Catching her hand, he gripped it firmly and pulled her wrist to his lips where he landed several kisses followed by a gentle nip or two making her murmur at the erotic sensations flooding through her suddenly.
“Is it time to get up already?” she asked hoping it wasn't.
“No, I just couldn't wait to see you again,” he replied seriously.
“Ah, you're a little premature one might say,” she teased.
“One might, but one would then find oneself definitely getting shagged before work,” he said with an arched brow betraying his serious expression.
“I thought that was guaranteed with your tales of shower sex, unless you're all talk.”
“I am many things, but certainly not all talk, baby, and shower sex was not on offer as such, it was a case of me making you come in the shower and then coming across your tits if you cast your mind back.” He gripped her hair in the nape of her neck and held it firmly.
“I shall remember that for future reference.” She bit down into her lower lip.
Leaning in towards her lips with his own Eve attempted to turn away making him frown at her.
“What are you doing? Playing hard to get?” he asked confused.
“No.” She started to explain as the alarm blared around them. “Jeez that's loud,” cried Eve now.
“That's kind of the point with an alarm,” he said wryly.
“I do get that.” She smiled in return. “So that shower thing, is that still on the agenda because if not I could just head home and get showered and ready for work.”
“That shower thing is the only thing on my agenda this morning.”
He moved back towards her before she leapt up and headed towards the bathroom.
The steam was billowing around the bathroom by the time Gray joined Eve and found her checking out the complimentary toiletries.
“You really didn't come prepared last night, did you?” he observed as she selected a tiny bottle of shower gel and shampoo that she placed in the shower next to Gray's own products of choice.
“I wasn't planning on an overnight stay, although I’m unsure exactly what I was planning if I’m honest.” Her admission made him smile.
“I quite like that, Eve. Feel free to hit the shower without me, I need to brush my teeth,” he told her as he loaded his toothbrush with paste and began to brush his perfect, white molars.
“I haven't even got a toothbrush.” She sighed making him laugh.
“You're welcome to share mine,” Gray offered between strokes of his toothbrush.
“Eww, that is so unhygienic,” she said with an expression of disgust that had Gray almost choke on the toothbrush in his mouth.
“Of all the things we have shared, the one thing you draw the line at is sharing a toothbrush.”
“Yes,” she replied indignantly with a shudder that confirmed her distaste for the idea of using someone else’s toothbrush.
“I can't wait to share a shower with you and to touch you and kiss you,” he started, making her frown. “What now?” he asked confused.
“I can't kiss you, not without brushing my teeth, especially as you’ve brushed yours.” She knew he wouldn't understand.
“Then use mine.” He repeated his earlier offer.
Shaking her head, she entered the shower while Gray rinsed the toothpaste from his brush before joining her. As soon as he closed the large shower enclosure behind him, he cornered Eve under the hot water spraying down over them and tilted her head up exposing her neck and throat to him. With no further preamble he began to caress her skin gently and then employed his tongue to apply pressure to her throat until she moaned and instinctively lifted one leg and wrapped it around his hip.
Grabbing her complimentary shower gel, Gray squeezed some onto his hand, spreading it across both of his hands before rubbing it onto her skin. Making deliberate, firm movements he coated her body in lather from her shoulders down to her feet where he was now kneeling as his soapy hands made their way back up her legs before settling at her open thighs.
Watching Gray smiling up at her, Eve felt weak for even being here, yet she still yielded to him by spreading her thighs. He accepted her invitation immediately and spread her lips wide open with his thumbs and found her already aroused.
“Where do you want to go for dinner tonight?” asked Gray, startling Eve.
“What? I don't know, anywhere. I'll cook for you if you want to come to mine,” she suggested.
“That may not be a good idea if we want to talk.” Gray reached behind Eve where he retrieved the hand-held shower head.
“I can cook, I won’t poison you,” said Eve smiling down at Gray who was adjusting her position.
“I'm sure you can, baby, but if I come to your house, or you to mine you know we are going to end up fucking and not talking.”
“Is that a bad thing?” asked Eve as she became aware of the shower head in Gray's hand being turned on.
“That depends on whether you are avoiding talking to me or not.”
“Are you always this into talking?” asked Eve while Gray showered the suds off her abdomen, legs and feet.
“No, but I want to know you, Evie,” he told her before turning the water that was now set to a single, powerful jet towards her sex that he had opened again.
“Oh,” moaned Eve, leaning back against the cold tiled wall behind her.
“You like that?” he asked, darker again.
“Yes, oh yes, like that,” she cried as the jet of water fired against her clitoris causing ripples in her belly as well as where it was aimed.
“Come on, baby, you know what I want,” he told her.
Eve's only response was a low moan as the shower spray was moved closer to her and she could feel that her orgasm was rushing towards her. One more flick of the spray in Gray's hand was all it took to trigger the release that was now rocking Eve off her feet, literally.
She gripped Gray's shoulders and dug her nails in as she came so hard it almost hurt her and as her toes curled her legs began to give way beneath her, but Gray was on hand to hold her, to gently lower her into his lap where he pulled her face to his and rested his forehead against hers.
