He buried his face in my hair, muttering, "What are you doing to me?"
I kissed him where I could reach him at the bottom of his neck, just above the neckline of his t-shirt. His arms tightened and his arousal surged against my stomach. Immediately, his mouth landed on my neck, devouring my ear, my jaw, my lips.
He pushed us back toward the wall in the tiny dressing room and I went with him willingly, our mouths fastened together. My hands slipped under his shirt, across his hard, packed abs. His hand slid to the inside of my thighs, stroking them firmly, and then he slipped his fingers under the crotch of my swimsuit. I whimpered...and that really seemed to get him going.
With a swift yank, one side of my suit was off my shoulder, exposing my breast. He sealed his mouth over my nipple while sliding his fingers under the other side of the suit to roll that nipple between his thumb and forefinger. My lust surged and I arched my back, crying out. He quieted me, putting his mouth back on mine as he tugged on the front of his own swimsuit.
Then, he pulled a condom out of the pocket of his swimsuit, deftly opened the package and slipped it on. There was no dirty talk this time; my confession must have left him speechless. He tugged aside the crotch of my swimsuit again and pressed himself against me.
Our mouths found each other again as he lifted me against the wall, leveraging himself before sliding into me easily. I clung to his strong neck and shoulders as he moved against me, almost frenzied, driving himself relentlessly to orgasm. It would be quick, I could tell. He watched me with lust-glazed eyes. His fingers glided between us and he rubbed my clit. I came--hard--groaning into his mouth. Seconds later, he was coming too. He pushed his hips against me just a few more times as we came down from that high. It had been fast, intense and, like always, hot.
He held me there for a long time, pressed between his hard body and the slightly harder paneled wall behind me. I wanted him to stay inside me forever. I tightened my legs around his slim hips, but he slowly relaxed and pulled away.
We took a moment to clean up and right our clothing. Jordan tossed out the condom, congratulating himself for having the forethought to stuff one in his pocket, "just in case."
He took a deep breath and then released it. "I've always been good at thinking ahead."
I smiled, relaxed against the wall and watched him, my head tilting. Content, but also deeply sad. "For our last time ever, that was pretty amazing."
He blinked. "Uh. What?"
I frowned. "I think it's obvious why this can't continue."
"It's not obvious to me."
"It should be. The most important reason is because of what I just told you. I need to protect my heart. The sneaking around and having sex--it's fun, but I can't do it anymore."
He scowled again and sighed, shaking his head. "You aren't making this very easy for me."
"You aren't making it easy for me, either."
He closed his eyes and then opened them. "Give me some time to think...to figure things out."
Why did I have the feeling he was selling me a line? This feeling sank to the base of my throat, cold and hard. At the back of my head, alarm bells rang,
"Do you want to?" I asked anyway.
He nodded, and with a smile, bent to kiss me again. "I do."
Despite those darker premonitions, a rush of happiness threatened to drown me so that I could hardly catch my next breath. I put my hands on his cheeks. "So do I."
He pulled away, taking my hand and giving it a squeeze. "We'd better get back, in case someone's looking for me. With my luck, it will be Adam with some new bug up his ass about something."
I kissed him. "Then you go first, and I'll wait a few minutes before I leave."
He pushed my hair away from my face and kissed me again. Then he turned and was gone.
I waited a few minutes, using that time to will my heart to quiet, but it wouldn't listen to me. I was on an adrenaline rush, and not just because of the amazing dressing-room sex. He wanted to try! He wanted to see if we could make something work.
I swallowed hard, trying not to feel the hopeful surge that that vision of the future placed in my brain--even though it was only a few weeks into the future. I wondered what going out on a normal date with Jordan would be like...would it be similar to those few idyllic days in Vancouver?
Five minutes later, I emerged from the dressing room and caught sight of the pool below through the huge line of floor-to-ceiling windows. The officers and my dad were gathered together in a group, and people were high-fiving and slapping each other on the back. I suspected they'd just announced the company's market capitalization and opening share price to everyone. As I watched, Jordan and a couple of other big guys, including Adam's handsome cousin, William, grabbed hold of Adam and carried him--under protest--to the edge of the pool. I laughed until a movement at the edge of my vision caught my attention.
