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Nailed

Page 6

by Christine d'Abo


  The smell of him hit me hard—sex and sweat. His whispers were hot against my skin, punctuated by the occasional nip against my skin. I wanted to be completely naked with him, to feel his skin against mine as we thrust and rub against one another. I wanted to forget about the job, the pressures of needing to do everything exactly right, and lose myself in a man who actually seemed to want me. I wanted to lick his body before I climbed on top of him and rode him until we were both mad with pleasure.

  “Come for me, baby.” He nipped at my earlobe.

  And that was all it took. My body shook and my mouth fell open in a silent scream as pleasure tore through me. I blindly clutched at Fynn, trying to hold myself up as my orgasm set my nerves on fire. When I finally came back down, he was holding me tight, our bodies pressed against the wall.

  The sounds of our panting filled the room. The smell of sex was everywhere. It wouldn’t take a genius to figure out exactly what we’d been up to. I knew as soon as my brain was fully engaged once again, I might start freaking out about the whole thing, regardless of the fact that I’d initiated our little adventure.

  But at that moment the only thing I cared about was the way Fynn’s hand continued to stroke my pussy. The movement was soft, barely sexual, as though he was learning me. I sighed as he finally pulled his hand free and started to right my jeans for me.

  “So.” His lips brushed my throat, sending a shiver through me.

  “Yeah. That happened.” I didn’t want this to end. I didn’t want to go back to reality and what it entailed.

  “You okay?” I was a bit surprised when he didn’t pull away. “With all this?”

  “I’m good. It was exactly what I needed.” I didn’t want Fynn to think I used sex as a distraction from what was bothering me, but I knew that’s what I’d done. I might as well own up to it.

  After a few more minutes we finally pulled apart and began to fix our clothing. It wasn’t as awkward as it had been the night in the office, but I still had the sense that things weren’t quite right. I gave Fynn a good long look, one that he met and held. “What are we doing here?”

  He cocked his head to the side. “I’m not sure. I wasn’t planning on...starting anything.”

  “Me either.”

  I would have said more, but a movement behind Fynn out in the yard caught my attention. That sick feeling returned to the pit of my stomach when I saw Matt standing there, the camera pointed directly at us.

  Chapter Six

  Window delivery has been delayed by a week. Fynn says that’s fine because the cabinetry came ahead of schedule. We’ll discuss shift schedules at the next production meeting. I also need to address the sudden tensions on the site. Fynn and Sophia seem to be getting along well. It’s making their scenes together pop.

  —Impact Load Production Notes, Brian Merrick, Director

  I wasn’t sure who was more terrified—me or Matt. Fynn had moved so quickly from the porch to where the cameraman stood, I don’t think my brain fully registered what had happened. Pushing myself away from the wall, I chased after him.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Fynn was in Matt’s face, his hands balled into fists. “And don’t give me some bullshit about wandering around for shots.”

  “Jesus, Babineau, back the fuck off. I was looking for the two of you. Someone said they saw you in the parking lot.”

  God, word about the two of us disappearing together would be around the site like wildfire. So much for earning the respect of the crew. Tamara would kill me if people started badmouthing our company because I didn’t have brains enough to stay out of Fynn’s pants.

  “Let me see the film.” Fynn leaned in so close to Matt, I was scared things were going to come to blows.

  “I didn’t record anything. I promise. I just was surprised at what I saw.” Matt took a step back and swung the camera between them. “I mean, I didn’t think you guys even really liked each other.”

  Stepping between them, I narrowed my gaze and tapped Matt on the chest. “What exactly did you see?”

  He licked his lips. “The two of you hugging.”

  Liar, liar. “And?”

  Matt blushed. “Umm, you fixing your clothing. I think.”

  “Well, whatever you think you saw, I would hope you wouldn’t go around talking about it.” I placed my hand on his chest and curled my fingers, pulling on the chest hair below. His brown eyes widened and for the first time since I’d met him, Matt had lost his cockiness. “Because it would be a huge distraction to this project and the show if a bunch of unfounded rumors started flying around. Right?”

