Mrs R (Mrs R & Mr V #1)

by Jessie Courts

  “Hardly little” Angela remarked.

  “Well no; the man is indecently huge, but he’s probably got a really tiny dick.” Rachel giggled at her hilarious joke and was slightly confused at Angela’s reaction as she shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. Rattling the ice in her tumbler of whiskey at her, Rachel took a long gulp, just as Joe’s signature scent filled her nostrils.

  “And you know this for a fact?” His deep rumbling voice washed over her as she belatedly realised he’d been standing behind her and heard every word. He sounded mad for a change and Rachel downed the rest of her drink deciding she didn’t care.

  Angela chose this moment to make her excuses muttering something about catering and Joe took her place on the bar stool facing Rachel.

  “Oh hello Joe – what do you know?” Rachel asked him in a sing song whiskey coated voice. He raised an eyebrow at her.

  “How many of those have you had?” he indicated to her empty glass.

  “Not enough” she answered gesturing to the barman for a refill. “Not that it’s any of your fucking business Mr Mason, CEO, sir.”

  “And there she is; the foul mouthed Rachel I’m used to…”

  “Oh no Joe. You don’t get to be rude to me tonight. You have to be friendly and approachable.” Rachel mocked emphasising her words with a prod to his shoulder.

  “Is that right?” Joe grabbed the offending hand. “Well how about we get out of here and I show you how friendly and approachable I can be?”

  Rachel gasped at him jerking her hand away. The man looked like he should have been gracing the front cover of GC Magazine with his big body covered in a dark navy suit and open necked white shirt. She could see the dip where his throat met his chest and the ripple of his pecs as she moved. She was more than aware of the way his trousers pulled tight across his thick thighs and how his biceps teased the sleeves of his suit jacket. The neatly groomed hair covering his strong jaw and upper lip looked silky soft and she itched to run her fingers across his scalp through the black hair on his head. At this close proximity she could see the beginnings of grey weaving through his temples and sideburns and it enhanced his elegant appeal adding a mildly distinguished touch to his overall appearance. But mostly, he exerted raw animal sex appeal from every pore and Rachel found herself worrying on her bottom lip at his outrageous suggestion.

  “Fucking keep that up Rachel and I won’t bother waiting for an answer, I’ll just haul you off to my office and make good use of my leather couches. Both of them by the time I’m finished.”

  Joe’s words had Rachel’s thong drenched in an instant. Her nipples were pressed so hard against her dress she ached for relief and she knew Joe would be good. She didn’t doubt for a second that his finely honed skill in the bedroom would equal that of the courtroom and hell, she wanted him badly, but her head was fuzzy from too much alcohol and she felt like he was taking advantage of her. Rachel was seriously pissed off with him. She had never given him any indication that she found him attractive and he was clearly looking just to get laid tonight. Well, tough shit the man was going to have to wank himself off for all she cared – no way was she going to be another notch on his bed post; sofa; whatever, although she would pay good money to watch. Rachel groaned in acknowledgement of how drunk she felt and decided home was best right now.

  Not even gracing Joe with an answer she headed off, all be it a little unsteadily, towards the lifts.

  Rachel swayed on the spot as she fiddled around in her clutch trying to find her phone. If the girls weren’t home she’d call a cab, but either way she wasn’t spending another bloody second in the same room as Mr Arrogant Arsehole. The ding of the lift alerted her to its arrival and she entered the car slamming her hand on the L for lobby.

  “No fucking way!” she groaned as Joe emerged from the crowds striding purposefully towards her. “C’mon close dammit” she shouted at the lift doors as she frantically pushed the ‘door closing’ button. Sagging against the cool mirrored back wall of the lift in relief as the doors began to shut, Rachel couldn’t believe her bad luck as one of Joe’s magnificently muscled arms thrust in between the doors halting their closure.

  “Out!’ he commanded.

  “Fuck off!” she retaliated no longer caring who he was. The alcohol had given her enough of a buzz for her inhibitions to have waned somewhat.

  “Nice, Rachel, really classy.”

  “I. Don’t. Care.” She spat at him. “Double fuck off!”

  “Get out the lift now before I have to come in there and get you myself” Joe was growling at her now, his anger threatening to unleash itself and he so didn’t want to lose his temper in front of his work colleagues.

  “Apologise first” she shouted at him.

  “What the fuck for?”

  “Oh so you can swear at me and that’s ok is it?”

  “I’m losing my patience with you Rachel. Get out of the lift now.”

  “No, Joe. Leave me the fuck alone and piss off!”

  Joe hissed at her and ran his hands through his hair, which he seemed to be doing a lot around Rachel. At this rate he’d be bald before the year was out. It was insane how much she affected him and he cursed himself for offering her sex when she was drunk. He got into the lift and the doors closed behind him.

  “Oh my god. Don’t you take a hint?” Rachel puffed out the words. Joe, however, was very close and the lift felt like it was getting smaller. Rachel began to feel queasy and was desperately trying to control herself, as she didn’t think Joe would be as understanding as Luc had been when she’d thrown up all over him at the pub. Why didn’t she learn that alcohol made her horny and sick; two things she could have done without presently.

  “Joe, back off” she warned as he loomed over her, both palms flat against the wall behind her. His head dipped towards hers and he whispered in her ear. “Tell me I’m wrong Rachel and I’ll leave you alone like you say you want me to but I think you feel this too. Whatever this is between us, I want you. I’ve wanted you since I first saw you in the gym and every fucking day since.”

