by Rye Hart
That single word cleared all inappropriate thoughts from my mind and made my eyes bounce from those gorgeous pale mounds on her chest to her face. With my eyes locked on hers, I approached her desk.
“You’ve got dirt on your forehead,” she informed me casually once I was standing right in front of her.
For some reason, the comment made me chuckle and relax. If she was making jokes, things couldn’t be that bad. I sat on the couch facing her and raised a brow.
“You’ve got a bright red spot on yours,” I retorted in the same tone and smirked as her hand instantly rose to touch her forehead.
“So, tell me. What’s up?”
My voice made it clear that I wasn’t asking, I was commanding her to answer. Like a good girl, Chloe pulled herself to a sitting position and obeyed. Her immediate compliance pleased me in a way that went far beyond professional.
“Alice Bernstein,” she muttered, and I needed no further explanation.
Alice was a prominent wedding planner who was overseeing a big society wedding that would take place at Blackwater in a few months. She was also a major ball-busting, entitled, pushy bitch and the reason why my last administrator quit her job.
“What did she ask for this time?”
A heavy sigh passed through Chloe’s lush lips, and my attention was instantly drawn to them. My tongue glided across my lips in a desperate need to taste her. Frustrated by my inability to control myself around her, I ran a hand through my hair and ordered my mind to focus on her words and not her looks.
“She wants to change the date of the wedding to two weeks from now.”
“What the fuck?” I asked outraged and with wide eyes. Like most society weddings, this one had all kinds of extravagant crap planned, and though I didn’t know all the details, I knew we had already hired over a dozen companies to help with the event. The logistics of changing everything would be a shit show.
“That’s crazy. We won’t have the time to change everything.”
“That’s exactly what I told Alice,” Chloe assured me. “But she’s relentless and insisted. A lot. Apparently, the bride got herself knocked up, and they want to get hitched before she outgrows her Vera Wang.”
“And?” I asked with anxiety in my voice.
Although Chloe had proven herself extremely competent over the past two weeks, I had my doubts if she’d be able to work this clusterfuck of a situation out in a way that didn’t hurt our image. As annoying as Alice was, the ranch made a lot of money with the events we hosted and pissing off someone as influential as her, wasn’t something we could afford.
“Well, things didn’t start off great,” Chloe began in a tired and weary tone that made me lock my jaw and take deep breaths to control my temper. Clearly flustered by my reaction, she quickly continued, “At first, I told her that their request was unacceptable. She yelled, bitched and whined for two exhausting hours until I told her I would see what I could do and call her back.”
With increased worry, I raised a brow and asked, “And you didn’t come look for me…why?”
As if my question was absurd, Chloe narrowed her eyes and tilted her head. “Because you hired me to handle this stuff, Conner.”
The defiance in her tone and expression made my body come alive. My cock twitched, my hands itched, and my heart pounded. It took all my strength and concentration not to close the door and teach her what happens to sexy little smart assed girls like her.
“And, did you handle it?” I inquired with a raised a brow.
With an almost cocky grin, she said, “I’m still waiting on the confirmation from the butterfly guy and on our chef to stop whining about having to prepare an ice-cream cake in the middle of summer, but I have almost everything handled. I had to do some planning gymnastics and give some of the wedding guest more expensive rooms to be able to fit everybody and keep all the bookings we already have for that week, but it worked, and we’ll be at full capacity which is great. And, as an added bonus, I convinced Alice to pay us fifteen percent extra as a rush fee, and to handle all the rescheduling fees from the vendors.”
For a few seconds, I just stared at Chloe in complete awe and admiration. It had been a while since a woman had extracted those feelings from me while still wearing her clothes, and even longer since I felt like I had an actual partner running my business. It was refreshing, and a particular kind of sexy that added a whole new layer to the attraction I felt for Chloe.
My lengthy silence made the excitement in her face fall a bit. “I don’t see how I might have fucked things up, but if you don’t say something, I’m gonna start thinking I did.”
