“I can see that your presence has infused some of our old interns with a lot of vibrancy. The quality of work has vastly improved. Keep it up.”
He strode away and Wesley stuck his tongue out at him. “Maybe if he gave us less work, the quality of it would always be good.”
Andi suppressed the smile that rose to her lips. Wesley was a prime example of the adage that ‘handsome was as handsome does’. He had the looks and the brain, but he lacked the drive. Cole obviously knew who was putting in hard work in the project. “It doesn’t matter. We’re right on top of it. Come on. Let’s go tackle the rest of it.”
They walked along the corridor. Katie came out of the office. She was holding a sheaf of papers in her hand. “Hey, Cole. Do me a favor, please. Can you help me get this photocopied?”
Since she was blond, curvy, and pretty, Wesley jumped to do her bidding. He took the papers from her hands. “Andi, you go ahead. I will join you in a few minutes.”
Andi smiled as she walked forward. It was her estimate that she wasn’t likely to see him for another hour. Well, she didn’t much care. Andi worked better by herself, especially because her partner was Wesley who talked too much and worked too little. She sat on her seat and began to shift through pages of reports and data to get the information she needed to complete the second half of her project. As she had predicted, Wesley came back after fifty five minutes.
“Phew! That Katie sure can talk.”
“Hmmm…”
He sat on the seat next to her. “How far along have you gotten?”
“Quite a bit. Why don’t you start on some of the files that I have forwarded on your email? All you have to do is search through them and get the relevant information.”
“Boring,” he complained.
“Yeah, well, boring it may be but we still have to get it done.”
“Don’t you get tired of this?”
“We’re here to work,” she reminded him.
“Yeah, yeah. So guess what I saw when I was coming back from the photocopying room?”
She wasn’t very interested in the gossip he had to share. Wesley always managed to find some tidbits of information that he gained from somewhere, and he relished sharing it with them. Since she didn’t particularly care about the inner workings of this place, Andi generally didn’t pay attention. “We have a lot of work to do.”
“Hey, listen to this. I saw Hunter and Simone.”
“So? They are working on a project.”
Simone was another intern. She was tall, blond, and vivacious. Andi liked her. If she’d worked with Simone, they probably would have finished the project in half the time because she would have certainly pulled her weight. Maybe next time, she would make an effort to get a partner who actually liked to work.
He snorted. “It wasn’t work that they were doing.”
His tone got her attention. She turned around to look at him. Wesley had a wicked grin on his face. “They were standing real close together, so much so that I would have found it hard to slide a ruler between them. I could almost swear that they were about to kiss.”
She couldn’t believe it. Was Hunter that ready to move on? Had he forgotten her already? “What?”
“Oh yes, I bet there is something brewing in there. I could tell by the flushed look on Simone’s face when she looked at me. When I walked by, Hunter stepped away from her, but hey…a guy can’t ignore a hot girl like Simone.”
Before he could tell how upset she was by this information, Andi turned away and began to read the report on the screen. Although she read the words, she couldn’t quite make sense of them. Her brain shut down and she couldn’t focus. Was Hunter already dating Simone? Didn’t the man have some shame? How could he do this to her?
And what the hell was she going to do about it?
CHAPTER FOUR
Andi walked down the stairs. She was dressed in a green, sparkly dress that shimmered and shone. It hugged her body in all the right places and left little to the imagination. In order to appease her father, she’d put a wrap around her shoulders but Andi intended to take it off as soon as they sat in the car.
Laura was sitting in the living room. “Have a good time, you two.”
“Thanks.”
Andi couldn’t help but glance at Hunter who was waiting for her in the foyer. He looked gorgeous. Her fingers itched to touch his face, to run them over his lips, and perhaps to taste, to plunder, and loot. Her skin ached to feel his hands, but of course, nothing like that could ever happen between them. “Don’t be too late.”
“Relax, mom. We’ll be fine.”
