I placed the microphone back on the stand and stalked off the stage, in the direction of the bar, while all around me, co-workers cheered and congratulated me. I didn’t see when Hollie stepped off the stage, and I had no intention of looking over my shoulder at her.
6
Hollie
Friday
Oh my god! What a thrill that was.
I had never really sung in front of people, especially a crowd this size, but that was amazing. My heart still pounded in my chest as I walked towards the bar, desperate for a drink after that show-stopping performance. I ordered a Negroni and tapped my finger on the bar while I waited.
It had felt so good doing something so fun with Chris again, like old times, even though it felt way more competitive than it should have, but then again, that was the way Chris was. We had never gone to a karaoke night while we had been dating, and maybe this was exactly the reason why.
There was a moment though that I thought he looked at me the same way he had done while we dated, but the moment was fleeting, or I had imagined it.
Maybe even wished it.
But obviously, he stomped off like an angry bull and now he was drinking up his new-found fame with his colleagues, like a real asshole.
Not that I cared in the least. It was dangerous to let my guard down when I was with Chris, as he still knew me well enough. I hadn’t changed all that much in eight years, I just learned to handle things better, and regain control whenever I could.
The bartender placed my drink on the counter, and I handed him a bill. “Oh, this one’s on me. You were really good on stage.”
“Thank you, but keep it anyway,” I answered shyly and took the glass. I turned away from the bar and saw George coming towards me.
“Wow, Hollie. I did not expect that,” George exclaimed over the music.
“Neither did I. That was my first time.”
“You’re a natural,” George grinned. “I’ll remember that for the next time.”
“Next time?”
“Another mixer, or function, you know.”
“Right,” I said with a nod.
I glanced up at George, who was an attractive man, but definitely not her type. His sandy brown hair and square jawline seemed almost godlike, like the Greek Gods she loved reading about when she was a teenager, and his light grey eyes and happy smile made him look youthful for his age. Still, he was her boss, and there would never be anything between them, not even one night’s worth of flirting, although it was probably just the alcohol talking.
“So, why are you not married, George?” I asked him.
“I guess I’ve never found the right woman,” he answered with shrug.
“Nonsense. A successful guy like you.”
“I work a lot,” he admitted. “It’s hard to juggle a relationship, as well as a company, you know. I always worry that I am doing something wrong, or upsetting people, underpaying them, overpaying them.”
“Well, you can overpay me anytime, George,” I chuckled.
“I’ll remember that,” George chuckled in return. “So you know Christopher since college?”
“We had classes together, but then I transferred out,” I answered, keeping it as vague as possible. Drunk George didn’t need to know the detailed specifics of my life, especially not the ones that involved Chris. “But we haven’t spoken, or seen each other in years.”
“Right, right.” George nodded tentatively. “He was my protege when he first started at my company. I taught him all he knows today, but he’s a good man. Intelligent, and methodical. Competitive, as well.”
“You don’t have to tell me that. Just look at our duet. It was a constant power struggle.”
“But you did well, both of you. I’ve never actually seen him have so much fun being competitive, Hollie. You definitely bring out something in him,” George pointed out.
I nodded simply and lowered my gaze slightly as George began to talk about how all work and no play makes Christopher a dull boy. Truthfully, I wasn’t paying much attention, as I noticed Chris on the other side of the bar, staring at me with an ice-cold glare.
What the hell was his problem?
His stare was so intense that it made me shift uncomfortably and I glanced back at George.
“Are you okay?” he asked, and I frowned at him. “You suddenly look a little pale there.”
“I think it’s the stuffiness of this place. Maybe I should go get some fresh air,” I said, grateful for the chance to get away from George, as well as Chris’s penetrating stare. I made my way to the side entrance of the bar, right next to the restrooms and pushed through the doors. There was a courtyard enclosed with hedges, and I heard the cars and the foot traffic rather clearly.
I took a few deep breaths and leaned against the pillar beside the door, allowing the cool breeze to cool me down a little. I closed my eyes for a second and pursed my lips.
The door swung open suddenly, cutting my peace into shreds, and I immediately knew it was Chris.
“What now?” I asked him and opened my eyes.
“He’s not your type,” he said nonchalantly as he stood beside me, staring straight out in front of him.
“Who?” I asked.
“George. He’s not your type.”
“And how would you know what my type is anyway?”
“Because I am your type.”
“Was,” I corrected him. “You know, you don’t have any right to come here and tell me who and what my type is.”
“You’re right. I don’t, but George. He’s our boss.”
“Wait a second. There is nothing between George and me. We were just talking.”
“Right.”
I turned to him with a frown and cocked my head. “Why do you care anyway?”
“I don’t,” he shrugged and crossed his arms. “I just don’t want you to embarrass yourself.”
“Like I embarrassed you on stage?”
“I was the better singer and you know it.”
I scoffed and shook my head at him in exasperation. “Why does everything have to be a competition for you? Can’t you just admit that you had a bit of fun?”