I brought my right hand to cover my lips so she wouldn’t see the smile there. Holding her gorgeous green eyes in mine, I said, “I was just wondering how in hell you ended up not okay and draped over the desk after dominating the day like that.”
An adorable smile formed on Chloe’s lips at my words and, unable to help myself, I added, “You’ve been here for just two weeks, and I’m already thinkin’ about how to keep you here forever.”
With a deep breath, Chloe looked at me from under her lashes and shrugged. “The desk thing was a combination of Alice-induced exhaustion, a desperate need for alcohol, and no booze in this office. As for how to keep me forever, a drink would be an excellent place to start.”
Even a blind person could see that we were flirting, which wasn’t something I did. Ever. I seduced, insinuated, and fucked, but I never flirted. The fact that I was doing it now—with Chloe Jones, nonetheless—should have been my clue to get up, go away and find the closest available pussy. One that did not belong to my best friend’s daughter.
That would have been the smart and safe choice to make. However, safe and smart had never really been my thing. I was a lot more interested in wild and fun, and after two weeks of cold showers and self-control, I was ready to let go.
I pressed my forearms over the table and leaned forward. The sweet scent of roses that emanated from her filled my lungs and made me wonder if she smelled like that all over. The mere thought made my cock pulse with desire and my lips curl in a sexy smirk.
“That can be arranged, but not here,” I told her plainly. “We’ve got strict rules about drinking on the job, after all,” I added as I watched her face fall to a disappointed frown.
“But if you still want that drink later tonight, I’ll be waiting at Rusty’s Bar with an open tab at eight.”
Before she had a chance to say anything that would bring my brain back to the head above my shoulders and make me regret this, I got up and left the office. Once again, I started to think about how incredibly fucked I was, but this time I just didn’t care.
CHAPTER FIVE — CHLOE
The twilight zone. If anyone asked for my current location, that’s what I would tell them. After all, I was stuck in the backward world where I talked to Conner Wilkes without overthinking everything, and he invited me out for drinks like a normal woman.
Deep down, I knew his invitation had to be innocent. I worked hard and did the company a service. As a good boss, he wanted to thank me. That was it. It was the only logical explanation after all. However, the horny teenager in me couldn’t help but jump up and down with joy and obsess about what to wear and how to behave.
With my mind running a million miles per hour, I parked my Jeep in the driveway of my home just as the sun was starting to set and exited the car. I was so distracted by my thoughts I almost had a heart attack when a high pitched, perfectly tuned voice sounded from the far side of my front porch.
“Sup, Bella?”
My heart beat like a freight train as I turned my face to look at the caramel skin, honey eyes and wavy hair that belonged to the only person who ever called me that. “Oh, my God! Hayden?”
“No, Tooth Fairy,” my childhood best friend replied in her usual brand of sarcasm.
Laughing, I dropped my purse on the ground and hurried to hug her. Although we had talked on and off since I moved away, it had b
een way too long since we last saw each other and I missed her like crazy.
For the next several minutes, we embraced and shrieked gibberish even we could barely understand. It was fun and familiar and filled a hole in my chest that neither Italy nor New York had ever been able to fill.
“What are you doing back here?” I asked once we calmed down and settled on the porch swing. Hayden was a backup singer for a prominent pop star and, as far as I knew, was supposed to be on tour for the next three months.
“Oh, such a warm welcome after being so far away,” she muttered.
I rolled my eyes and bumped my shoulder against hers. “You know what I mean. What happened to the tour?”
“Nothing,” she said returning my shoulder nudge. “We’re on a break for three days. Then, we have as month of nonstop shows and a week off before we leave for Asia.”
My cheeks hurt of how wide my smile was. “That’s so cool. Give me the highlights.”
“Are we still doing that?” she asked with a raised brow. Highlights were something we used to do after every summer vacation growing up.
With a serious gaze, I nodded. “Of course, it’s tradition.”
Tossing her head back, Hayden laughed. The sound was like childhood, comfort, and home.
