by Scarlet West
When he moved his hand, my body protested roundly. I waited at his door as he unlocked it and went in. He turned to face me. We looked at each other.
“See you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow,” I whispered.
He looked at me one last time, awkwardly, as if – like me – he had no idea what to say. I saw his hand twitch, as if he wasn’t sure whether he should shake mine or not. It fell to his side, unused.
I swallowed hard. “Goodbye, Adam,” I said.
Then I turned and walked quickly out.
I hurried back down the hallway towards the stairs, trying to remember the way I’d got in. Adam’s office was on the third floor, and I rang the elevator, then – when it took too long to get up – I used the stairs. The sound of my high-heeled shoes clicking and echoing in the stairwell followed me down.
“Whew.”
I collapsed into my car and leaned on the steering wheel. When I started off again, I noticed that it was only three-thirty. Had I really been in there for just over an hour?
“That was the craziest hour of my life.”
I shook my head at myself as I looked up in the rearview mirror. My pale brown eyes – outlined in dark mascara – looked back at me. I noticed something I hadn’t seen in a long time. They were shining.
I told myself that it was the excitement of the afternoon, the thrill of a new opportunity, and enough money to float me for a while. It had nothing to do with Adam. Did it? I couldn’t help how my body responded to him. Even now, I could feel wetness staining my panties. I wanted him so badly.
As soon as I got back, I called Brady. I noticed he’d last been online that morning. That seemed weird. Was his phone off?
It started ringing, and I waited for what felt like ages. Finally, he answered.
“Cassidy!” he sounded enthusiastic to hear from me. “How’s things? I’m still so sorry about the other night. I had to go. How was the meeting today?”
“It went great,” I said briskly. “And I have news! I got a job!”
“You did?” He sounded jubilant. “Wow, Cassidy! Well done! Who with?”
“Guess,” I said, surprised he hadn’t already. It had been his idea, after all.
“Adam?” he suggested.
“Yes!” I shouted, laughing with delight. “Isn’t it awesome?”
“It is,” he agreed. “Very awesome. Well done, Cassidy.” His voice was warm.
“Thanks.” Feeling proud, I swallowed hard. “How about coming over, for dinner?” I asked.
“Um, thanks, sis,” he said quickly. “But I can’t.”
“Oh?” I grinned. “You have another woman to see, is that it?” I loved teasing my brother.
To my surprise, he sounded defensive. “It isn’t that. I just can’t go out tonight. It’s hard to explain. Maybe we can meet later – say Thursday?”
“Um, okay,” I said, feeling a stab of disappointment.
“Thanks, Cassidy.” He sounded relieved. “Got to go. See you soon. Okay?”
“Okay, great,” I said, still feeling vaguely upset. “Bye, Brady.”
“Bye.”
After he’d hung up, I stayed where I was, a small frown wrinkling my brow. What was wrong with Brady? Something was happening in his life. It wasn’t like him to be so preoccupied, to be offline so long, to hide something.
“I don’t like this,” I said to myself.
But what could I do? Brady was thirty-five years old, and perfectly capable of looking after himself – as he always told me if I happened to fuss over him. He was my big brother. I couldn’t imagine anything that was too big for him.
Still, it worried me. I remembered how he’d been that evening when he’d re-introduced me to Adam. He’d been jumpy. Alarmed. Why had he left so suddenly? It didn’t make sense. I made a mental note to try and question him – subtly, of course – on Thursday.
My thoughts soon found themselves moving from Brady back to Adam and that kiss.
Closing my eyes, I recalled the moment when he’d kissed me, hands on my shoulders, lips pressed to mine, eyes shut.
I was alone in a silent apartment, and I allowed my imagination to drift, filling in a scenario when Adam kissed me with an open mouth, tongue gently pushed between my own, tasting my mouth so sensuously. I imagined my breasts flattened against his tough chest, those big, strong arms drawing me close to him, wrapped tightly round me. I imagined smelling the sweat and cologne on his skin as he pushed into me. His cock was thick and long, and it rubbed on all the special places inside me, making my entire body hot with longing.
