by BJ Wane
Nate didn't mind taking six flights of stairs to the executive offices. It gave him time to cool his temper, something that had been a hair's breadth from exploding since he let himself out of the room at the Hampton last Saturday. The night of uncomplicated, no strings, anonymous sex had worked to keep his mind off the anniversary of Leah's death. Unfortunately, this year's encounter left him obsessed with the woman he'd spent six hours fucking. That had never happened before; he'd always been able to put a woman out of his mind once he left her bed. At first he thought it was simple curiosity given he didn't even know her first name, let alone what she looked like. He knew she was petite, small boned and slender and about a foot shorter than his six two, and she had dark hair and a soft, tentative voice.
He also knew she was too inexperienced to be one of Camille's regulars, which set off his bullshit radar big time. Her hesitant, shy responses lasted until she got the rhythm of things, then her participation and enthusiasm knew no bounds. God, that had been such a fucking turn on, he recalled as he attained the fourth floor. As much a turn on as the sound she made when he surprised her or when she climaxed. That cock jerking soft gasp ending with a small catch in her throat. That sound plagued him this past week, along with the memory of her small, soft body undulating under him and with the unknown reason why a woman like that was there. She didn't know who he was and didn't want payment for the night, so, for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what was in it for her. In this day and age of computer hook ups, it was easy as sin to get laid. It may not always be the wisest or safest choice, but neither was meeting a stranger in a hotel room.
It didn't sit well with him, this failure to forget the encounter as easily as he had every other one that came before it, but as he entered the sixth floor set of executive suites, he vowed he would one way or another.
"You're expected, Nathaniel. Go on in."
"Still here I see, Patricia." His father's secretary has been with Alliance, and the Radcliffs for as long as he could remember.
"They'd fall apart without me," she said with a smile that emphasized the lines around her eyes. "Don't suppose there's a chance I'll be working for you soon?"
"Not if I can help it," he quipped sending her a wink before opening the wide door to his father's office.
"I see your manners haven't improved. You're late, Nathaniel."
"It's good to see you again too, Father." Nate's dry response was lost on his father. It had been six months since they had seen each other, and that was as warm as it would ever be between them. "Let's get this over with. I've got things to do." Taking a seat in front of his desk, he noticed the swath of sunlight from the large picture window framing his father did nothing to soften his countenance. Then again, nothing ever did. With a head of white hair and piercing blue eyes, he looked ten years younger than the seventy-six Nate knew him to be.
"You missed a board meeting last Friday. Another one, I might add." Nathaniel eyed his son dispassionately, wondering where he had gone wrong. Raised with every privilege from the best boarding schools all the way through college, and he still shunned his obligations.
Nate glared at him across the wide, mahogany desk separating them. Unfortunately, more than furniture separated father and son emotionally. "I was at the cemetery," he answered with cold emphasis. "You remember the daughter buried there fourteen years ago?"
"Don't be rude, Nathaniel. Your sister's passing was unfortunate and a burden we must all bear. That's no excuse for this continued obstinacy from you. There is an opening for a manager in accounts receivable. That's an excellent position to start you off with."
Hearing the old man call Leah's death an unfortunate burden made him see red. Rising, he slammed his palms on the desk and glared across it into blue eyes identical to his own. "Most parents would find the death of a child a little more than unfortunate. Maybe if you hadn't made her life so miserable, she wouldn't have had to turn to drugs to deal with you."
"I didn't summon you here to discuss your sister," Nathaniel answered, the only outward sign of his displeasure the muscle ticking in his cheek from the tight clench of his jaw. "Your uncles and I want to know when you're going to take your responsibility as heir to this company seriously."
"And I've told you repeatedly, I've no intention of stepping into your shoes. I have four cousins, start grooming one of them. They're smart and more than capable of taking over."
"A woman? Not as long as any of us are still breathing," Nathaniel scorned. "Women have their uses, but running our company isn't one of them. You will do it, and soon."
"And if I don't?" he asked with deceptive softness.
Nathaniel leaned back in his chair and paused a moment before saying, "You have benefitted greatly from being a Radcliff, led a lifestyle that might not be so comfortable if I cut you off. Then what would you do?"
"I suspect I'd get a job," he answered, unfazed by the threat. Nate hadn't spent the past eighteen years doing nothing, like his father thought. He's a shrewd business man, had invested in several small companies and reaped the benefits of their nice payoffs. He could live a life of leisure off of his own amassed wealth if he had to, but they both knew Nathaniel's threat was a smokescreen. They would never disinherit the last male Radcliff. Their outdated chauvinistic attitudes would never allow for it, no matter what Nate did, or didn't do. Besides that, his parents and his uncles were all about appearances. It was bad enough their family suffered the embarrassment of having a drug addicted daughter, there was no way they'd disown their only son.
Turning on his heels, he said over his shoulder, "Tell Mother hello, would you?" before letting himself out without another word.