Hunter opened the door and she stepped out. Andi had wanted to go with someone else, but whom could she take? Also their parents would have found it odd had they insisted on going in separate cars. It couldn’t be that hard. All they had to do was ride in the same car together. Hunter was driving. She would keep her mouth shut and her face turned away.
It would be ok.
Or at least, she hoped so.
She sat in the car. As soon as he joined her, she could smell the cologne he wore. It was such a familiar scent that her nostrils flared as they caught it. Her pussy contracted as a hot ball of flame lodged in her depths. She gripped the seat with one hand as she fought hard to fight the waves of desire that careened through her veins. No. She wasn’t going to act on these primal urges. He wasn’t hers anymore. They weren’t together as a couple, and she had no intention of giving him the satisfaction of knowing that he still affected her in quite that manner.
He was already dating Simone.
Wasn’t he?
She hadn’t bothered to ask. Andi didn’t want to let him know that she was bothered by his activities. Whatever he did, whomever he did it with, it wasn’t any of her business. “Do you know the place?”
“He gave the address. Can you check the map?”
Obediently, she took out her phone and checked on the app. “It’s not too far away.”
“Yes, that’s what he told me.”
Silence reigned in the car. She gave him the directions but didn’t talk about anything else. “So Wesley and you have been getting along quite well.”
“Not as much as Simone and you.” The words slipped out before she knew that she intended to say them. Andi could have bitten her tongue. Damn it! When would she learn to keep quiet?
“What do you mean?”
She glanced at him. The sharp profile of his face sent a lance of longing down her spine. Butterflies stirred in her stomach. There wasn’t anything she could do to fight the attraction that sizzled between them. All she desired was to leap on him and plant her lips on his. Every muscle in her body ached to touch him, but with an effort of will, she forced herself not to betray her feelings with any gesture.
“Just that I heard you guys were going out?”
She was proud to notice that her voice didn’t quiver nor did she betray any sign of her mental distress. He cleared his throat.” Who told you that?”
“It doesn’t matter.” She longed to ask if the news was true but forced herself to remain quiet. If she said anything else, he would know that jealousy lurked in her heart. She simply couldn’t afford for him to figure it out. Her ego was at stake, as was her self-respect.
He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. “I bet it was Wesley. He found us…standing near each other. It wasn’t what it looked like. She was coming on to me, and I was resisting her efforts.” She snorted. That she didn’t believe. He gazed at her, and she turned to look at him. “I am definitely not going out with her.”
There was truth in his eyes. She couldn’t deny it. So he wasn’t dating Simone. Good. Not that she cared. She looked away before he read the mixed feelings on her face. Damn the man. Why did he have such a hold on her? She hated it. Andi longed to be free from the bonds that still held her to him, but for some reason, she couldn’t find a way to break them.
They reached their destination, and he parked the car. They got out and
marched to the door. As Wesley had said, the party was chaotic. It was quite happening. Hoards of people moved in and out of the house. Some sat in the garden or in the back yard. The noise inside the house was deafening. Andi cringed as she paved a way through the bodies and looked for Wesley. Finally, she found him in the kitchen, talking to some pretty girl. By the looks of them, they were both quite sloshed.
“Hey.”
He enveloped her in a hug. “Glad you made it.”
She handed him the gift. “Happy Birthday.”
“Thanks.” He set it aside and then thrust out a hand towards Hunter. “I had almost given up on you guys.”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” said Hunter. There was an acerbic note to his voice, but Wesley didn’t notice it. “It seems like you have made quite a few arrangements.”
“I am the king of parties, man. Here, you guys grab a drink.” He handed them a can of beer each from the cooler. “Andi, you want to come and dance with me?”
“I…just want to drink this first.” She popped open the tab on the can before he could do anything. “Why don’t you go and I will join you later?”
He grabbed the hand of the other girl. “Ok. Don’t be late.”
After he walked out, she took a sip from the can. Now that she was here, she wished she was anywhere else. This wasn’t such a great idea. “Want to sit outside?” asked Hunter.
