by Paige Cooper
My mood darkened, and I pushed the treadmill up even further. I’d only wanted to work out for a quick twenty minutes to pull the extra energy out of my body, but it didn’t seem to be working. Instead, I was angrier now than I had been twenty minutes ago.
I pushed hard on the treadmill, sweat drenching the back of my shirt as I ran toward nothing.
I slowed down, trying to even out my breathing again. It was clear a workout was going to do nothing for my temper today. Thankfully, most people would clear out of the office soon, and I would be left alone to stew in my bad temper.
I thought about giving up and taking a hot shower when I noticed Nicole’s auburn hair flash through the window in front of me. I turned my head back, trying to pick her out in the small crowd of people milling across the corridor.
My eyes locked in on her. Nicole carried a box toward the front desk. Ella greeted her with a smile, and I wished for the first time in my life that I could hear what was going on at the front desk.
I slowed my run down, almost a light walk now, as I watched Nicole through the glass. Part of me felt like a stalker, but the glass walls were right in front of me, and it wasn’t different than any other time I looked out here—at least, that was what I reasoned with myself.
Nicole held tightly onto the box, and she seemed to be talking rather animatedly with Ella. I watched as a genuine smile graced her lips, and my heart skipped a beat when her face lit up with pleasure.
Here she was, having been fired not even an hour ago, and she was smiling. Abigail joined the front desk, greeting Nicole with a kiss upon the cheek.
I wished that my lips were the ones grazing her skin, instead. Something sad was said because Abigail frowned and leaned forward to hug Nicole.
I paused the treadmill, concentrating on the trio of women talking together at the front desk. I felt her eyes on me before I saw her turn her head to look.
The hair on the backs of my arms stood up, and electricity jolted through my body. I moved my gaze directly to Nicole’s face. Our eyes met through the glass, her hazel eyes flashing with recognition.
She was far away, but I thought I saw a deep red blush color her cheeks, and she took a step back from the desk.
I didn’t know why my body was attracted to Nicole, but it was clear from her flush that maybe she thought I was attractive, too. I’d already had my fun with firing her. Maybe it would help shift my annoyance if I taunted her.
I moved off the treadmill, keeping my eyes on Nicole’s the entire time. I found my way over to the weights and selected two 60-pound dumbbells. I sat in plain view where she could still see me from the front desk and positioned my body so she’d notice my muscles working as I lifted each weight, one after the other.
I put a lot of time and effort into my body, and I was proud of it. Showing off was something I liked to do, even if it was to the woman I fired.
I spared a glance at Nicole and noticed that while her eyes weren’t focused on my face anymore, she was definitely still watching my body move as I lifted and lowered the weights slowly, maintaining proper form.
My muscles stretched and pumped as I worked out with the weights. I wasn’t looking at Nicole anymore, but I could feel her eyes on me, and I imagined what it would be like to have her hands on me.
I wanted her to drop the box she was carrying and slip into the gym. I closed my eyes, my body using muscle memory to keep lifting the weights correctly. Nicole’s body came into my mind, and I imagined her being so overwhelmed by how hot I looked that she fell against me and pressed her lips against mine.
I wanted to know what she tasted like. I wanted to pull her up onto my lap in the gym and take her back into the showers and have my way with her. I stopped lifting the weights and opened up my eyes.
A bulge pushed out against my gym shorts as I pictured the water cascading down Nicole’s naked body. I looked over at her, hunger in my eyes.
Her gaze met mine for half a second before the blush crept further down her neck, and she pulled her face away. She had to come back across the corridor for something, but she kept her head down the entire time.
A satisfied smile pulled at my lips. She’d gotten a good long look at my body and knew exactly what she was missing out on. It was what she deserved, after refusing my earlier advances. I shrugged my shoulders and slipped the weights back into their place.
My body buzzed with energy, and I knew that the only way I’d work it off was with Nicole underneath me.
That’s not going to happen now that you fired her.
I bit my lip, wondering if there was any way to get Nicole to look at me again. I shook the thought away as quickly as it came. There were cases that needed my attention. I’d take care of my sexual frustration later.
I thought back to when the last time I’d had a good orgasm was and realized it had been over a month. No wonder my body felt so drawn to Nicole.
I walked out of the gym with a renewed purpose. I’d get the last bit of work done and then take some quiet time alone to relieve the sexual tension Nicole had helped me realize I was hiding.
I couldn’t believe that I had almost convinced myself there was something special about Nicole.
Chapter 5: Nicole
T ears pricked in my eyes, and I struggled to see the next few feet in front of me.
Mark Allen had made me cry on my first day. I shook my head, pausing for a moment, and shut my eyes. I wouldn’t cry here.
So, I lost a job to an asshole boss. No biggie. I’d make it work. I always came up with a plan.
The red-hot heat on my eyelids fell away as I steadied myself, and I took a deep breath. I would make it home. I would walk out of this building with my dignity intact, and I would cry when I got back to my place.
I hoisted my shoulder bag up again and stalked to the elevator. Pissed off at Mark was an understatement, but I was pissed at myself, too. Why was I attracted to somebody who treated people like that?