“God, Eve, you are so damned sexy,” he whispered breathlessly.
Grinning up at him, she adjusted her position. “You're not half bad yourself! Your turn now.”
“What did you have in mind?” asked Gray getting to his feet and returning the shower head to its holder.
Eve said nothing but reached out towards Gray, capturing his erection that almost looked angry with its swollen head and veins coursing along it. She began to move her hand up and down slowly, then moving closer on her knees she took him into her mouth as she sat back on her heels. With one hand cupping and squeezing his balls she could feel how close he was as his balls began to tighten and twitch in her hand. With his hands fisting in her hair he began to move faster, sliding in and out of her mouth until he was almost at the point of coming.
“Oh yes, Evie, God that's good, baby, but I want to come over you,” he moaned as he held her head still and pulled himself free of her and took himself in his hand and began to fist around it.
Eve lifted herself up onto her knees to better position herself for what she knew Gray wanted, causing him to smile down at her before he groaned deeply as the first spurt of semen left him and landed across one of Eve's breasts, then a second, a third and more after those, but Eve was in awe as she watched Gray's expression and arousal because of her and the two of them together. She became aware of him pulling her to her feet and pulling them both back under the large fixed shower head the size of a dinner plate where all evidence of their activities was washed off them and swirled down the plughole as if it had never happened.
Smoothing her hair back under the water Gray reached for the shampoo and proceeded to lather her hair with firm, massaging fingers.
“You are very good at this,” she moaned as she lifted her head back to enable him to rinse the sud
s away.
“Thank you.” He laughed, making her laugh too. “I really would like to kiss you, Eve,” he told her more seriously, “And I don't give a shit about whether you've brushed your teeth or not.”
“But I kind of do, although I like you kissing me,” she acknowledged as Gray shut off the shower.
“Come on if you need to get home.” He handed her a towel.
Once dry, Eve looked around for her clothes and found Gray passing her the dress from the previous night.
“I still like this dress.” He smiled.
“I do have more than one dress, but, well, call me sentimental, it just seemed fitting.” She smiled back as she put her dress on.
“Mmm, it certainly was,” agreed Gray as he zipped her into it.
“Where are my knickers? This is becoming a habit, losing my underwear in this room with you,” she said, hunting around.
“Ah, now I actually still have the last pair and I thought I may keep these as a souvenir.” He held her black Brazilian brief aloft.
“What? I can't go home commando, again,” she protested. “And you sound like a serial killer talking about souvenirs.”
“You're going home where you have more underwear and as for me being a serial killer, it's unlikely unless you remain registered with that fucking singles club and then I may wipe them all out,” he told her becoming serious again.
“Fine! Keep the knickers and I will cancel it later, as you should.”
“Fine!” he said mimicking her. “You may need to buy lots more knickers if I keep a souvenir every time.” He grinned, looking younger and cheeky with his damp hair pushed back.
Pulling his fresh, navy suit jacket from its hanger he kissed her cheek as he passed by. “I still want to kiss you.”
“May I use your toothbrush?” she asked a surprised looking Gray. “I want you to kiss me too,” she acknowledged before heading back into the bathroom.
Chapter 7
Eve was sitting next to Sally, nervously fingering the French plait she'd put her hair into after returning home and redressing in a cobalt blue, knee length shift dress, a complete set of underwear and natural stay-up stockings as her knees were still a little red, possibly even baring a friction mark after her time on the shower floor. Unintentionally grinning she found Sally staring at her.
“What the hell is the matter with you, Eve? You've been miserable for weeks and now you're all smiley with a wistful look on your face.”
“Sorry. I'll fill you in later. I went back to The Stanford last night,” she revealed to a disbelieving looking Sally as she pushed her loose hair over her ears.
“Tell me you haven't shagged another prostitute,” she cried in a whisper.
“No, the same one actually.” Grinned Eve, enjoying the shock on her friend's face.
“What?” cried Sally in a shout more than a whisper now but before Eve could expand Sam appeared before them.
“Hi, Sally, Eve, if you'd like to follow me?” She led them down a corridor towards a different room to last time.
“This conversation is not over,” snapped Sally making Eve grin further as she followed her friend.
Entering the room, Eve could immediately see that today was real business; there were no soft furnishings, just a huge formal conference table made of thick, solid, dark wood and at least twenty contrasting seats around it. Sally's original pitch document was placed at five seats, three at the top of the table and two others at the bottom, presumably this is where it was intended for Eve and Sally to sit, very formal.
Tim got to his feet and extended a hand towards them in turn, “Sally and Evelyn,” he said as if jogging his own memory.
“Eve,” corrected Eve politely.
“Of course, sorry.” He smiled. “We're just waiting for our senior partner to join us, so if you'd like a drink or just set your things up...” he suggested.
“Wow,” whispered Sally turning towards Eve under the pretence of retrieving something from her briefcase and then said something involving the words, 'can't believe, meet, sharp and legend'.
