The Virgin Diaries: The Complete Series

by Lauren Landish

  He smiles. “You remembered?” He seems genuinely surprised. “Call me Melvin, please. Arianna, right?”

  I nod. Usually, I’d be thrilled that a VP remembered my name, but though his eyes are solidly on mine and completely appropriate, there’s something a little off about the guy. Like he’s not checking me out, thank God, but he’s analyzing me somehow. Though I remember now that he is a number cruncher, so maybe that’s just how he is?

  “Did I hurt you?” he asks, finally giving me a cursory head-to-toe glance.

  “No, not at all. Just surprised me. Sorry again.”

  Feeling like the accidental interaction has reached a reasonable end and sure that Melvin has better things to do than chat with an intern, I turn to the copier and begin placing the stack of papers into the feed tray.

  “Oh, I can show you a little trick for that,” he says, coming over to my side. He doesn’t wait for me to move, just reaches in front of me and starts pushing buttons on the big copy machine.

  “I’ve got it. Thanks, though. I’m sure you have stuff to do.” I try to argue politely.

  “I insist. This will save you tons of time. See?” He taps on the screen, where the expected job completion time is now four minutes instead of the nine it had been when I’d set up the job differently.

  I smile politely. “Thanks.”

  And cue . . . silence. Awkward silence.

  Finally, he breaks the quiet. “So, are you enjoying your work for Liam?”

  It strikes me as odd that he calls him Liam since he was all ‘Mr. Blackstone’ when they met before, but I guess I switch in and out of the casual name usage as well. Come to think of it, so does Jacob. So maybe that’s just the norm around here.

  “I am. I’ve spent the majority of my summer internship manning the front desk, which was great. But I’m definitely learning more with Mr. Blackstone and Mr. Wilkes.” It’s a great rah-rah, nothing critical answer, but still truthful.

  Melvin smiles, but his eyes narrow. It’s an odd expression, like he can’t decide what the proper response should be. “I’m sure. But I do feel I should warn you . . .” He pauses, looking over his shoulder at the empty doorway. “Be careful, Arianna. Liam has a huge ego and a tendency to be an asshole.” He flinches, like the word was hard for him to say, and I get the feeling he doesn’t curse much. That’s kind of refreshing these days when folks drop F-bombs like nothing, myself included in that group. “He’s not particularly well-liked around here, so while you may be learning from him, you’re at a disadvantage because not many people will want to work with you after knowing that Liam provided your business education. I’m sure you’re hoping to get hired on in the fall—interns always are—but don’t get too close or your image will be tied up with his and that could be disastrous.”

  I’m shocked, first that Melvin is telling me this stuff. I know he’s supposed to be Liam’s top-secret information mole or whatever, but sharing all that with some intern seems rather loose-lipped if I’m honest. Plus, it feels vaguely threatening, like I won’t get hired on because I work with Liam, but I figured working for the CEO would help make me a shoe-in for a fall position. I’m not sure how to respond, so I hedge. “Thanks for the advice, Mr. Jackson. That’s definitely something to keep in mind.”

  He blinks three times in rapid succession, his face blank. “Do remember and be careful, Arianna. I’d hate to see a young professional get side-tracked. I could put in a good word for you. I usually have a fall part-time staffer in my office to help with end-of-year report preparation. You’d like that. We should get coffee and discuss it.”

  Working with Melvin sounds like the ninth ring of hell, awkward and boring, but I try to be polite. “Thanks so much, Mr. Jackson. I’m really busy for Mr. Blackstone right now, but I’ll talk to Mr. Wilkes about my fall placement.” I have no intention of doing so unless it’s to beg Jacob to not place me in the Business Analysis department.

  “Melvin, please,” he says, catching on that I’ve been calling him Mr. Jackson to distance myself a bit.

  Thankfully, there’s a commotion in the hallway, and I see Liam and Jacob walk by, lost in conversation as several other people in suits follow behind them. The copy machine beeps, and I think saved by the bell to myself. I grab the stack of printouts and turn. “Thanks so much, Melvin,” I say, emphasizing his name, which makes him smile wanly. “But I’d better get back to the office and see if Mr. Blackstone or Mr. Wilkes needs anything.”