Reluctantly, she nodded. “Any place is better than here.” Together, they walked out. A couple was making out on the chaise, another sat on the steps, and a third stood in the garden. They found a corner and sat on the grass. “I didn’t realize he knew so many people.”
“Wesley is a people person.”
She wrinkled her nose. “You don’t like him?”
He lifted a powerful shoulder. “What’s not to like? Shit. Ok. He is a bit…lazy and egotistic.”
“Yeah, I will give you that.”
He took a sip from his can and they sat in silence. It was strange that a week ago they couldn’t stop talking when they were with each other, and now they had nothing to say. She searched her mind for a safe topic, but couldn’t think of one. Luckily her gaze was drawn to Katie. She waved and the girl walked over.
“Why are you guys sitting here?”
“We’re hiding from the insane noise,” she answered.
Katie laughed. “We’ve asked Wesley to reduce the volume before the neighbors complain. Come upstairs. It’s not that bad.”
They both followed her upstairs where as she’d said, the noise was more bearable. The living room was crammed full of people but they sat in a corner, and soon other interns joined them. Simone was also there, but she saw that Hunter made a deliberate effort to sit away from her. They talked and laughed. Someone pulled her on the floor after a while, and she danced. Andi drank another beer and then another. It was fun to set aside all worries and not focus on Hunter for a change.
Around two o’clock, he tapped her on the shoulder. Hunter showed her his watch. “It’s time to go.”
She allowed him to hold her hand and tug her out of the room. The fresh air cleared her mind. Andi gulped. “Shit. It’s late.”
“Don’t worry. I texted mom and Justin.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. Her mind was still a bit woozy and she couldn’t think. Andi followed him to the car. He opened the passenger door for her. “Shouldn’t we grab a cab?”
“I can drive. Only had one beer.”
She turned to face him. Andi nearly tripped and his hand steadied her. “You’re such a good boy.” When she gazed into his eyes, Andi was lost. She found herself drowning in their depths. Andi leaned forward. Her hands clasped his shoulders for support. When he was so near, it was impossible for her to think. Someone screamed in the back of her mind to move away, but she suppressed that noise. It wasn’t something she wanted to pay attention to.
Her lips found his. The kiss was slow, sweet. The feel of his skin against hers made her hum with desire. She could feel her body coming alive, almost as if it was in hibernation and only now waking up. It had been far too long since she touched him, and now that she started, Andi didn’t want to stop. Her arms entwined around his neck and she pressed herself harder against his body. His hard muscles collided with her soft curves and she felt herself melting. When her tongue teased open his mouth, she explored every nook and crevice in his mouth as if that was the first time she tasted him. It felt heavenly. It was delicious. She never wanted to stop.
Finally, he stepped away and she was forced to release him. Andi got into the car without looking at him. What had she done? How could she have been to so stupid? Luckily, her alcohol infused mind didn’t dwell on those matters for too long and she fell asleep. When he parked the car and woke her, she got out of the car. Working on autopilot, she went inside the house and walked up to her room. Since she didn’t have the energy to change her clothes, she merely brushed her teeth, drank a glass of water, and went to bed.
In the morning, her head pounded. Shit. What did she do? Andi grabbed her forehand as she cursed herself. She’d literally thrown herself at Hunter. Sure, he didn’t do anything to fight her off, but she was the one who made the first move. It was crazy of her to do so. Agh! How the hell was she supposed to face him now?
After she took a shower and changed into causal jeans, Andi went downstairs. Laura was in the kitchen. “Hi.”
“Good morning, dear.” She shook her head after one glance at Andi’s face. “Not a good night.”
“Too much to drink.”
“Ah! Youth. Hunter didn’t seem to be suffering from the aftereffects. He went to play golf with Justin.”
So he wasn’t here. Great. She breathed a sigh of relief. Facing him now would have been torture. “
“He didn’t drink much.”
