New Beginnings

by Elle M Thomas

“Don't panic, Eve. I was offering you a companion for lunch, no more.” He laughed, making her feel foolish for her assumption.

  “Sorry,” she said cringing. “I must sound really conceited now.”

  “Nah, but you're not my type, I prefer tall, dark, handsome and male,” he revealed, grinning, immediately making her feel slightly less foolish until she responded.

  “I had no idea, you know, that you were, well you are, well you know—”

  Fortunately, Leon took pity on her and with a smile he interrupted, “Eve, the word you are so clumsily failing to find is gay. Maybe I should have worn a pink tutu or at least brought my pink, glittery marabou boa in today.”

  “Sorry.” Eve cringed again before joining in with Leon’s warm and genuine laughter.

  “No problem.”

  “Thanks, if that's everything I was going to go to lunch,” she said realising it was just after quarter past twelve now.

  “Sure, see you later, and check your emails when you get back.”

  Eve left the lift on Sharpstone's floor and nervously approached the reception desk where the same woman from last time stood to greet her.

  “If you'd sign in, Miss Mariner.” She was a little warmer than last time, making Eve suddenly wonder what Gray had said to illicit this shift.

  Handing over the visitors badge they exchanged a slightly strained, knowing smile; Eve knowing that this girl had been told to be nice to her and Connie knowing that the woman before her had the potential to make her life difficult with a single comment to Mr Sharp.

  “Would you like me to walk you through, or would you rather go alone?” asked Connie a little too sweetly.

  “I'll go down myself. Thank you,” Eve added as she left the other woman struggling to hold the smile on her face.

  Eve found Holly and Kirsty sharing a joke, but her appearance seemed to halt the laughter abruptly.

  “Miss Mariner, Mr Sharp is expecting you,” smiled Kirsty, while Holly picked up her phone, appearing to answer a call that Eve had missed coming through.

  “You are late,” came a voice from behind her making her smile as she turned to find a stern looking Gray behind her.

  “Sorry, my boss decided to talk to me just as I was preparing to leave,” she explained as Gray stepped aside for her to pass by him.

  She had barely crossed the threshold when the door slammed behind her and she was pressed against it by his body.

  “I missed you,” he said as his lips found hers and although she had been expecting lunch, she hadn't realised she was on the menu as his mouth and tongue suggested as they devoured her.

  Allowing her to come up for breath, Gray pushed the loose hair back off her face and smiled.

  “I really have missed you, Eve. Come on, let's eat.” He turned to reveal a platter of sandwiches, cakes, salad and drinks on the low table in front of the sofa. “How was your morning?” Gray sat back against the sofa, relieved that nervous, edgy Eve from that morning was no longer there and she had been replaced by relaxed Eve who was currently kicking off a pair of black court shoes that were not as high as her usual shoes and was tucking her feet beneath her.

  “Good. Leon made me feel really welcome, as did my colleague, Lou, who I’m having lunch with tomorrow,” she revealed to a disappointed looking Gray. “What?”

  “I told you, I was hoping to have you for lunch tomorrow.”

  “Well, you have me for lunch today,” she retorted.

  “You misunderstand, Miss Mariner. I was hoping that tomorrow, Tuesday, day five that I might have the pleasure of you for lunch.”

  “Ah, I see,” she replied, smiling. “I'm sure that's not professional, Mr Sharp.” She laughed.

  “I don't give a shit about professionalism, Eve, I care about you, and me, together,” he said, husky with arousal.

  “I'm free tomorrow night.” She stretched her legs out to stroke his thigh.

  “Then I suppose I will have to make do with tomorrow night.” Gray pouted, making Eve laugh as she slid along the sofa until her legs were slung across his lap, her fingers running through his hair, her lips almost close enough to touch his.

  “I will make it worth the wait, I promise.” She moved her lips closer then pulled them away again to tease him.

  Unsure quite how it happened Eve found herself sprawled on the sofa beneath Gray who was glowering over her.

  “You will tease and torment me at your peril, Evie,” he told her darkly.