  “Uh yeah.”

  “Pardon?” I pulled the hair a bit harder.

  “I wouldn’t do that, okay? I like you guys. If you want to duck into the porch for a little one-on-one time, I don’t care.”

  “But Carl would.” Fynn huffed and finally took a step back. “You’ve worked with him before and know what he’d do with this shit.”

  Before Matt had time to react, Fynn grabbed the camera and checked the last few seconds of the film. I held my breath until I saw Fynn’s shoulders relax. “He’s telling the truth?”

  “Yeah, it’s clean.”

  “God, I told you so. I promise I won’t say a word.” Matt reclaimed his camera and backed away the second I let him go. “Just, you both need to come back to the front. We have a production call, which is why I came looking for you in the first place. Carl and Brian need you back at the studio’s office.”

  And there was that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach once again. At least this time I wasn’t the only one who looked ill. When I turned back to Fynn, I saw the muscle in his jaw jump as he clenched his teeth.

  We followed Matt back out to the parking lot, but held back enough to keep the distance between us. “Do you think he’ll say anything to Carl or Brian?”

  Fynn’s hands were hooked around his tool belt. “I don’t think so. It wouldn’t be a big deal to Brian, though he’d give me a hard time for a while. But Carl...I don’t know anymore.”

  “I thought you two were buddies or something?” I could have sworn after Carl’s warning on that first day that he’d do anything to keep Fynn’s reputation from being damaged further.

  “God no. Though he likes to play it up like we are. The only person Carl is concerned with is Carl. Everyone else is expendable.”

  Tamara had said pretty much the same thing to me the other day. Though she used the term creep vibe and a bunch of profanity. “That explains a lot.”

  “We can head over together. I don’t mind driving. The sooner we hear him out, the better.”

  Based on what Tamara had already told me, I knew exactly what Carl had in mind. It was only fair to fill Fynn in on the ride over. I left out the bit about my dad because despite the mind-blowing sex we’d shared and the few scenes together on camera, I didn’t know the man all that well. I normally save airing my family’s dirty laundry for at least the third date.

  * * *

  The lobby for Reality Life was filled with splashy posters of their stars. I have to admit a large part of me wanted to see my face up on that wall, smiling back to everyone who passed saying, “Look at me, I made it!” I must have been rubbernecking as we walked, because Fynn took me by the elbow and tugged me along beside him.

  “Hey, that’s you!” Okay, now I was really jealous of Fynn. “Dude, that’s not a great picture.”

  “Focus, Sophia. We’re here for a meeting, not to criticize my promo.”

  “I think it’s something you could bring up in said meeting. I’ve never actually seen you wear plaid and overalls before. Not a good look for you, dude.” Fynn increased his pace, forcing me to jog along behind him.

  The front desk was a hub of activity as people buzzed around doing God only knew what. Behind the desk sat Emily, the receptionist and person in charge of letting you in to the office. No one messed with her and no one got in who wasn’t supposed to be there. Emily wasn’t much older
than I was, but she made me feel like a kid with her cool beauty and her sharp wit.

  Fynn tensed beside me as we finally got our turn. “Hello, Emily. We’re here to see Carl.”

  She raised a single eyebrow, her gaze drifting between us before she glanced down at her computer monitor. “You’re late.”

  “Sorry about that.” Why the hell I felt like I’d been dragged in front of the principal, I hadn’t a clue. “We just found out about it from Matt and got over here as quickly as we could.” With a minor pit stop to make sure I didn’t look like I’d just given a blowjob. Best not to announce that sort of thing to one’s boss.

  Emily’s face remained impassive as she tapped out a message on her keyboard. “Please have a seat.”

  I would have said thank you, but she’d already dismissed us by shifting her glance to the next person in line. Fynn had already moved toward the overlarge padded leather chairs and fallen into the one closest to the door. The padding hugged his body, fitting his large frame perfectly. Me on the other hand, it was like sitting on a plank in the middle of the ocean. I sunk a good two inches, which put my legs at an awkward angle.

