by ANDREA SMITH
“That was…” she started but simply trailed off.
“Yeah. It was.” Because I felt it too.
In the back of my mind, I answered my own question from earlier.
Autumn’s voice was even sexier as she cried out my name.
I needed to hear it again. And again.
Twenty-Seven
Autumn
Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God.
I had just done the inexcusable. I’d fucked Dirk Sexton. Or maybe Dirk Sexton had fucked me. Or maybe we had just fucked one another. However you chose to describe it, it was the most exquisite of experiences I’d ever known.
But it was a terrible idea. For too many reasons which were glaringly obvious.
Our bodies were flushed from the physical exertion, and I quickly tried to tally up the calories I’d likely burned. Dirk had stamina, and the things he’d done... fuck, the things he’d done!
I was re-clothing myself and quickly realized my blouse was a casualty that couldn’t possibly go unnoticed once I left the confines of his office, which of course, was necessary.
I grabbed the stapler from his desk, pulled the material together and stapled it shut.
Dirk chuckled at my improvisation.
“Hey,” I said, “All you had to do was unzip a fly. I’ve got to try and get out of here with nobody the wiser, Sexton.”
Dirk walked over and gently pulled my hair out from the confines of my blouse, his fingers splaying through it. “So soft and silky,” he breathed. I tingled at his touch. But there was a question that needed to be put out there, and it had to be done now.
“Does this... “ I started and then stopped searching for the right words that wouldn’t make this question seem stupid, or worse yet, presumptive.
“Does this what?” he asked, cocking a brow as he continued observing my disheveled state. “What were you starting to say”
I felt the blush envelope me which was quite surprising as this man had just seen and touched nearly every square inch of me just moments before.
“The thing with Indy... the race... does that mean you and I...” I started, moving my index finger back and forth between us, “Does that mean that we’re supposed to go... together?”
And then he just cut loose with laughter which seemed to come straight from the gut. “Well yeah, I mean who in the hell did you think I was offering those tickets to?”
“So... I mean, what about Summer... and Heath?”
He took a minute before answering. At first, I thought he was considering my question, maybe trying to find a polite way to get himself off the hook. When in fact, Dirk was apparently considering his answer, making sure he was very clear in his intentions.
“The invitation was for you. It was never for anyone but you. This,” he said, his index finger pointing at me then at himself a couple of times, “incredible moment we just shared was a bonus. It was the proverbial cherry on top of a fun, delicious, and absolutely mouth-watering cake.” He finished his explanation with a barely there kiss to my cheek and light dancing in his eyes.
“Did you just compare me to cake?” I asked, trying and failing to hide a smirk.
“I’m pretty sure I’ve developed a sweet tooth between the moment I first kissed you and the second you came on my cock.”
I rolled my eyes all the while his satisfied grin stretched out across his full, kissable lips.
Everything had been clarified, instantly filling me with relief. I totally hated ambiguity and uncertainty. And before I left, Dirk added the proverbial icing on the Autumn cake.
“By the way Autumn,” he said with a giant smile on his face, “When you come back in later, could you make it four instead of five?”
I felt my eyes narrow. What did he have up his sleeve now? “What’s up, Boss, wanna go another round before we slather up?”
He laughed at my assumption, which really wasn’t off the table if that's what he had in mind. I knew I'd never lose the desire to ride his cock again. “Actually, I’m going to have Bridget schedule a photographer to take some promo shots," he announced. "I’ve been so pleased with the revenue your show has been bringing in that I increased the advertising budget. Your face will be on as many buses, billboards, and benches as can be found throughout the city.”
I knew I should be ecstatic about the news. I knew Dirk was proud of the success of the show and was gearing up to give me even more exposure, which would give me the opportunity of being a household name. But the plump girl inside of me quashed the joy I should be feeling. On billboards and buses...
“Oh wow... yeah, yeah that’s great,” I said, feigning excitement, “I’ll be here.”
“Good,” he replied, giving me a wink. “And then we’ll go to dinner before your show. I’ll see you then.”
It was back to business with CEO Sexton. “Till then,” I replied, opening the door of his office and turning to give him a smile as I made my exit only to knock over a huge Styrofoam cup of coffee that had been left in front of his closed door, the now cold brew spilling out into a large puddle in the hallway.
Great... fucking great.
Twenty-Eight
Dirk
I should have been freaking out. Maybe thinking of a hundred logical explanations for why I had just basically mauled my most profitable employee.
But holy fuck in the heavens above, all I could do was think about doing it again. And again. But this time, I would take my time. I would start at her feet and worship her every inch of silky skin until I reached her pussy and feasted like a king after a victory battle.
I shook the images from my momentarily stunned mind and squeezed my hardening cock so I could get some work done.
Where the fuck was my coffee?
“Hey, did you by any chance have time to get me a coffee?” I asked through the intercom at my accommodating assistant.
“Yes, sir. I just cleaned it up.”
She just…what now?
“I’m sorry, I don’t follow you…” I let my sentence trail off all the while trying to figure out the possible context for “cleaning up a coffee.”
Oh shit.