Eve frowned her confusion, but Sally was already setting storyboards across the table.
Eve began to set out her own contributions and noticed that Sam and Tim had taken their seats on either side of the head of the table, so presumably the 'senior' partner took his seniority very seriously and was a power crazy elitist who thought he was more important than he actually was. She put her negative thoughts about him to the back of her mind and reminded herself that she was doing this for Sally, to help her friend make a success of her career and this would be a huge coup for her if they could secure the opportunity today.
It was as she was considering this that she realised this was the last thing in the world she ever imagined doing, advertising, that was Max's domain and Sally's, not hers. Hers had always been P.R. but things with Max had overtaken everything else and when she'd come to stay with Sally and then decided to settle here she hadn't been in a position to stroll into a P.R. role so had been more than grateful when Sally had offered a few hours work to subsidise her, occupy her really. And her P.R. background had helped with the pitch that had obviously interested and hopefully impressed Sharpstone.
Taking her seat next to Sally she suddenly realised that the strange noise breaking the silence in the room was her text alert. Avoiding a glare from her friend she smiled up the table to Sam and Tim,
“Sorry, I'll just silence that, but I am very sorry,” she assured them through her embarrassment.
Smiling as she saw it was a message from Gray she could have kicked herself again as she realised the other three people in the room were watching her.
“Sorry,” she repeated making Sam laugh.
“Feel free to reply if you need to, or at least read it while we're waiting for my very rude and late brother.
Unable to resist, she quickly read it as she pretended to turn it off.
Have decided that rather than souvenir collecting serial killer I'm more of a crazy stalker because I can't stop myself from contacting you even if it makes me late! Let me know what you fancy for dinner. X
Texting a quick reply she looked up at the others and lied, “Screen's frozen.”
Hey there stalker, my underwear drawer will be relieved that ur no longer collecting souvenirs! Dinner? Whatever. X
Following an immediate response, she turned her phone off with a smile.
Didn't say I wasn't collecting souvenirs! Call you later. X
As she threw her phone back in her bag Eve realised Sally had tensed next to her while Sam was grinning to the space behind her and Tim was shaking his head with an admonishing expression. Eve felt a strange sensation wash over her and realised why as a voice, the power crazy, elitist senior partner made his presence known and she recognised him immediately.
“Sorry ladies, Tim, I had to deal with an urgent matter,” he said as he passed Sally's shoulder and strode towards the top of the table, prolonging the agonising anticipation Eve felt rising until he eventually turned and took his seat.
“Right, Sam and Tim were happy with your original ideas and thoughts but now we need to look a little deeper,” he said looking down at the papers in front of him.
It felt like an eternity had passed before he lifted his head and looked down the table towards them and as he did it seemed to take even longer for her presence there to register.
“Eve? What? You're Evelyn Mariner?” He checked her name on the papers again.
“Yes,” she replied nervously.
“And is that your real name?” he asked flatly, unnerving her now.
“Of course,” she replied affronted.
He stared down the table at her darkly, angrily, confused.
“Gray, I can explain,” she started but was halted by his hand being held in the air.
“Miss Mariner, this conversation is not over,” he told her, repeating Sally's previous comment to her. “But for now I think we should allow Miss Quinn to talk us t
hrough her ideas. Miss Quinn,” he said smiling, inviting Sally to open, but with a dark look at Eve before returning his attention towards Sally.
Sally was in full flow while Eve sat staring ahead trying to avoid anyone's attention unduly, even though Sam kept flicking her glance between her brother and Eve while Tim seemed to have a grin fixed to his face.
What a fiasco this was turning into thought Eve and hoped more than anything that her relationship, if that's what it was, with Gray would not be detrimental to Sally's chances of success today. Realising her friend was laughing, Eve smiled too as the ball was passed to her.
“Eve, would you like to explain how you and Sally came to devise two ideas for campaigns based on the name of the chain?” Tim looked down the table, smiling sympathetically.
“We talked about the pros and cons of a name change or not and we seemed to make good arguments for each, so Sally put together the campaign based on a new name, any name and I did the same using the Marshall name and brand,” she explained.
“So, talk us through the thinking behind keeping the existing name. Miss Quinn's opponents seem to favour re-branding,” explained Sam.
“I think most people opted for a change based on the adverse publicity the Marshall group received with some fairly horrific stories of poor facilities, bad customer service, little acknowledgement or recompense for those affected and dire cases of unhygienic practices,” said Eve and felt a heated flush pulse through her whole body as Gray smiled and arched a brow at her unhygienic practices comment. She knew the two of them were thinking of the toothbrush conversation that morning.
“Surely, all reasons for a change of brand,” suggested Gray, studying Eve closely now.
“Possibly, but by re-branding there could be accusations of trying to cover up and not be accountable for previous wrongs. However, by standing up and being counted, saying ‘we were shit and we know we were, we got things horribly wrong and it's brought us to our knees so now we're going to get it right and make it up to you people,’ that will show some courage, some acknowledgement of previous wrongs.”
New Beginnings Page 7