  “Of course,” he says, stepping away, and I realize just how close he was. “Remember to be careful. Coffee next week?” he calls out, but I’m already out the door and down the hallway.

  I hustle down the hall, catching up to Liam and Jacob. Jacob veers to his desk, and I follow Liam into his office, biting my lip as I watch his tight, firm ass flex in his pants. His suit today is especially slim-fitting, probably Italian, and making him look like a GQ model. I swear he gets better-looking each day that passes.

  I don’t bother telling him about the encounter with Melvin. I don’t want to get involved in office politics. Besides, Liam seems rather exasperated post-meeting, much different from the usual cockily assured self he was this morning.

  “How’d the meeting go?” I ask as Liam pours himself a soda water. “Anything interesting that you can tell me?”

  He shakes his head, draining his glass in a swallow. “The usual. Someone proposes an idea, and the board squabbles over it, trying to pick it apart. Problem is, most of their ideas would’ve been great twenty years ago. Now, not so much.”

  “So, what happens in the end?” I ask, and Liam chuckles, setting his glass down and walking toward his desk. He drops into his leather chair, looking like the frustrated king of a wayward country.

  “Either they get with the times or I come up with the solution myself. It was a waste of precious time as they argued the pros and cons of useless ideas.” I walk over to his desk, retracing his footsteps, but instead of the chair, I perch on the desk next to him.

  “Tell me about the ideas. Maybe it’ll help to go through them methodically to see if there’s anything salvageable. Maybe you can combine a sprinkle of this and dash of that and create something the board will appreciate but still gets you the result you’re looking for.”

  He nods and begins talking through the various proposals that were presented at the meeting. Usually, I’d be tuned in closely, absorbing every word and learning. But right now, I’m distracted. I’m enveloped by the masculine scent of his aftershave as he gestures with his hands. I watch as he scrubs a hand along the scruff on his jawline before threading his hands through his hair, mussing it, but somehow, it only looks sexier when it’s slightly rough.

  The frustration is palpable in his words, and as he gets to the end of his rant, I cross my legs. His eyes snap to my thighs. “I could think of a million other things I’d rather be doing than rehashing that meeting.” He skims a finger along my thigh, the skirt not hiding the heat of his touch. “Or whom I’d rather be doing.”

  The fact that he shares with me, wants my opinion, wants me, makes me feel so powerful. Turning to him, I do something I haven’t done before, take control. I don’t give myself time to have second thoughts or doubts about the intelligence of my actions. I just go with it, wanting to follow my own desires and see where that leads. I rise, moving to stand between his spread legs, and place my hands on the armrests of his chair to bend forward, invading his space. “You seem stressed. Maybe I could help you relax?”

  This is the first time I’ve taken initiative like this. I may tease and flirt, but it’s always Liam who moves us into this territory. But his eyes light up instantly, seeming to like me taking the lead for a change. “What did you have in mind, doll?”

  My usual mouthiness deserts me, so instead of answering, I simply drop to my knees before him. I look up through my lashes, not shy in the least, but seeking permission while refusing to ask. “You want to suck my cock? You think that’ll relax me?” That arrogant smir
k is in his tone, though his lips don’t tilt. He cups my cheek, and I lean into the caress, my eyes slipping closed as my mouth drops open. He traces along my bottom lip, dipping his thumb into my mouth, and I instinctively close around it, sucking and licking at the pad. “Fuck, Arianna. Do it. Suck me.”

  My eyes pop open, and I reach forward to undo his brown leather belt, then his slacks. He yanks his shirt up to get it out of my way, and I have a moment of pause before I pull him out of his boxer briefs. I’ve felt him rubbing against my ass and grinding against my pussy as he’s teased me all week, so I know he’s big, thick, and hard. But this will be the first time I actually see his cock, and I’m excited at the anticipation of finally laying eyes on him. I pull the waistband of his boxer briefs down, and his cock surges out, rock-hard and throbbing. I take a moment, teasing a fingertip along the velvety skin as I learn him. “Fuck, Liam. You’re gorgeous.”

