A Stranger's Touch

by Beth D. Carter

  “Oh look! Here’s—”

  A hand abruptly closed over Aubrey’s arm, and she found herself being spun around to meet the frowning face of Gordon St. Roth. Brown eyes narrowed in anger, his lips thinned out into a straight line, he looked both ferocious and sexy at the same time.

  “Come with me,” he muttered harshly, practically dragging her away from Merryl as the whole office watched the interplay.

  The shock of seeing him again blindsided her, rendering her mute. Gordon walked into an office and closed the door before spinning her around to glare down at her.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “What am I doing here?” A high-pitched tone of disbelief had replaced her normal speaking voice. “What are you doing here?”

  “I own this firm.”

  Aubrey blinked. “You own it? But it’s called Onofrio and your last name is St. Roth.”

  “I’m well aware of my last name,” he said through clenched teeth. “Did you sleep with me knowing I was going to be your boss?”

  Aubrey blinked, having a difficult time trying to keep up with his words because seeing him threw her into a weird tailspin. “What?”

  “Did. You. Fuck. Me. On purpose?”

  She gasped. “How dare you!”

  “No, how dare you! You think to blackmail me or something? It won’t work, lady. I’ve got the best lawyers money can buy.”

  Aubrey slapped him. It wasn’t something she planned to do, and in fact, she’d never slapped anyone, not even Morgan when he was being over-the-top insulting. But something inside her loosened, the knot of being meek and mild unfurling like a sail in the wind. Rage bubbled up and stomped down the old Aubrey because she was sick and tired of being the one kicked around.

  Gordon jerked back from the slap, and his eyes widened in shock.

  “I don’t know who the hell you think you are,” she said angrily. “But I would never sell myself like that. What we shared at the hotel in St. Louis was special to me in ways you couldn’t even imagine.”

  “So special you snuck out!”

  “Because if I’d have stayed it would’ve ruined the perfect moment! Listen to me, buster,” she said and poked him in his chest. “I’ve been lied to, humiliated, and deceived. No more passive-aggressive bullshit for me, thank you very much. If I didn’t need this job so badly I’d walk out of here, but for now you’re stuck with me answering your goddamn phones so keep your nasty accusations to yourself. When you’re ready to talk like a civilized human being, come to reception.”

  With that, she turned and marched out of his office, practically slamming the door behind her. She ignored the surprised faces that stared at her, eyes agog with curiosity. Aubrey lifted her chin and marched back to Merryl who kept looking between her and the boss’s closed door.

  “We have to talk,” she said and stomped toward the front. She wanted desperately to go someplace and hide as she figured out how Gordon St. Roth had suddenly become her boss, but she didn’t have the time or luxury to wallow in wonders of karma. What the hell had she done to deserve all this bullshit in her life?

  “Hey, Aubrey,” Jenny greeted from her seat behind the counter. “I got you a chair too.”

  “Wait just a moment!” Merryl said, rushing up behind her.

  Aubrey turned to her friend. “Why didn’t you tell me Gordon St. Roth was Boss Man?”

  “I didn’t know you knew him.”

  “I don’t,” she said. “Excuse me, Jenny. I’ll be right back.”

  Aubrey took Merryl’s hand and led her outside, which was the only place she could think of where no ears listened, although Gordon’s little display back there certainly had tongues a-wagging.

  “What’s going on, Aubrey?”

  “You remember my airport one-night stand?” Aubrey pointed at the building.

  Merryl blinked, then her eyes widened. “Wait. You slept with Boss Man?”

  “Believe me, there was no sleeping involved.”

  “Oh my God! You fucked Gordon St. Roth?”

  Aubrey winced. “You ever only called him Boss Man, so I had no clue who he was. Besides, what are the chances I run into him in St. Louis, for cripes sake? I had to have done something terrible in a past life for karma to hate me this much.”

  “What are we going to do?” Merryl asked.

