Her tits weren’t in my face anymore, but she was still too close. “Some of the kids aren’t comfortable with the bios, and I don’t blame them. It can feel a little gimmicky, but…” she shrugged, “We need people to give us money, and the bios help.”
I nodded. “I get it.” I glanced up at Ash. “When’s the next outreach event?”
“Tomorrow. You’ll come with me to that. I’ve been doing them on my own the past few months, so it’ll be great to have some help.” Ash’s eyes met mine, and I tried not to think about her orgasm face.
I smiled. “Looking forward to it, boss.”
5
Ash
Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit! The hot guy from the club — that did mind-blowing things with his tongue — was now my new intern. He was sitting in my office right now, making my mouth water. How the actual hell was this going to work? I’d been thinking about him all weekend, wishing I hadn’t just sent him away without even getting his number.
Wish granted.
I shouldn’t have taken those personal days after the divorce. Sure, I needed to move into my new apartment and cry into a bottle or two of wine, but I could have done that in one day, not three. Then I would have interviewed and hired my own intern. But no, Lena had insisted that she’d take care of it for me because we were like a family here at Bright Starts.
I took a deep breath and scanned Camden’s application. He was getting a degree in Sociology, and he did have excellent grades. His work experience was all over the place, but that was normal for college kids.
Ugh. He was twenty-four. I’d slept with a college kid. In my defense, he looked older than twenty-four, and really, what was five years?
“Hello! Sorry I’m late.” Elliot stood in my office doorway with a big smile on his face. “You the new kid?” He pointed at Camden.
Camden stood and smiled at Elliot. He reached out to shake his hand. “Looks like it, unless Ms. Piper decides to fire me.” He shot me a grin.
Elliot laughed and introduced himself. “Elliot. Pleasure to meet you. Don’t let our girl, Ash, scare you. She’s nicer than she looks, but you probably shouldn’t call her Ms. Piper. Maybe that’s why she’s all pissy at you.”
I rolled my eyes.
Elliot turned to me next. “Ash, you good to go over budget stuff in my office now?”
I nodded and stood. “Camden, this should only take an hour or so. If you run out of bios to read, you can start reading our social media posts and getting a feel for what we usually post and the type of engagement we get.” I followed Elliot to his office without looking at Camden.
Once we were in Elliot’s office, he said, “Girl, you are bein’ kinda cold to our new intern.”
I bit my lip. I should just tell Elliot that I slept with Camden over the weekend. He would think it was hilarious, right? It was just one of those crazy, hysterically funny coincidences.
Before I could respond, Elliot asked, “How’s the new place?”
I laughed. “Oh, you know, small and cramped with a weird smell. Just a tiny downgrade from my four-bedroom house with granite countertops and walk-in closets.”
Elliot frowned. “We can pay you more. I don’t want you living in a piece of shit.”
I laughed and shook my head. “Elliot, I was kidding! The apartment is great! Obviously, it’s smaller, but it’s kinda nice. It feels cozier. I like it, and I don’t need more money!” I had all the money a single, childless woman needed.
When Maddox and I sold the house, I got half. I used a little money to pay for my moving expenses and pad my emergency fund. Then I’d promptly donated the rest of the money to Bright Starts. Elliot would see that in a few minutes when we went over the budget. He would fight me on it, but it was too late.
“Okay, but if ya need more money, say something.” Elliot gave me a pointed look. According to him, I didn’t speak up enough when I needed something. He let out a deep breath. “I feel like a jackass for not helping you move.”
“Oh, stop.” I shook my head. “You’ve never been a jackass in your life. You had stuff going on, and I had plenty of help.”
“I worry about you, Ash.” Elliot sat in his chair and ran his hands over his smooth, bald head. He had sadness in his dark brown eyes. “Maliya, too. Girl, you know we’re here for you. Anything you need, just say the word.”
“Thanks, Elliot. I know you have my back.” I reached across the desk to pat his hand.
He gave me a sad smile and then turned to his computer. “All right, this month…” He scanned the spreadsheet in front of him. He frowned. “Wait a second—” Elliot’s eyes flashed up to meet mine. “Ash Piper, you did not!”
“What?” I glanced out the window and feigned ignorance.
Elliot shook his head, laughing. “Your heart’s too big for this world. Thank you for your generous donation. This money is gonna help a lot of kids.”
“Elliot Thompson, are those tears in your eyes?” I laughed out loud and shoved his massive shoulder.
He laughed. “I am a secure man that is in touch with my emotions!”
“Aw, ya big teddy bear. Come here.” I reached over and hugged my friend. I’d tell him about Camden later. We were having a moment.
When I made it back to my office an hour later, Camden’s gorgeous blue eyes flashed up to meet mine. “Hey. Missed you,” he said. His smile made my knees weak.
I was staring with my mouth open, frozen in the doorway of my own damn office. I cleared my throat and said, “Don’t flirt with me. I thought I made that clear.”
He laughed and ran his hands through his hair. Ah, hell. I wanted to run my hands through his hair, too. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.” Camden sat up straighter. It made his chest and shoulders look even more delicious. “I finished reading the bios, and I’m looking at your social media pages now.”
“Good.” I folded my arms across my chest and walked to my desk. I could feel his eyes on me. I turned on my computer and stared blankly at the screen, not reading a word of the email I’d just opened. My heart was beating too fast, and I kept having flashbacks of Camden’s body pressed into mine, both of us breathing heavily.
“Okay, boss,” Camden said. “What’s next?”