Nate's sour mood extended into Saturday, but Dec's call to meet him at Wes's sports complex lightened him up. A good workout was just what he needed to relieve his frustration with not only his parent but with his lingering obsession with the nameless, faceless woman he fucked last week. If the physical exertion of rock climbing followed by several laps in the indoor Olympic sized pool or a brisk gallop on his favorite horse didn't do the trick, he could always call up one of several female acquaintances who would be more than willing and eager for a night in his bed.
Like Fin, who owned a restaurant and landing strip for small aircraft and Dec, who worked for little to no pay representing the less fortunate in court, Wes was doing something worthwhile with his life and his money with his sports complex. Popular throughout the Piedmont region, the fifty-acre playground held something for everyone. Of the four of them, Nate was the only one who hadn't pursued a life far removed from his family's business. He had amassed his own wealth by dabbling in finance, the Radcliff's forte, content to sit idly by and watch his money work for him instead of making it work for others.
Swearing at the uncomfortable insight into his life, he did what any self-respecting rich guy would do and parked his Jaguar at an angle as far from the rest of the cars in the parking lot as he could get. He passed Dec's sporty BMW on his way towards the indoor climbing facility, an adjunct to the gym, where they were meeting. Saturdays were always busy, and from the number of cars in the parking lot and the lines he could see at the miniature golf course and bumper cars, today was no exception. The separate riding stables couldn't be seen from the main facilities which included the large indoor gym and pool and a smaller separate building with a cafe and arcades, but he knew the sunny, seventy-five-degree weather would bring out both the amateur and the accomplished equestrians.
Entering from the outside entrance instead of through the gym, his gaze zeroed in on the climber halfway up the floor to ceiling, wall to wall facsimile of the beginner's rock wall. A climbing rope was attached to the safety harness secured around the small woman's body. Nate saw Wes on the other end, personally acting as the belayer by controlling the tension, giving or taking as the climber ascended to the top. Walking across the gym, he stopped beside Dec, who was also eying the climber.
"What's with her?" Nate asked as the woman gro
ped for the next shaped climbing hold, her hand nudging across the rugged surface to her right until she wrapped her palm around the protrusion with a triumphant grin.
"Not sure. I just got here myself. All I know is Wes said she's a new member and not sure of what all she wants to try. Cute little thing though."
There was something familiar about the 'cute little thing' that Nate couldn't put his finger on. He could only see the side of her face, but her features didn't look familiar. Her coal black shoulder length hair struck a chord, but again, nothing definitive. Crossing his arms, he raised a cynical brow when her sneakered foot missed the next hold all together, almost making her topple off. Obviously, she was out of her depth, even on the beginner's wall. When she missed again, cynical sarcasm laced his drawled, "Why doesn't she get a clue and give it up? And what's with the glasses?" The sunglasses she wore reminded him of the diva's he sometimes dated, women who thought it looked chic to wear shades indoors while attending a function where they wanted to draw attention to themselves.
"You gotta give her credit for persistence," Dec said, ignoring his friend's sardonic point of view. Nate was always at his worst after a visit with his old man. "Ready to suit up and hit the other wall? Maybe a strenuous workout will improve your mood."
Nate was about to make another sarcastic retort when the woman completely missed the marks with both her right hand and left foot and went flying backward, dangling ten feet in the air, her laughter echoing throughout the cavernous room. But it wasn't that sound holding him immobile in stunned shock, but the one that preceded it, the same soft, startled gasp ending with a small catch in her throat that has plagued him with relentless annoyance for the past week. There was no way a petite woman with dark hair that could make that distinct sound, the one that had his cock twitching, could be any other than his anonymous fuck partner from last week.
"Way to go, pumpkin!"
Nate watched a tall, lean man in his sixties rush over to her as Wes slowly lowered her to the floor. The woman smiled up at him and accepted his arm to brace herself. Wes unbuckled her safety harness, his voice soft, he imagined reassuring her as he did the kids who came and were unsuccessful at mastering an activity.
Wanting to shock her like she had him, he walked over to the trio, his eyes taking in her attractive features, lingering on her mouth as he recalled the feel of those lips wrapped around his cock. "Wes, why don't you introduce me to your new protégé?" Other than the slight stiffening of her shoulders, she gave no sign of recognition.
Wes glanced suspiciously at his friend, wondering what he was up to. If he was thinking of pouring on the charm, hoping to entice Eve into his bed, he was going to be sorely disappointed. It would be fun to see his reaction to a woman who would be completely immune to the Radcliff looks, money and influence. Wanting to have a little fun at his expense, he grinned slyly, replying, "Sure. Eve Sawyer, this is a friend of mine, Nathaniel Radcliff III."
Sending a glare towards Wes for using his full name, he clasped her outstretched hand, her small quizzical smile drawing him closer until he bent and whispered in her ear, "My friends call me Nate." This time he felt her shock in the stiffening of her body and the sudden clamminess of her hand.
Tugging her hand out of his, she took a step back. "It's nice to meet you. Carl, I'm ready if you are."
Once again, surprise took Nate's breath away when Eve unfolded a white cane Carl put in her hand then reached out and held onto Carl's arm with her other hand. Looking in Wes's direction, she said, "Thank you, Wes. I enjoyed that very much even if I was completely inept."