“Okay, let me see. The last time we talked was two months ago, so . . .” she trailed off and looked up as she usually did while thinking. Then, a smile that was ten percent happy and ninety percent wicked appeared on her face. “Oh, yeah. The dressing room sex I had with one of the roadies in Prague. Oh, my God, it was incredible.” With a serious look on her face, she turned to face me and grabbed my arm. “Seriously, Bella. It was so good I actually saw God. She’s a woman, by the way.”
I couldn’t help but laugh as she went on and on with every detail about her time with the roadie. As per usual, Hayden was very graphic, and my cheeks felt like they were on fire from how hard I was blushing.
Despite being closer than close, Hayden and I had always been opposites. I was a shy nerd, and she was an outgoing slacker. I saw no point in watching the movie since the books were always better and she felt like reading was a waste of time since the movies usually have the naked bodies. When it came to sex, the rule remained the same. I was the one who never talked about sex, and she was the wild one who loved having sex and shouting her experiences from the rooftops.
“Why are your cheeks so pink?” Hayden asked with a raised brow once her story was done.
Uncomfortable, I shook my head. “Nothing and don’t change the subject. You still owe me two more amazing things.”
“I have none else to give,” she said in a matter of fact tone and with her eyes still locked on mine. “Prague guy was so amazing he’s one, two, and three on my list. Now you go. Tell me your great things and why you’re blushing.” Before I had a chance to put a word in, Hayden’s eyes widened, and she stood up. “Did you finally get that cherry popped? That’s it, isn’t it?”
Knowing I would never get her to stop asking that question until she got her answer, I took a deep breath and shook my head. “No, the cherry is still unpopped, and my great things are all work related. I’m blushing because you’re so graphic.”
She rolled her eyes and sat down beside me again. “Well, that’s disappointing. And I’m not graphic. I’m excited, and you’ll be too once you clean out the cobwebs and invite some peen into your vag.”
“Do you ever talk about anything other than sex?”
Hayden laughed. “Unfortunately, yes. Now spill the boring work highlights.”
“Considering I’m working at Blackwater Ranch as Conner Wilkes’ second in command and I’m meeting him at Rusty’s for drinks in about an hour, I wouldn’t say my work is boring,” I replied in a smug tone.
In silence, I watched as Hayden’s face turned from teasing to excited and then continued on to almost hysterical. After a lifetime of her being the only one with all the fun news, I couldn’t help but feel a little giddy.
“Details, Chloe. I need details,” she demanded after a long silence.
Chuckling at both her and my girlish enthusiasm, I told her everything that happened, not only today but also in the past two weeks. When I was done, Hayden’s eyes were wide, and her smile seemed to stretch from ear to ear.
“You have a date with Conner Wilkes?” Her voice so loud I had to look around us to make sure no one was listening.
With a shake of my head and in a much quieter tone, I replied, “No, it’s just coworkers having drinks to celebrate.”
She rolled her eyes. “Bullshit. Rusty’s is Conner’s fishing pond. He goes, waves his pole and always—always—leaves with a catch. Oh my God Bella, after so many years pining for the man he’s finally waving that pole your direction.”
As much as I didn’t want to admit, Hayden words made my insides flutter. He was my boss and my Dad’s best friend, which pretty much granted that nothing could ever happen between us. Still, he was the only man I ever wanted, and if there was any chance—however slim—that he might want something with me as well, I would take it and hold on to it with everything I had.
The only problem was this innocent little fish was swimming in uncharted territory and had no idea how to act and what to expect if hooked. Panic melted away my previous excitement, and I stared at Hayden with wide eyes and a clear cry for help.
Knowing me well and reading my expression correctly, Hayden got up from the swing and grabbed my hand. “Don’t worry, Bella. I’ve got your back, and though an hour isn’t much, it’s plenty of time to get you nice and fuckable for Conner freaking Wilkes!”