  “I hope Carl’s not long.” I ran my hands along the top of my thighs, drying the dampness off on the denim. “I mean, what is he going to say other than telling us about the event?”

  Fynn had been less than impressed with the idea of having to do the fund-raiser. I got the impression he was perfectly happy being the faceless contractor who got the job done, rather than a television star. Which was really weird, given that he would had to have agreed to do the show in the first place.

  I looked over at the image of a smiling Fynn, illuminated by a top light. The slick black frame seemed at odds with his blue-collar image. I wouldn’t have even recognized Fynn in the picture if it hadn’t been for those crystal-blue eyes looking back at me and a small smirk on his lips. He actually looked happy there. I wanted to ask him about his first show, about what it was like for him, but when I turned to face him I stopped short.

  He looked so tired now. The spark in his eyes that they’d captured on film wasn’t there now. Fynn sat with his body tense, his jaw clenched and his hands squeezing the chair.

  “Are you okay?” I reached over and placed my hand on his, but he didn’t react. “I can do this alone if you want to go.”

  “No way. We might not have picked one another as partners for this, but we’re in it together.” His fingers relaxed beneath mine. “Besides, I’m starting to like you. I wouldn’t throw you to the wolves that way.”

  We waited in silence for several more moments before Carl finally came out. “Thanks for coming over. I know how busy you guys are with the rebuild.”

  Fynn got to his feet so quickly, I wasn’t sure if he was going to make a run for the door or chase after Carl. “Sure thing.”

  Not wanting to be the one trailing behind, I picked up my pace and placed myself between the men. Better to be a buffer for Fynn, because he’d gone from mildly annoyed, to angry in a blink. I smiled up at Carl and hoped my ability to be charming wouldn’t fail me now. “I have to admit, I’m a bit curious why you wanted us here.”

  “Let’s do this in the office.”

  Carl led us down the hallway toward the end. Now, I’ve been in office buildings in the past, some really nice ones, but I’d never see one with so much glass. The walls were floor-to-ceiling windows, giving the place a fishbowl effect. The people behind the desks were in full display of anyone who walked past, with no place to hide.

  The end of the hallway led to a large conference room. I could see Brian, the director, sitting at the end of a table, tapping his pen on a stack of papers. I was surprised to see him here and not running around the site with Matt. I liked the guy—he cut me a lot of slack as a newbie and gave me lots of pointers, without letting us get too far off track. But one thing I’d learned was that Brian didn’t handle conflict well and backed down whenever things got too hard. When it came to the show, Carl was clearly the one in charge. At the moment, Brian looked more stressed than I ever remember seeing him. Not a good thing.

  Fynn and I had agreed on the way over to play dumb when it came to what we knew. We had a plan and with any luck it would help keep us on the same page. I waited for Fynn to take the seat beside mine before I leaned on the table and gave Carl my best smile.

  “I have to admit, I was really surprised you called us in. Today I was scheduled to go to a few stores to place some of the orders for the show. Matt is probably on his way for setup.”

  “About that.” Carl took the seat at the head of the table, giving him lots of room to stare at the three of us. “Sophia, I appreciate your sense of style and what you want to give back to the shelter, but we need to revisit the budget.”

  Even though I knew that was coming, my stomach still flipped. “May I ask why? So far I’ve been on track with everything I’ve done. Even the abatement didn’t push us over.”

  Carl didn’t flinch. His gaze didn’t leave mine even as he settled back deeper into his chair. “While you’ve been very good, there are always expenses that arise that eat away at the bottom line. But quite frankly, I’m concerned about the success of the show. Impact Load is a significant investment for me and I want to ensure I get my money’s worth.”

  Fynn leaned forward so that our forearms brushed. Despite the seriousness of the situation, my body still responded to that simple contact. “What do you want, Carl?”

