Tell Me Something (The Something Series Book 1)

by Bondurant, Aubrey

  “Here, get dressed, and then let’s get you into bed. You’re exhausted.”

  That was an understatement, I thought, barely able to keep my eyes open. By the time he enveloped me in his arms, I was completely asleep.

  ***

  I was still getting dressed when Josh entered my set of rooms hot and sweaty, apparently having visited the gym first thing this morning.

  My mouth watered at the sight of his body on display in shorts and a T-shirt.

  “You and I have plans for today before we fly home. As soon as I get back from a breakfast meeting, be ready to go.”

  “Plans?” I questioned.

  “Yes, a surprise. So pack your things and be ready when I get back in about an hour or so.”

  I was intrigued and started packing.

  After Josh returned from breakfast, he changed quickly and we headed out. Although it was sunny, the air was crisp, and I was glad I dressed warmly.

  I had expected a car at the curb, but instead Josh turned right.

  I walked alongside him for two blocks until we came to a stop in front of a sign that read Big Red Bus Stop. Sure enough, the double-decker bus pulled up a short while later, and we boarded.

  “I was told this was the fastest way to see the sights around London,” he noted as we wound our way upstairs.

  We found ourselves alone in the open-air top since everyone else must have opted for the warmth downstairs. Taking the seat on the side, he slid in beside me and put his arm around me.

  “This is awesome.” I beamed, hardly able to keep the grin off my face.

  Laughing, he shook his head. Taking a tourist bus in London was probably never anything Josh Singer had thought he’d be doing. The fact that he was doing it for me filled me with enormous pleasure.

  I pulled out my phone, prepared to take some pictures, and held it up to us. “Do you mind just one?” I wasn’t sure how he felt about a couple selfie, but was about to find out.

  “So long as you take it off your device when we get home.” He took my phone, getting a longer arm-reach and snapped the photo of our faces together.

  “Sure thing. I’ll put it as my computer wallpaper.” I retorted, looking at the picture. It was the very first one I had of us together.

  “Very funny. All right, your adventure awaits. We can get off at any location you want, but I do have a couple of planned stops as well.”

  I was ecstatic to see everything as we proceeded into traffic, and my tour of London began.

  It turned out you could see quite a lot from the top of a double decker bus. I snapped pictures of Parliament, Big Ben, beautiful churches, the London Bridge, the Eye of London, Trafalgar Square, and Buckingham Palace. We got off at the Tower of London and were ushered to the front of the line and given a private tour of the royal jewels. It was the same story when we got to Big Ben and the Parliament building. Early in the afternoon Josh had a car meet us, and we were whisked across town to Harrods Department Store.

  “Oh, my gosh,” I remarked, stepping inside as he grinned at my enthusiasm. My hand squeezed his.

  Happily, he didn’t let go as he led me downstairs.

  The store was magical. After lunch and perusing all of the shops, I looked over and smiled. “Well, Mr. Singer, you get the prize for the best surprise ever. You have thought of everything today.”

  “I do enjoy the details. Now back to reality, unfortunately.” Once we picked up our luggage from the hotel, we set out for the airport.

  It had been a day that made it hard to remember he was my boss. Considering those moments were so few, it was difficult to want to get back to the real world.

  He must have felt the same because he put his coat in-between us and held my hand underneath it, stroking my thumb for the duration of the ride.

  I lay back in the seat, enjoying the simple intimacy.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  I felt pretty good about Josh and myself during the next few days in New York after we arrived back from London. This confident view lasted until Thursday afternoon, when I went down to the office lobby, intending to grab some lunch. It was as though it was in slow motion that I watched Josh greet a tall blonde woman with a kiss on the cheek, a gesture she returned by capturing his lips completely.

  I couldn’t look away, not even after his eyes met mine and he set her away from him.

  My face heated and I turned on my heel, moving quickly outside into the safety of numbers in the café next door. I changed my mind about taking my soup to go and instead took a solo seat in the corner. It was tempting to text Nigel and pretend I was sick, but this was my bed and I was going to have to lie in it. So much for not getting jealous. Sucking it up, I walked back to the office when my lunch hour was up.

