by Ellen Hutton
The next day she decided to pay a little extra, and she was able to get Mrs. Fisher to watch Ashley for the day. She didn’t want Mr. Ulrich to fire her on the first day for not being able to find a sitter.
When she walked into the office, Kari felt all the eyes of the model’s asses her outfit, and look her up and down, judging what she had on with distaste. She was just about to turn around and walk out the door, when she heard the accented voice of Stefan behind her.
“Right on time Miss Thomas. Come with me please, I will show you around.”
Kari turned back around slowly, to see Stefan as impeccably dressed as he was the day before. She still wasn’t sure if she was annoyed that he had quit her job for her, so the irritation made her notch her chin up a little higher and walk past the gaping models and follow after him.
When they were in the hallway he paused, doing his own assessment of her outfit, and the expression she wore dared him to comment on it. She thought she looked pretty good given her circumstances, despite how acutely aware she was of the fact she was now under the employ of a rich model and clothing line entrepreneur.
“Good morning Miss Thomas.” He murmured down at her after a moment.
“Good morning. Please call me Kari.” She blurted. She hadn’t meant to sound so assertive, but the order had been direct, and she looked away, suddenly upset that she couldn’t seem to control her temper. He chuckled, apparently amused by it, and she let out a sigh of relief.
“Well, Kari, you may call me Stefan if you wish. And I must say, you look lovely.” He said. Her eyes shot to his and she wondered if he was mocking her again, but she couldn’t tell.
“Thanks.” She grunted. He seemed to find this quite funny as well. “What is so funny?” She asked a moment later.
“You, I find you amusing. You are, refreshing. Not the kind of woman I am used to working with.” He finally confessed.
She was about to quip, why because I have a brain? When he continued,
“Now, I trust your filing skills are up to par, what with the remarkable display of filing my courier slip yesterday. How are you at trying your hand at making coffee?” He asked.
Kari began to catch on. This was Stefan’s way of interacting with people. “I can make coffee.” She said softly.
“Good, here is the kitchen, perhaps you could make us each a cup and bring it to my office. It’s the last door of the hallway. We can discuss your new hire paperwork and set you to tasks shall we?”
Kari nodded and he left her standing in the doorway of the kitchen. She turned and was about to call to his back when he said,
“Cream, two sugars please.”
Chapter 4
Carrie made the coffee in the single cup maker and fixed it to his liking. She then fixed her own and carried them down the hallway to his office. She hesitated, looking for a place to set one of the hot mugs down so she could knock, when a woman opened the door and came out, almost knocking her over. She was sobbing hysterically, and Kari watched her retreating back, wondering if she should go after her and console her. It must be her motherly instincts to do so, but then Stefan called,
“Do come in and shut the door Kari.”
She entered and closed the door with her hip and handed him his cup of coffee once she had crossed the room. He gestured to a seat across the desk he was sitting at. It was an opulent office with chic photos of models wearing his clothing line. Kari stared at the posters, waiting for him to say something. But he continued to stare at her. Finally, she couldn’t stand the silence anymore,
“So, you wanted to talk about paperwork?” She asked.
“Yes.” He pushed a folder toward her and she opened it. She gasped at the figure he had marked down that would be her salary. She felt a little light headed at the generosity of the figure and when she looked up, she fumbled around in her head for what to say.
“Thank you, Stefan. This is very generous. Why did you tell the courier service that I did well in my interview? We didn’t have an interview.” She blurted. Why couldn’t she control her mouth.
“Because, technically we did interview one another. I told you yesterday you have fine cheekbones.” Kari blinked at him.
“That’s the stupidest reason I have ever heard of for hiring someone.” She blurted again. She was surprised when he threw his head back and laughed. It was a pleasant sound, deep and rich. She found she quite enjoyed it.
“Ah, Kari, I do thing we will get along smashingly. You continue to grace me with your blunt honesty that I find so amusing, and I will continue to be inspired to make beautiful clothing.” He picked his coffee up, sipping it, still grinning.
Kari found the next few weeks to be quite easy. Stefan was a difficult employer to work for if you were a model. He had very strict and rigid rules for his models and surprisingly, encouraging the stereotypes of eating disorders and such, were not among them. Kari watched as several models were hired and fired when he caught them with either drug paraphernalia or partaking in other questionable habits that could harm the reputation of his firm. He was the antithesis to what she had originally assumed he would be. She had originally dubbed his demeanor as cocky and arrogant. She soon found he was just very confident in what he did, and he commanded a lot of respect for the integrity of the work.
Kari was surprised when she had the realization that, he never left with any of the woman who draped themselves across his arm while they were in the office. A lot of them tried to plaster themselves on him if it was a swimsuit shoot, or lingerie, and she found he grew most irritated with those women quickly. She had made it a habit to step in on his behalf when she noticed them and would say things like, “Makeup is looking for you Darlene” or “Your hair needs a touch up Stella.”
She found that she would receive a bemused expression from Stefan for this, but he never commented on it.
