"Soon-to-be stepbrother," she mumbled and leaned back in her chair, turning to face the window behind her. She was turning into a nymph. All she’d thought about the last few days was Damon—and even more so, sex with him. Did she have real feelings, or was it just lust? Just the demanding need to feel something as sweet as ecstasy?
"Hey, Bethany. How's it going?"
She turned and stood up, brushing her skirt to remove the cracker crumbs from her latest snack. She smiled at Ben and moved around her desk, crossing her arms over her chest.
"It's going. How about you?"
"Great. I'm looking forward to our event tonight. I swear we all live for Thursday nights instead of Fridays just because of getting out together. The group has started to gel. I think you're just going to be a great add to that."
"Yeah, well, Damon's been giving off the message that he and I have something going on, so not so sure about your hopes of my gelling at all."
"He told me. I think it's smart actually. Sadie and a few of the other girls have been nothing but a pain in the ass since getting here." Ben leaned against the doorframe, his belly hanging a little too far over his slacks. Bethany ignored it and focused on his face, the friendly smile giving her comfort.
"Why not just get rid of them? Wouldn't that be easier?"
"Yeah, but with the labor laws today you have to have a real reason. Who's going to believe that someone who performs at work really well and has high marks from school is sexually harassing someone like Damon? He looks like a predator, not her. Just have to deal with it really."
"That's ridiculous."
"I agree, but it is what it is."
"Is he coming tonight?" Bethany asked, lifting her thumb nail to her lips as she nibbled at it. Damon had already said no, but maybe he was bluffing. Hopefully?
"I was going to ask you the same thing."
"I don't know. We're just pretending to be together. We're not together." Bethany dropped her hand and laughed sardonically. Ben's lips lifted in a goofy grin.
"Of course not, silly. You're family. Anyway, I'm making my rounds to see how you're doing on your workload. Also wanted to remind you that it is an office get-together and, as such, we need to make sure our dress and attitudes represent McKenzie and Bryant as we're out."
She chuckled, Damon's reminder coming from her little black dress comment, no doubt.
"Sounds good. I'm an accountant. I don't own anything that would be considered inappropriate."
Ben smiled and moved from his reclined position. "Doing okay on your workload?"
"Yes, it's going great. Just wrapping up my review for this meeting that Kent and Damon want me in next week."
"The audit committee stuff?"
"Yeah, that's it."
"Yeah, so don't mention that to anyone else. It would seem unfair, and I'm the only one who understands that it's because you’re family that they have plans to move you up the totem pole pretty fast." Ben looked behind him in the hallway.
"Oh okay. Thanks for the advice."
"You bet. See you tonight, and remember: No work talk tonight. Only good times to be had by everyone."
"I'm there, and I will do my best to follow the rules." She lifted an eyebrow as Ben left, the sound of his soft laughter warming her. He was a good guy, one she needed to get to know better. He knew Damon pretty well, so if she was going to get any sort of scoop on who Damon really was or what his past relationships looked like, most likely it was going to be from Ben.
***
The last few hours of the day passed too quickly. She wrapped up her review and took the zip drive back up to Linda, Damon's secretary. She nodded toward the door and smiled toward the pretty blonde.
"Is he in there?"
"No. He left just after getting back from lunch. I assume he went to see his girlfriend, but don't tell him I said that."
"He has a girlfriend?" Bethany couldn't hide the emotion on her face.
"He has lots of girlfriends." Linda stood up and took the zip drive. "Have a great evening, and enjoy the intern party. If you have your sights set on Damon, don't bother. He's a bastard and a half when it comes to women. Best boss in the world, but his sex drive is insatiable, and he's gotten in loads of trouble thanks to it. Do yourself a favor and stay far, far away."
Bethany nodded, whispering, “I will” as she turned to go.