  “What do you mean what are we going to do? I’m covering Jenny’s job until she gets back from maternity leave, that’s what I’m going to do. Screw Gordon St. Roth, Boss Man, or whatever the hell you want to call him.”

  Merryl folded her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow. “One of us already has.”

  Aubrey stuck her tongue out just as Gordon walked outside. For a second, attraction hit her between the eyes, the same force she encountered back at the airport bar. He had played into her dreams the past few days so seeing him again was like being smacked in the face with a two-by-four. Their gazes locked, and he looked like a man on a mission, walking up to her with steely determination in every stride.

  “I, ah, will let Jenny know you’ll be in a few minutes,” Merryl said, backing up. As Gordon reached them, she gave a jaunty salute to him and rushed back inside the office.

  “Aubrey.”

  “Gordon. Or should I call you Mr. St. Roth?”

  “I think we’re past formalities.”

  She nodded, silently agreeing. “I, ah, didn’t expect to see you again.”

  “I was expecting to see you when I got out of the shower.”

  “I thought it best that I left when I did but for what it’s worth, I am sorry.”

  “Yeah,” he replied softly. “Me too. I almost didn’t believe my eyes when I saw your red hair standing in my office.”

  “Why is it called Onofrio if it’s your business?”

  “My mother’s maiden name. My brother and I have two different fathers, so I couldn’t call it St. Roth, which is me, or Hanna, which is him, so I went with what made us brothers.”

  “Hanna? Jason is your brother?”

  He frowned. “You know Jason too?”

  “No, not really. Merryl took me to a dance club called Zanzibar.”

  “Ah,” he replied, nodding. “The infamous Zanzibar. So how do you know Merryl?”

  “Merryl’s been my friend for years. I knew she’d taken this job but all she ever called you was Boss Man so I was completely clueless until a few moments ago.”

  “Does she know about…?”

  “St Louis? Yeah. But I never mentioned your name. Perhaps if I had, we could’ve avoided this.”

  “Speaking of which—”

  She held up a hand. “No need to say any more. I completely agree that we need to downplay this as much as possible.”

  “What?”

  “The office. You tell the other employees that we happen to know each other and seeing each other was a complete surprise.”

  “Aubrey…”

  “You could say we met through my ex’s work. He’s in insurance. But it’s best if no one suspects how exactly we know each other.”

  He was quiet for a moment, simply staring at her. “You think it’s best?”

  “Don’t you? I mean, I’m only here for three months or so, and I’d rather not have speculation behind my back. And I know as an employer you don’t want that stigma on your shoulders.”

  “You think what we did is a stigma?”

  “No, but others will talk and in today’s society, it doesn’t take much for scandal to ruin a career. I absolutely don’t want that to happen to you. So we’re in agreement?”

  A movement caught her attention and she glanced toward the front of the building, catching Merryl’s and Jenny’s noses pressed against the glass. Little patches of fog formed on the glass as they breathed out.

  “I guess we should get to work,” she said.

  He ran a hand though his hair. “Yeah, I guess so.”

  They stared at one another, and memories of their time in the hotel room washed over her body.
Her nipples contracted and her pussy grew slick from the desire she had for this man. It surprised her as well as brought a sense of embarrassment because despite this meeting, he was still a stranger. How could one man make her ache so much? As she walked toward the office door, she saw both women pull away from watching them.

  “Aubrey.”

  She paused and turned around. “Yes?”

  “Don’t disappear again.”

  “I promise to fulfill my work agreement to cover Jenny.”

  “That’s not what I … you know, just never mind.”

  He turned and stomped back the way he’d come, heading inside his building and disappearing within. Aubrey took a deep breath to calm her racing heart before following. Merryl and Jenny were by the front desk, trying hard to look like they were innocent.

  “Wanna get started teaching me about the phones?’ she asked Jenny.

  “Ah, sure,” Jenny said brightly. Aubrey could see questions shining in her eyes, but she had no desire to answer any of them.

  Great. Karma really hates me.