  “I taste even better,” he groans. I look up, and his eyes are pained, desperately needy. Glancing back down, I see a dribble of pre-cum running from the red head down his shaft.

  I realize with a start, “Have you been holding off like you said? Edging me all week and not taking any relief for yourself?” He reaches down and squeezes the base of his shaft and I know my answer. “I’m impressed, Mr. Blackstone,” I tease.

  “I am rather impressive,” he says, his voice gravelly and the bragging sounding more habitual than real.

  “We’ll see,” I say as I lean forward, letting my pink tongue stick out to lick along his length. I get my first taste of him, musky and sweet and delicious, making me want more. His hands grip the armrests so hard his knuckles are going white. So I lick up and down, catching every bit of pre-cum before sucking along his head to get more. His hips buck slightly, so I press against him, not remotely able to hold him, but he relents and sits still for my exploration.

  “Fuck, Ari . . . do that . . . suck the head again.” His hands move into my hair, and I let him guide me for a moment but realize that this is my moment. I’m doing this to him, and I want that power surge, that ability to drive him as wild as he’s been driving me all week. Though I plan on being kinder and actually letting him come. Maybe.

  The thought of edging him, evilly getting him to the brink and then pulling back like he’s done to me all week, is a wicked temptation. But when I get another mouthful of his sweet pre-cum, I know I don’t have the discipline he does. I want all of him.

  “Put your hands back on the armrests. Let me do this. Let me learn you, what you like,” I whisper.

  He lifts his head from the back of the chair, eyeing me, and I consider that he’s likely never given up any shred of control like this, always the predator, the dominant, the alpha. But for me, he does as I say, laying his hands back on the armrests and letting me lead.

  I feel like a boss. Like The Boss, able to bring this powerful beast of a man to his knees figuratively by being on my knees literally. And like a boss, I get to work, licking and sucking him into my mouth, sometimes just the head like he asked, but slowly learning how deep I can take him. Oh, so slowly, I get better, judging by the increasingly louder grunts and groans Liam is trying to keep quiet. He hits my throat, and I gag a bit, but his cock pulses in my mouth, impossibly harder, so I do it again and again, slowly breathing through my nose to take him deeper.

  It’s an odd combination of power through submission, probably for us both. His relinquishment of control and letting me decide how fast and how deep, while at the same time knowing he could shove down my throat and choke me on his cock before I could stop him. My submissive posture on the ground before him, but knowing that I’m the one shredding his every ounce of control.

  I find a new rhythm, taking Liam deeper in my mouth, sucking him fast and hard, and his abs clench under my hands. “Fuck, doll . . . I’m gonna come. Swallow it down. Swallow me.”

  A few more strokes, and his hot cum jets out as he grunts, probably loudly enough for Jacob to hear, but right now, I can’t care because this is sexier than I’d ever imagined. His hands shoot to my head, holding me deeply, my mouth filled with his cock and his cum. I swallow reflexively, over and over, taking him in as he shudders.

  I sit back on my heels, a satisfied smirk on my face. I just did that. I took the initiative to seduce him, took control and made him sit there like the nice boy he’s definitely not while I worked him, and took every drop of his cum. It’s quite the power trip.

  Liam looks surprised at the turn of events too, maybe even shocked at my forwardness. I like that I can keep him guessing, like I’m not a pawn he’s moving about on the chessboard but rather a queen in my own right, moving wherever the fuck I want to on the board.

  I get up, straightening my skirt and wiping at the corners of my mouth like the lady I am. “You look like the cat that got the cream,” Liam teases, a satisfied grin overtaking his face though his eyes are still a bit dreamy.

  I lift my eyebrows. “I did get the cream, Mr. Blackstone.”

  He growls at my usage of his name. “I want some fucking cream too, Arianna. My driver will pick you up at seven sharp. Pack a bag because you’re staying at my house this weekend.”

  I consider playing coy, letting him continue to chase me, because I haven’t exactly agreed to this weekend sleepover plan. But I know I’m reaching the end of my rope, and I suspect he is too. This back and forth we’ve been playing at has been fun, and already so very educational, but my resolve to wait is weakening, barely a sliver of a memory about why I decided that in the first place remaining.