  “Hey, Nigel, I’m back. You go ahead,” I offered, knowing he had a later lunch appointment with a friend of his.

  “All right. This arrived for you via messenger.”

  Looking at the box, I was curious. I opened it to reveal a very expensive designer pair of jeans as well as a beautiful lacy thong and matching bra, both made of the most luxurious silk.

  “Do I even want to know?” Nigel asked, raising a brow.

  I shrugged. “I don’t even know.” It dawned on me when I opened the card.

  Because every girl should have a designer pair of jeans and something underneath that makes her feel like a million bucks. I expect a call this week. —Catherine

  I tucked the card into my pocket, not wanting Nigel or Josh to see what was written. “It’s from Catherine Davenport. I met her in London, and she may want to feature my mom’s vintage dresses in her magazine.” I filled him on the rest of the details, omitting Josh’s comments and our subsequent fight.

  Nigel smiled, looking impressed. “That’s amazing. She is a force in the fashion industry. Based on today’s gift, I definitely think you should call her.”

  “I will. Enjoy your lunch.” Putting the gift under my desk, I intended to call Catherine straightaway. I’d never really had a good girl friend and was moved by such an extravagant gesture.

  “Oh, Josh requested to see you when you returned. See you in an hour.”

  Shit, he was back.

  I knocked lightly and opened the door when I heard his voice telling me to come in. “Nigel said you’d like to see me, Mr. Singer.” I was glad that I was looking exceptionally put together today in my red Ralph Lauren dress with matching shoes.

  He took his time looking me up and down. “Who was the gift from?” he inquired, leaning back in his chair and looking every bit the powerful business man.

  My pulse leapt at the sound of his voice. “Catherine.”

  His look of surprise gave me a small feeling of satisfaction.

  “I see. Are you going to tell me what she sent?” There was quiet tension in his voice.

  “Designer jeans and a lacy thong,” I answered, watching his jaw tick.

  “Did Nigel leave for lunch?” he questioned.

  I felt my mouth go dry. “Yes.”

  “Are you off your period?”

  Oh, shit, we were crossing a line not previously crossed here in the office. “Yes,” I admitted in a whisper.

  “Good, come here.” He wheeled his chair back. “I want your ass right here on my desk.”

  Swallowing hard, I watched as he crossed the room and locked the door. I stayed rooted to the spot. “What if someone comes upstairs?” We were the top floor of the building, but there were several individuals that had direct access to come up in the elevators to the space outside his office.

  He gave me an annoyed look and went to the control panel on the side of the wall, locking the elevators. “Your ass, Haylee, on that desk.” His tone had an edge to it.

  Staring at him, I moved to where he had instructed. I edged up onto his desk and twisted at the waist, watching his graceful movements.

  He shrugged out of his suit jacket and walk towards me almost like he was stalking prey.

  It was so unbelievab
ly hot.

  “Take off your panties,” he ordered.

  I shook my head, and he cocked an eyebrow, coming to stand in front of me.

  “Defiant today, Haylee?” he challenged.

  I nudged my chin up. “I just saw you lip-locked with a blonde downstairs, so you’ll have to excuse me if my panties don’t exactly want to jump right off.”

  Well, that at least earned me another tick in his jaw. “All right, evidently we are hashing this out right now,” he lamented, looking disappointed.

  I felt vast regret, and my body rebelled against the idea of talking. As he was about to step away, I locked my legs around his waist and hauled him towards me. “Hash later.”

  And just like that, his mouth was crashing down on mine. He wasn’t gentle, and I didn’t want him to be as our mutual frustration spilled out into the kiss. Suddenly I was frantic to have him inside of me.

  “God dammit, Haylee, I’m breaking the rules with you all over the place,” he confessed, grazing my neck with his teeth. His hands worked up under my dress. He sucked in his breath when he found my garters. “I’ll buy you more underwear,” he promised.

