Untamed Obsession (Den of Sin)

by Ambrielle Kirk

  “Candace, I’m sorry…”

  I shook my head. “No need to apologize. This is a family situation. I’d do the same. We can see a movie anytime.”

  “Thanks for understanding.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  My spirits were high the next morning even though my date with Mark had been cut short. When I called his cell the next morning, there was no answer. I left a message sending well wishes and positive thoughts for his uncle and family.

  A knock at my door interrupted me from my thoughts. I looked up from the worksheet on my laptop to find Edward standing in my doorway.

  “Got a minute?”

  Before I could answer, Edward walked into my office and sat in a chair in front of me.

  “Why, yes, Edward. Come on in,” I said, sarcastically. “Have a seat.”

  Edward grinned. “I take it that you got news that our raise is final and we should say it on next payday.”

  I had to give it to the guy, he was cute, but there was no way that I could ever picture myself with him. I wish there was some way to tell him after all these years that I was still not interested in dating him.

  “I did. Did you get scheduling for the Mavericks Marketing account straightened out,” I asked, nonchalantly.

  “That’s what I came to discuss with you. We need to collaborate on this one. I looked at your calendar and saw that you’re booked solid this entire month.”

  “I won’t be working on that account with you.”

  “Huh?” Edward sat up in his chair. “And why is that?”

  “A potential conflict of interest. I’ve already gotten permission from Silverman to step down.” I had spoken to Mr. Silverman in person this morning about the conflict. It was a good thing that Silverman wasn’t the type to get into employees’ personal business because he didn’t go into specifics about what the conflict actually was. I didn’t offer to tell him either.

  “What? What conflict?”

  “Just know that I’m off the account.”

  Edward was also nosey… apparently.

  “What? Did your brother invest in Mavericks or something?” Edward knew my brother, the investor. DJ was on a first name basis with Edward’s brother-in-law who was a real estate mogul. My brother had the privilege of knowing important people in both of his worlds. He could transform into an educated businessman when it came to his legal dealings at the drop of a dime.

  I ignored his question. “I’ll take on any account that you haven’t started yet, just in case you need to unload some of your inventory to handle this one.”

  Edward rubbed his chin. “Hmmm, I do need someone to finish up some on site interviews at a hotel.”

  I narrowed my gaze. “How big is the assignment?”

  “In terms of work… it can be a little tedious with all the events going on there lately. In terms of bonus money… not that much.” Edward finished with a quirky grin.

  I rolled my eyes. “Any other assignments?”

  “Nope, that’s it. Besides, you’re unloading a big chunk of work on me, lady.”

  I exhaled deeply. “All right, all right… I’ll take it.”

  “Don’t worry. I have no doubt you’ll get through it,” Edward said. “What are you doing for lunch today?”

  “I’ll be lucky if I have thirty minutes to eat lunch. You know Monday’s are busy.”

  “Sure.” He got up and walked towards the door. “See you at the managers’ meeting later this afternoon.”

  I nodded and waved goodbye.

  When Edward was gone, I finally got a chance to open mail, read emails, and get started on today’s reports. I had been so preoccupied with my work that I didn’t get up once, not even to go to the bathroom or fill up on coffee. The world was dead to me, except when my cell phone rang. I reached in my handbag, found it halfway through the third ring, and answered it before it had the chance to go to voicemail. “Hello?”

  “Hi, beautiful.” I would have recognized that voice anywhere.

  “Mark.” I sat back in my chair and smiled.

  “How’s your day?”

  “Same old, same old. But, I’m getting things done. And yours?”

  “So far, so good. Would be better if I could see you right now?”

  “You know that’s not possible. We’re both at work.” I crossed my legs and fingered a loose thread at the end of my skirt.

  “You think so?”

  I retrieved a pair of scissors from my desk. “How’s your uncle?”

  “His condition is still unstable. It doesn’t look good.”

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “He had a massive heart attack. Apparently, a woman claiming to be his long lost daughter showed up on his doorstep. Along with everything else going on, the news must have shocked him pretty badly.”

  “You have my sympathies.”

  “Thanks for the message you left this morning. It was nice hearing your voice amid all the tension from so many family members at once in his hospital room.”

  “Welcome.”

  “Do you have dinner plans?”

  “No.” I couldn’t hold back a smile. I knew where this was going.

  “You do now. I made reservations for me and you tonight at a restaurant on the lake.”

  I smiled. “Are you always this bossy?”

  “Bossy? No,” he replied. “Obsessed with you? Yes.”

  “Is six okay?”

  “Perfect.” I reached for my planner and made a note to leave the office at least by four today.

  “Another question… what’s for lunch today?”

  My stomach growled at the mention of lunch. I was glad that he couldn’t hear it. “Didn’t bring anything. I’ll probably grab a sandwich and eat it at my desk.”

  “What time do you usually go?”

  I looked at the time on my laptop. “It’s about that time right now. I’ll be at a good stopping point in fifteen minutes. What are you having for lunch?”