“Not everything is a competition to me,” he argued.
I scoffed again, unconvinced and crossed my arms. “I know you better than anyone.”
“You think you do.”
I sighed and dropped my hands to my sides. “Can we please stop this?”
“Stop what?”
“We’re behaving like children and frankly, I am sick of it. I can’t keep on fighting like this any longer. I had fun up on that stage with you tonight and even though you wouldn’t admit it, I know that you did. It was like old times again, even if it was only for a little while,” I said to him. “Can’t we just go back-”
“We can never go back, Hollie, okay,” he suddenly exclaimed and turned to me, his dark eyes staring at me, smoldering like molten lava. “You did what you did, and I did what I did, and nothing either one of us can do or say to take it all back. Is this why you wanted to work at M&S?”
“I can’t believe that you would think that of me.”
“Frankly, Hollie, I don’t know what to think of you. It’s been eight years – almost, and even though I thought I knew you back then, I didn’t know you then, and I still don’t know you now.”
“You’re an asshole,” I gritted my teeth and tried to push past him to get back inside, and as far away from him as possible. “I can’t believe that I actually thought-”
“Thought what?” he asked as he grabbed my arm.
“Nothing. Just let go of me,” I hissed.
“No, not until you tell me what you thought.”
“It doesn’t matter,” I spat at him, breaking free from his grasp and stormed inside.
My heels clicked on the floor as I passed the restrooms, but Chris’s hand wrapped around my arm and pulled me back. He whirled me around and before I could even register what was happening, I was in the restroom with
Chris. He reached out his hand and locked the door from the inside. He stood right in front of me, and I couldn’t even step away, as my back was already pressed against the wall.
“Tell me what you thought.”
I exhaled slowly and whispered, “I just thought that you knew me better than that.”
“I know you better than anyone,” he whispered in return. “And I know exactly what you like.”
“Prove it,” I breathed, and raised an eyebrow at him.
Chris drew in a slow breath, staring at me, and it made my heart pound painfully in my chest. I wasn’t sure what he was thinking, but I did feel him harden against my thigh. He suddenly grabbed my waist, pressing me against him and he kissed me. His kiss was urgent, and it set my body ablaze with passion and desire for him.
A blazing inferno I had carried in my heart for the last eight years, a fire inside me that still kept on burning even in the rainiest of days. I had tried to extinguish that fire so many times, but it always seemed to rekindle itself. Now that fire consumed me, spilling out of me, and I allowed it willingly.
Chris’s hands lowered to my hips, trailing down my thighs. In a sudden movement that I did not expect, he grabbed my ass before shoving me back against the wall. His hands then pressed against my breasts and as I cocked my head to the side, his lips kissed my neck, hungry and hard.
I moaned softly, fiddling with his belt, unbuckling it so fast, as if my life depended on it.
Maybe it did.
His pants dropped to the floor, the buckle of his belt clattering on the tiles, but neither of us paid it any notice. I guided his hand to the side of my dress, where the zipper was located, and he quickly unzipped it. My dress slid down my body, revealing my black lace underwear and his hands were all over me again as if he still knew my body like the back of his hand.
Maybe he did.
He tugged my panties and they slid down onto the floor. His one hand grabbed my ass, my leg automatically slid up his side and he held my leg in place. My hand found his hard erection and he gasped as I wrapped my fingers around it, gripping it with a fair amount of pressure. Our lips were inches apart as the desire built up inside us, and I urged him closer with a playful pout.
The corners of his mouth curled slyly, as he always used to do when I challenged him to something or taunted him for that matter.
He moved his hips closer to mine and I let out a gasp as his hard cock slid into me. I was dripping wet, so it slid in easily and I parted my lips as his grip on my ass tightened.
I licked my lips, inviting him to kiss me once again, and he did, while his rhythmic thrusts grew harder and faster. I moaned against his lips when his hand slid over my breast, applying just the right amount of pressure to send my passion and desire into overdrive.
His thrusts became harder, and faster and I arched my back, wanting him deeper inside me.
“Oh, god,” I panted, never wanting him to stop.
“You like that?” he whispered hoarsely in my ear and I nodded, my breathing ragged.
My fingers found their way under his shirt, and the muscles of his torso made my body temperature skyrocket. He felt so good under my skin, and I just couldn’t deny, that this was the best day of my life in a long time.
Oh my god! How I missed this!
7
Chris
Friday
Holy fuck.
Although I had not ever thought about fucking Hollie in the restrooms while my coworkers were singing karaoke only a few yards away, I had to admit it felt fucking amazing. Her body responded so well to my touch, even after all these years. Her body was still smoking hot, and I had never had such a hard-on in a long time. It was borderline painful, to be honest.
I thrust into her, her moans growing louder as I grasped her breasts. They were full and her nipples were hard underneath the layer of lace.
I felt her back arch and she let out a loud moan, urging me to go faster, deeper. Naturally, I aimed to please. I cocked my head to the side, placed my hand on the metal railing of the towel rack for support, and rammed my cock deep inside her, her body reacting just the way I wanted it to.