Andi had breakfast and then she helped Laura cook lunch. By the time Hunter and Justin came back in, it was evening and she didn’t get a chance to talk to him. Good thing too as she still hadn’t figured out what she wanted to say. It was her fault. He didn’t make a move to encourage her and she threw herself on him. The memory of that moment haunted her, and she needed to get it out of her system, but Andi needed the right opportunity to clear the air between them.
The next day they were back at work. When she was finished with her work, she looked for Hunter and found him working alone in one of the conference rooms. He was organizing some files. “Hi. Can I have a moment of your time?” She walked in and closed the door behind her.
He spared her a glance. “Sure.”
Andi wrung her hands together. She didn’t quite know what to say. The words bubbled to her throat and then frizzled back. “I…just wanted to apologize for last night. It was…stupid of me to kiss you.”
“It wasn’t your fault.”
“But it was,” she insisted. “We decided to keep away from each other, and it was a mutual decision. I should have respected it.”
“It’s ok.”
She couldn't quite judge his mood. He was still organizing the files as he talked to her, and the move made her angry. Couldn’t he at least give her some undivided attention while she talked to him? Or was she so beneath him now that he didn’t even want to stop doing his work for one minute? She bit her lips. “Can’t we talk about this?”
He turned to face her. “Look. There is nothing to talk about. It’s over and done with. Just forget about it.”
Fire sizzled in her veins. How dare he brush her aside as if she didn’t matter? She walked over and pointed a finger at him. “Forget it? Forget it? How the hell am I supposed to do that?” Much to her consternation, tears sprang to her eyes and she wiped them away. “Shit.”
“Oh God!” In a sudden move that surprised her, he walked forward and yanked her in his arms. “Don’t cry. I can’t bear it.” She wanted to run out but his arms clasped her and she couldn’t step away. “Please, Andi. It was as much my fault as yours. I didn’t exactly fight you. I wanted…you to kiss me. Damn i
t, I wanted that to happen.”
She lifted her chin and looked at him. Something flickered in his eyes. Regret? Desire? His lips clamped down on hers, and her brain went into overdrive. She couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. Every nerve in her body burned. Her arms went around his neck and she kissed him back with all fervor. It felt good to feel his hard muscles against her soft curves, his arms around her, and his lips on her. She didn’t want to stop. Andi forgot that they were in the office, that any moment someone could come in, and that they had agreed more than once not to do this.
This was what she wanted. Her body craved this contact and she was greedy for more. His hands roamed up and down her back as their lips remained fused together. When his hand slipped under her blouse, she made no move to stop him. Instead, she fiddled with the buttons on his shirt. In a few sift moves, she took off his shirt and ran her hand over his wide chest. Her brain shut down and lust took over. This was exactly what she wanted and there was no way in hell that anyone could stop them now. When he stepped away, sense returned but then he walked forward and locked the door.
“Hunter,” that was all she said before he grasped her again.
She melted in his arms and his lips were on her again. Sensations, wild and stormy, careened through her as she allowed him to kiss her. They were crazy to do this, but she just didn’t care. Soon, he took off her blouse and his hands fiddled with her jeans. She stepped out of them. His fingers slipped the straps of her bra off and her breasts spilled into his waiting hands. When he squeezed her heavy mounds, she sighed against his mouth. The touch of his hands on her skin made her feel alive. He fondled and caressed her nipples until she was a quivering mass of muscles.
It was beyond ridiculous to do this. They were in an office. If someone saw them…but even though such random thoughts popped in her head, she couldn’t really focus on them. Now that she had her hands on him, Andi was reluctant to do anything to break that contact. He carried her and she didn’t murmur a protest. When he put her down on the table, it was cold under her butt, but she kept her lips fused on his. If they broke apart, sanity might return and she didn’t want that to happen at any cost. He lowered down on her and she felt his cock pressing against her thighs. She couldn’t wait for him to thrust it inside her and to pound into her with the viciousness that she remembered so well.
Secrets with My Stepbrother, Vol. 2 Page 3