  ****

  For the rest of the workday Aubrey made sure to stay focused and busy. Answering the phone was easy, but learning where to direct all the calls required a heavy cheat sheet. Different people worked on different projects and all the projects had nicknames. Plus she had to learn which clients were allowed access to Gordon’s line. On top of the phones, she had to order supplies, or lunches, and keep the kitchen cleaned and stocked for waiting clientele. When lunchtime arrived, her stomach growled like a feral cat.

  “And that is the morning!” Jenny announced. “At lunch we send all the calls to voice mail. Just hit this button.”

  “No one covers?”

  Jenny shook her head. A few people walked past, waving at them. “Mr. St. Roth believes everyone deserves a break so we all go to lunch at the same time. If there’s an emergency in the next hour he usually handles it, but in all the time I’ve worked here, that has never happened.”

  “Where are you going to eat?”

  “Oh, I brown bag it since this body does not like to move fast anymore.”

  Merryl joined them, her purse slung over a shoulder. “Ready to grab a bite to eat? There’s a great sandwich place right around the corner.”

  Just as she nodded, Jason walked in. He stopped in his tracks and pointed at her.

  “Aubrey!”

  She pointed back. “Jason!”

  “Wait, my BFF is now the new receptionist?” He hurried around the front desk to take Jenny’s hand. “You broke my heart when you got married so I must move on to a new bestie.”

  Jenny giggled and snatched her hand away. “Goofball.”

  “Is it time for lunch?” he asked.

  “You just got to work and you want to immediately go to lunch?”

  “Hey now,” he said, frowning. “I had to run downtown to get these mock-ups approved. It’s a cold day, you know. I almost froze my nads off.”

  Jenny folded her arms over her chest. “It’s sixty-five degrees. How frozen can they be?”

  He mock-shivered. “Just call me Elsa the Ice Queen.”

  Jenny waved him off. “Go talk to your brother. Aubrey will be here when you get back.”

  Jason winked at Aubrey and spun around to head toward his brother’s office. Jenny shook her head and rubbed her big belly.

  “That man is a mess.”

  “Why do you say that?” Aubrey asked.

  Jenny strained her neck around the corner to make sure he no longer was in earshot. “He went to college to be an architect but never finished. His heart’s not in it. So basically he’s his big brother’s errand boy.”

  “Well, what does he want to do?”

  “I’m not sure what his passion is, but I can tell his heart isn’t in this place.”

  That made Aubrey a little sad. She knew all too well how the inertia of an unwanted life made a person unhappy.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to join us?” Merryl asked Jenny.

  Jenny waved her off. “I’m good. I’ll hold down the fort. Literally. I’m so big my scale is broken.”

  “Hey, look who’s going to join us!” Jason said enthusiastically as he reappeared. Gordon was right behind him.

  Despite her mental pep talk to herself earlier about not staring at him, Aubrey couldn’t help her gaze gravitating toward him. And every time she looked, she saw he looked at her.

  The four of them walked to the sandwich shop Merryl had mentioned, and Jason found a table and sat at it to hold it while the others stood in line to order. Gordon stood behind her, his body heat almost all-encompassing, making her remember their one shared night of passion. As if they had a mind of their own, her nipples hardened into turgid little peaks, forcing Aubrey to cross her arms in an effort to hide them.

  Gordon leaned into her, causing his chest to brush against her shoulder. A thrill of excitement shot through her, and a mental picture of him thrusting into her caused her mouth to go dry.

  “How’s work?”

  She blinked. That’s want he wanted to know? “Um, fine. I guess.”

  “You guess?”

  She turned her head, not realizing his mouth was right there. So close she felt his breath fan across her face. She tried to moisten her lips with her tongue, which made his eyes darken to molten steel.

  “Don’t do that,” he muttered.

  “Don’t do what?”

  “Don’t show me your pink, little tongue because all I want to do is suck it into my mouth as I kiss us both senseless.”