  “I wasn't,” she protested, not even fooling herself with that claim. “I was trying to give you something to look forward to.”

  “I'm already looking forward to it and you were definitely teasing with your—” he started then demonstrated what he meant by mimicking her previous movements. “—teasing.” He grinned as she attempted to reach his lips with hers, her moves becoming more frantic and desperate as her need to get lip to lip contact with Gray increased.

  “I suppose you may have a point,” she agreed begrudgingly. Slightly softer, less desperate she asked, “How was your morning?”

  “Good,” replied Gray before landing a single kiss on her nose, pulling her into a sitting position. “Eat some more lunch,” he told her and then explained his morning. “We had a call from a potentially big new client.”

  “That's good,” agreed Eve as she bit into a chocolate roulade thing she was struggling to confine to her mouth, really needing it not to make its way down the front of her white blouse.

  “It is in that it's a big deal, but not so good because their people want to meet with me and Tim, tonight.”

  “Did you have plans for tonight?” she asked innocently, thinking he hadn’t made any reference to other plans. Her words only made him frown.

  “Yeah, I have this really hot girlfriend I was hoping to see, maybe dinner, a movie in bed and lots and lots of kissing,” he replied sounding slightly irked by her still, resulting in a large smile appearing on her face.

  “I'm sure she'll be able to make other plans in your absence,” she told him and with immediate effect found herself sprawled beneath him again, but she was squealing this time. “Mind my cake,” she cried, making him look down at the crumbs she still held between her fingers.

  Lowering his mouth over her fingers, he took the remaining cake from her grip, licking and sucking her finger and thumb, making her gasp at the sensation from her fingers to her sex, surprising her that her desperation was back and in full swing again so soon. Lifting his mouth, she realised that several crumbs had fallen onto her top.

  “It's gone down my bra,” she announced with a breathlessness that gave away her need for him, but it was tinged with worry, making him laugh a little. “It's not funny,” she told him.

  “No, you're right and I am very, very sorry. Let me help you,” he said flicking the buttons of her blouse open to dip his tongue between her breasts where he lapped at the crumbs nestled there.

  Incorporating his fingers in the activity he skimmed them inside, first one lacy cup and lifted her breast free of the very attractive confines before repeating the action on the second.

  “Oh, hello, boys.” He looked down at the perfect globes proudly jutting upwards. “Do you suppose I could make you come again, just by doing this?” he asked as he closed his mouth over one tasty nipple that had her arching her back off the sofa and moaning, one which grew louder as Gray's teeth briefly grazed her swollen and sensitive tip before releasing her. “Baby?” he whispered in her ear as her fingers and hands tangled in his hair desperate to pull his mouth back to her.

  “Mmm,” she replied.

  “I can't wait for tomorrow, but tonight when you're in your bed and I'm in mine I want you to remember how you feel right now, how desperate you feel, how everything burns for my touch,” he told her as he put a hand between them and gently applied pressure through her clothes to her mound making her writhe and cry out.

  “Grayson, please.” She begged far more fraught than she thought was possible from such fleeting
touches.

  “No,” he told her firmly, sitting back on his heels. “Until tomorrow night.” He grinned smugly, still looking at her breasts, naked and aroused.

  “Maybe I will lie in my bed with a pair of your pants,” she snapped, a frustrated and embarrassed red hue crossed her face as she reorganised her bra so that her breasts were back in it.

  “You don't have any of my pants, but maybe I like the idea of you coming in my pants.” He laughed. “I think I like it very much,” he added, becoming more obviously aroused. “But let me watch.” His eyes were so dark that they appeared to be almost black with desire now.

  “You are a bloody degenerate,” Eve said, slightly shocked by Gray's request but a little calmer at least.

  “You didn't say no and stop fucking swearing.” He grinned, making her laugh as she refastened her blouse.

  “No, I didn't, did I?” She worried her full lower lip with her upper teeth. “Okay, on one condition.” She blushed as she thought of her condition.

  “Name it.” Gray got to his feet and straightened Eve's collar.