Chapter 15
A quick stop by the house to change into something more club-worthy, and Bethany was on her way to Masquerade. She applied more makeup than usual, her dress covering everything but hugging her curves and accentuating perfectly just how much of a woman she was. If Sadie wanted to step up against her, she was going to bring it tonight. It had nothing to do with Damon and everything to do with someone needing to put the bitch in her place. The redhead thought she had entitlement, the right to demand things and threaten various people at will, including Bethany.
"Not tonight." Bethany pulled up to the club and got out, walking into the loud sound of Pitbull's “Time of our Lives” screaming from the speakers. Ben waved his hands wildly at her, a large table over in the far corner theirs. She walked toward them, cursing herself for forgetting a mask. The theme that night was half-mast and the mask was only allowed to cover your eyes.
Bethany laughed at the large clown mask that Ben pulled from his face, a large smile on his mouth. "Hey, girl. Where is your mask?"
A few other interns turned, smiles on their faces, drinks in their hands.
"I totally forgot it. I can go get one and come back." She shrugged, keeping her eyes on the man in front of her. She hadn't gotten to know anyone that well and felt a bit on the spot all of a sudden.
"No worries." He turned and yelled at the group. "Introduce yourself to Bethany while I get her a mask."
He disappeared, and several people moved up to introduce themselves. She shook hands and smiled, worried about her dress all of a sudden. Trying to feel better about herself by dressing up seemed like a great idea until she stood in front of her peers with all of them dressed like they were going to church.
"Um, wow." Philip's voice sounded beside her. Bethany turned and sighed with relief, reaching out to touch his arm as the muscle flexed beneath her fingers. The black mask covering his eyes made him look more sensual than he had earlier that day. His blond hair and blue eyes were the perfect match for melting girls’ hearts, and when he spoke... Bethany sighed again as Ben moved up.
"Here you go, madam. Philip, have you met Bethany?"
"I have. I was just going to ask her to come dance with me." Philip moved his shoulders a little side to side like he had moves to share.
"I'm glad you're here," Bethany whispered, taking the mask from Ben and slipping it on. She wished for a moment that she had a full face mask so she could hide behind it completely.
"Looks great on you. Go have fun. The tab is open at the bar, and it's on the company, so no worries," Ben called out before turning to lift his glass in the middle of a large group. Bethany turned and slipped her arm into Philip's.
"I'm glad you're here too. I think I might have to hide the rest of the night. Sadie seems dead set on grabbing my attention and, no, just no." He laughed, and Bethany did as well, stopping by the bar and ordering a beer.
"You like beer?" Philip asked, moving to stand closer to her. The button-down shirt he'd worn that day at work looked really good with his jeans, the material soft in appearance and hugging his sleek frame.
"Yeah, you don't?" She thanked the bartender and lifted the bottle to her lips.
"I love it." He lifted his Heineken toward her, and they hit the bottles together. "Most girls drink fruity drinks and stuff."
"I'm not most girls." She smiled, and he wagged his eyebrows before moving toward the dance floor.
The music was loud and fast, fun and energetic. She took another swallow of her beer and lifted her hand to drop it on his shoulder. He draped a hand on her hip and moved with her, their distance comfortable. Something about
him helped her to relax and just enjoy herself. His eyes moved along her as they danced, the smile lifting his lips every so often, giving way to his thinking being less than professional.
He wasn't Damon, but that was a good thing. Stripping him naked and making an exhibitionist of herself on the dance floor wasn't at the front of her thoughts either, which was a relief. She had begun to worry about the depravity of her thoughts. It was nice to know it wasn't a shift in who she was but rather the undeniable heat between her and her boss. The song ended, and Philip spun her around, the two of them laughing and crashing into each other.
"I'm going to run to the restroom. I'll join you again in a minute." He leaned in and spoke loudly as Katy Perry's “Dark Horse” started. She nodded and handed him her beer to do away with, the song requiring both her arms in the air. It had been too long since she had let loose, the last time having been at her graduation party.