  “A little additional commitment from my stars. Nothing major. Nothing you wouldn’t enjoy doing.”

  If that was all it was, I wouldn’t have had an issue with it. Still, I wanted to hear him out, on the off chance Tamara was wrong about his intentions. “That doesn’t sound too bad.”

  “It’s not, Sophia. I promise you’ll enjoy it. You’ll even be able to wear that black dress of yours that I’ve heard so much about.”

  A hot wave of embarrassment rolled through me. “What?”

  “I heard all about it from the fellas on the set. Apparently you have killer legs.” His wink made my skin crawl. “I look forward to seeing them in person at the fund-raiser.”

  “I don’t do parties.” Fynn leaned back, but I continued to feel his phantom caress on my skin. “You know that.”

  “It’s not a party. Well it is, but you won’t have to do much but be seen.”

  I held up my hand. “I don’t understand why we need to raise funds. We established our budget, donations, everything months ago.”

  “There was an accounting glitch. I know that’s not much of an explanation, but it’s as simple as that. There was a staffing shift during our initial phase. A line didn’t get carried over and we are suddenly short fifty thousand dollars.”

  Oh yeah. Simple as that. Poof!

  Brian cleared his throat. “Plus it would be good to start some buzz about the show. There are lots of competing shows on the schedule. If we can get additional visibility for the two of you, then that will spread the word.”

  “The more people talk, the more they’ll want to tune in.” Carl tapped his finger against his lips in a manner that looked practiced. “I had a thought. You were a resident of the shelter when you were a kid, right, Sophia?”

  Sucking in a deep breath, I did my best to relax. I’d laced my fingers together on the table, but I was squeezing them so hard they’d turned white. “Yes.”

  “That’s exactly the angle we need. How about we give you a platform where you can talk to the folks, tell them how much Trinity House meant to you and how happy you are to be able to give back to them.”

  “I—”

  “You can talk about how it helped your mom.”

  “I don’t want—”

  “You can even talk about your dad and what happened to him.”

  “No!” I hadn’t intended to shout. I certainly hadn’t planned on jumping to my feet to glare at the man who’d given me the opportunity of a lifetime. But I’d let my anger get away from me, even knowing this wa
s coming. I forced myself to take a breath before I continued in a calmer voice. “I will give a speech if I have to. I’ll talk a bit about what the shelter means to me, to others, how important it is. But I will not discuss my father. I haven’t spoken to him since I was a kid.”

  Carl didn’t brush my outburst aside, or apologize in that way of his that told you he really wasn’t sorry. He simply sat there and stared at me. After an agonizing minute, a slow smile crossed his face. “I see. Well, I’m sure we can work something out that will suit us all. I assume you have no issues, Fynn.”

  I hadn’t so much as forgotten about Fynn, but my mind was filled with thoughts of my dad, giving little room for anything else. Pushing them aside, I looked back at Fynn, surprised at the look of fury I saw there. “None.”

  “Excellent. I’ll have Emily send you the details once everything has been finalized. We’ll be able to piggyback on an event that’s been set up by the station. The investors will already be around and we’ll just need you two to work your charm. Keep your calendars free. Tamara and I have already met and she’s out drumming up a list of potential investors for us as we speak. She’ll be there to handle the deal once you and Fynn butter everyone up.”

  It was bad enough that I was getting roped in to this thing, but at least Tamara was better suited to schmoozing than me. “That’s good.”

  Carl got to his feet and buttoned his suit jacket. “Well, we better let you get back to the site. I have a few more things to discuss with Brian here, but he’ll be back with the updated schedule.”

  The air in the office felt as though it had thinned, making my lungs work twice as hard to pull in the oxygen I needed. I couldn’t speak, so I marched out of the office and down the hall as quickly as I could. The bastard had no idea what he was asking me to do. I didn’t talk about my father. In fact, as far as I was concerned, my stepdad was my father. Carl might be in charge of this show, but I wasn’t going to let him browbeat me into doing something either.

 

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