“Did you spill it on yourself? You can go home or skip out to a store and buy something else, you have the company card if…” Bridget cut me off, a bit of a smile in her voice.
“No, no. The carpet was the only victim and I’ve cleaned it up. I’ve sent another intern to get one for you. I took the liberty of ordering a triple shot of expresso.” I could have sworn she’d started laughing before cutting off the intercom.
Curious, I stepped out of my door and felt something squelch under my foot. Looking down, Bridget’s conversation replayed in my mind and my eyes quickly darted to my loyal assistant.
Please tell me she’s loyal.
“Don’t worry, boss. My lips are sealed. It all sounded more than consensual.”
And that was the end of that awkward conversation.
That evening, I had arranged for different examples of wardrobe for Autumn so we could do tryouts and choose the one she felt most comfortable wearing. After all, it would be her face across the city for all to see and admire.
A pang of something fierce manifested itself somewhere around my heart. The thought of other men looking at Autumn and seeing what I saw in her had a surprising effect on me. I wasn’t much of the possessive type but my dick was selective and he did not share.
But business was business and my cock’s jealousy needed to stand down.
The conference room was set up like a studio. Wardrobe along one wall with a dresser for make-up. Spotlights with a back drop of Indy surrounded the chair Autumn would be sitting down on. The room was buzzing with activity when Autumn waltzed in, fresh as a daisy plucked from a field.
Jesus Christ, who the fuck talked that way?
Was it time for me to shred my man card?
I blamed it all on pheromones. Those bitches made the male brai
n go haywire.
When I saw Autumn stop dead in her tracks as she took in the entire scene, I was equal parts amused and worried for her.
Hopefully, she wouldn’t bolt. The station needed this, it would put us back on top, for sure.
“Ah. Hello?” She said, or better yet asked.
“Hey Autumn, come on over. I’ll introduce you to everyone.”
I fought the urge to pull her by the bicep or place a hand on the small of her back. I had to stay professional, which meant my dick needed to calm the fuck down.
“Is all of this necessary?” she whispered, panic dancing in her voice.
“If we want the huge billboards to look professional, it sure is,” I answered, a chuckle skirting between my lips.
For the next two hours, Autumn was pampered. She tried on about four different outfits, settling on the first one she had chosen. Her make-up accentuated all of her best features, a look that screamed successful but also fun and witty.
Finally, she spent the remaining time posing in this position or that one. Sitting, standing, faux-laughing, winking. They took pictures in every possible pose, making Autumn the WQRK superstar.
When it was done, my girl would be the face of the station. Literally.
Once everyone had left with their accessories, I pulled Autumn aside, in a corner where no passersby could see us and I kissed the breath right out of her lungs. Her reaction was instant, her mouth welcoming my tongue like a kitten starved for milk.
“Come home with me,” I told her.
“Maybe.”
“Minx. Are you trying to kill me?”
“Maybe.”
“Come home with me, please.”
“I have to work tonight.”
“We’ve got plenty of time. I’ll personally chauffeur you back to the station. Come home with me.”
“Okay.”
Twenty-Nine
Autumn
Saturday
“Are you serious?” my twin’s voice reached a high-pitched crescendo I was quite sure could shatter fine crystal. “You fucked your boss? You fucked... Dirk Sexton? I didn’t even know you went out on a date with him!”
“Umm... well... that’s not exactly how it all went down,” I replied sheepishly. “Long story and I promise I will fill you in on everything next week, but at the moment I’m packing for the weekend. Indy 500, remember?”
I could actually feel her eye roll from the other end of this phone call. “Duh,” she replied, “But it’s local. Why for heaven’s sake are you packing?”
I was at my apartment, giving my hermies fresh water and tearing up some brine shrimp into small pieces for them. So far, all were accounted for, so I’d taken out the divider in their crabitat since a couple of them had been determined to breach it any way possible. “Well, Dirk has a VIP suite at the track, so we’re staying overnight there.” I felt weird sharing this with my sister. Did she think I was moving too fast with Dirk? Was she uncomfortable with the fact they’d gone out first?
“Autumn, do you even know what you’re doing here?” she asked, the disapproval plainly evident in her tone.
There it was. Had I expected anything different? Even I questioned my own judgment on this one. It was never ever a good idea to cross the boss/employee line. This was a monumental detour from my personal convictions.
“Not really,” I admitted, “But it’s not love or anything. It’s just awesome sex with a man that is totally complicated and delightfully intriguing. Don’t you sometimes get the urge to, I dunno, do something totally out of character? Take a risk, even if the risk has the potential of totally decimating your safe and orderly life?”
“No,” she replied, “I just hope you don’t regret this, Autumn. Dirk Sexton has all of the markings of a narcissistic, self-serving, lothario... and quite frankly, I don’t see this ending well.”
I took a pause, her words tumbling around in my brain. “Summer, you aren’t mad that I’m seeing Dirk, are you?” I asked tentatively.
“Oh, God no,” she replied quickly, “Trust me, he wasn’t my type. I like men who don’t outshine me if you catch my drift. He’s just too pretty for his own good. Now Heath - well that’s another story,” she finished.
