One Night

by Ramona Gray

  Kate laughed, “Yes, because making out with random guys is totally my thing.”

  Olivia shrugged. “Maybe it should be. It might help you get over a certain someone.”

  “Maybe,” Kate said. “Hey, can you stop in once a day and feed Chicken while I’m gone?”

  “Sure,” Olivia replied. “Honestly, Katie, I think going to New York will be good for you. Just don’t do something you shouldn’t with,” she glanced around before lowering her voice, “Edward.”

  “Trust me, I’ve learned my lesson,” Kate replied.

  * * *

  Kate searched anxiously through the crowd of people at the airport for a sign with her name on it. The flight to New York had been long but uneventful and after retrieving her luggage she had begun to look for the driver that Edward had promised her would be there. Just as she was starting to panic, she saw a young man in a dark coloured suit and cap near the large automatic doors holding a sign with her name on it. She made her way over to him, smiling gratefully when he took her suitcase and said, “Ms. Jones?”

  “Yes,” she replied.

  “Please follow me.” He turned and led her out the doors and across the busy street, weaving his way through the crowds of people with ease. He held open the door to a dark-coloured town car and Kate climbed in and relaxed against the leather seats. The driver stowed her luggage in the trunk before starting the car and taking his place in the line-up of cars leaving the airport.

  “Am I going to the hotel first?” She asked.

  “No, ma’am. Mr. Turner asked that I take you directly to the office. I’ll take your things to the hotel and arrange to have them placed in your room for you.”

  “Thank you very much. I’m Kate.”

  “Jeffrey, ma’am,” he replied.

  “Nice to meet you, Jeffrey.” She leaned forward and held out her hand as they stopped at a red light. He shook it firmly.

  “Nice to meet you as well.”

  “So do you work for Lenkman, Samson and Company?” She asked politely.

  “Not really,” Jeffrey replied as he shoulder-checked and squeezed into the right lane. “I work for a car service that Lenkman, Samson and Company uses on a regular basis.”

  Her cell phone buzzed and she replied to Olivia’s text as Jeffrey drove silently. An hour later, they were parked in front of a massive skyscraper. She stared up at it as Jeffrey opened the car door for her.

  “This is the office building?” Kate asked.

  Jeffrey nodded. “Wait until you see the inside – it’s even more impressive. Just go to the front lobby and let security know who you are. They’ll direct you to the right floor.”

  “Thank you so much, Jeffrey,” Kate said.

  “You’re welcome, Kate. Enjoy your stay.” He nodded to her, one hand touched the bill of his cap briefly, before sliding behind the wheel and merging into the honking mass of traffic. Kate took a deep breath and walked into the building.

  * * *

  “Excuse me?” Kate smiled at the receptionist sitting behind the desk.

  “Hi, how can I help you?”

  “My name is Kate Jones. I’ll be working with Edward Turner?”

  “Right.” The receptionist smiled at her. “I’m Alison. Let me call Bev and she can get you set up. Edward’s out at a client meeting right now.”

  After a quick phone call, a small, grey haired woman came hurtling into reception, making a beeline for Kate. “Hello, Kate. I’m Bev, so nice to meet you.”

  She shook Kate’s hand distractedly before turning to Alison. “Allie, can you call Hank and let him know that the document he requested has been typed and emailed to him? You know he never checks his email. Follow me, Kate. I’ll show you your office and get you started on some work.”

  “Office?” Kate asked.

  “Well, more of a cubby hole really,” Bev laughed as she quickly led Kate through a maze of cubicles. “Each of the partner’s offices has a small adjoining room. I think originally they were more of a filing storage area, but I arranged to have them turned into small offices for the partner’s assistants. We’re here so much, we deserve a small space to call our own don’t you think?”

  Kate nodded as she hurried to keep up with Bev.

  “Edward’s original assistant is on maternity leave and Kendra, one of our general admin people is out sick with a bad case of food poisoning. That reminds me - don’t eat at Paul’s Pizzeria down on the corner. Alison, Shannon and I were very happy when Edward told us he had arranged to bring you down for the week. Being this short-staffed, we just couldn’t afford to delegate one person to Edward. We offered to bring in a temp but Edward insisted on flying you in. Frankly, I’m not that surprised. He’s very particular about who he works with.”

  Kate didn’t think Bev had taken a single breath since leading her out of reception. She followed the woman into a large office as Bev hurried to the far side of the room.

  “This is Edward’s office when he’s here, and here’s your office,” she said brightly.

  Kate peered inside the room. Bev hadn’t been kidding when she said it was more like a cubby hole. The room was so tiny that she could barely squeeze past the desk to sit down in the chair.

  “So, this is it. There’s not much of a view but there’s lots of privacy. Oh and it’s so hot because the heating system went on the fritz two days ago. Middle of January and we’ve got people wearing tank tops in the office. The repair guys are here today so expect to hear some banging around in the ducts,” Bev said cheerfully

  “Thank you, Bev,” Kate said.