I wanted to like the good guy, the nice guy. Instead, my body seemed to have decided that the biggest asshole I’d ever met was worth a second glance.
The elevator was full when I got on it, but I shuffled my way to the back. The lobby was the last stop, and by then, most everyone else would filter off, and I’d be somewhat at peace.
A chime rang out into the air each time we passed a floor. Ten chimes down, I was still wondering why I’d felt like going up to Mark and kissing him when I saw him sweaty from his workout.
He’d looked good, too good. I could have died when he caught me staring through the windows—stupid glass walls.
I wanted to throttle him and pull him in for the kiss of his life all at the same time. My body buzzed every time I was near him. I’d had to keep my head down when I was handing him his coffee earlier, sure he would have been able to read my arousal on my face.
A final chime sounded through the air and I slipped off of the elevator, my mind already on the bottle of wine I wanted to curl up with. Maybe I’d splurge on some chocolate on the way home to make this miserable night a little better.
I waved goodbye to the security guard, a little grim that this was my last day in the building.
“Nicole!” a cheery voice called out from further in front of me.
David and John were standing at the entrance to the building, looking as apologetic as they could muster. I made my way over to them with a raised brow, looking at the flowers in John’s hands and the basket of goodies in David’s.
“I don’t think you guys want to be congratulating me on a job well done yet,” I sighed sadly. My tummy grumbled as I caught sight of the cotton candy grapes in the gift basket that David held out toward me. A card stood out right in front, the words “We’re Sorry” scrawled all over the front.
“Let us guess—you’re fired, right?” John asked, his eyes filled with empathy as he reached forward and placed a gentle hand on my shoulder.
I wanted to lay into them both about how horrible their brother truly wa
s, but all I could do was nod my head and droop my shoulders. Today’s emotional rollercoaster clearly wasn’t over, and I didn’t know how much emotional energy I had left in me.
“Listen, we’ve got a really nice gift basket here for you, flowers, and a fat-ass apology. Why don’t we add a drink to that? Please, let us take you out for a drink?” John’s deep voice came through my ears.
Honestly, they had me at the gift basket, but I wasn’t going to turn down a free drink. The wine in my fridge might live to see another day.
“I don’t really know what’s left to say, but I’ve got nowhere better to be.” I shrugged my shoulders as John and David gleefully maneuvered me out of the glass doors and into the busy street outside.
The roads were clogged with cars and people passed us left and right, all hurrying away like their lives depended on it.
My last office was quieter, and I often beat the frenzied rush of people on their way home. Now, I found myself right in the middle of it.
John grabbed my hand gently, guiding me between him and David as we strolled down the Manhattan street and ducked into a bar that I barely got to check out.
I felt everyone’s eyes on me as I walked into the small bar with two hot men on my arm. It was a pity they weren’t the men my body seemed attracted to. I wanted to feel the same fizzle of energy with the brothers that I felt with Mark, but with every glance and touch, there was nothing.
We took up a booth in the back of the bar, away from prying ears and ogling eyes. You can have them, ladies.
I wanted to want John, or even David. Either man would be a feather in any woman’s cap. Part of me was jealous that the other women could sit and stare at them, salivating over their chiseled chins and beautiful green eyes.
I looked over at David as he ordered a round for the table. He was commanding as he pulled his hand up, yet gentle when he spoke to the waitress. I could see her swooning under his attentive gaze, and I felt a stab of jealousy. Why couldn’t I find David that attractive?
I sighed, resigning myself to my fate. I would plead temporary insanity later, but for now, it looked like my lady parts had made up their mind. They liked assholes like Mark Allen.
“These are for you. We didn’t know what you liked, so we got a little bit of everything.” John shrugged as he pushed the flower bundle and the gift basket toward me.
The flowers were a mixture of daisies and gardenias. The gardenias let out a subtle scent that wrapped me in a warm hug. It was my favorite smell.
They looked at me expectantly as I gave the gift basket a glance. It was filled with a variety of different cheeses and crackers. Fresh fruits lined the base of the basket, and two bottles of very expensive-looking red wine lay on either side.
The apology card stood bright red in the center of it all.
The waitress arrived and set down our drinks as I opened my mouth to refuse their kind gestures. It was too much. Especially since I’d just been fired.
She placed a cosmopolitan in front of me, and I reached for it eagerly. Cocktails were ridiculously expensive nowadays, and on my budget, I was lucky to indulge in cheap wine and beer. I took a sip of the fruity mix and sighed in contentment, the words I wanted to say fading away as the alcohol relaxed my nerves.
“We figured you’d be fired. It’s typical Mark behavior,” John muttered sheepishly, looking at David and then me.
“Why did you push a secretary onto him, then?” I raised an eyebrow quizzically, taking another sip of the divine cosmo.
I made a mental note to write down the bar name on the way out. This was a place that definitely needed a second visit—if and when I could afford it.
“Because, contrary to his belief, he can’t do it all alone. He wants ultimate control over everything. That’s how he thinks he’s doing a good job. He’s a nut job. Everything always has to be done his way and on his terms.” David sighed audibly when he finished speaking, and I could tell the frustration level between the brothers was high.