Kari was working on the scheduling books late one night, when she jumped because Stefan walked up behind her to look over her shoulder. She hadn’t realized he was still there.
“Stefan, what are you still doing here? You startled me!” She griped. He then did something he had never done before. He tousled her hair, giving her that bedhead look the models were constantly trying to achieve. “Hey!” She giggled. “I’m not one of your primping girls.”
He laughed at this and then skirted the desk, opting to sit on the couch she had first laid Ashley on. Within a couple of paychecks, she had been able to afford to put her in daycare, and she had found a nice one that was reputable. Ashley had been thriving there with the socializing of children who were her age, and Kari found it nice to come home at night to a well-rested toddler who was happy.
Stefan pulled her from her reverie when he asked, “So, what’s your story Miss Thomas? Who’s the woman behind the mask of sarcasm and snark?”
The question caught Kari off guard, but she wasn’t sure how to answer it. “I don’t know what you mean.” She finally said. He smirked at her and crossed his leg over his knee, studying her.
“I want to know about you. Where you come from. What you like. What do you enjoy doing when you leave the office? You intrigue me Kari.” She had never had a man admit so openly and confidently that she was intriguing. Most men were intimidated by her bluntness and her ex had used it to belittle her.
“I don’t know. I guess I’m average.” She told him. “I like simple things like books, t.v. just…hanging out. The boring stuff, really. Nothing glamorous like the women who we see here.” She nodded to the posters around the office.
Stefan chuckled. “If I could use a word to describe you, it would never be boring Kari.”
Kari’s breath caught in her throat. She couldn’t deny she had been fantasizing about Stefan since she had started working here. She hadn’t bothered to date much after Ashley’s dad left. Most men found out she was a single mother and they immediately headed for the hills, because who wanted a woman with baggage right? Kari hadn’t told S
tefan about Ashley. It wasn’t that she thought she stood a chance compared to the women here, but she didn’t think she could stand the thought of Stefan looking at her with the look she always got when people found out she was a single parent. If she had to work for him day after day, knowing he thought she was less somehow because of it, she wouldn’t be able to work here and she had grown accustomed to how well-off she was now.
Stefan got up from the couch and moved around the desk. Kari watched him with apprehension, wondering what he was intending, when he leaned over, placing his palms on either side of her head on the chair, effectively trapping her in and saying, “If I had to describe you, I would say maddening.” His lips were inches from hers and she licked her lips, not really sure this was happening.
“Why?” She finally stammered.
“Because, ever since you started working here, I haven’t been able to think of another woman except you.” And with that, he lowered his lips to hers, capturing her in a kiss.
Chapter 5
Kari moaned into his lips as they brushed over hers. It had been so long since she had been kissed by a man, but somehow, the heat of his tongue on hers felt like fire. The kiss burned and made her burn for him. Her hands went to his smooth, silk shirt, and she splayed her palms over his chest, and then gripped the material drawing him closer.
She wasn’t standing on ceremony or pretense. He had kissed her, indicating what he wanted, and she was the kind of woman who was going to accept the offer of what he wanted, because she wanted it too.
“Stefan.” She moaned into his mouth as his hands wrapped around her bottom and he lifted her from the chair. He carried her back around the desk and turned around, so when he sat down, she was sitting astride him in her skirt and blouse. Stefan let his eyes roam over her hungrily as he unbuttoned her blouse, and more of her skin was revealed. Her breasts jutted from the top of her bra, and he nipped at the swollen flesh there as he reached around her back and unhooked the bra.
When he had freed her, she felt him swell in his pants between her thighs, when he palmed her two heavy breasts.
“These are amazing.” He groaned as he sucked a nipple into his mouth.
“You’ve seen some before Stefan.” She still couldn’t help but chastise, even when they were in the heat of the moment.
“Mmm,” He groaned, “But most of them weren’t real. These are perfect!” He nipped her skin and made her cry out. She had never anticipated he would be turned on by how natural she was. She didn’t have thousands of dollars in surgeries done to herself, and that was the kind of woman he worked with every day. She didn’t know how to respond, so instead she worked on the buttons of his shirt, until she freed the lapels and pushed the material to the side.
Kari sat back on his lap and let her hands roam his flesh as he stared up at her. She leaned over, taking control and began by kissing him on the lips, and then slowly working her way down his chest.
When she reached his navel, his hips were surging up, as if he was begging for contact and his hands gripped the sides of the couch in an attempt to keep himself in place.
“Don’t touch me until I say.” She whispered up at him. The words affected him greatly, because he was a man used to getting what he wanted when he wanted it and now the tables had turned, and he was the one being ordered around. He let his head fall back as she tongued the thin trail of hair just under his navel, down toward the belt buckle. She skipped the buckle entirely, much to his dismay. He growled at her in frustration, and then she wrapped her lips around the length of him, through the cloth of his expensive suit. She knew what she was doing was torture, but she couldn’t help the thrill of being in control.