  “You’re welcome. I’ve arranged to give you temporary access to our system. Your login password is written on the notepad in the top drawer. Don’t worry about trying to navigate our computer system. Just create a folder on your desktop and save all of your work there. We’ll move it on to the system later. I’ve also set up a temporary email for you and the address and password is written on the notepad as well. Give me half an hour and I’ll have a temporary security clearance badge and an office access card for you.”

  She pointed to a large stack of documents perched precariously on the edge of the desk. “Edward left that for you. He said he emailed you instructions and to text him if you need clarification. The copy room is down the hall. Take your second left, then your first right and then your first left. The washrooms are five doors down on the right and the staff lunch room is three doors down on the left. Got it?”

  Kate nodded and Bev checked her watch. “Edward should be back in the office around three-thirty. If you need any help or have any questions, give me a call. There’s a piece of paper with a list of extensions just under the phone. My last name is Smith.”

  She scurried out of the room and Kate, feeling a little overwhelmed, logged into the computer and opened her email.

  * * *

  Edward stood in the doorway of the small room and stared at Kate. She was staring intently at a piece of paper in front of her, trying to decipher something he had written. The small room was explosively hot and she had taken an elastic band from his desk and put her hair up in a pony tail. He could see her suit jacket draped over the chair behind her and she had unbuttoned the top two buttons of her shirt. A light sheen of perspiration covered her face and he watched fascinated as a drop of moisture rolled down her collarbone. He was struck with the sudden urge to lick the drop of moisture off her skin before it could disappear into her shirt.

  He watched silently as Kate sighed and closed her eyes, leaning back in her chair and rubbing at her temples. She looked pale and unwell and the bruise on her wrist stood out in stark contrast against her pale skin. Anger flared inside of him at the sight of the bruise.

  “Hello, Kate,” he said in a low voice.

  She jumped a little and sat up quickly, opening her eyes and smiling tentatively at him. “Hi, Edward.”

  “How was your flight?”

  “It was good, thanks.”

  “Are you feeling okay?”
>
  “Yes.” Kate stood and squeezed past the desk. “I have a few questions about some of the work you left for me. I’ve put it on your desk.”

  As they reviewed the documents, Kate took shallow breaths and tried to ignore the throbbing pain in her head. She had been too keyed up about the trip to sleep last night and her flight had left at four this morning. The lack of sleep combined with the heat in the small office had given her a pounding headache. As she tried to concentrate on what Edward was saying she thought longingly of a nice cool shower and a dark room. She had taken some Advil a couple hours ago but her head was still throbbing and aching. At this point, nothing would help but lying down and trying to sleep.

  “Kate?”

  She realized Edward was staring expectantly at her and she forced herself to smile at him and take the papers he was holding. “Thanks. I’ll get this finished up.”

  She returned to the small and stuffy office and stared blearily at her computer screen. Just another couple of hours and she would be in her hotel room and lying down. She squinted at the papers, rubbing absentmindedly at her temples as her head throbbed.

  * * *

  Edward closed his laptop and stuffed it into the bag. It was almost six and he was starving. He glanced at the open doorway to Kate’s office. She had been strangely quiet the last half hour or so and he decided he would invite her to have dinner with him. There was nothing improper about that. They both needed to eat and it was the least he could do for dragging her out to New York on short notice. She had looked tired and unwell earlier and he felt a moment of guilt. He should have just let Bev bring in a temp but he had wanted to see Kate. The thought of going an entire week without seeing her made him weirdly unsettled.

  He stood and walked over to Kate’s office. They would have dinner and go back to the hotel. He had booked her a room next to his, not because he was imagining how easy it would be for them to slip back and forth to each other’s room, but because if he needed her help with work in the evening, it was much more convenient. He hadn’t spent any time at all last night picturing how good Kate would look sprawled naked across the king size bed in his room.

  He stuck his head into the small office. “Kate, let me take you to dinner. It’s the least I can…:”

  He trailed off. Kate was sitting in her chair taking slow, deep breaths and she was very pale with dark circles under her eyes. He squeezed past the desk and crouched beside her, knocking his knee against the chair and cursing under his breath.

  “Kate? Honey, what’s wrong?” He asked before taking her hand. Despite the warmth of the room it was cold and he rubbed it between his, being careful to avoid the bruise on her wrist.

  Without opening her eyes she murmured, “I have a really bad headache. I’ll be fine but I need to lie down. Are we done for the day? I’d like to go back to my hotel room, if that’s okay.”

  “Of course,” he said. “Let me help you.”

  “Thanks.”

  He stood and helped her to her feet, frowning when she swayed a little, and she smiled wanly at him. “I’ll be fine.”

  “You look like you’re going to throw up,” he said.

  “Truthfully, I might. Maybe I should take my own cab to the hotel,” she said. “I’d rather not vomit in front of my boss.”

  “I don’t care,” he said. He helped her into her jacket before he took her hand and led her out of the office and through the cubicles. It was quiet, most of the employees had already left, and Kate shaded her eyes with her hand as she followed Edward to the elevators. He was still holding her hand and he squeezed it reassuringly as they stepped into the elevator.

  “Lean against me,” he said.