"What a fucking nightmare that was," she spoke out loud, the music swallowing the sound of her voice completely. The strong hands of a man sliding around her waist as he pulled her against him caused her to stop dancing for a moment. He rolled his fingers along her hips to move her again, the thick press of his strong body against hers giving way to the desire just to let him be a fantasy for a minute. It was most likely Philip, and if it wasn't, that would be even better.
Dancing with someone was the precursor to sex, their ability to move with fluidity on the dance floor leaving no question as to their talents in the bedroom. Good thing she was with her coworkers tonight and Damon was with his girlfriend, whoever the fuck that was. Anger burned through her as she reached back and let her hand slide down the back of the man's thigh, pulling him in tighter as she rocked against him.
His fingers spread out on her stomach, his other arm moving to wrap around her chest just under her breasts. She dropped her head back on his chest, knowing she was under cover of the dance floor. There were so many people around her it felt like a sea of heat she might drown in. He pressed his lips to the side of her neck, kissing his way to her ear. The soft whisper of his voice undid her, the immediate need to be his for the night fucking her hard.
"I thought I told you not to wear this dress. I think I might have to punish you for your insubordination."
Damon.
She tried to turn in his arms, but he locked her to him, pressing his face back down to her neck as he sucked on her heated skin. She groaned and rocked herself against him over and over, the smoldering heat of the bodies pressing against them doing nothing compared to the strong man behind her. He finally released her just enough for her to turn. She spun around, Damon moving back just a little before she slid down the front of his body, rolling slowly back up. From cheek to hip, every part of her brushed along his erection.
She stopped in front of him as he growled at her, the shiny white mask covering half of his face reminded her of Phantom of the Opera . He was beyond breathtaking, sin that would snuff out any goodness that might spark inside of the woman he wanted. His eyes spoke of long nights, screams and moans, pleasure beyond anything she could conceive.
"Why are you doing this?" she whispered, taking the final step to fill the gap between them. His hands rolled over her hips, sliding so painfully slow over the curve of her ass. His fingers tugged at the side of her dress, but he didn't pull it up. He leaned down, lining up their vision perfectly, the muscles in his cheeks locked down as if he were struggling to breathe.
"Because you want me to." He leaned forward, running his nose along the side of her jaw, Bethany closing her eyes in anticipation of a kiss. A loud moan left her, and Damon rolled his hips again, rubbing himself against her belly.
"I can't take much more, Damon. You have to stop."
"You sound convincing. I don't think we've even come close to pushing you toward the edge of what you truly want from me." He brushed a kiss across her lips as one hand released her. She pressed against the kiss, moving back in shock as the air became so hard to breathe.
The back of his fingers brushed across her sex, the dress a hindrance. He moved the other hand to hold her head still, his fingers softly petting her, the motion lost to the movement around them.
"Tell me you don't want to push to the edge with me. Tell me, Beth." He turned his hand and cupped her, pressing his fingertips hard against her. She yelped, rocking into him and hating herself for doing it. What was wrong with her?
Tell him to stop, and walk the fuck away.
"More," she whispered, her mind screaming to back away.
"Yeah, more, baby ... I need more of you." He tapped his fingers a few times as she panted against his mouth, the sound loud and drowning her in dark lust.
He moved his hand from her face and took her arm off his shoulder, pulling her hand down to stroke his arousal as he growled against her lips.
"More, God please, more," she whispered, a frantic throb destroying her ability to reason.
He rocked against her hand, moving his from her and holding her tightly to him as he made love to her mouth, his fingers lost in her hair as she forgot anything but him existed. The world faded fast, the music becoming her reality, the force of his tongue her lifeline. She sucked hard on his offering, moaning and panting until he broke the kiss.
"Fuck," he growled, turning and pulling her from the floor. They walked to the front of the club, Damon ripping the mask from his face. He dropped it in the trashcan beside the door and walked out into the night, breathing in deeply.
