The Gamble

by Alice Ward

  Sorrow raged through me, but I forced it back down. I could lament and stew in my losses when I was behind bars from the SEC scandal. She hadn’t asked me about it, but I knew she had already deemed me guilty in her mind. Me not denying her soft accusations would lead her to believe I’d purchased the stock against inside-trader rules, and I had.

  I drove to the office in silence, letting my mind tear me down with one sweet memory after the next. By the time I pulled into my old parking spot, my chest ached, and I had little to no desire to defend myself of anything. I wasn’t just lusting after the beautiful blonde who’d left me needy and hard, but I was falling in love — again.

  The press met me at the door, shoving their microphones in my face, but I smiled and slipped inside. I pulled a list from my pocket and opened the door, lifting my hand as a security guard moved in to help me. Kellington Investments was still my company, and I still owned the big building we stood in the middle of. None of that had changed, though I was sure it was about to.

  “Carrington, Martin, Park, Terril and Jepson. I have you on the list. Please come this way, and hold your questions until it’s your turn.” I turned on my heel and thanked the guard before walking toward the elevator.

  The tension on the faces of the reporters when I turned to face them was almost too much. Three guys and two girls watched me as if I might sprout a second head and turn into a bird. It was disturbing, and yet society had forced these young people to rush after the next tragedy in order to be heard, to be seen.

  The elevator opened and I nodded. “Here we are. Please come this way and I’ll have you wait in a conference room. I’ll be talking to each of you individually. My partner, Jeffery Dallings, will be joining us.”

  A few started to ask questions, but I lifted my hand as I opened the conference room. “Follow the rules, or get out. It’s quite simple.” I gave a tight smile and let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. It was going to be a long morning.

  ***

  Alisa showed up at the office just as the interviews were wrapping up, and she was less than happy with me. The security guard from downstairs walked her into the office as I watched the door close on the last reporter.

  “Zek. Why didn’t you tell me that you were talking with the press this morning?” She walked toward me with a grimace on her beautiful face.

  Jeffery stiffened next to me, and I forced a warm smile onto my lips. Just seeing her left me aching in ways I hadn’t ever remembered aching.

  “Jeffery, this is my legal counsel, Alisa Beeler. Alisa, this is my partner, Jeffery Dallings.”

  She extended her hand to Jeffery. “Alisa Manning from Dellup and Brown. Nice to meet you.”

  “I forgot about your last name changing. Forgive me.” I smiled and nodded toward my office. “Do we need to talk?”

  Jeffery shook Alisa’s hand and took a few steps back. “I’m heading out. Great job today. Hopefully, all of this is behind us. We’re routing for you, Zek. Let me know what I can do to help.”

  “Thanks, buddy. I appreciate you being here today.” I turned and pressed my hand to Alisa’s back, forcing her to walk down to my office with me. I was in a full business suit and more comfortable than I had been in weeks. She was in a pretty cream-colored dress that was professional, but sexy as hell. Of course, she could have been wearing a paper sack and I would have thought as much. I was in trouble. Deep trouble.

  She walked into my office and sat her briefcase down before turning on me. “Just because we’re getting closer doesn’t mean that I’m not still to be updated when something is going on. Your masculine need to be ballsy and prove yourself today could have cost us the case if you weren’t careful.”

  I stopped in front of her and slid my hands down her arms as she glared up at me. She was so much the woman I wanted that I couldn’t help but take my time to simply watch her.

  “Stop staring at me and say something!” She pushed at my chest.

  I tightened my grip and leaned down, pressing my lips to hers and forcing her against me. She struggled for only a moment before she relaxed and snaked her arms around my neck. Her tongue pressed deep into my mouth, and I reached up and tugged on her bun as I licked and sucked at her delicious mouth.

  “You’re evil. Pure evil,” she whispered against my lips. “Stop using your sexual wiles on me.”

  “You’re the only woman I want to use them on. Did you want to talk about what happened with me and Melissa here in the office or do you want me to show you?” I licked at her mouth again and she groaned before slipping out of my arms.

  “No. I mean, fuck yes I want to, but no. I can’t.” She let out a growl and walked to the window across from my desk, turning and pressing her back to it. “Tell me everything again. I want to see the positioning. I’m too much of a nerd not to know the details. I’ll be studying everything from this case before we go to trial.”

  “When are we going?” I ignored the desire on her features and forced myself to stay aware of everything moving around me. This wasn’t just about my lust for the pretty girl who was going to steal my heart before long. It was about surviving and being able to sweep her off her feet because I was a free man. The threat of not being one now that I wanted her in my life was terrifying.

  “I’ve requested one week from today. Mills tried to settle again yesterday, seeing that we have quite a bit of evidence against his and Melissa’s character. We can’t prove that you didn’t rape the girl, necessarily, but we can show the type of people Jon and Melissa are. Jon knows that, and he understands how the jury works. We’ll win with the right presentation. I’ll be working that up over the next few days, so if you don’t hear from me—”

  “It’s alright. Do what you need to do. I’ll steal your time when we get through this.” I moved to sit down into my chair and leaned back. “I was here when she came in, and I invited her to sit, thinking nothing of her. I’d had a shitty couple of days, and had kicked Lindsay out that morning.”