  “If you watch me, I watch you, with one of the many pairs of my knickers you are accumulating—like you told me about, not wearing them.” She swallowed hard in an attempt to find some moisture in her mouth that was severely lacking.

  “I thought I was the degenerate,” he smiled, leaning in to kiss her lips, gently, fleetingly. “I get to choose what you wear.”

  “What?” asked Eve confused by his final comment, but she knew she was going to agree to whatever Gray’s ‘demands’ were.

  “While you watch me, I get to choose what you wear,” he clarified.

  “Okay, and I you,” she added for no reason other than not wanting to be outdone.

  “You have yourself a deal, Miss Mariner.” He grinned quite wolfishly.

  “You wanna shake on it?” she asked, her comment innocent despite her cheeky grin.

  “God, I love making you shake, and twitch,” he said salaciously, making her laugh loudly.

  “Do you ever stop?” She did nothing to hide the smirk she wore.

  “With you? It seems not,” he admitted seriously.

  “Oh no,” she snapped. “I've got chocolate on my blouse,” she hissed, looking down at the mark.

  “You can't see it with your jacket on,” he reassured her.

  “I wasn't planning on keeping my jacket on all day.”

  “Now you'll have to, and a good job too because you can see your bra through that blouse and your tits through the bra, so keep the jacket on,” he replied, walking her to the door now.

  Opening the door, Eve noticed that Kirsty and Holly were absent and was pleased of that when Gray pulled her back to him.

  “Have a good afternoon and I'll text you later.”

  He smiled as he dipped his head to hers and kissed her for the final time as Holly returned and coughed in embarrassment followed by Sam who simply called out, “Hi Eve.”

  Eve turned and replied in kind before Sam threw in, “Bye Eve,” as she went into her office, grinning at her brother's public display of affection leaving Gray watching Eve’s rear view until she was out of sight before moving his glance to his sister closing the door with a large, smug smile plastered on her face making him laugh and then frown at the shock of his own behaviour.

  The afternoon passed quite quickly for Eve and she left for the day carrying some details on Single No More that she was just about to flick through in the lift when she remembered that she didn't have her car with her. Not only was she minus her car, she was also minus a coat or an umbrella and it had just started to rain she realised, looking out at the water streaming down the windows of the building.

  “Bugger,” she muttered to herself, sliding the file into her large leather tote bag hoping to at least keep it dry if not herself.

  She knew where the nearest tube station to the office was, but it was a considerably greater distance at the other end of her journey. Fastening the button on her jacket she realised she had no other option so embarked on the rather unpleasant journey that was ahead of her. Stepping out onto the pavement she realised that she was going to be absolutely drenched.

  “So in future when you accept a lift to work and leave your car at home make sure you've got a bloody lift home, Evelyn,” she said and then shuddered at her own use of her full name, sending the rainwater that had accumulated in her hair running down her back.

  “Bollocks,” she called with a squeal and then spun on her heels as she heard someone calling her name.

  “Eve, do you want a lift?” Sam called from a big, silver four-wheel drive car.

  An offer that Eve was only too happy to accept and indicated this by running across to the roadside where Sam had pulled over, leaping in next to the other woman.

  “Thanks, Sam,” she said sincerely.

  “No problem. Is there a reason why you didn't drive in today?” Sam pulled out into the slow-moving traffic.

  “I came in with Gray this morning and never thought that we wouldn't leave together or that I’d at least get a lift,” explained Eve.

  “Ah. He picked you up this morning, that's sweet.” Sam was obviously digging which only served to amuse Eve.

  “No, I stayed at Gray's for the weekend and I would have gone home last night, but he asked me to stay until this morning.” Eve’s honest reply startled Sam.

  “Grayson? My brother, Grayson had you stay over for the whole weekend?” she asked wide-eyed.

  “Yes.”

  “I'm not sure what to say,” said a stunned Sam.

  “I know he doesn't do that, he told me,” explained Eve. “So, no need to say anything.”

  “Well, he doesn't. It's not a line or anything, really,” Sam assured her, really needing Eve to believe what she was saying.