I chose not to say anything yet. I didn’t really know what I could say.
“How did he fire you? I mean, what excuse did he use?” John said, a little more diplomatically.
He laid a hand over David’s shoulder, willing him to relax.
“Too many scanning and typing errors. He gave me the list from hell—a week's worth of work to do in less than eight hours. I’d put notes on to go back and correct a few things, but he fired me on the spot at 5 pm.” A tinge of sadness crept into my voice as I thought about the fact that I had gone from unemployed to employed and then back to unemployed in the space of 24 hours.
“Typical. It’s not like he could do any of that himself. Those files have needed to be updated for over a week.” David grimaced, sinking his face into his beer.
The weariness showed on the brothers’ faces for the first time. The lines around their eyes deepened as they thought about the mess their brother caused.
“Has anyone told him a secretary can conform to doing things the way he likes them done?” I asked gingerly, taking the last sip of my cosmopolitan.
I wanted another one, but I had a long way to get home, and I didn’t want to abuse their generosity. I was already wondering how I could get away with politely rejecting the gift basket but taking it home at the same time.
“Only about a thousand times. To be honest, Nicole, we headhunted for someone like you. We weren’t sure what to think when your old boss reached out to us to throw your name in the hat, but we can see you have what it takes. Mark needs someone with a backbone that will stand up to him. No one else has worked out so far, but we think you might.” John’s words touched my heart, even if I didn’t totally believe them.
“What makes you think I’ll be able to work for a man as wicked as him?” I groaned, thinking about the agony of working alongside Mark Allen every day for the foreseeable future.
David and John glanced at each other then, wide grins spread out onto their faces as I eyed them suspiciously.
The noise in the bar had died down a bit as the happy hour crowd slowly filtered out.
“Because you’re the first secretary he’s ever had who was brave enough to call him awful names in front of us.” David smiled as he spoke, the worry lines vanishing from the sides of his eyes as he looked at me.
“Please come back to work, Nicole. I know Mark is difficult, but we think you’re one of the few people truly up for the challenge.” John turned his eyes to me, too, pleading earnestly while saying nothing more.
This was unfair. What the hell were two ridiculously good-looking men doing begging me to come back to work for them? What the hell was I doing, thinking of saying no?
I shook my head, looking from one brother to the next.
“Mark fired me. I can’t come back, even if I wanted to. He doesn’t want me there. He’s made that very clear.” I heard the argument falling apart in my voice even as I began to speak.
“Except that the three of us are partners. That means an equal third share of any vote or decision that is made,” David said smugly, the look of a win clear in his eyes.
He had every bit of confidence in his abilities to provide a convincing argument. I had noticed the same spark in Mark’s eye every time he thought he had the upper hand over me.
“And I believe that David and I make up two of the three votes. We outweigh his say. Mark cannot fire you, not without one of us agreeing with him. Where I’m sitting, he’s the only oddball out,” John explained.
He was right. The facts were all there. And John and David had been the ones to hire me, not Mark.
I chewed on my lower lip, mulling what I wanted to do. As if on cue, my stomach grumbled, reminding me I’d only eaten a measly sandwich for lunch and what awaited me back home wasn’t much more glamorous.
“Don’t make us beg, please,” John whispered now, his hands splayed out on the table. He mistook my silence for a rejection.
I didn’t blame him. Working for Mark Allen wouldn’t be
a walk in the park. He was moody, sullen, and he clearly didn’t want me in his space.
He’s also hot, broody, and makes my nerves sizzle when he looks at me.
“I’ll see you at 8 am sharp, then.” I shrugged. What else did I have to lose? Dignity didn’t pay the bills.
“Why 8? We open at 9.” David raised his eyebrow, sitting forward now that he’d won the battle and I had agreed to come back.
“I have a few mishaps to fix first, and I’ll need the extra hour. Can’t have Mark Allen thinking he’s got any reason to fire me.” I smiled mischievously.
If it was backbone they wanted, it was backbone I’d give them.
I’d been pretty reserved around Mark today because he was my boss, and I wanted to give him respect. However, now that I had the green light from John and David to push back on him a little bit, he might be surprised tomorrow morning.
A part of my heart wriggled with the humiliation of returning to the same place where I’d just been fired. Never in my career had that ever happened. I was 32 now and pretty confident in my abilities. Not the same as when I was a doe-eyed 20-year-old.
Mark Allen had almost let me forget that about myself. I’d gotten lost in his broody eyes and his temperamental mouth, but starting tomorrow, it was on.
David and John had picked me for a reason. I was about to live up to that very reason.
Chapter 6: Mark
T oday was a good day. I could feel it in the spring of my step.
Everything had worked out perfectly. I’d fired another silly secretary, and I’d have my office space to myself again. I’d be able to work without any distractions.
And thanks to Nicole, I’d realized I needed a release in another form. Last night, I had taken some much-needed time for some one-on-one action, and I felt renewed. No more sexual frustration for me.
I made my way into the office, and Ella at the front desk shot me a brilliant smile. My chest puffed out and I nodded at her, smiling back.