  A moment later I discovered what he meant when I felt the crotch rip. Swiftly, he was inside of me, holding my hips and driving like a man possessed. I gripped his waist and held on, feeling the pressure build when his thumb found my most sensitive spot between our bodies. It wasn’t long before I came completely undone.

  He followed with one last thrust and a groan, emptying fully deep inside of me. “Christ, Haylee.” He pulled out slowly and grabbed some tissues from the box he kept on his desk, wiping himself before doing up his pants again. “My bathroom has washcloths.”

  I slid down and found myself off balance. After walking into a surprisingly spacious bathroom, I made quick work out of cleaning up. The underwear was a lost cause. It was tempting to leave them in his trash, but I couldn’t take the chance they might be found so I took them with me.

  Josh was on the phone when I walked out. Well, this was awkward. I guess I should go?

  As if reading my mind, he held up a finger, indicating I should wait. Finishing up his call, he studied me.

  My eyes drifted to where we had just been on his desk, and I flushed.

  “Well, now, that could be a challenge.” He chuckled.

  My face split in a grin. “I will need to ensure I don’t look at that spot when I come in. I should probably get some Clorox wipes or something.”

  He shook his head. “I can still smell you right here, and I’d like to keep it that way, at least until they clean tonight.”

  He made me want to hop up there and go at him all over again. “Oh,” was all I could manage.

  “Come here,” he commanded softly.

  I walked slowly around to him and was not prepared when he dragged me down into his lap and inhaled the scent of my hair.

  “Do you trust me?”

  “I want to, and so far I haven’t had a reason not to. Are you going to tell me who the blonde is?”

  He leaned back so that we could see eye to eye. “She is a colleague’s daughter and in town for a week. I took her out last night, and today she came to meet me for lunch.”

  “I guess she decided to make you the meal,” I said sarcastically.

  “She kissed me, and I broke it off. She isn’t used to taking no for an answer.”

  “I bet.” It wasn’t fast enough for my taste, but now wasn’t the time to be petty. “And does exclusive include kissing?”

  Nodding, he claimed my lips, kissing me slowly. “When I told you that we would be sexually exclusive, I meant it, Haylee.”

  “So you didn’t want to sleep with her?”

  I realized he was trying to figure out whether to be truthful or not.

  “You can be honest,” I coaxed, meaning it.

  “You know my history when it comes to sex, Haylee.”

  I did, and it made me hot and bothered when I thought about the first time he had tied my hands up. “Yes, but now that you can, I didn’t know if you maybe wanted to make up for lost time.”

  He chuckled. “Haylee, I’m having more sex now than I’ve had in the last five years. And, yes, if you’re doing the math, that does include the last year of my marriage. So between work and keeping up with you, I think it is fair to say that I wouldn’t have the time or energy to sleep with anyone else.”

  He hadn’t really answered the question.

  “But?” I hedged.

  “But obviously part of me is curious if I’m, you know, able to. The thought of losing you isn’t worth the curiosity though, and that’s all it is. I have social obligations that dictate that I have a date and I don’t want to hash out the details each and every time. If I was interested in taking another woman to bed, I wouldn’t bother to tell you that we were exclusive.”

  It troubled me that he seemed to have all of the decision making power in this process. And I’d given it to him. If I was being honest with myself, it wasn’t the kiss that was upsetting me the most, considering he had stopped it. But it was the fact that he was choosing to spend his time with her over me. I’d sat at home last night waiting for a phone call or knock. Sighing, I recognized it was time to change that scenario. “So to clarify, you are going to date other women, so I can date others, as well?”

  He frowned. “I’m going to go out with other women from time to time, but we wouldn’t be dating, just…”

  “Going on dates?” I supplied cynically and heard his teeth grind.

  “Do you want to date other guys?” he snapped.

  I snapped back. “I want to go out to dinner and go to a show with someone instead of by myself, so I guess the answer is yes. And if what you’re saying is you have to go out from time to time and it can’t be with me, then I’m going to assume that the same goes for my plans that can’t include you.”

  “Well, I don’t want to go out, so that’s the difference.”