  “Whatever you have. When you get to that stopping point, meet me in your lobby. I’ll take you to lunch.”

  “What?” My heart escalated in surprise. “Did you just say that you’re in my lobby?”

  “Yes, I’m in your lobby. Finish your work and come meet me downstairs.”

  “You are a trip, Mark!”

  “I’ll be waiting,” he said, softly.

  The phone automatically disconnected when he hung up on his end, but I held it to my ear, frozen, smiling widely. The anticipation was too great. Without finishing anything, I logged off my laptop, put my reports aside and grabbed my handbag. I took the elevators to the lobby. He was in the coffee shop, seated by the windows, drinking from a cup of coffee. He smiled and got up when he saw me.

  “That was pretty quick.” He fell in step beside me. “Ready?”

  “Where are we going?”

  “Name the place,” he shrugged.

  “There’s a deli across the street. Walking distance.”

  It didn’t take us long to get there. Both of us placed orders for Rueben sandwiches and iced tea and found a booth seat at the back. We sat side by side.

  “How far is your office from here?” I asked.

  “About fifteen miles.”

  We chatted for a good twenty minutes over lunch. After the waiter had cleared our table, Mark interlocked fingers with mine from across the table, leaned over and kissed me. It wasn’t short and sweet either; it was the kind of kiss a man and woman shared when they were in desperate need of much more.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Not too long after lunch, I was settled behind my desk and hunched over my computer screen when Priscilla came sauntering into my office. I thought nothing of it since she usually came by in the afternoon to dump stacks of mail on my desk or delivery handwritten correspondence. I didn’t bother looking up from my work until she plopped down in one of my guest chairs.

  “You have a lot of nice pens,” she commented, fingering my collection of crystal studded and
feather-tipped pens.

  I didn’t take kindly to anyone taking off with my pens, but just about everyone in the office already knew that.

  “Thanks. What can I help you with?” Before she could reply, something ran across my mind. “If you’re here to inquire about my brother again, last I checked, he was dating someone.”

  She frowned. “That’s bummer. But I actually wanted to ask about what’s going on with you and Mark Mavericks?”

  I took my palm off the mouse and leaned back in my chair. “Excuse me?”

  “You and Mark Mavericks…” she repeated.

  “There’s nothing going on,” I said, slowly before giving it much thought.

  “I saw you kissing him at the sandwich hut across the street,” she replied.

  “Well, then… there you have it,” I said.

  “Didn’t you only just meet him?” She asked, frowning.

  I was amused by her attitude and let a chuckle burst through my lips. As if she had high standards when it came to dating men…

  Word on the street was that she had a new sugar daddy for every week of the year.

  “I don’t think that’s any of your business.”

  She shrugged. “Well, this kind of is my business since I’m obligated to report any conflicts of interests with our clients that I happen to come across.”

  “Well, is there any reason you’re seated in front of me, right now?”

  She huffed. “I just thought I’d ask you anyway. You don’t seem like his type.”

  For all intents and purposes, I wasn’t sure who this brazen chick was trying to blackmail, but she definitely had the wrong woman. I decided to keep it classy, and plus I really had no energy at this point for her. I’d barely finished my coffee before she burst in my office uninvited.

  “Here’s what you need to do,” I said. “Promptly exit my office and do not ever question my personal business again.”

  Priscilla looked surprised as she shot up from the chair. “Fine.” She grinned and folded her arm across her chest. “But you knew I was interested in him.”

  I exhaled sharply. “Is this what this is about? Do you think I stole him from you?”

  “Well, no duh!”

  I shook my head. “Look, if you must know, I didn’t pursue Mark. He pursued me.”

  “Well, I’d have you know that he was flirting with me when he, Edward, and I had lunch.”

  “Was he?” I was getting impatient and had no time to have small talk about who was entitled to which man, so I got up and walked to the door where I held it wide open for her. “Here’s the door. Nothings stopping you from getting to the man you think you are entitled to.”

  She rolled her eyes and left reluctantly.

  I slammed the door a little too hard, and I even overheard some grumbling from folks working across the hall.

  It was late when I ventured in the house that night. I didn’t expect DJ to be up, but he was lying on the couch watching movies in the dark.

  “You’re home late,” he commented, muting the volume.

  “I know. I went straight to the public library after work. I needed some quiet time and a change of scenery,” I said, going over to the foyer and shuffling through the mail on the end table.

  “Some guy showed up here and left you those flowers by the window,” DJ said.

  I paused as I turned my attention to about two dozen white and red roses in a vase near the front bay windows. There was nothing I could do to subdue the sense of happiness that swelled in my heart, but with that feeling came resentment. Just an hour after quitting time, I’d made the decision to call Mark to cancel our dinner plans. My entire mood was ruined after the confrontation in the office with Priscilla. I really didn’t want to think about what my life would be like in the future with the promise of the relationship that Mark had in mind. It was the very same reason why all I did was date these days. Now I wondered if Mark had received my voicemail or not. My phone battery had died not too long after I left the office, so I’d received no calls at all tonight.