I felt my hand drift between my thighs as I imagined the scene. I opened my eyes, grinning at my own wicked imagination.
9
Cassidy
I dressed carefully, choosing a blue skirt – my favorite one – and a neat white top that draped my upper body, compensating for the tightness of the skirt. I raised a brow at myself, studying the effect for a moment.
“Damn it, Cassidy,” I said, grinning. “Isn’t it a bit too much?”
I knew I was probably dressed a bit sexily – after all, it was my first day at Synergy. But I felt my tummy tingle as I thought about Adam. I knew I couldn’t resist showing off a little bit.
He kissed you because he was grateful.
It was true – it wasn’t too romantic… just a pressing of his firm lips on mine. I closed my eyes, feeling my body shiver as I recalled it.
“Not romantic, Cassidy,” I said to myself firmly.
All the same, I was grinning when I walked up the steps.
“Good morning. Ms. …”
“Cassidy Williams,” I said, as the secretary gave me a steely glare over the rim if her spectacles.
“Ah, yes! The consultant. We put you in room twenty-three. If you’ll come this way?”
I felt a strange tug in my body, as if it was reluctant to leave the place where Adam was. The secretary paused in the doorway.
“Ms. Williams?”
“Cassidy!”
Adam appeared at the door of his office, making my eyes widen in surprise. He was looking at me with those big blue eyes, all round and warm. He was smiling. “Mrs. Halston, this is Cassidy Williams, our new PR consultant.”
His secretary looked at him as if he’d just appeared out of a puff of smoke. Astonishment mixed with distaste in her expression. She nodded.
“I am aware of that, Mr. Stern,” she said authoritatively. “I was just showing her to her room. You said room twenty-three?”
“Oh, yes,” Adam nodded. He licked his lips, as if he was suddenly uncomfortable. When his eyes went to me again, I felt a flame flare in my tummy.
“So,” Mrs. Halston looked from him to me, and I felt myself blush red. “Unless you had something to say, I suppose I should take her downstairs?”
“Um, yes,” Adam stammered. “Of course. See you later, Ms. Williams.” He waved an airy hand in my direction.
“See you later,” I said. My throat felt funny. I coughed.
“Room twenty-three,” Mrs. Halston repeated, “is downstairs. If you come this way?”
Nodding, I followed her down the stairs. My new office was surprisingly spacious. There were two desks in it, but I noticed only one was in use.
“We haven’t had any reason to use this office in a while,” Mrs. Halston was saying. “I hope it’s not too stuffy in here,” she added, opening a window.
“It’s fine,” I murmured, looking around. It felt amazing to be in an office, again. “Thanks,” I added, as she headed to the door.
“Not at all. Now, I’ll be bringing some documents for you to sign later. If you’ll just hang on, I’ll go and print them.”
“Sounds good,” I murmured, as she headed out.
I looked around. The place was neat, with a bookshelf, a cupboard and a big window, looking out onto a busy street. I sat down at the desk behind the computer and leaned back on the nice office seat. I felt weird, as if I was in a dream.
I si
gned the documents and fetched a coffee and then got down to work. I enjoyed my job, and I was just sending off an email to our leading customers – the NFL – when somebody spoke from the doorway.
“Ms. Williams?”
I jumped. There, in the door, a tender grin on his face, was Adam. I felt my body tense and my heart thud.
“Adam?” I said, surprised. “Um, rather, Mr. Stern?”
He grinned and I felt my groin tingle at the teasing edge of that smile.
“I think we can be a little less formal,” he said. “We do know each other.”
“Yes,” I said, feeling my mouth form a grin. “I suppose we do.”
His eyes held mine and I felt their warmth like a physical touch. It was as exciting as it was confusing.