  “Seven it is. I’ll be the one wearing . . . lace,” I say, getting one last tease in because I already know how much he loves the peekaboo effect of the flimsy fabric against my skin.

  I can hear the moan of desire rumble from his lips as I close the door behind me to head to my desk.

  Arianna

  “Oh, my God, Daisy. What the hell have I gotten myself into?” I screech into the phone.

  “Breathe, honey. You’re okay,” she says in a soothing voice. “Inhale. Exhale.”

  I do as she says, slowing my breathing. The quick ride home had found me feeling sassy and rather sure of myself. But when I started packing a weekend bag and digging through my lingerie drawer and considering whether I needed actual clothes or not, the nerves hit me and I’d called in reinforcements. “Am I really doing this? I’ve waited so long, decided ages ago to wait until I was getting married. Is it stupid to throw that away, give in to lust?”

  Daisy hums. “Why did you decide to wait?”

  Knowing I’d promised her this, I relent. “Ugh, it’s a long story, but I’ll try to give the quickie version. I went out with a guy in high school a few times. He was nice, we had fun, and I thought things were going really well. Then I found out he’d told the whole football team that he fucked me in the backseat of his car on our first date. Totally not true, obviously.” I sigh, the story difficult to tell but easier than I would’ve expected. I guess the time since then has lessened the pain to the point it almost feels like it happened to someone else, like I was someone else back then.

  “I told everyone he was lying, but they believed him over me. I think they saw a nice girl with curves that I didn’t know what to do with, and a popular jock guy, and well . . . they figured I’d put out and had morning-after regret. Anyway, after that, I became the joke of the school almost overnight. Other guys started saying that they’d screwed me too. I don’t know why they all ganged up me, lying like that, but somewhere along the way, I figured out it’d be easier to claim it with pride than argue against a title they’d already decided fit me.”

  Daisy’s voice is quiet as she asks, “I’m guessing that title wasn’t homecoming queen?”

  “No, everyone was calling me a whore, a slut, easy. Shit like that. It hurt, especially considering at the time, I hadn’t even kissed a guy.” A sad laugh escapes my throat. “After that, though, I became much more aware of people’s relationships. I could tell who was having
sex, who wasn’t, and I watched what happened when they took that step. I guess I just figured out that sex is a big deal. At least to me. And I told myself that I wasn’t going to do it casually. And now I’m scared I’m just tossing all that away because I’m horny.”

  “God, Ari. I’m so sorry that happened to you. That sounds awful. Can I tell you something though?” I murmur my agreement, and she continues but doesn’t say what I expect from my sweet, nerdy bestie. “Ari, listen to me and listen good . . . fuck those people who were mean. Don’t give them an ounce of power over the choices you make today or tomorrow. They already got yesterday’s. Fuck. Them.”

  “What?” I say, shocked at the fury in her voice.

  “Seriously, chica. Only you can decide if you want to have sex or not, but don’t let their whispers in your ear sway you one way or the other. Listen to your own heart and decide. You never made a moral, ethical, or even a conscious decision to wait. You made that choice out of hurt and fear because of asshole people who had nothing better to do than gossip about a little girl. You could’ve easily become what they said you were, but in your heart, you never did, even if you mouthed about it as a coping mechanism. Let me ask you this . . . does Liam make you feel things you’ve never felt before? Are you going to regret doing this or are you going to regret not doing this?”

  Her words are like a balm to the little girl in my soul who cried at the ugly words tossed so carelessly at her like bombs. Though those scars will likely always remain, I can feel at a visceral level that she’s right. It’s not that I’m throwing away my heart or my body on a meaningless fuck. It’s that I’m finally taking my own power, giving myself permission to enjoy my body without caring what others may or may not think about me afterward. Sex is a big deal, but it’s my big deal, and no one but me gets to choose when the time is right for me.

  And though it’s fast, I do feel something for Liam. It’s not love—it’s way too soon for that—but it’s not simple lust either. This is something I’ve never experienced before, some combination of happiness, respect, heat, and excitement. It’s both bright and bubbly and simultaneously dark and sultry.