Absolute Zero

by Anlyn Hansell

  “I…what…?” she gulped audibly, forcing her body to calm down. She probably looked frozen in fright at that moment.

  “What am I doing here? Is that what you were going to ask?”

  She nodded dumbly. Apparently her vocal cords were having difficulty connecting with her brain at the moment.

  “I’m here for you,” he stated simply, causing her nerves to jump.

  “You see, I think you’ve been avoiding me, Anne,” he stated softly, holding out something toward her. It was glass of white wine. He held a small tumbler of amber liquid in his other hand, undoubtedly Scotch, she surmised before her eyes flitted to his once again.

  “Am I right?”

  Again she nodded, still unable to form words.

  “Right…right,” he seemed to be speaking to himself before taking another step toward her.

  “Here, maybe this’ll loosen you up, eh?” he smiled warmly at her, his eyes twinkling almost mischievously in the low light.

  “I was just…um…going to go to the… ah…” her head nodded toward the women’s room door.

  “Restroom?”

  She nodded quickly.

  “To hide?”

  “Yes,” she blurted before a snort of laughter escaped him.

  “Of course. Here, take it.” She finally reached out to grab the glass. She wouldn’t even attempt to drink it. She would undoubtedly spill half of it in her nervousness if she even tried.

  “So…I wanted to talk to you,” he started as he looked down on her with a grin that could only be described as intoxicating.

  “I gathered that,” she finally quipped back, glad that her mouth was at least able to function correctly.

  “So funny,” he stated absently as he stared at her. “You know I’m leaving tomorrow.”

  “Yes.”

  “Well now, do you have to look so happy about it? That’s the first real smile I’ve seen from you.”

  He was right. She turned the corners of her mouth down immediately.

  “That’s better. You look beautiful, by the way,” he stated softly as his eyes swept over her. “So, did you go along with Shay to stay out of the house tonight? Wait! Is that it?” he asked and continued before she was given an opportunity to answer. He was studying her closely in the dimly lit room. “That is it. I couldn’t figure out how on earth she convinced you to come with her. Tell me I’m wrong.”

  “You’re not wrong.”

  “I’m not that scary,” he stated in a low tone as he took a step closer to her. She immediately took one back.

  “Yes, you are,” her voice sounded almost breathless to her own ears. Hopefully he didn’t take it the wrong way.

  “I’m not sure if I should take that as a compliment or not…” he retorted as he continued to study her with his head tilted slightly to the side. They were far too alone in what she considered far too small of a space.

  “Um…I should probably get back, Shay will wonder…” she stated as she flicked her gaze beyond his shoulder.

  “Shay is preoccupied, trust me. Besides, she gets to see you whenever she wants. I, on the other hand, do not. My time is a bit limited and I really want to talk to you.”

  “Talk?”

  “Well alright, I’ll be honest, here. I want to kiss you again. I want to feel you respond to me the same way you did in my office. That’s what I want.” Another step forward.

  “That…we already talked about that. That can’t happen again,” she took an answering step back.

  “Give me a chance, love. I’ll convince you otherwise,” his eyes were boring into hers at that point. Warmth seemed to crawl up her torso, collecting in her cheeks.

  “I’d rather not,” she all but whispered before clearing her throat abruptly. “So, what time are you leaving tomorrow? You probably need to pack, hmm?” she attempted to school her voice into a louder, much more casual tone.

  He took a breath and let her change of subject register.

  “I leave at an ungodly hour out of Philadelphia. I do need to pack, but I’d rather be with you.”

  Her nerves jumped yet again and a small flutter erupted in her stomach at his blunt declaration and heated gaze.

  “Well, I’m just going to go back to the…umm, ballroom and I…wish you safe travels?” she added sheepishly. She attempted to sidestep him. This was too strange, having this conversation in front of his wife. Scratch that, the image of his wife, but it was so bizarre. He hadn’t once turned his attention toward the painting, focusing his eyes on her alone.

  “So, ah…” she started before his hand reached out and grabbed her wine glass gently before placing it and his drink on the table in front of the portrait.

  “Come with me,” he grabbed her by the wrist and gave a tug as he turned toward the hallway opposite the alcove. Voices could be heard in the long hallway leading from the ballroom. It was almost a comforting sound.

  “Wait! Where are we…?” It was all she could do to keep up with his stride in her ridiculously high heels.

  “Stop! Ian!” She whispered loudly as he continued toward the hallway which was much less lit than the previous room.

  “Ian! What are you doing?” She gasped as he rounded a corner, finally stopped and pressed her against the wall.

  “Giving you something to remember me by,” he whispered as his thigh parted her legs and both hands grasped both sides of her face gently.

  “Is it a sprained ankle?” she whispered back without thinking. She couldn’t quite make out the expression on his face, but could feel his warm breath on her lips.