"You did better than most beginners who don't have your limitations, Eve. See you next weekend?"
Her hesitation was slight before she nodded without comment. Nate watched her walk away without another word. She may not have been impressed hearing his name, but he was damned impressed, and intrigued and curious upon learning the woman whom he'd been sexually enthralled with for the past week was blind.
Chapter Three
Eve welcomed the warmth of the afternoon sun after the chill of hearing that voice again, the same low, rugged voice that sent shivers up her spine and heat pooling between her legs that she could not forget this past week. She knew from the tone of his voice when he whispered his name he knew who she was, but she didn't understand how he knew and she wasn't waiting around to find out. Now that he had discovered part of the reason she was desperate enough to seek sex in such a manner, she figured he'd be only too happy to run as far from her as possible, eager as she was to put some distance between them.
"Give us a minute, will you?"
Eve struggled to swallow back a groan of unease. They'd managed to get to the parking lot before he caught up with them and her hopes of making a clean getaway from the man she spent the better part of a night getting naked with plummeted.
"Eve?" Carl looked from her pale face to the determined glint in Nathaniel's eyes, wondering what was going on between them.
"It's all right, Carl. Give me a moment to speak with Mr. Radcliff please." Eve waited until he squeezed her arm and she heard him walk away before turning around. She didn't need to see him to feel his presence standing so close their bodies brushed. Taking a step back, she came up against the warm metal of Carl's car. "What can I do for you, Mr. Radcliff?" His reply dashed her hopes that using his last name would make him think she didn't remember him.
"I would think, Ms. Sawyer, that after spending several hours heating up the sheets together, you'd know me well enough to call me by my first name."
"Fine," she snapped, not interested in trading barbs with him. "What is it you want, Nate?"
Nate braced his hands on the top of the car behind her, caging her in. "I want to know why you were there last week."
She shifted uncomfortably, uneasy with her body's reaction to his closeness. It wouldn't do to let him know how last week's encounter plagued her all week, how she had lain awake at night reliving each touch, each orgasm, until she was pulling out her vibrator, attempting and ultimately failing to achieve the heights he had driven her to.
"I suspect," she answered, "for the same reason you were; a few hours of anonymous, uncomplicated sex."
"And how long will that night satisfy you? A week, a month, before need and desire sends you back to that room?" His perverse insistence stemmed from wanting to know if she'd spent the past week as frustrated with their anonymity and the desire for more as he had.
His brash question had her face warming. He'd probably find her pathetic if he knew she already craved a repeat performance. For the first time in five years, her desire to return to the Hampton and indulge in sex with a stranger had nothing to do with the anniversary of the devastating loss of both her high school sweetheart and her sight. "That's none of your business, or your concern. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get going."
Nate took a reluctant step back. He had no idea why he couldn't let it go, let her go; all he knew was he had never been intrigued by or drawn to a woman with such a strong pull before. Discovering her blindness answered a few questions, but raised several more; like how often did Camille set her up and how had she found the courage to attempt rock climbing blind? Never one to run from a challenge, he persisted by changing the topic.
"Why rock climbing? I'd think you'd have enough challenges to cope with without adding to them."
Eve's first reaction was to snap back again that it was none of his business, but she wasn't used to people, especially men, being so open and inquisitive with her. Most people tiptoed around her, coached their remarks and avoided any mention of her blindness. Nate's blunt curiosity bordered on rudeness, but she enjoyed the refreshing novelty of it even though she had no intention of encouraging him.
"I enjoy engaging my mind and my body with new challenges," she replied, leaving it at that. "Now, I really must go. Carl?"
"Right here pumpkin. Mr. Radcliff," Carl said, holding out his hand. "It was nice to meet you."
"Same here,
" Nate murmured as he watched them get in the car. He hoped being able to put a face and a name to his mystery woman ended this ridiculous infatuation he had developed.
"Okay, Eve, what gives?" Carl asked her as they left the sports complex. "It's not like you to be so short with people."
Eve sighed in resignation. She knew he wouldn't let up until she told him, and he knew her too well for her to think she could get away with anything but the truth. "He's my hook up from last week. I don't know how, but he recognized enough about me to guess who I was."
"Holy shit, woman. What're the odds? I've got to tell you; Camille chose a winner this time."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Eve didn't like his insinuation and her voice came out sharper than she intended. Softening her tone, she added, "It was a one-time thing, just like the others, Carl."
"Maybe, but what if he wants a repeat? Obviously you made an impression on him."
Eve longed for an exciting, active sex life just like any other woman, but knew from experience that wasn't likely to happen. "I'm not interested in impressing him or any other man, and you know it." She had a full life with her music, her students and her friends. She didn't need a man to complete her.
"Whether you're interested or not, he wouldn't have chased you down in the parking lot if he was ready to set last week aside. You should think about it if he approaches you again. Just in case you're curious, he's got blue eyes and sandy blond hair. Feel free to describe his body in vivid detail."