  Alisa’s eyes widened a little as her shoulders stiffened.

  “Are you sure you want to hear this?” I paused and pressed my fingers to my lips, enjoying the way her nipples budded under her shirt, leaving her arousal on full display.

  “Keep going.” She nodded toward the door. “What did she say to start things down the sexual path?”

  “She sat down and we talked about her grades, her ambitions. She then mentioned something about me being lonely.” I shrugged, not quite remembering the conversation. I probably needed to as it would be dragged up in the case, no doubt. “She said she wanted to help with my loneliness and then mentioned something about me helping her get a job here. I said she could do that on her own, and she moved to her knees, reaching out and sliding her hands over my dick.”

  “Don’t say dick in court.” Alisa lifted her eyebrow at me, and I chuckled. The breathy response she gave me coupled with the slight pinking of her cheeks let me know that she was moving toward needing attention. I prayed like hell that she’d let her guard down and let me take her high into the sky. My hands, mouth and body were more than willing to beckon to her need.

  “Right. So she worked me out of my slacks, sucked me off, and then moved to the table right here.” I tapped it. “She stretched across it and told me to take her. It only seemed the right thing to do. I didn’t want to be selfish, and the woman had presented herself to me as someone who was interested. I didn’t think about having sex with her and never calling again. She was beautiful and smart. I figured something would start between us. Sex is sometimes the first step to a new relationship, at least it seems to be in my life.”

  I was playing with her emotions more than I should, but I couldn’t help myself.

  “Did you come?” She wrapped her arms around her chest and watched me with an intensity that made my blood boil.

  “No. Are they going to ask that while I’m on the stand?” A smirk tugged at my lips as I got up and walked over to her. “At the time, I hadn’t had
a good orgasm in years. I’d not really felt much for anyone I was with. I might look like a playboy asshole, but I’m not one.”

  She reached for me, surprising me a little. “I know who you are. It’s the only reason I’ve taken these cases and let you within ten feet of me.”

  “I’ve been a lot closer than ten feet.” I pressed myself against her and kissed the side of her neck. “Let’s go to the cabin and finish up this evidence gathering shit. I have so many things I want to do to you.”

  She pushed at my chest, but not hard enough to move me from in front of her. “I do need to see the cabin, but I’m not sure about staying the night. I’ve thought of nothing but you since we fucked in Austin.”

  I chuckled and touched the side of her face, softly stroking her smooth skin. “I know I promised you a fuck that night, but I couldn’t go through with it. I made love to you, and I want to do it again and again, but you’re not going to let me yet, are you?”

  She turned and kissed my palm before moving away from me. “Let’s go check out this cabin and then we’ll grab dinner on the way back. That’s all I’m promising.”

  “That’s better than nothing.” I grabbed my keys and followed her out, trying hard not to stare at her pretty ass. The image of having it gripped tightly in my hands as I plowed into her only a few nights back was sure to be the death of me.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Alisa

  I had no doubt that he could tell just how turned on I was. My heart raced inside of my chest, and I was having trouble catching my breath. I only thought that the hardest moment of my life was hearing that Zek had walked out of it all those years ago. I had no clue.

  Waking up next to him in Austin had been heart-shattering.

  His body was almost too big for mine, but it was all part of the intense attraction that I had for him. He was built like a football player, and his body alone left me twitching with need. His persona, smile and warm heart were likely to do me in. If he asked me to be his forever, I was almost assured that I would agree without considering the upcoming travesty of having to say goodbye for a while, if not forever.

  I hadn’t done a good job of protecting myself, and though I tried to lie that things would go back to normal, and we could just be friends... it was all a ruse. I wanted more than he could even fathom giving at present.

  We drove up to the cabin in silence with nothing more than some good jazz music on the radio and the occasional conversation about the weather, the press or the upcoming case. I was glad we took my car simply because it offered an extra layer of normalcy for me. I found it oddly comforting to just be with him. If I believed in fate and silly things of that nature, I would quickly attune our relationship to one that soul mates might have. He fit against me, not only physically, but emotionally and mentally as well.

  He turned and smiled at me as he pulled up to a log cabin that was tucked into the side of a mountain. “This is my baby. I hope you like her.”

  I leaned forward and strained my eyes to get a better view of the place. The sun was just starting to make its descent out of the sky, and the colors of autumn burst across the backdrop of the house.

  “Wow. This is incredible,” I mumbled and got out of the car, walking slowly to the front door.

  Zek reached for my hand and forced me to jog toward the cabin with him. Excitement showed on his handsome face and could be heard in his voice. “I love this place. It honestly holds so many good memories.” Then his face soured and he turned away from me and I knew he was thinking of the not-so-good memory of his last visit here.

  “Of other women you dated in your life or just restful vacations, or what?” I kept my voice light and moved back a little as he worked on the door. I could see him bringing every woman he’d ever dated up there. Why wouldn’t he? It was beautiful and romantic.