  “Are you going to see her again?”

  “Haylee.”

  “Don’t you Haylee me. It’s a reasonable question, considering she doesn’t like to hear no for an answer. Your words, Josh.”

  “This is exactly why I didn’t want to argue about this here and now. I need to get back to work, and Nigel is coming back any moment. I don’t need the aggravation of this here in the office especially.”

  Checking my temper, I went out to my desk, first putting my torn underwear in my purse. I then walked back in and, to his surprise, wiped the desk with my Clorox wipe.

  “If you didn’t want to do this here, then you shouldn’t have done me there.” And with that, I turned and went back to my desk.

  As I shut his door, I heard his chuckle. Asshole. I smiled in spite of my irritation. After I settled in, I called Catherine to set up lunch during the next week and thank her for the amazing gift.

  ***

  Nigel all but insisted that I join him and David for Thanksgiving. Truth be told, I was excited to finally meet David. I was also anxious to wear my new designer jeans, which made my butt look incredible, if I did say so myself. Catherine was certainly right about the silk underwear, too, as I did feel like a million bucks.

  I kind of wished Josh was in town so that I could show him how sexy I felt. I think he’d been relieved to hear that I was spending dinner with Nigel and David since he was traveling to Virginia to spend the long weekend with his mom and brother.

  The subway was easy enough to take into Brooklyn and I was instantly charmed by Nigel and David’s brownstone. David was adorable with his bow tie and big brown eyes. For a man that had lost his hair, he was rocking it like a nerdy Jason Statham. He took me for a tour, showing me all three floors and their latest remodel project in the basement. I learned that gardening was his true passion as he led me out to the back yard, leaning on me for strength, a measure for which I told him to stop apologizing.

  Nigel was an incredible cook laying out a Thanksgiving feast with a full turkey and all of t
he traditional side dishes. Listening to them talk over dinner and witnessing the affection between them, I could see how they complemented each other.

  While helping Nigel clear the table, I heard my phone ringing. I looked at the unknown number, wondering if Josh was calling me.

  “Hello.”

  “Haylee, it’s Bart Chesley. I hope I’m not interrupting your Thanksgiving evening?”

  “No. Actually, I’m about to head back to my apartment. Everything all right?” I could hear something in his voice, anxiety maybe.

  “Yes, well, unfortunately we have a model who got shingles. The shoot is tomorrow morning, down in the Bahamas. I don’t suppose you could come down?”

  I jumped on the opportunity since I had nothing else planned for the long weekend. “I’d love to.”

  He gave me all of the details, and I got booked on the first flight down there the next day.

  ***

  My morning was hectic once I arrived at the resort in the Bahamas. Bart introduced me to Gina, who was hair and makeup for the day. Soon we were off and running, taking care of all the prep work.

  The first shoot was in a bikini, and I was thankful it was a tasteful, black one. The idea was to be the girl next door down here on vacation, not a supermodel, thank goodness. I could definitely do relatable much better than filling in for a supermodel.

  Then I got a good look at my significant other for the shoot. Uh, yeah, he was not relatable, he was gorgeous. Well over six feet tall, clean cut with close-cropped dark brown hair, and already with his shirt off, which displayed impressive washboard abs.

  “Hi ya, you must be Haylee. I’m Will.”

  Oh, boy, he had an Australian accent.

  “Hi, it’s nice to meet you, Will.”

  His eyes were blue, his smile was perfect, and I was suddenly a bit more insecure about this model shoot. Guys like that belonged on billboards. Girls like me were pretty but definitely not exceptional.

  “You’re from New York, yeah?”

  “Yes, well, originally from California, but I’m in New York now. You?”

  “I’m in New York, too.”

  And with that, the staging crew was ready for us to take our places. As we got into the shoot, I realized that it was a lot easier for me to do action type activities in front of the camera rather than merely posing, as I’d done in the other shoot. In-the-moment shots were more natural. It also helped to have Will, who, as it turned out, wasn’t simply easy on the eyes but was funny and easy to feel comfortable around.