With that exciting promise and a horde of butterflies in my belly, I allowed my oldest friend to drag me toward my house and prepare me for the one thing I’ve always wanted but never thought I could have.
CHAPTER SIX — CONNER
It was a quarter past eight. I was at Rusty’s, and Chloe was nowhere in sight. Deep down, I knew I should be happy about it, relieved even, but I wasn’t.
I was annoyed as shit and itching to hop in my car and drive to her house just so I could ask her what the hell happened. But I knew I couldn’t do that. Her house was Alex’s house and showing up, unannounced and asking for his daughter wasn’t something I could do. Therefore, I just raised a hand and called the bartender.
“Third refill in twenty minutes, Conner?” Jackie, the redhead bartender, asked as she placed her elbows on the counter and pressed her tits together until they almost popped out of her white tank.
I knew she wanted me; she made that fact clear on many occasions over the years. However, Rusty’s was the one good bar in town and my preferred place to pick up women. Having a disgruntled bartender cock blocking me was a risk I never allowed myself to take, no matter how pretty she was. For that reason, I had never allowed myself to look down at her tits even though they were always right in front of my eyeballs.
However, my frustration at the whole Chloe situation made everything different today. I was tired of controlling myself - tired of not having what I wanted and tired of thinking about consequences.
“C’mon, Jackie. You know I’m a lot more fun when I’m drunk,” I said with a crooked smirk and a slight tilt of my head.
She raised a brow and pursed her lips. “Actually, I don’t. No matter what I do or how drunk I get you, you’re never fun with me.”
I stretched my hand so my index finger was grazing her hand. She opened her mouth and gasped at my touch. Seeing her reaction was empowering and almost cleared Chloe from my mind. Slowly, I slid my finger up her hand and arm until it was in line with her cleavage. Then, I moved my hand just a little, so the tip of it touched the soft curve of her breast.
“Get me another shot, and we’ll see if we can change that.”
A slow, sexy smile grazed her face as she quickly pulled away from the counter to go prepare my drink. With my eyes fixed on her ass, I straightened my back on the stool and watched as she stretched to get the bottle of my favorite whis
key from the top shelf. Though an appreciative smirk curled on my lips, my eyes drifted away from her and focused on the mirrored wall right in front of me.
There, I saw her.
Standing at the entrance of the bar, in a skintight black dress and high heels, was none other than Chloe Jones. The sight of her made me completely forget about Jackie and my third drink of the night.
Unable to contain myself, I turned around to look at her, and all the air rushed out of my lungs. That damned dress showed every line and curve of her full body, and the red pumps on her feet made her legs look like they were a million miles long. Her hair was up in a casual ponytail that put her long, sexy neck on full display. Her makeup was light but still doing a great job at defining her features. Normally, Chloe looked like an angel, but tonight, she looked like a sexy little devil.
It took her a while to find me in the middle of the crowd, but once she did, her red lips curled up into a broad smile, and she waved while walking toward me. For some inexplicable reason, that little gesture did more to the state of my cock than the two mountains jumping from Jackie’s top. Not even caring that Chloe and the rest of the bar could see me, I reached down to grab my aching balls and gave them a good squeeze.
“Sorry I’m late,” Chloe started once she was finally standing in front of me. “My friend Hayden showed up at the house, and we lost track of time.”
I looked at her from head to toe and shook my head. “Looking like that, you don’t have to apologize for anything.”
Chloe giggled at my comment, but I didn’t have much time to enjoy the sound before it was interrupted by the dull thumping of a glass hitting the wooden surface.
“Your whiskey, asshole,” Jackie grumped, forcing me to look at her. I was sure that the expression on my face wasn’t a happy one, but neither was hers. She looked from me to Chloe and asked, “Aside from better judgment, what can I get you, sweetie?”
Anger at Jackie and me bubbled inside of me, but the amused sound of Chloe’s voice asking for a glass of wine calmed me down a bit. Once she had her drink and the bartender left, I turned my eyes back to the beauty beside me.