  “Mouth,” he whispered before gently kissing her bottom lip. “You don’t know what you do to me…” he started before his lips fully covered hers, his tongue seeking entrance immediately as his head slanted to deepen the kiss. Her hands splayed on his chest and she attempted to give a push, which to her utter dismay was only a half-hearted attempt. She could try and convince herself later that she didn’t want this, but the truth was, in that moment, with his skillful lips moving over hers and his tongue stroking in and out of her own mouth, it was impossible to think about anything. Her breath hitched when he removed his lips from hers, trailing down to her neck, one of his hands had moved behind her head as the thumb from the other hand feathered gentle strokes on her cheek. Her hands were frozen on his chest as shivers ran down both legs. A small gasp burst from her mouth when his tongue touched a spot under her ear that caused her stomach to flip and just as quickly his mouth was back on hers, kneading and caressing her lips before the smallest sound could be heard coming from the back of his throat. It was a mix of a groan and a moan, she wasn’t quite sure, but it only intensified the pressure on her lips.

  Another gasp escaped her when the hand that was previously holding her cheek trailed down her body and cupped her breast. What felt like a stream of hot fire shot from that spot down her torso to between her legs when a quick spasm of desire erupted in her core. His thigh was firmly planted against her; delicious friction caused another gasp before the reality of the situation set in.

  “Let’s go,” he whispered against her lips as his thumb swept over her breast.

  “What?” her voice sounded absolutely breathless.

  “I’ll take you home…” he added in a low voice as his thumb continued to stroke her.

  “N…no. I…we can’t,” she attempted to push against his chest but he wasn’t cooperating in the least.

  “We can,” he whispered before flicking his tongue over the sensitive spot near her ear once again.

  “We won’t. Listen to me, Ian. Ian? Please listen,” she stated before swallowing loudly. “This is wrong on so many levels. Shall I count the ways?”

  “Go for it, Shakespeare,” he commented flippantly before his lips gently planted the smallest kisses on the side of her mouth.

  She suppressed the manic giggle that threatened to escape her mouth as her hands gave an even more forceful push against him. “That was Elizabeth Barrett Browning, by the wa
y, not Shakespeare,” she corrected him.

  A loud sigh burst from his mouth as he backed off, but only slightly.

  “Such a nerd…” he commented with a shake of his head and yet his eyes still practically burned into hers.

  “First of all, I drove here,” she started.

  “Congratulations. We’ll pick your car up in the morning,” he shot back immediately.

  “I drove Shay here.”

  “She has lots of friends,” he retorted quickly.

  “You have to get up early tomorrow.”

  “I can sleep on the plane.”

  “You’re leaving tomorrow,” she pointed out.

  “No shite, love,” he whispered out as his head began a slow descent towards hers.

  “I work for you,” she stated on a rushed breath.

  “Fine. You’re fired,” he responded with a hint of amusement.

  “Ian! I mean it. Back off. Just…let me think,” she stated more to herself than to him.

  “I don’t want you thinking. I want you moaning,” he stated before capturing her bottom lip with both of his.

  “No! One more thing,” She twisted her head to the side and gave another push to his chest.

  “What?!” he breathed out in a loud whisper, his tone portraying his annoyance.

  “Why me?”

  That seemed to still him.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Isn’t there anyone else in your employ you could fondle? Why me? Or do you do this often?” she asked quickly.

  She could feel his chest shaking slightly before he let out a quiet laugh.

  “Fondle,” he breathed out as both hands now rested on her cheeks. “No, I don’t do this often, in fact I never do this and why you?” His thumbs were gently sweeping back and forth on her skin almost hypnotically. “I told you. There’s something about you, Anne. I was drawn to you the moment I saw you.” His head was slowly descending towards hers again. She pushed on his chest.

  “This whole thing makes me extremely uncomfortable. I just…it’s just…strange. This… town, the portrait. It’s just…surreal,” she breathed out on a nervous breath.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Your wife,” she blurted out.

  That certainly worked. She could feel his body stiffen before his hands dropped.

  “My…well, that was certainly deliberate,” he finally stated, his voice turning cold immediately as he stepped back further. The hall afforded little light but she could imagine the look he was probably shooting her at the moment.

  “It’s just…down the hall. It’s…very disturbing for me, I…”

  “Anne?” he cut off her stammering and stepped back, leaving her oddly cold and suddenly shameful of her outburst before he continued.

  “The first time? I can forgive because you didn’t know. This time? This time it was calculated. You did that for a reason and now I’m not quite sure what kind of person you are, but thank you,” he stated quietly as he took another step back.

  “For what?” she asked in a small voice.

  “For opening my eyes.” He stated in an almost bland whisper.

  He turned abruptly and walked around the corner.

  “Good evening, Anne.” She clearly heard his words as her arms immediately wrapped around her midsection and her body thumped back against the wall.

  Of all the rotten things to do… He was right, that was calculated.

  And now? She would mentally kick herself for it. Maybe for the loss of his arousing kisses, but most certainly for the hurt that seemed to peek through the cold sound of his words.

  She waited as the steady rap of his footsteps faded from her ears before she reluctantly pushed from the wall. She was too stunned to chase after him and apologize.