Cari sidled up to me and watched, too, as Adam's friends dumped him into the pool.
"There's a whole pile of new millionaires down there," I said to Cari with a nod, hoping our semi-silent truce would continue. I'd avoided her for weeks and hadn't spoken to her alone since our confrontation in the hallway when she'd threatened to expose me. She had remained coolly polite since.
She laughed. "Too bad I'm still hung up on the biggest fish in that pond. He's going to come out of that pool with a wet t-shirt. I should be down there to watch that. Too bad Mia didn't get dumped in there. She's wearing that ridiculous sundress, probably because she's too ashamed to be seen in a bathing suit."
I resisted the urge to shake my head. At this point, I just felt sorry for Cari. I turned to lead the way back to the pool when she grabbed my arm and stopped me. Her eyes were burning with something feverish. "I know what you were doing in that dressing room."
I glanced back in the direction where I'd come from with more than a little guilt. But I wouldn't let her see it. "Jordan needed some information about--"
"Don't lie to me, April. You're fucking him. I wondered how you got him to keep silent about your starring role in the sex video. Now I know, you slut. Screwing your way to the top, huh? I wonder if your daddy knows that."
I yanked my arm out of her hold. "You've lost your mind," I muttered in a strangled voice and then turned to go.
I had to listen to her poison on the way back to the pool, hoping the safety of the crowd would shut her up. "You wouldn't help me get Mia out of the picture because you had a bigger fish to fry. Well, I have news for you. Jordan is using you. He uses women, and everybody knows it."
I stopped and spun, getting in her face. "Leave me the hell alone with your nutball theories. There's nothing you could have done to break up Adam and Mia, okay? They are in love, and they're engaged. I don't care what kind of sick obsession you have with him. It's over and you lost."
"You have a lot more to lose than I do, April."
I moved away from her, my heart hammering against my ribs. She continued. "If you help me, I'll shut up and I won't say a word. We were going to untie the top of her sundress and show everyone how repulsive she is. You're friendly with her. You can get close enough to do it easily and even make it look like an accident."
I gasped and turned to her. We were at the top of the stairs, and no one could hear us over the din of the cheering and taunts leveled at the now sopping wet CEO. He waded out of the pool as Mia, laughing, handed him towels.
"I'm not doing any such thing and neither are you."
Cari's face was murderous as she clamped onto my hand and practically dragged me down the stairs. I lost my balance as I fought her hold, tripped and fell to my knees, stumbling after her. I slipped free from her grip just as we reached the bottom. The group of officers were mere feet away, and I could see what was coming so I turned to climb right back up the stairs. She reached out and grabbed the back of my swimsuit, and I felt it ripping down the back seam. I was halfway up the stairs before I realized I was exposed, and she was already shouting, "Adam, everyone, look! I fo
und out who was in the sex video! Check out the tramp stamp on that tramp's back."
There was silence behind me and everyone gasped or mumbled. I hadn't made it all the way up to freedom yet, but my ass was hanging out in the air for all to see. I spun to hide myself, mortified as I was to face them.
Everyone had frozen. Everyone was staring at me. This horrifying moment almost froze my heart.
I was like Hester Prynne, stuck on the scaffold, standing to face the jeering crowd with her innocent baby in her arms and that gleaming letter A for "adulteress." The blood was rushing out of my head and I saw spots at the edge of my vision as if I was going to faint from the humiliation.
Apparently, I wasn't that lucky.
Slowly, I took a step backward up the stairs, my hands on the railing. My eyes flew to find Jordan in the crowd. Adam was still dripping wet, staring at me with narrowed eyes. Some of the younger employees were laughing, including Charles. I couldn't find Jordan, but my eyes landed on my dad. A sob escaped my lips when I saw the look on his face--utter humiliation.