  “I had no reason to disbelieve him,” Eve replied with a small smile as she wondered how many times Sam had done this with Gray’s non-girlfriends, attempted to convince them of his motives and actions.

  “Right, well, where am I going?” Sam was now in traffic that was moving a little more freely and seemed relieved that Eve wasn’t going to dispute her claims that Gray was different, with her at least.

  Eve gave Sam general directions to her home and when they were close gave her the specifics until they were parked up outside.

  “Would you like to come in, for a drink or dinner as we're both alone tonight?” asked Eve.

  “That would be lovely. Had we known we could have even made it a sleepover.” Sam giggled like a schoolgirl as she began getting out of the car excitedly.

  Joining her, Eve laughed at the other woman's giddiness.

  “This way,” called Eve and was followed up to her flat by Sam.

  “Oh, this is nice,” cried Sam as she saw the lounge and kitchen area before taking herself off to the bathroom and then disappearing into Eve's bedroom. “Wow, I love these colours, Eve. Did you have an interior designer on this place?” She sat on the chair by the window.

  “No. It's all my own work,” she replied.

  “You have an eye. I love it, really,” she said sincerely.

  “Thanks. I'm going to lose my wet clothes and then I can cook something pasta based or we can dial in food,” said Eve.

  “Pizza, do you fancy pizza?” asked Sam. “Tim's not a big pizza fan so it's a bit of a treat.”

  “Fine by me. I'll call them now,” smiled Eve, unsure whether she should have checked if Gray was okay with her inviting Sam to stay for dinner.

  Eve changed into a pair of slouchy, grey harem pants and a matching soft jersey, stretch vest that she'd bought when she took up Pilates and yoga after Max died, but despite the instructor's assurances it did not 'relax' her, in fact, some of those positions she got into did the opposite of relaxation, but at least with the fitted scoop neck and broad stretch hem she had avoided any embarrassing wardrobe malfunctions.

  “Can I get you a drink?” Eve asked, offering Sam some casual, loose fitting cl
othes.

  “Anything soft, no alcohol. I think I am still sobering up after Friday night's Martinis.” Sam laughed, unsuccessfully tugging the sleeves of the top and legs of three-quarter length leggings down.

  “Yeah, they were pretty lethal, weren't they? And I only had one,” agreed Eve with a laugh too.

  “Tim does know his stuff, though.” Sam spoke with pride for her husband’s talent.

  “Gray said he is a bit of a wine expert.”

  “Wine, food, my husband knows it all.” She smiled with love radiating from her. “Although I’m on pizza and pop as I am a business widow tonight,” she added and immediately looked uncomfortable. “Oh shit, Eve. I am so sorry. I didn't mean anything with the widow thing. I am such an idiot.” She looked desperate for a hole to swallow her up where she stood, looking down onto the street.

  “Sam it's fine, really. That's one of the reasons I don't share my marital status too freely, because people get a bit weird and panic if they say words like: dead, die, husband, widow. So please don't apologise or feel the need to walk on eggshells for me.”

  Looking back towards Eve, Sam smiled and suddenly looked down as she picked up a photo.

  “This is a lovely picture of you and Sally. Did you know she's in with us tomorrow?” Sam still held the framed photo.

  “Thanks, that was Sal's twenty-fifth birthday. She did say she was in with you this week.”

  “Who is this hunk of a man? He is gorgeous and if I wasn't happily married I would be demanding an invite to run my fingers through those curly locks. God, and those eyes! Couldn't you just drown in them,” raved Sam, making Eve smile and then dread answering her question.

  “That's Max, my husband, and yes, he was gorgeous. Running your fingers through those locks was no mean feat and you really could drown in those eyes.”

  “Oh fuck! What a stupid cow I am. I am so sorry. Please forgive me, Eve,” begged Sam who looked ready to cry.

  “Sam, it's fine, really,” she insisted as she walked over to the other woman and hugged her before replacing the photo as the intercom sounded. “When you speak to Gray be sure to tell him that the pizza delivery bloke used the intercom,” she laughed, heading to answer it.