A Stranger's Touch

by Beth D. Carter

  “It was the devil I knew versus the devil I didn’t know,” Aubrey admitted.

  “But Boss Man isn’t a devil.”

  “I lucked out, I think,” Aubrey said. “I still don’t know how a stranger’s touch affected me so much. I don’t do one-night stands. In today’s world, it’s so incredibly dangerous. I mean, I could’ve ended up the victim on one of those Investigation Discovery shows.”

  Merryl leaned in closer. “It was fate, I tell you.”

  “Well, fate must have been watching over me, because Gordon was nothing but kind.”

  “Kind?” Merryl snorted. “There goes his reputation.”

  “Give me Morgan’s number. I don’t remember it by heart. I’ll put a stop to his harassing you.”

  “Then he’ll be harassing you!”

  “Better me than blowing up your phone. I can’t believe I was so blindsided by him. How did he hide his true nature for ten years?”

  “Because he wanted something. He wanted that insurance job. He wanted that promotion. He’s a user that crippled you. The best way to beat him at his own game is to become better at it than him.”

  Aubrey nodded and took Morgan’s phone number from Merryl’s. She planned on texting him at lunch. She didn’t want to start the day off with his words lingering in her head.

  However, forgetting about her upcoming text to Morgan stayed on her mind, making it difficult to stay focused on what Jenny taught. Luckily, she wrote it all down so when she was finally solo next Monday everything would run smoothly. By the time lunch rolled around, her appetite was nonexistent. She dismissed Jason and Merryl with a wave and headed outside to find a quiet place because she knew as soon as Morgan got her number, he was going to call her.

  Stop harassing Merryl.

  The message was short and sweet, and just as she predicted, her phone rang almost immediately. Aubrey took a deep breath and braced herself. Confrontation had never been a good thing and often she had gone out of her way to avoid any type of argument with Morgan.

  “Yes?” she answered.

  “Where the fuck is my car?”

  He was more than mad. He was livid. She’d never heard him use such a tone before.

  “You told me you wanted the car back. You never told me in what condition.”

  “You bitch. What did you do to it?”

  “If you don’t know where it’s at, I’m sure the Los Angles Parking Authority will have a few tickets to point you in the right direction.”

  “Un-fucking-believable. You know what I’m going to do? I’m going to fucking sue your ass for this.”

  Aubrey knew this was the pivotal moment she needed in which to assert her newfound sense of power. She was done having him control any aspect of her psyche.

  “And I’ll have my lawyer countersue for you lying about our marriage. I think your deception more than counters mine.”

  He was quiet for a moment. “Wow. When did you grow lady balls, Aubrey? I think my dick might be a little hard right now.”

  “You disgust me, Morgan.”

  His laugh grated on her nerves.

  “You’ll be receiving divorce papers soon,” she continued. “I want you to sign them so we can finally put this sham of a relationship in its grave.”

  “Divorce? How can we divorce if we’re not technically married?”

  “Because to go that route the lawyer will have to prove you deliberately tore up the certificate. I’m not sure your bosses want to know what type of manipulative asshole they have working for them.”

  “Don’t worry, sweet cakes, I don’t want this lingering any more than you do. But before I sign those papers you will pay me punitive damages.”

  “Punitive damages for what?”

  “For the fucking car that’s probably impounded by now. You want to play hardball? That’s my specialty and I always get what I go after.”

  “Damn the consequences?”

  “That’s the only way to get ahead in life.”

  “God, what did I ever see in you?”

  “I’ve been asking myself the same question about you. When I get the papers I’ll text you. You give me the money and I’ll sign them.”

  “No, Morgan, don’t do—”

  He hung up on her. Feeling utterly hopeless as well as helpless, tears welled up in her eyes. Just as she started to break down, strong arms turned her and pulled her into a warm, solid chest. Gordon held her so tenderly that a whole new wave of tears fell. The wave of self-pity was short but when it had run its course, Aubrey realized his starched shirt now lay damp against her face.