  “It’s fine. I think it’s getting a little better,” Kate said. She craned her head to look at him and groaned loudly when a fresh bolt of pain ripped through her head. She pressed her fingers against her temple as she staggered back against the elevator wall.

  “Jesus, Kate. Come here.” Edward pulled her into his embrace and she leaned her head against his chest as he rubbed her back lightly. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a headache this bad and she swallowed thickly as her stomach rolled with nausea. The vision in her right eye had gone blurry and she massaged her temple lightly as the elevator carried them down to the lobby. It made her feel even more nauseous and she groaned softly, praying like hell she didn’t vomit all over Edward.

  She put her head down and kept her eyes closed as Edward led her out of the lobby. The frigid air washed over her and her teeth chattered as Edward quickly hailed a cab. She climbed into the cab and leaned against Edward’s solid warmth. He put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head gently. She listened to the solid beat of his heart, blocking everything else out as she concentrated fiercely on controlling the nausea that was rolling through her stomach.

  At the hotel, Edward kept his arm around her, leading her through the lobby and stopping to pick up her room cardkey. He opened the door to her room and, before she could protest, picked her up and carried her into the room. He set her down on the bed and she collapsed on her back, throwing her arm over her face to block the light.

  “Can you shut off the light?” She mumbled.

  He clicked it off and sat quietly on the bed beside her. She was hot and her clothes were sticking to her with sweat but she rested for ten minutes, waiting for the pain to ease a little, before sitting up.

  “Katie, you should just lie down,” Edward protested.

  “I want a cool shower,” she mumbled. “It’ll help the headache.”

  “Stay there. I’ll turn on the shower.”

  She waited obediently until she heard the spray of the shower. She kicked off her boots and shrugged out of her suit jacket, leaving them both on the floor, before stumbling to the bathroom.

  “Thank you, Edward” she said. “I appreciate your help.”

  She squinted at him when, instead of leaving, he quickly stripped off his shirt and then unbuttoned hers.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Helping you,” he replied. He removed her shirt and unbuttoned and unzipped her pants, tugging them down over her hips.

  “I’m fine, Edward.” Kate said.

  “You don’t look fine,” he said. “He helped her take off her pants. “In fact, you look worse.”

  “This is really inappropriate,” she protested weakly.

  “I’ve seen you naked before, Katie,” he reminded her before unclasping her bra.

  She gave up, allowing him to remove her bra and panties before he stripped off the rest of his clothes and reached for the elastic band in her hair.

  “Hold on,” he said. “This will probably hurt.”

  Despite his gentleness, the plain rubber band still caught on a few strands and pulled sharply. She groaned in pain and blinked back the tears.

  “Sorry, honey,” he said before pressing a light kiss on her mouth.

  They stepped into the shower together and Kate stood under the cool spray of water. She was starting to shiver but she stopped Edward when he reached to turn up the hot water.

  “Cool is better,” she said through chattering teeth.

  “Do you want me to wash your hair?” He asked.

  “No. I don’t want my head touched at all,” she said.

  She reached for the soap but Edward took it from her and quickly and efficiently washed her body before rinsing her clean. He shut off the shower and wrapped a bath towel around her before drying his own body. He used a fresh towel to blot the water from her pale skin and carried her to the bed, setting her down next to it. He pulled back the covers and frowned when Kate stumbled toward her suitcase.

  “What are you doing?” He asked.

  “Advil,” she said hoarsely. “There’s Advil in my suitcase.”

  “I’ll get it. Lie down, honey.”

  He steered her back to the bed and she dropped the towel on the floor and slid between the sheets with a sigh of relief. She rested her head carefu
lly on the pillow, covering her face with her arm again.

  She listened to Edward rustle in her suitcase before he poured her a glass of water and sat on the side of the bed. “Here, take these.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered. She swallowed the pills and drank the rest of the water before lying down again. Edward crossed the room and pulled the drapes closed. The room was plunged into darkness and Kate turned on to her side, tucking her hand under her pillow and closing her eyes. The bed shifted with Edward’s weight as he sat down beside her.

  “Can I do anything else for you?” He asked.

  Her skull thudding painfully, she blurted out, “Will you stay with me for a while?”

  He immediately climbed into the bed behind her and spooned her. He kissed her on the back of her shoulder and nuzzled the nape of her neck. “Sleep, Katie-did.”

  * * *

  She woke around midnight, Edward’s body still plastered against hers and his soft snoring reverberating against her back. Her headache was better, although there was still a dull throb in her temples, and she tried to ease her body away from Edward.

  His grip tightened around her and she inhaled sharply when his hand cupped her naked breast. He mumbled something in his sleep before squeezing her breast and brushing his mouth against the back of her neck. Lust, warm and sweet, threaded through her and she made a soft moan when his fingers tugged her nipple into an aching hardness.

  “Kate,” he muttered before pushing her on to his back. He stared sleepily at her before dipping his head and sucking on her nipple. She moaned again, fisting her hands in his hair as he pulled on her nipple with his teeth.

  “Edward,” she whispered.

  He froze and lifted his head, blinking the drowsiness away, before he pushed away from her and gave her a look of regret.