Bethany stopped beside him, pulling her hand from his. "No. I can't do this. It will change everything between us."
He turned toward her, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her in tightly as he glared down at her. "You and I ... we're going to happen. You can choose if you want me to take you the first time in the comfort of my home or sprawled out, naked and shaking across your desk. Tell me now because I will decide for you if you don't speak up. Demand something of me, Bethany. Take charge of what's about to happen to you. Show me who you are."
She let her eyes move across his face, her vision swimming from the emotions pumping through her painfully. "Get the car, and take me to your place. No lies between us. No drama from you. No complaining when I give you exactly what you want."
He whispered softly before leaving, "Fuck me ..."
"I plan to." She ran her fingers through her hair and shivered, the night just having taken a drastic turn. No more cat and mouse. Time to let him have his way.
Chapter 16
The drive to his place was filled with tension. Sexual anxiety sat like a fog in the air above her. She glanced over at him. His jaw was locked into place, his knuckles white as he rolled his grip on the steering wheel. She reached over and slid her hand along his thigh, all her focus on breathing in a pattern that didn't leave her looking as needy as she was for him. He shifted his gaze to her, his tone sharp and unyielding.
"Not yet."
She reached farther, wanting to make him burn for her the way she was burning for him. He reached down and caught her hand, lifting it to his mouth and sucking a few fingers into the wet warmth of his mouth. Bethany groaned loudly, the sound airy and desperate.
Damn him.
He put her hand back in her lap, a smirk lifting his mouth. "Behave, or I'll tie you up and make you shiver with need before I perhaps, maybe, give you what you want."
"What you need ..." she whispered, sitting back in her seat, her words challenging and low in her throat. He chuckled and let the conversation die, both of them knowing that the night would mark not only their skin but something much deeper.
Parking the car, he turned off the lights and turned to look at her in the dark. She sat as still as possible, the air suddenly so hard to breathe.
"Tell me you want this. You're gonna have to convince me to break the rules of engagement that I live by," he whispered, his tongue brushing across his lips. Bethany stifled a groan and unbuckled her seatbelt.
"I don't know your rules, but I'm tir
ed of conversation." She got out of the car and walked toward his house, the large bachelor pad sitting on the edge of a lake, beautiful like his father’s. He got out and locked the car as he walked toward her, looking like a lion on the prowl.
"Big words for a small girl." He brushed past her, unlocking the door and moving aside as she passed him.
The house was immaculate, everything in its place, the style very modern. He moved in behind her, his arms encircling her waist. One hand slid down to the bottom of dress, fingers brushing up her thighs as he dragged the material up. The other moved to a breast, his thumb flicking back and forth over her hardened nipple.
She pressed back against him, her head dropping to his shoulder as his mouth made contact with her neck. The wetness of his tongue jolted her senses, a whimper leaving her lips accompanied by his dark growl.
Strong fingers pressed against the front of her panties, her body already primed and ready for anything he might want of her.
"So wet, Beth. Someone should clean that up."
She smiled, arching her back to rub herself along his erection. His hands tightened on her, his fingers moving the material that held her captive as he stroked methodically.
"I think you owe me a confession."
"No," she whispered and pressed her hips forward, his finger dipping into her as her body screamed for more.
He pulled his hand away and released her, walking around her as she tried to catch herself. Her thighs trembled as he moved down the hall, his hands working to get his tie and shirt off. He turned as he reached the end of it and smiled at her, just before licking his fingers clean.
"Mmmm, I was hoping to have more of that, but if you aren't willing to be a good girl, I have nothing to offer you." He disappeared into what she imagined to be his bedroom. Bending over to press her hands to her knees, she focused on breathing in deeply, the room spinning slightly. What was it about him?
If she bent to him, would he lord it over her—or was that all part of his game?
Mister Big Stuff_A Single Mom Friends to Lovers Novel Page 34