  “Oh God,” she muttered as she pulled back, staring in horror at the wet spot that also was smeared with mascara. “I’ve messed up your shirt.”

  “Fuck that,” he said. “You okay?”

  She nodded. “How much did you hear?”

  “Pretty much all of your side of the conversation””

  “I blame Merryl for this,” she replied, frowning. “She thought it would be fitting if I parked his car, the one he bought for me to drive but kept the title in his name, in a restricted area. Now he says he’ll only sign the divorce papers if I pay him the money for the fines.”

  “The hell you will!”

  She sniffed and rooted in her pocket for a napkin or tissue. “I’m so stupid. Why am I even crying?”

  “Don’t call yourself that. Are you crying because you still love him?”

  She stilled and looked at Gordon. Slowly, she shook her head. “No, definitely not. And what’s even sadder is that I don’t think I ever loved him at all. Not that all-consuming, soul-touching way the romance books talk about. So I ended up wasting ten years on that asshole.”

  He brushed away a strand of hair that blew across her cheek. “You believe in that kind of love?”

  “Yes,” she said immediately. She tried to ignore how his touch made her heart beat a little faster. “My parents had it so I know it exists. My mistake was that I compromised my beliefs to fit my relationship with Morgan into a happily-ever-after scenario that he didn’t want.”

  Gordon placed a finger under her chin and tilted her head up so their gazes locked. “I don’t want to hear his name from your lips again. Hear me? A real man doesn’t do this to anyone, let alone the woman he’s professed to have loved and married.”

  An urge to kiss him rose up inside her, but she stomped it down. It was not the time or the place, obviously, especially when the man happened to be her boss. Aubrey took a deep breath and backed away from Gordon.

  “Thanks for the shoulder,” she said.

  His arm slowly lowered back to his side. “Anytime.”

  “I promise I’m not like this.”

  “Not like what?”

  She indicated herself with a wave of her hand. “This blubbery person. And I hate that he’s turned me into this mess. I want things to be different. I want to be different. I just gotta figure it all out.”

  “I get it. Sometimes stress needs an outlet.”

  Aubrey nodded. “I just want to punch him, you know? And because I can’t, I cried. Impotent rage is scary.”

  He smiled. “I want to kiss you, but I know it’s not the right place and definitely not the right time.”

  “I was just thinking that same thing,” she said. “I feel it too, you know. This pull between us. But … I’m not in the right frame of mind to pursue it. I don’t think I can handle anything until this mess with Morgan is resolved.”

  He stared at her for a long moment, and she really wished she could hear his thoughts. She also wished she could act on her body’s desire to recreate their tryst in the hotel room, but she knew logically that her emotional turmoil wasn’t fair to Gordon. Or to her, for that matter.

  “Can we be friends?” she asked softly.

  “Of course,” he replied. “I want to be supportive. Be there if you need me.”

  “I’d like that.”

  He leaned over and kissed her cheek before whispering in her ear. “Fa
ir warning, Aubrey. One day we will explore this thing between us. You’re not disappearing from me again.”

  He straightened, turned, and walked away without a backward glance, leaving her heart racing and a body more turned-on than she’d care to admit.

  ****

  The rest of the week kept her busy. Clients came in to check on the work, builders came in to conference with Gordon. He left for meetings that extended almost all day. And on Friday, he never even came into the office. It bothered Aubrey that in the short week of working together, she had come to enjoy the few moments she had seeing him. True to his word, he stayed friendly while at the same time keeping his distance. Yet the one thing that really bothered her was that he never sent her sexy glances anymore, gone now since their discussion. They had bolstered her waning self-confidence, repairing the damage Morgan had done at chipping away her self-worth.

  Friday also happened to be Jenny’s last day of work and the office employees gave her a little baby shower once the workday was done. It was cute to see many hipsters giving everything from diapers to bibs. Jenny laughed and cried as everyone volunteered to carry her presents to the car, singing nursey rhymes set to beat-box music. Aubrey stood with her fellow coworkers waving good-bye as she drove away.