Oh God. Oh God! Could this have been any worse? I was shamed in front of the company where I'd worked for nearly a year, and on top of that, my dad was here among them--among people he would be working with for years to come. My vision blurred and I stumbled on one of the steps, this time landing hard on my knee. I pushed to my feet again.
Someone wrapped a towel around my back. The person was taller than me. All my hopes gathered in one single thought--Jordan? I turned. No, not that tall. It was a woman. Short, dark hair. Mia.
She slid her arm around my shoulders and turned, guiding me up the stairs. Before we reached the top, I'd already completely broken down. However, even though I was blinded with tears, I still managed to see a scuffle at the base of the stairs.
"Slut-shaming bitch!" Katya yelled and was on Cari with a mean right hook. The huddle of men broke to pull the women off each other. A tall man bent to yank Katya away from Cari, rescuing her from Kat's attack. I blinked a few times to see who it was--Jordan. He yelled at her to calm down.
And that was it, the final humiliation. Jordan didn't come to my rescue. Didn't stand up for me. Instead, he was saving Cari from Katya.
I couldn't look away from him, but he never once looked toward me. Everyone was now watching the scuffle between the two women. Kat was still trying to break free from his hold, hurling insults at Cari, who was cowering behind some of the other guys in hopes of keeping her face intact.
He uses women. Everybody knows that.
Mia jostled my shoulders. "Come on, let's go get you covered up."
We went into the clubhouse and, ironically enough, Mia led us to the exact changing room where Jordan and I had just had sex a half an hour before. I'd walked out of there filled with hope and happiness, and now I was walking back in, disgraced and humiliated.
I slumped onto the bench, still bawling. "I'm s-sorry."
She grabbed some tissue from the small vanity, handed it to me, and then looked around the room. "Where are your clothes? Did you put them in a locker?"
I handed her the key that I had pinned inside the bodice of my swimsuit. In the locker were my purse and the clothes I'd worn over my bathing suit when I'd arrived. Mia grabbed the key and told me she'd be right back with my stuff. Before she could step away, however, both my Dad and Adam could be heard outside the door. I whimpered.
Mia stepped out, closing the door a crack. "She's not decent. I'm going to go get her things."
I heard her footsteps as she walked away, and then I was privy to the heated words on the other side of the door. Dad was pissed. More pissed than I'd ever heard him. Adam sounded like he was trying to talk him off a ledge.
"I can't begin to tell you how mortifying this is," Dad said. "She should be fired immediately. I don't want special exceptions because she's my daughter."
"I'm going to wait until she can talk to us and explain what happened."
"April is going home with me. Now. But I expect you to terminate her. There's no excuse for her behavior."
"David, I appreciate where you're coming from, but she is a grown woman and my employee, so I'm going to speak to her. This--"
"Excuse me," Mia muttered, asking them to move out of the way so she could slide back into the dressing room. When she came in, her face was full of sympathy. She handed me my bag of belongings. Then, she bent down and whispered, "I'll try to distract Adam so you can slip out. Not sure about your dad, though."
I shook my head, slipping my shorts and tank top over my now ruined suit. "I came with him. He's my ride."
Mia bit her lip and looked off to the side, as if thinking.
"I can't avoid him. But thank you for everything."
She gave me a weak smile, and I grabbed my bag and then opened the door. The two men stopped talking. I stepped forward, relieved to see that no one else was here, just the two of them. I swallowed, avoiding my dad's eyes as I turned to Adam. He was still soaked from being tossed in the pool, his hair, t-shirt and board shorts dripping wet.
"I'm sorry," I began, "I wanted to tell you weeks ago, but...I was too scared. I'm really sorry for all the trouble I caused you and the company."
Adam's dark brow creased with concern. Just over his shoulder, I saw the glass door open. Jordan stood there, frozen in his tracks. We locked eyes for an endless moment, but he was too far away for me to read his face. My cheeks flushed hot with humiliation and I tore my gaze away from him. He approached as Adam continued. "April, who was in the video with you? Why was it posted?"