“Oh my god,” she panted as I quickened my pace, gripping her hip with my free hand.
Her pussy tightened around my cock and her body contorted as she moaned loudly, causing me to cum deep inside her. My shoulders jolted with every shot, and I groaned in relief.
As much as I wanted to kiss her and wrap my arms around her body, I decided against it, as it would be much too intimate for this moment. Instead, I slid myself out of her wet pussy and stepped back, catching my breath.
“Oh my god. That was much better than I remembered,” she panted, but I didn’t answer as I suspected she wasn’t talking to me directly.
I leaned back against the door, catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror, and my jaw clenched. What the fuck have I done?
I ran my fingers through my hair and bent down to pull up my pants. Hollie was still on the counter, her chest heaving up and down, her cheeks flushed.
I was playing a dangerous game, I knew that, as I pulled up my pants, and tightened my belt. This was going to change a few things, as well as the whole dynamic at work. I couldn’t let her just think that we were a couple or anything like that. Furthermore, I had to remain in control. I had given in to her, and my desires one too many times, and I had to make sure she knew that I was the one in charge.
I watched her slide off the counter, a little unsteady from the multiple orgasms I had given her, and she slipped on her lace panties that lay in a crumpled heap on the floor. She also grabbed her dress and began getting dressed.
My focus started to dwindle, and I cleared my throat. “Well, I’m glad we got that out of the way. Aren’t you?” I asked.
Hollie glanced at me with a frown as she opened the tap and washed her hands. “Excuse me?”
“I know I am. Now we don’t have to worry about any sexual tension at work anymore, and we can just keep things professional,” I said, trying to act like an asshole, and judging by the look on her face, I succeeded.
She dried her hands and placed them on her hips. She opened her mouth, but she had no words, and I didn’t blame her one bit if she shouted at me, called me an asshole or even punched me in the face. The latter I would definitely not put past her. One thing I had learned about Hollie, was that she wasn’t a fighter, but she would fight to the death about something important to her.
“Right, let’s just keep it professional,” she muttered.
Her words came as a surprise to me, and I narrowed my eyes at her.
“What?” she asked as she ran her fingers through her tousled hair, smoothing it out.
“Nothing, I just expected you to react differently. I just fucked your brains out and you’re okay with the fact that it didn’t mean anything.”
“We were just getting it out of the way, right?”
I wanted to respond, but I wasn’t sure whether I should. It felt like she had set me a trap and whatever I said, would be the wrong thing. I crossed my arms and cocked my head at her. “Yeah.”
She drew in an annoyed breath and rolled her eyes. “I feel sorry for the women in your life, especially your daughter, because she’s being raised by a coward and a liar, and someone who doesn’t give a shit about anyone but himself.”
Hollie threw the hand towel into the small trashcan and stomped out of the restroom, the door slamming loudly behind her. So loud that it made me jump.
Even though I shouldn’t, I felt massively guilty for what I had done. A nauseated feeling rose inside me and as I tucked in my shirt, I left the restroom.
I scanned the inside of the pub, but I couldn’t see Hollie anywhere.
“Hey, Chris,” Lloyd called out loudly as he approached me. “Where have you been? You missed my solo.”
Lloyd was pretty wasted, and I ignored his question. “Have you seen Hollie?”
“No, I haven’t, but I’m sure George will know. He was pre
tty into her earlier.”
I rushed away from Lloyd when I spotted Donna and George. “Hey, have you two seen Hollie?”
“Not since she went outside for fresh air.”
“Maybe she left?” Donna answered. “Why? What’s going on?”
“Nothing important,” I shrugged and eased my shoulders. “I have to get going. I don’t want to stay out too late. The sitter probably wants to leave, since it’s Friday night and all.”
“Okay, bye,” Donna said. “Drive safely.”
“I always do.”
“I’ll see you on Monday, champ,” George said happily and winked at me.
“Good night,” I said simply and made my way to the door.
I left the loud and rowdy pub and stepped out onto the sidewalk. The cool air hit me like a baseball bat right between my eyes and drew in a deep breath. I walked to my car parked on the other side and climbed inside. I sat back in my leather seats and rested my head against the headrest. My hands rested on the steering wheel and I silently scolded myself for being such a stupid fucking idiot.
Hollie didn’t deserve to be treated like a piece of ass, and my male ego couldn’t handle it that she was much more than that.
It didn’t matter now anyway, as she had stormed off and left without even a word. She hated me now more than ever, but it was better this way. I had started to come undone while in her presence and I definitely didn’t want it to go any further.
Or did I?
Maybe I was just too scared to get involved again, especially when it came to relationships. I had kept my distance from women because I didn’t trust them. And after the experience I had with women, I didn’t want anything to do with them. A relationship was the last thing on my mind, as I had a lot on my plate with work, and with Amelia as well.
Forbidden First Times: A Contemporary Romance Collection Page 5