  “I’ve got a great idea,” Jason called out once Jenny had turned the block and disappeared. “Let’s all go to Zanzibar!”

  A few people backed out, wanting to get home to significant others, but Aubrey wanted the good feeling that presently coursed through her to last so she readily agreed. She hadn’t realized until just then how much she’d been starved for friendship.

  Merryl drove them to Zanzibar, with Jason and a few other’s following. The exotic flare of the club stripped away the mundane working world while the hypnotic rhythm of the music pulsed through her body. Aubrey happily drank whatever anyone handed her, letting the alcohol and dancing arrest her self-doubt, if only for a momentary night.

  She lost track of Merryl and Jason in the throng of dancers. The dark interior lent a sense of freedom that Aubrey hadn’t ever felt before. The clothes she wore were all wrong but it didn’t really matter. She hiked up her knee-length skirt and kicked off her high-heeled shoes somewhere along the way, not really caring that her pantyhose-clad feet became filthy. The alcohol swirled through her bloodstream and chased away the negative emotions that lingered from Morgan. In a sense, Zanzibar gave her a sensation of being reborn. Gone was the meek and mild Aubrey who had learned to keep Morgan happy at all costs, afraid he’d leave her. She peeled off the thick layer like a horrible scab, discovering smooth skin beneath, realizing she’d let the wound fester far too long.

  She lost herself in the pulsing beat and it wasn’t until strong arms encircled her waist that she was jolted out of its encompassing haze. Startled, she turned and saw Gordon standing there, the desire she’d missed so much back and blazing from his soulful eyes. Her body instantly responded to his magnetic draw, and every word of caution she had given to herself and to him flew right out of her mind. She wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing herself flush against him, and he responded by holding her tight and inserting his thigh between her parted legs so that her pussy rested right on the hard muscle.

  They moved to their own music, staring at one another as the world around disappeared. Lust rolled through her, so sharp she could hardly believe she wanted Gordon so much. Aubrey had never considered herself a passionate person, but Gordon somehow made her dormant sex drive rev to full throttle.

  He cupped the back of her head and draw her closer. He gave her time and room to back away, but that was the last thing she wanted to do. Instead, she met him halfway, their lips touching with the lightest of pressure. It wasn’t enough, however, for either of them. He opened his mouth, deepening the kiss.

  The world melted away. She knew how potent his kisses were, of course. Their stolen moment in the hotel had already proven how electric they were together, but in the back of her mind she’d classified it as a fluke. The naughtiness of two strangers having sex was the reason they had been so explosive together. But this kiss blew that theory out of the water.

  They strained against one another, all semblance of dancing forgotten. Instead, they kissed on the dance floor, mindless of the fact that they were on display for everyone to see. Gordon ran a hand from her waist down to cup her ass, pulling her more firmly into him, and Aubrey felt like she could climax right then and there. A dancer jolted them, temporarily breaking the spell, and she groaned in frustration. Gordon took her hand and led her away from the dance floor, toward the back of the club, where the restrooms were located. He bypassed them and headed out the back door, and as soon as they were outside, he scooped her up.

  With a small giggle, she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in to nibble on his earlobe. His answering moan told her he liked what she was doing.

  “What happened to your shoes?”

  “I don’t know,” she whispered, licking the rim of his ear.

  “Fuck the shoes.”

  “Fuck me.”

  “Oh, babe, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

  “Fuck me now.”

  They reached his SUV, and he deposited her in the backseat before joining her. His large body cramped up the space but she didn’t care. Aubrey was already hiking up her skirt and trying to maneuver out of her panties. Gordon beat her to it, ripping them away so he could finger her pussy.

  “You’re already wet for me, babe?”

  “Yes. Anytime you’re near me I’m wet.”

  “Even when you come into my office to get the mail?”

  “Yes. When I take a shower in the morning I touch myself knowing I’m going to see you soon.”