This is Adam Stern. The guy who called me freckly and used to tease me mercilessly when he was fourteen. What the hell was happening here?
“I’m sorry if I disturbed you,” he said. He was still leaning on the doorframe and the tingle over my skin centered in my stomach, becoming an insistent ache.
“I was just finishing an email,” I countered, looking back to my work. “And, sent.”
“That was fast,” he said. “You’ve really hit the ground running.”
I shrugged. “It’s how I work best. Plus, we only have two weeks to turn this around, remember?
“You’re absolutely right,” he said. “It’s lunchtime. And I was wondering if you’d care to join me?” His brow raised in invitation.
“Sure, okay,” I said, feeling my guts twist. A mix of apprehension and excitement charged my veins. I felt like a teenager and I tried not to grin.
“I figured you wouldn’t know your way around the neighborhood yet,” he said swiftly. “I usually go to a café across the street; it’s a nice one. They have good sandwiches.”
“Okay,” I said again, and stood and reached for my jacket.
I saw his eye on me, flicking from head to toe and back. I felt my face heat. Was he looking at me?
“So,” he said, and I could see a strange expression in his eyes, one I couldn’t quite read. “Are you ready to go?”
“Yeah,” I nodded.
We headed out into the hallway.
As I followed him down the stairs, I felt my stomach tie into a knot. I was conscious of the fact that he was the boss, and people were staring at him.
At us.
We went out to the street.
“So,” he said, as we walked into a stylish café. “How is it going so far?”
“Well,” I frowned. “I’ve gotten in contact with several people who are willing to give favorable testimonies so far.”
“That’s great,” he nodded.
He sat down at a table, draping his jacket over the back of the chair. I felt my gaze flick over his body, lingering on those sculped shoulders, the one fractionally higher than the other. His body was clearly tight and toned under that crisp shirt, and I felt a delicious warmth spread through my lower body as he sat down opposite me.
“Have you had any news?” I asked, deciding it was safer to stick to work talk.
“Huh?” He looked up from the menu. He looked confused.
“I meant to say, have you had any news about the status of the company?” I asked. “How are the shares?”
“They’re okay,” he said. “Not good, but not bad, either,” he grinned. “I still can’t believe you did it.”
“Did what?” I asked, basking in that happy smile.
“Convinced Aiden to stay on,” he said. “Seriously Cassidy, losing the NFL ad campaign would have cost me my whole company. I’m so grateful to you.”
“Well let’s just see how it plays out,” I said, trying to temper his enthusiasm, but still enjoying the compliment.
I read through the menu, but my eyes drifted up to Adam now and again as I did so. He was, I thought, surprisingly handsome, with that strong jaw and straight nose. His eyes were piercing blue, set back a little, his brow hooding them a bit. His neck was corded with muscle and met his collarbones in a way that suggested he was still very powerful.
I found myself wondering what it would be like to press my body to his, to feel those strong arms wrap around mine, his chest crushed to my breasts as his hands stroked my back, reaching for my buttocks. He would squeeze them firmly and I would rub my hips on his, feeling that firm cock start to stir against me.
“Ready to order?”
I jumped. Face flushed, panties damp, I nodded.
“Um, I’ll have what he’s having.”
“Very good, Ma’am.”
When he’d gone, Adam grinned at me. I felt a strange tingle in my brain and had to fight the impulse to rest my foot on the leg that hovered so close to mine below the table.
“You like mustard?” he frowned. “You didn’t used to.”
“I was eight years old,” I grinned. “You find me one eight-year-old who does.”
“I did,” he smiled.
“You’re weird.”
We both laughed. It felt as if the years had rolled back and we were kids again. Except there was a tension that had never been there when we were kids. I swallowed hard, feeling my throat tightening up.
“Lemonade,” the waiter placed a glass on the table. “And, lemonade.”
“Thanks,” Adam said.
I sipped my drink. Desperately cold, it made my back teeth hurt. I winced.
“It’s cold?” he grinned.