“Heath? Really?” I asked. “I mean, Heath’s awesome, but I never thought you’d be drawn to his type. What happened with Dr. Chip?”
She giggled softly, “All he could talk about was himself. I got the instant ick on him ten minutes into the date. No, I’ve taken my share of walks on the wild side, Sis. Heath is tame and I find tame much more appealing, trust me. But maybe Dirk is exactly what you need for now. Maybe you need to get out of your comfort zone. But just be prepared, because I don’t want you coming out of this with your heart torn to pieces.”
I sighed. Obviously, I hadn’t convinced her that this thing with Dirk had nothing to do with love or longevity. I didn’t look at life the same way Summer did, and there were reasons for that she’d never understand. “The reason I called, is could you pop in over the weekend and feed and water my hermies?”
“Oh yuck - I guess so. They don’t bite, do they?”
I assured her they did not. And asked her to please do a crab count as well. “I’ll leave their food out on the counter, just fill their food dish, fill their water pool and drink dishes, and remember, there should be six of them in there. Sometimes they dig down in the sound, or hide under the wood pieces, but all you have to do is poke around to find them.”
“Lovely,” she commented, “I’ll do my best, Sis, no worries. Have a good time, and be careful. Love ya.”
Summer’s words stayed with me long after our conversation ended. I knew she worried about my emotional well-being. I knew she was being totally honest about her opinion of Dirk - which I didn’t happen to agree with for obvious reasons, but I was irritated that she didn’t acknowledge that, unlike her, I wasn’t looking for long term love or commitment.
I was starting a career that I’d dreamed of since I was in high school. I wouldn’t risk that by turning into some stalker bitch once this thing between Dirk and I came to its natural conclusion, as I knew it would. So, what was wrong with enjoying it for what it was for however long it lasted? For the first time in like... forever I was having fun both in my career and with my boss with benefits, so I wanted to be free to enjoy it without reservation.
I pushed Summer’s concerns out of my head and called Dee to let her know I’d be off the clock until Monday afternoon. Since I’d taken my radio hosting job at Quirk-99, I’d only been doing about fifteen hours a week. Dee was understanding about it, and in fact, told me I could continue doing flex hours as long as I wanted. The money helped, but it no longer was my only livelihood and not nearly as enjoyable as Midnight Caller.
I finished packing for the weekend. Dirk was picking me up at noon. We would use his pit passes to walk around track and the garage area known as Gasoline Alley checking out the drivers and pit crews as they prepared for tomorrow’s race.
Thankfully, the weather was forecasted to be perfect with dry and sunny conditions. I made sure I packed comfortable clothing, and sexy lingerie for the post race activities Dirk and I would be enjoying.
I was showered, shaved, waxed, and ready when Dirk got to my apartment, looking too fucking sexy for his own good.
“Ready?” he asked, grabbing my overnight bag and waiting in the hallway as I locked the door to my apartment.
“Yes, let’s do it,” I said with a wink. “I’ve never been to the 500, and I have a feeling it’s going to be an epic experience.”
“I guarantee it,” he smirked, “Oh, and you’ll probably enjoy the race as well.”
Cocky much?
Just as we hit the ramp to the interstate, a tour bus went by and there it was.
As big as the sky above and in technicolor from Hell.
A blind man couldn’t possibly miss it.
It was fucking huge and that was may
be an understatement.
“Oh my God!” I shrieked, causing Dirk to slam on the breaks. “That’s me!”
On the side of the bus, the framed billboard that went damn near the full length of it, was none other than moi! Dressed in a sleek form-fitting black dress, I was posed sprawled out on my stomach, both arms folded so that my chin rested on my fists, and my ruby red lips puckered up for a kiss. I remembered the pose. It hadn’t been one of my favorites, but Dirk had insisted it be included in the portfolio going to the printer.
And now there it was, in full-figured color with the words: Let Autumn Dey make your night. Midnight Caller, Mon.-Thur., Midnight until Three. Only on Quirk-99.
“It most certainly is, buttercup,” he said, the nonchalance a bit annoying if not alarming.
“Wait! Did you choose this one, yourself?” I asked because frankly, there were about ten other shots that would have been more flattering and less…in your face.
“But…it’s so…big!” I exclaimed, as the bus faded in the distance behind us but was still etched firmly in my mind.
“Well, yeah, we already established that. I thought we were talking about the billboard.” I looked over at him and saw the smirk that adorned his gorgeous face. His eyes were intent on the traffic ahead of us but his thoughts most definitely elsewhere judging by the boner that was steadily growing beneath the steering wheel.
“You’re impossible, I swear. We’ll discuss this later when I can have a conversation with you without that monster interrupting us.” As if on cue, we both burst into laughter, his head slightly tilted up, the lines at his eyes framed in happiness. I couldn’t stop watching him, especially when he was carefree and naughty all at once.
“I can’t wait to start this weekend with you,” I blurted out, my cheeks instantly heating up because that was just way too personal, and I needed to heed my sister’s advice.
“Babe, we already have, and I have to say, I’m having a fucking blast.”