I tensed. "I can't tell you that."
"Can't or won't?" my father said, reaching up to grip my arm.
"It's another employee, April. I do know that." My gaze found Adam's and his features were deadly serious now. "The badge was an employee's, not an intern's."
I'd forgotten, for maybe about ten seconds, anyway, that Adam was a genius and probably recalled everything he'd ever seen or read. He remembered the color of the badge in the video and immediately concluded that it wasn't mine.
Jordan now stood behind Adam. My eyes flashed over to his face, taking in his curiously blank features, before turning my attention back to Adam. I took a deep breath and then let it go. "I'm not going to tell you that. I'm sorry, but I can't. As for why it was posted...it was my fault and it was an accident. I've regretted it ever since..." My voice faded out and I felt the tears blur my eyes again. Maybe Jordan would be offended by that, but at this point, I didn't care. He'd offended me enough.
There was a long, tense silence. "April--" Adam began in a tight voice, but Jordan held out a hand.
"Adam, this isn't the right time. We should deal with this later."
Adam shook his head and ignored Jordan. "April, I can't help you if you don't cooperate. If you want to leave Draco on good terms, that's still possible."
Adam was offering me an ultimatum. If I ratted out my co-conspirator, I could still get my recommendation. I looked at Jordan again, but his eyes seemed to bounce off my gaze. He looked everywhere but straight at me.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Drake, Mr. Fawkes. Thank you for the opportunity to work with you at Draco, but I can't..."
"Get in the car," my dad said through his teeth in a voice full of disgust.
I felt like a deflated balloon. I gently pulled away from his hold, and he pressed his car keys into my hand. I did as he said. Behind me, I could hear him continuing his discussion with Adam, their voices fading as I made my way out of the building. I could also hear footsteps. Quick footsteps that sounded as if they were bearing down on me. I glanced over my shoulder to confirm whose they were.
Jordan was coming up behind me quickly, but I didn't stop. I had to keep walking. I found the car, clicked it open and had the door handle in my hand when he hit the parking lot at a run. "April!" he called.
And, stupid me, I hesitated. He came up beside me but kept his distance--I was thankful for that. I pulled the door ajar and looked up at him. "You'd better not be out h
ere when my dad gets done talking with Adam. It will blow all your efforts at CYA out of the water."
He clenched his teeth. "I'm not out here to cover my ass. I want to see if you're okay."
I laughed at him. What a ridiculous thing to say. I may have been laughing, but at the same time, tears were rolling down my cheeks. I wanted to take back everything I'd ever said to him. I especially wanted to take back those three damning words that he didn't deserve. I couldn't, though, because it would be a lie. But right now, I was so angry and so disappointed in him. And no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't change what my heart wanted.
"April..." He put a hand on my arm and I wrenched it away from him, pulling the car door open wider so that it created a barrier between us.
"No, Jordan. Don't do that. I'll take your precious secret to the grave. No need to worry. We were just having sex. It's over now."
His face clouded. "That's really not fair--"
"Not fair? Really? You're going to tell me what's not fair? You left me up there on the scaffold alone with that blazing scarlet letter for all to mock. You're Dimmesdale, cowering in the shadows, wallowing in your shame. That's not my problem, it's yours. But don't ever, ever tell me that I'm worth speaking up for myself. You just proved those words were empty. Because you didn't speak up for me."
His face paled then began to redden in anger. "I didn't ask for that little encounter to be recorded and uploaded to the Internet. That's all on you, April."
I nodded. "You're right. That is all on me. But twice--twice--I was going to go to Adam, tell him everything and make this right. Who stopped me both times? It didn't have to come to this--it probably wouldn't have. And now, because it wasn't handled earlier, everything is ten times worse." I took a long, painful breath. He was about to speak, but I cut him off. "And this time with everybody watching me, probably taking pictures with their phones. I'm sure my ass will be all over the Internet again. This time attached to my name. But hey, you got me back for what I did, didn't you? You got your karma."
His mouth fell open. "April--"
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