  “No. Good times when me and Mark would just get away from everything and come up here to fish and hunt. Come on. Let me show you around.” He opened the door and reached for me.

  The boyish smile on his face was back and left me with no recourse but to take his hand and let him lead me around the place like a prospective buyer. It was a bachelor pad of sorts with dark woods and crimson highlights in the art pieces and wall decorations.

  The living room was sunken down into the floor, and a huge flat screen TV sat at the far end of the room with couches circling it as if it was the main event.

  “The bedroom is back here. Do you want to get the narrative about Melissa over with? I’d really like to show you the porch and backyard?” He turned toward me as he bit his bottom lip.

  “Sure. I think that sounds good.” I moved behind him to the bedroom, studying the strong swell of muscles lining his back as we moved down the hall.

  “I was moody that day, and didn’t really want to bring her up, but after having sex with her in the office, I felt like I owed her a chance at a possible relationship.”

  I stifled my need to groan. He didn’t owe the little slut anything, but I kept my thoughts to myself and simply nodded. I hated talking about her, and now that he’d taken me to his bed, I wanted her purged from his thoughts completely. The trial couldn’t get there fast enough.

  “She wanted to spend time getting to know each other, and I wanted to go on a walk in the woods. I told her to take a nap and I would be back, but she showed up at the door butt naked, and I figured there was no hope for some time to myself. I followed her back to the bedroom, had sex with her, and applied a little more force than I usually would have only because she badgered me into it.” He stopped at the door, and I moved into the room.

  The wickedly delicious smell of his cologne assaulted me, and I stifled a groan. The tall glass doors at the back of the house showed the most breathtaking view of the sunset that I could have imagined. I pressed myself to the glass and jerked a little as he pressed himself to the back of me.

  “I’m sorry you’re having to hear this.” He ran his nose down my neck as he encircled me with his strong arms. “But maybe I’m over-thinking it. If you were telling me about you and another man being together, I’d be manic. Maybe you’re far more mature than I am.”

  I turned and slid my hands up his chest, shaking my head. “No. I hate it too. I just have to hear it to help think through any advantage she might use to back us into a corner.”

  He nodded and bent down, brushing his nose along mine. I closed my eyes and lifted up on my toes to press my lips to his. I promised myself that I wouldn’t be the instigator to anything else between us, and here I was, urging him to dive into a deep pool of carnality with me. I needed him so badly again.

  Every night for the last few I’d laid awake in my bed and groaned as desire ravaged my insides. After getting so turned on that I thought I might burst, I would sob from wanting him so fucking bad. Tears swept me into exhaustion and I’d finally fall asleep. I could remember the same feelings being mine years before. Zek Kellington just brought out the worst in me. He always had.

  His arms tightened as he pressed his lips to mine and nudged me open with the soft brush of his tongue. He moved back a little as I denied him entrance into my mouth.

  “Let me in. I need to taste you.” He pressed me against the chilly glass and kissed me again, this time more forcefully.

  I didn’t hesitate to open up to him this time.

  A whimper left me as his tongue brushed past mine and his firm chest molded against me. I wanted another night in his arms. Fuck... I wanted every night to be in his arms.

  “I can’t do this again.” I pulled back and hit my head on the glass.

  He flinched and reached around, rubbing the back of my head softly. “Stop running from me. I won’t hurt you.”

  “Yes, you will.” I slid out from under him. “You’re going to have me fall madly in love with you, and then you’ll either lose this securities case, or find someone much better suited for you.”

  He grabbed my wrist and pulled me back against him. “And who in the world woul
d be better suited for me than you? You know me. You believe in me.”

  “And I always will, Zek.” I turned and wrapped my hands around the back of his thick neck and rubbed softly. “I need to protect myself, and giving you access to my body isn’t doing that at all.”

  “What if we just consider it me giving you access to mine? Maybe this is all about you taking advantage of me.” He lifted his eyebrow and cupped my face with one hand. His thumb brushed over my lip, and I sucked it into my mouth, not thinking, but simply acting on instinct.

  He closed his eyes and let out a sound that drove lust deep into the center of me. Why did he have to be every naughty desire I’d had since the time my body woke up to what a man could do to it? Why did it always have to be him? And how the hell was I going to break away now that I’d tasted the depths of pleasure he could provide?

  After tugging his thumb from me, he moved to sit on the bed and reached for me. “Come here and let me hold you. We’ve been through a lot of shit. I just want to feel you against me.”

  “Zek.” I moved in between his thighs and pressed myself to him, letting my words be nothing more than an empty threat.

  “Yeah, baby?” He pressed his mouth to the top of my chest where my t-shirt dipped low. After working his tongue over my flesh, he cupped my breasts and squeezed softly, his eyes hooded, his breathing a little off.

  The outline of his erection going quite a ways down his thigh was too much to pass up. Hunger burst through me and I had no doubt that I’d lost the battle between us. I moved down onto my knees as he ran his fingers through my hair.

  Leaning forward, I forgot about everything but the need to taste him. I’d dreamt of it a million times and needed to have the memory of having him in my mouth just once. He stiffened as I pressed my teeth around his arousal and tugged at it a little.