  He groaned and kissed her again. He withdrew his fingers and she heard the rip of a condom a moment before he opened her thighs wide, as wide as they would go in the narrowed confines of the backseat. He pressed forward, easily sliding in, her pussy stretching to accommodate the cock that was deep inside.

  “Fuck, you’re tight,” he said thickly. He leaned his forehead against hers for a moment, letting them both adjust to the sensation. He moved, pulling back then thrusting back in. Aubrey reached around to grab his ass and that’s when she realized he had only pulled his pants down far enough to take his dick out. When she dug her nails into his buttocks, he grabbed hold of the leather seat to gain the leverage needed to fuck her deep.

  Their tryst wasn’t meant to be slow or sweet. The only purpose between them at that moment was to satisfy the ache they both had, so his strokes where deep and hard and quick. The uncontrolled frantic hammering made the vehicle shake, which only made the sex more intense.

  “You’re going to make me come so hard, babe,” he said, although the words barely registered in her lust-filled brain. “Do you want to come with me?”

  “Yes,” she moaned.

  “Touch your clit,” he ordered. “Play with that pretty pussy.”

  She did as he commanded, shifting a little so she could reach between them, and the different angle plus the added stimulation to her clit, made her climax imminent. Aubrey felt like she was going to explode. He was so deep, fucking her so hard, that the hurtling rush toward ecstasy gained by the second. She was beyond reason, beyond will, beyond anything but sensation. Flying off the precipice into pure, perfect oblivion. A moment of timelessness before gravity took back control.

  Transcendent. Intoxicating. Addictive.

  Gordon immediately followed her over the cliff. Their hearts beat frantically together, deep breaths gulped trying to gain back a normal heart rhythm, sweat covering their skin.

  “Holy shit,” he muttered as he eased back enough so he wouldn’t crush her. He reached between them and held onto the condom as he slipped out of her body. He plopped down on the other seat, pants around his knees and his prophylactic-covered cock sticking straight up, although there was a little droop to the side. Aubrey was too lethargic to move, so she stayed where
she was, enjoying her view of Gordon.

  He turned his head and winked at her. “Go out with me.”

  “I am out with you.”

  “I meant on a date.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Are you asking or telling me?”

  “Both.”

  “Are you sure that’s wise?”

  He reached out and brushed a thumb across her cheek. “Ever since I laid eyes on you nothing I’ve done has been wise. Including this moment, although I have no regrets at all about what we just did.”

  She giggled. “Neither do I.”

  “That’s good. We have nothing to be ashamed about. So, will you go out with me?”

  “What about the rule on dating coworkers?”

  “What rule?”

  “Jason has a rule. Don’t shit where you eat.”

  “Yeah, that sounds like my brother. So eloquent. Technically, I would say I agree with that sentiment but I met you before you became my employee so I’m going to go with that.”

  “Sounds like a wise decision.”

  “So you’ll go out with me?”

  “I will,” she replied. “I didn’t like how this week felt, with you not showing any emotion toward me.”

  “Oh, I had emotion. Believe me. There is a drawer full of sketches I couldn’t fucking get right because I kept thinking about you. I know you have issues you have to deal with, but maybe we can deal with them together.”

  “I can’t promise you anything, Gordon. Are you sure you want to date someone who still has emotional baggage?”

  “I don’t need promises, Aubrey. At least not now. But I don’t think I can leave you alone. I want to be with you.”

  “So just dating?”

  “I was hoping for some fucking as well.”

  “Well, that’s a given. I happen to really like fucking you.”

  “You’re so sexy when you talk dirty.” He took off the condom and tied it in a knot. “Remind me next time we do this to have a place to dump the rubber.”

  Chapter Nine

  A slight pounding in her temples roused Aubrey awake. The light coming through the window didn’t help and she groaned as she rolled over and buried her head under the pillow. However, that didn’t stop the memories of the previous night flooding her mind. For a moment, she let them play out, and it turned her on. She had a feeling with Gordon around she would be perpetually horny.