  The excitement grew, making her super horny. For whatever inexplicable reason, Gordon St. Roth knew which button was her turn-on switch. All she wanted to do was wrap her arms around his neck and take him up on the offer, but a throat clearing snapped her out of her erotic haze and she turned to see Merryl and Jason both gaping at them in astonishment. Gordon straightened, placed a hand on her lower back, and guided her forward. Even the innocent touch had her heart racing.

  Aubrey didn’t care at that moment what she ate, and really didn’t remember which sandwich she ordered. All she could concentrate on was how close Gordon was to her, whether it was his hand on her back or his leg brushing hers as they sat and ate. As far as she knew, she ate cardboard. Gordon St. Roth was a stranger yet his touch thrilled her in ways she couldn’t even comprehend.

  After lunch they all walked back to the office and Gordon didn’t bother saying good-bye. He simply left them at reception to disappear into the back, presumably into his office, leaving her to face two very nosy people.

  “Wow, did not see that coming,” Jason said.

  “See what?” she asked, slightly defensive.

  “You and my brother. You know how much of a wet rag he is? He could give Brits a run for best stiff upper lip.”

  “We, ah, knew each other before,” Aubrey replied, trying to make the lie sound convincing. “You know, at the conference in St. Louis. Insurance and…”

  She trailed off because she saw the disbelief on Jason’s face. “It’s complicated.”

  “Clearly,” Jason said, winking. “Good lunch, ladies. We’ll definitely have to do this again.”

  Once he had followed after his brother, Aubrey shook her head. “Nope, we won’t.”

  “Holy crap, girl,” Merryl said. “I thought you two were going to self-combust. I seriously thought I was going to have to grab the fire extinguisher.”

  “Stop.”

  “Nope. The sexual tension was so thick I’m going to need to use my vibrator tonight.”

  “Ew!” Aubrey slapped her hands over her ears. “No more! La la la la la…”

  Merryl laughed and walked back toward her office.

  ****

  By the time the workday was through, Aubrey was mentally exhausted. Gordon wouldn’t get out of her head. The memory of their time in that hotel room played over and over in her mind, until she found herself looking for him every time someone walked by. Since he didn’t come o
ut before they left, she had to assume he worked late.

  “So what‘cha think?” Merryl asked as she drove them home. “Willing to stay until Jenny’s maternity leave is over?”

  “Of course. It won’t be hard to learn the routine.”

  “And Boss Man?”

  Aubrey stiffened. “What about him?”

  “Are you gonna be able to handle seeing him? I mean, you two weren’t very subtle at lunch today.”

  “Nothing was going on at lunch.” Aubrey winced because even she heard the lie in the affirmation. “But it’s really a moot point because I need this job.”

  “Aubrey—”

  “Don’t worry, Merryl. I promise, I won’t let him affect my work.”

  “What happens when the job is over?”

  “By then I’ll be technically ‘divorced’,” Aubrey replied, using air quotes. “I’ll reevaluate my situation. But thank you for letting me live with you and for giving me a job. I don’t know what I would’ve done.”

  Merryl reached out and took hold of her hand, squeezing a little. “I’m always here for you. Don’t ever think you have to deal with all this alone. Now, let’s get a nice dinner, drink some delicious wine, and get ready to do the day all over again tomorrow.”

  Chapter Eight

  The next morning she and Merryl were in the break room, drinking coffee before the workday started when Merryl’s phone beeped. She slipped it out of her pocket, looked at the text’s ID, and grimaced before sliding it back into her pocket.

  “Who was that?” Aubrey asked. “You had a disgusted look on your face.”

  “Nobody.”

  Aubrey frowned. “Merryl?”

  Her friend sighed. “Morgan’s been texting me.”

  “What? Why?”

  “You turned in your phone, remember? Got a new number. He’s looking for his car.”

  “Oh my God,” Aubrey muttered. “I shouldn’t have been so petty.”

  “No, you fucking should have after all the shit he put you through.” Merryl shook her head. “He’s a creep and finally showing his true colors. I don’t know how you put up with him for ten years.”