“Yeah,” I nodded. “Like when you eat ice cream with your front teeth.”
“You’re not supposed to eat it with your teeth,” he teased.
I nodded. “I guess.”
We both laughed again. It really was weird. Here I was, on my first day at work, and we were sitting here as if we were at my parents’ dining-table and twenty years hadn’t passed since then.
“If you were…”
“Can I…”
We both spoke together and I cleared my throat.
“Sorry, I said. “What’s up?”
“You can go first,” he said gallantly.
I raised a brow. Adam Stern, being gallant? The surprises were endless. I cleared my throat.
“I was just going to ask, can I meet with the web developer at the company? I have some ideas for our front page that we need to discuss,” I added.
“Sure,” he raised a brow. “Hell, Cassidy. You really do your job well.”
“Thanks,” I said as I grinned.
He smiled back and I bit the insides of my cheeks, not wanting him to feel too pleased with himself. This was, after all, the boy who had turned on the garden sprinklers, soaking my party dress.
“I wanted to ask you what you think of Synergy,” Adam said. “I don’t know how much Brady told you about it.”
“Brady said nothing,” I said. “He didn’t even tell me I was going to meet you.”
“He didn’t tell me, either,” Adam admitted, surprising me.
“No?”
“No. It was totally unexpected.”
“Ah.”
I felt a grin lift my lips. That would explain why he had reacted to me as he did, when he first saw me. He really had no idea who I was!
The thought made my body tighten with longing.
“How is Brady?” Adam asked.
“I might ask you that question,” I countered. “You see more of him than I do. At least, you have for the past six years.”
“Yeah,” Adam nodded. “He seems to be doing fine.”
“He does,” I agreed.
My mind wandered back to Brady’s odd disappearance. It could have been something simple, I told myself firmly. I wasn’t going to let myself worry. I still hoped it was an urgent meeting with a girlfriend.
Our sandwiches arrived. I felt my eyes stretch – they were double-decker and impressive looking.
“Wow,” I said.
“Well, enjoy,” he grinned.
I nodded. I bit into a piece and felt my eyes water. He was right – I ne
ver had been a fan of mustard. But this one wasn’t too bad, and the toasted cheese was amazing.
“What?” Adam grinned, looking up at me. He had a bit of melted butter on his lips, and the damp gloss made me tingle.
“I’m still not a fan of mustard.”
We both laughed.
His eyes held mine and it felt almost as intimate if he reached over and touched my hand. I made myself look down at the table.
“So,” I said, as I swallowed another mouthful of the toasted sandwich. “We should discuss the short-term projections for your company’s growth.”
We talked about work – strictly work, I made sure of that – until, one brow lifted, he pushed back his chair.
“Shit! It’s getting late. I should run.”
“Me too,” I nodded, as he stood. I followed suit, reaching for my jacket.
“I need to get in for a conference call,” he murmured, shrugging a jacket on over that fabulous physique. “Thanks, Cassidy,” he added.
“For what?”
“For the chat.”
I was still smiling when we drifted up the pavement back to work.
10
Adam
I sighed and looked up from my desk. It was Wednesday evening. I had barely completed the work I intended to do for the day. Every time I tried to write anything about the new PR strategy, I thought of Cassidy. And every time I thought of Cassidy, I thought of Monday. That kiss.
I don’t even know why I keep on thinking of it.
It hadn’t been a romantic kiss, not at all – it had been a spontaneous peck. It wasn’t done with tongue or any passion, really. But all the same, feeling my lips on those soft, full ones had been more exciting than any kiss I could remember having had.
For Pete’s sake, man. You really don’t want to go thinking like this about an employee of yours.
I swallowed hard. Cassidy wasn’t strictly speaking my employee: she was working as an external consultant, hired to help us through the crisis. It made it a little easier to entertain these thoughts of her without feeling too guilty. But, all the same, I couldn’t forget the story she’d told me earlier, either.