I forced myself to look at him. He had a sexy, playful smile on his face. Typically, on the first day, I’d spend some time chatting and getting to know the intern, but I’d never fucked the intern before, so I was at a loss about what to have him do next.
We didn’t usually let the interns use the credit card until they’d been with us for at least a couple of weeks, but I needed to get Camden out of my office to clear my head. “I need you to go pick up some stuff that we need for our outreach event tomorrow. Here’s a list, and the credit card.” I picked up a sheet of notepaper from my desk and pulled the Bright Starts credit card from my top drawer.
Camden stood to take the list and card from my hand. His fingers brushed against mine, and I tingled everywhere. “Sounds good. I will be right back with all this stuff.”
He turned to leave, and I said, “Take your time!”
Camden glanced back at me with raised eyebrows, then he laughed and shook his head. “Don’t fire me, Ash. Give me a chance. I want to be here, and I would want to be here even if you weren’t hot as—”
“Stop flirting!”
Camden groaned. “Sorry.”
I had to cover my face to hide my smile, but I was sure he saw it anyway. Damn. He would take that as an invitation to keep flirting with me. The lonely divorcee Ash fucking loved it and wanted to take him home again. The non-profit founder Ash needed to be professional.
Lonely Ash spoke up, “Go! You’re making me all ho—” Non-profit Ash shut her down. “Just please go. We need that stuff for tomorrow.” Lonely Ash almost told Camden that I was getting all hot and that I wanted to kiss him, then tear his clothes off and ride him.
“I’m going! I’m going!” Camden laughed and walked out of my office. I watched him go, practically drooling over how good his ass looked.
This mess was all Aria’s fault! Just like all of my stupid decisions! If it weren’t for Aria, I would never have met Camden in that club. We would have met today, for the first time, in a professional manner. Would I have still been attracted to him? Abso-fucking-lutely. But there would have been established boundaries.
I pulled out my phone to text Aria. I hate you!!! Sexy one-night-stand is the God-damn intern that Lena hired for me!! I knew the club was a bad idea!
Aria responded with a string of laugh-cry emojis. You’re not serious!
I’m so serious. I’m going to die.
You want to fuck him again, don’t you?
Duh.
Then I say, do it!
I rolled my eyes. Of course, Aria would say that. I slid my phone back into my bag and turned to my computer. Again, I tried to read the email I’d just received from a low-income junior high school, but I was having a hell of a time concentrating.
6
Camden
When I woke up Saturday morning, Ash was on my mind. Maybe I’d already been awake half the night thinking about her. I couldn’t help but smile when I thought of the first youth outreach event that I helped with. Ash was great with the kids. She didn’t talk down to them, but she met them on their level. She worked on building real relationships with them.
But, I hadn’t spent the night admiring her professional skills. I’d spent the night fantasizing about her tits in my face. Sure, I’d been annoyed when she treated me like a dumb, hot college kid, but that annoyance faded quickly, replaced by red-hot attraction. I wanted Ash so damn bad. I was no stranger to sexual attraction, but it was next level with her — my boss.
It was inappropriate to want to fuck your boss over and over again, but it wasn’t wrong.
I decided to go for a nice long run to try and clear my head. It didn’t work — Ash was still all up in there, driving me crazy.
Later that afternoon, I got a group text from Elliot. I just left my meeting with the Winestone’s. I got the 50K!!! Drinks tonight, y’all!
I stared at the list of unknown numbers at the top of the group text and wondered which one was Ash’s.
Someone replied, Yaaass! Hopper’s? What time?
Let’s say 7.
I responded, Congrats, man. Thanks for the invite. I’ll be there. I was planning on making food deliveries again tonight, but not if there were a chance I would see Ash. Who needed money anyway? I needed her body.
I did a few pushups and situps, then hopped in the shower and started my grooming process. I couldn’t just not even try to make
Ash hot for me. She enjoyed my body. I knew that much was true. I’d caught her staring more than once.
I headed to Hopper’s with my heart racing. Relax, Camden. The bar was crowded and loud, and I spotted Elliot already seated at a booth, grinning and staring at his phone. “Hey, man.” I slid into the opposite side of the booth. “That’s awesome about the donation. How many kids will that help?”
He looked up at me and grinned. “What’s good, dude? That much dough can help get five kids through their first year of college.” He held up his hand for a high five.
“Nice!” I returned his high five and settled back against the seat. “I got into college through a scholarship program for foster kids, so I can tell you first-hand how much this is going to mean to the kids we can help.”
“No way! Which program?”
“It was called Fostering Success.”
Lena arrived next and collapsed next to Elliot. “Hey, hey, hey!” She laughed. “Elliot is the master!” She pretended to bow to him.
Elliot laughed and said, “Thank you, thank you.” Then he said, “Yo, Lena, did you know our boy Camden here got into school with a scholarship program like ours?”
“Yeah!” Lena grinned at me. “We discussed that in his interview. Dude, Camden knows shit about what we’re trying to do. Why do you think I hired him over the twelve different applicants we had?”
When Ash walked into the bar, my breath caught in my chest. Damn. She looked hot in her black torn up jeans and a tight red tank top. I had to fight to tear my eyes away from her tits. “What’s up, Ash?” I grinned at her when she slid into the booth next to me. I felt like I needed to personally thank Lena for sitting next to Elliot, leaving the only open seat beside me.
“Hi.” She glanced at me and then looked away. “Is Tom coming?”