  “Did he say anything?” I asked as I stroked the soft petals.

  “Nothing much,” DJ replied. “Did you stand him up or something?”

  “No,” I said. “I canceled a date. I thought he got the message.”

  “Mark Mavericks, huh?”

  I turned swiftly to catch my brother’s eyebrows raised high. “Don’t do anything crazy.”

  “If you don’t want this guy pursuing you, let me know.”

  “It’s not what you think,” I said. “I didn’t stand him up on purpose. I just had a rough time at the office today.”

  “I am your big brother, ya know?”

  “Well, that doesn’t mean you have to be overbearing.” I picked up the flowers and started off to my room.

  It was already late enough and a work day, so I made plans to call Mark first thing in the morning before heading off to my new client’s site to do interviews.

  CHAPTER NINE

  I arrived at Hotel Beaudelaire earlier than my scheduled time to set up and prepare myself, but it was way past quitting time and I’d only managed to complete three quarters of today’s assigned tasks. Apparently the accounting person who set up the interviews didn’t anticipate that the staff would be so busy in preparation for a big upcoming event this weekend.

  The conference room I was placed in was out of the hustle and bustle, but I still managed to catch snippets of conversation as folks walked by. Mostly, the hotel staff. There were mumblings about ordering more of everything from sheets to toiletries to food.

  Was there a wedding? A family reunion? The event must have been rather special given the fact that it seemed more important than racking up expenses for hours that went by on their site waiting for hotel staff to show up for their allotted time.

  I glanced at my watch and noted the late afternoon hour. I made a note under the project briefings to email the contact about continuing next week when everyone wasn’t so pressed for time.

  “Are you still here?” Elsa, one of the staff members who worked in the back office, popped her head in the small conference room.

  “Yes. You caught me at a good time. I was in the process of calling it a day and returning next week.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest and smiled. “Sure thing. We apologize again for things being so hectic here.”

  “No apology needed,” I said. “I came in on the tail end of things after I took the case from Edward. From my observation of the file notes, the initial date for this was pushed back.”

  “And it just so happened that today falls in line with prep for an upcoming event.”

  “Sounds like it’s going to be a big, important event. A wedding or something?” I’d always heard about big extravagant wedding ceremonies and receptions happening here. The establishment was big enough and well equipped to hold such an event.

  “Private function,” Elsa replied, smiling sweetly. “Well…” She started backing out of the room. “If you need anything else give me a call.” She handed me a business card. “I’ll be around for another hour and then it’s quitting time for me.”

  Not too long after Elsa left, I gathered up my reports and filed them in my briefcase. I threw the rest of my belongings into my large tote purse and headed off to the lady’s room, turning off the lights and pulling the door closed behind me.

  When I exited the restroom, there was a couple having an argument in the middle of the hallway. I detected the heavy tension between them from about ten feet away.

  “I won’t do that.” The woman stamped her feet in defiance. “Don’t you understand how stressful this has been for all of us?”

  The man gently took the woman’s elbows in his arms and spoke quietly in her ear. But then that only calmed her down for as long as it took me to pass them in the hall. I quickened my pace just as she delivered her next outburst.

  On my way past a linen supply closet, I overhead another wisp of conversation.


  “We have yet another order of towels and sheets coming in early tomorrow morning. We’re expecting a record number of attendees this year with over two dozen returning guests.”

  “Just as long as we don’t run out of condoms this time…”

  My eyes widened at what was said, but I walked past them quickly hoping I didn’t hear anything too bizarre. This was just getting to be too much for me.

  Between the outside encounters in the hallways and the commotion, I’d had enough for one day. I just wanted to take a nice bath and soak my worries away. I’d purposely diverted my attention off of my encounter with Priscilla about Mark on purpose. I couldn’t help thinking about him as the thought of going home to an almost empty house was now my reality. I was running a little late this morning, so I’d never gotten a chance to call him.

  My BMW was sitting in the visitor’s section so it took me less than a minute to reach it after exiting the hotel. The hot and humid air of New Orleans hit me square in the face. This was only the middle of the summer and I was more than ready for cooler temperatures. Good thing it was the end of the day. I didn’t need to take another look in the mirror to know that my edges weren’t as slicked back as they were this morning. My fluffy curls were still in place, a courtesy of my extended-hold hairspray. But it was only a matter of time before my appearance turned from professional, uptight accountant to a woman ready to relax and slouch under my comforter.

  I shook my tote bag in an attempt to get my keys to jangle so I could locate them. When that didn’t work, I tossed my briefcase on the hood of my car and dug around for them. Still no keys. As my forehead began to bead with sweat, I took out the contents of the bag one by one, only to discover that not only were my keys missing, but so was my cell phone.

  “Shit!” I explained.

  I tossed the bag on the hood of my car and shuffled through my briefcase… all to no avail.

  “Dammit.” I pulled repeatedly at the car handle, fully aware that I wouldn’t be able to enter without my keys.

  The heat wave taxed my sanity and patience, so I entered the hotel again with bags in tow and retraced my steps.