  *****

  She attempted to smooth her hair with shaking fingers and quickly dropped her arms as the door to the women’s room opened and female voices filled the small space. Her lips looked as if they had been ravished and color rode high on her cheekbones as she looked down and turned to make a hasty exit.

  “Hello,” one of the elegantly dressed women stated as she passed by her.

  “Hi,” she breathed out as politely as possible before exiting the room. She had taken a few steps as the voices became muted then ceased completely after the door clicked shut. Her eyes wandered toward her wine glass situated next to his scotch tumbler on the table before they lifted and once again became transfixed on the image of Shelby Collins.

  “She was very beautiful,” a female voice startled her, but she knew it immediately as her eyes stayed on the blue orbs staring back at her.

  “Yes,” she agreed absently.

  Shay moved closer to Anne as her own eyes rested on the portrait. “Shelby was Ian’s wife,” she explained softly.

  Yes, I am more than aware of that, she thought with a sudden nauseating guilt.

  “When did she die?” Anne asked after a moment of uncertainty.

  “Two years ago.”

  “How?”

  “Tragically,” Shay breathed out before grasping Anne’s arm lightly. “But I don’t want to talk about that now, maybe later. Right now? I want to have fun. Come on,” she gave a slight tug and Anne’s body willingly allowed itself to be pulled from the room.

  “So, Ian…what did I say? He shows up, he leaves. Did you talk to him?” Shay asked innocently enough as they wandered down the hall, toward the ever increasing volume of music.

  Did I talk to him? Her lips were still tingling from their encounter.

  “Umm…yes?”

  “See? I think he came here for you. I think he likes you,” she added.

  Not anymore, she almost blurted.

  “We were at Connelly’s and you walked in for a carry out and I swear the man was staring at you like he’s never seen a woman before in his life. I’m serious!” she stated as she gave a slight squeeze to Anne’s arm. “If I were you, I’d go for it…”

  “He’s my boss.”

  “So?” Shay didn’t seem fazed.

  “He lives 3,000 miles away.” Anne added.

  “He’s loaded. He can buy a plane if he doesn’t already have one,” Shay responded lightly.

  “He…”

  “Oh! I love this song,” Shay increased her pace toward the ballroom as a thumping beat became louder as the neared the entrance. “I seriously need to get my groove on,” she added with a laugh causing Anne to temporarily push the events of a few minutes ago to the back of her mind.

  *****

  She turned and immediately locked and double checked the bedroom door, giving two unconscious tugs just as she did every night before wandering toward the bed.

  It was late, well after midnight, which surprised her, but then again, Shay pretty much dictated the course of the evening. Even thoughts about her last encounter with Ian had subsided somewhat until she was alone, watching Shay pull out of her driveway a few moments ago. She hadn’t mentioned Shelby and Anne didn’t press her for details on the way home, although it was practically killing her not to.

  Tragically. That’s how she described it and her death must have hit Ian hard. In fact, it was evident that the pain was still there. Pain that she deliberately called to the surface with her unfiltered mouth. It served its’ purpose, but it was cruel. Case in fact, she was lying in bed alone. If he had taken her home, there was no doubt in her mind what they would have done. The attraction between them was that strong, even on her end, she could admit that to herself.

  Did he hate her now? Should she text and apologize or just be glad she had been able to save herself from another disaster waiting to happen? Sleeping with executive management never worked well for her, she thought with an added audible snort of disgust. Of course Ian was so much different from David, she could tell, even though they had really only interacted a handful of times. Her relationship with David never progressed emotionally. It was the occasional bout of sex and not much else. Ian, on the other hand, w
as a force. He had some sort of intensity that called to her, no matter how much she tried to deny it. And when did I start calling him Ian? She thought as her eyes widened in the darkened room. She would attempt to push thoughts of him out of her mind, but resigned herself to a sleepless night of berating herself and overthinking the night’s events.

  *****

  His eyes swept a glance at the house from the rear of the town car. Of course, he could only make out the floodlight shining from the garage through the dark and the copse of trees situated in the front yard.

  What was she thinking? Could she even sleep? He certainly couldn’t. Sometime in the middle of the night he decided that anything between the two of them made no sense anyway. She probably did him a favor, if he wanted to be honest with himself.

  Of course, if that was true, why was his body coiled in a series of knots? Closing his eyes for a moment, he tried to settle back into the plush leather seat as the light escaped his peripheral vision. He reluctantly pulled his gaze forward once again. A small light shone in the distance, bobbing up and down on the opposite side of the road. The headlights from the car caught and illuminated what appeared to be reflective patches on the shoes and the shirt of a person running. The digital readout from the dash showed the time to be 4:23a.m. As they neared the figure, his pulse sped up as he recognized the body almost instantly.

  He clamped his lips in a firm line to restrain himself from telling the driver to stop. His eyes remained glued on Anne as they approached each other and his head turned to watch her from the back window as the car passed.

  Her image quickly faded when the taillights of the vehicle moved further away but in that brief moment, he saw it.

  She stopped and turned toward the car, right before she practically vanished from his view.

  Chapter Nine