He moaned again, as he squirmed on the couch and tried to create more friction from the act. Kari taunted him through the fabric for a few more minutes, before she finally relented and brought her hands up to release the belt buckle and free him from his pants.
When her tongue finally came in contact with his flesh, he howled with pleasure. His fists balled up at his sides when she stopped what she was doing because he had tried to place a hand on the back of her head. She raised her eyebrows at him and she only continued when he grunted at her and then removed his hand, gripping the sofa.
Kari knew the instant she pushed him past the line of his restraint. He sat up quickly and grabbed her under the arms, swinging her around and setting her back down on the couch. It hadn’t hurt, it had just surprised her with how quickly he had moved.
Stefan bent her leg up toward her, and she tucked her heels up under her bottom as his two hands parted her thighs. It was her turn to grip the couch as she realized what he was doing when his hands trailed down the insides of her thighs. She hadn’t had anyone do this in so long, just the thought of it had her quivering in anticipation.
Stefan let his hands pull the cotton of her panties to the side and he cursed when he looked down. Her immediate response was to sit up and try to cover herself, but he groaned.
“Don’t! Lie back again. It’s only fair. It has just been so long since I’ve been with a woman…well most of the women I have known, I’d almost forgotten you were supposed to have these.”
His eyes lit up with passion as he dipped his fingers into her curls. He found they came away slick with wetness, and Kari whimpered at the withdrawn contact. Of course, he would have been surprised at the simplicity of her grooming habits. She had never once considered being plucked or waxed, she did, however, maintain herself. But she was quickly realizing, the naturalness of her body, was what was turning him on the most.
Kari squirmed on the seat, desperate for him to touch her again. It had been so long, that had been a tease that was making her burn with anticipation. Stefan obliged and dipped two fingers into her, which made her gasp at the pressure, just as he lowered his head and explored the tiny bundle of nerves hidden there.
It didn’t take long for Kari to feel her orgasm building. He didn’t deny her but pushed her toward it with his attentions. Kari wasn’t aware when her hand left the couch, and she was griping the back of his head as he used his hands and tongue to pleasure her. When she finally exploded, she cried out his name as he pushed her over the edge.
She was still pulsating when he stood quickly and fished in his pocket for something. Obtaining what he needed, he was quick to put it on, and then he knelt between her still parted thighs, and began pressing into her. Kari tried to relax, but he was big and it had been so long, it felt almost foreign to her. She felt as her muscles worked to draw him in and assuage the pulsing ache there, but at the same time her body resisted, and by the time he pushed all the way in on a thrust, they were both shaking with the need of him to be in her fully.
Stefan paused, allowing her to grow accustomed to her, and then he cupped her chin as he began to draw out and push back in. The pressure of the strokes was building in her again, and he leaned down and kissed her as he continued to move.
Kari didn’t understand how a man like him would even consider the needs of her first. She was so used to men who got off and then got gone. It wasn’t that she had a lot of partners, but his attention was so sincere, it caused her to wrap her legs around his waist and pull him closer. She found she enjoyed the feel of him close to her as he moved. She took comfort in it as she once again found release. He wasn’t long after her, and with a few more strokes, he began to jerk and shake as he orgasmed.
Kari held onto him, stroking his face as he breathed heavily on top of her. It was once of the most sincere encounters she had ever had with a man and she knew she would cherish it forever, because if he ever found out about her, he would be sure to never do it again.
Chapter 6
Stefan didn’t suspect anything about Kari being a single mother for quite some time. She hid it well and it wasn’t until the first time that Ashley got sick that she had to outright lie about it. She called his cellphone, and was startled when he answered, not that she should have been.
/> “Hello darling.” He answered. It had been a few weeks and they had continued to stay late and be with each other after the office closed, but Kari had never invited him home. She had been to his penthouse plenty of times, as she had a key and would often bring his mail or dry cleaning in for him. Her position was a mish mash of odd jobs such as personal assistant duties like that, to scheduling for the office, and fielding calls from fashion event coordinators. She didn’t mind though, he certainly was paying her enough.
“Ah, I need to call in today Stefan.” She blurted in a rush of anxious words.
“Are you alright?” He asked. She could hear the concern in his voice, and she hated lying to him.
“Well, I think, I think I’m getting sick. I don’t feel well today.” She lied. She heard a long pause on the other end of the phone. In addition to being lovers, she and Stefan had become fast friends. Sometimes after their sex, they would talk for hours. It was complete honesty. She had learned how he started in the fashion industry, and she had avoided certain aspects of her life, so she wouldn’t have to lie, but they had enjoyed that honesty in each other. He must have sensed, or heard in her voice, because he didn’t come out and say it, but somehow, he knew she was lying. Instead, with politeness she wasn’t accustomed to, he said,
“Very well Miss Thomas. Feel better.”
He didn’t give her a chance to say anything further, but the call cut off and she was left staring at her phone and wanting to curse herself out for lying. She had to tell him. She knew she did. It wasn’t that she was ashamed of Ashley, she just felt that somehow, it would change everything between them.