  “Joe, please, I mean it, back off.” Joe stared at her then, shocked that he’d read the situation incorrectly. He could have sworn she was hot for him and he was never wrong about these things.

  “Are you ok?” he asked worried that she was now looking a little green.

  Rachel shook her head from side to side and as the doors opened she ran out of the lift towards the exit and just made it to the roadside before throwing up rather inelegantly. Heaving and retching, she was vaguely aware of Joe holding her hair back off her face with one arm and wrapping his other one around her waist so she didn’t fall. Once she was finished he led her to the nearby bench and sat her down.

  “Don’t move. I’ll be right back.” He didn’t sound happy.

  Rachel sat there with her head in her hands mortified once again that she had spectacularly embarrassed herself in front of her boss. She would have run away with her tail between her legs but the combination of too much to drink on an empty stomach, followed by the huge amount of effort it had taken to throw it all back up again had left her devoid of energy.

  A rumble of an engine roused her and she looked over to see Joe getting out of some monster sized black Range Rover. He thrust a bottle of water in her hands and hoisted her up into the front passenger seat. Leaning over her to buckle her in Rachel breathed in the divine scent of him. “You smell nice.”

  “You do not” Joe replied fumbling about in the glove box. “Here” he said throwing a packet of extra strong mints in her lap. Rachel groaned again not realising she had spoken out loud.

  Jumping into the driver’s seat, Joe twiddled with a few buttons on the dashboard.

  “Zip code?”

  “Post code.”

  Joe sighed heavily.

  “Where do you live Rachel?”

  “I’m not telling you.”

  “I can’t take you home if I don’t know your address. Now, what is y
our postcode? Or do I need to call Angela to go and get it from your personnel records? Either way, I am taking you home.”

  Rachel didn’t want Angela to know she was in Joe’s car, and she certainly didn’t want her to get the wrong impression if she knew he was giving her a lift, so she told Joe her address.

  “You’re not coming in.”

  “You’re welcome,” he muttered sarcastically in response.

  “Now wait a goddamn minute Joe Mason. I didn’t ask for you to drive me home. I have no idea why you are, but don’t expect you to make you coffee and be all grateful.” Rachel hiccupped and Joe narrowed his eyes at her.

  “Are you gonna barf again?”

  “Puke.”

  “What?”

  “Puke – you’re in England now; we don’t barf. That’s disgusting.”

  “You are bat shit crazy woman, do you know that?”

  ‘I wasn’t until you made me that way.”

  Rachel burped and Joe wound down her window looking at her dubiously. She still looked fucking sexy all dishevelled and cross. He was intrigued with the crude side to her personality and how she managed to contain it so well in the sophisticated package she presented to the world. The knowledge that she had a wilder, untamed edge excited him. There were many layers to Rachel Renton and he wanted to unravel every single one of them. Her soft snoring told him she dozed off and gave him a chance to steal glances in her direction as the sat nav directed them home. She was leaning into the door panel with her hands in her lap holding on to her Prada clutch. She was clearly a lady who liked expensive things but they were simple and understated he’d noticed. That was classy which is why her ability to mouth off like a truck driver astounded him. Maybe it was a British thing the combination of posh and brash; it was different to what he was used to but he found it turned him on.

  Rachel was mumbling in her sleep something that sounded like “Luc……baby blues……hmm.” She squirmed slightly in the soft leather seat and Joe wondered what she was dreaming about.

  “In 50 yards you have reached your destination.” The sat nav announced his arrival at Rachel’s home. It was a nice place in a beautiful neighbourhood. Nate had obviously cherished his family to work hard enough to be able to afford a great house in lovely area. Joe’s own home in New York was a penthouse in Manhattan but his kids lived with their mother in the Hamptons in a palatial residence three times the size of Rachel’s house. He could tell there was a lot of love here though and it made his heart ache for his kids; both of whom he missed desperately. The one bad thing about moving to the UK was that he wouldn’t be seeing as much of them, but he planned to bring them over for holidays.

  “Rachel wake up.” Joe nudged her gently and undid her seat belt. Rachel stirred but didn’t open her eyes. Joe watched her for a moment appreciating the beauty of the woman now relaxed in slumber. They had gotten off to a really bad start; he had indeed behaved like an arrogant arsehole and now he felt guilty for playing with her emotions. Angela had admonished him for it but he hadn’t really paid attention, and now he had probably ruined his chances. It had been so long since he had contemplated a relationship with a woman rather than having a casual fling with no meaningful interaction, that he had forgotten the manners his mother had taught him. If Rachel let him, he resolved to try and win her over.

  But first, he had to get her in the house. He noticed there was a Mini parked in the driveway and hoped someone was in. Ringing the doorbell he waited patiently until a young woman’s voice enquired, “Who is it?”

  “Er, this is Joe Mason. I have Rachel Renton in the car. She’s asleep.”

  “Oh ok, shit, hold on a minute. Jesssssssssssss!” Joe heard someone else approach the other side of the door and some frantic whispering going on. The door opened to reveal two identical twin girls that resembled Rachel enough to assume they were her daughters. Both of them were exquisite just like their Mum. They gaped at him, eyes wide before the one on the left found her voice.

  “Mr Mason, can I ask why my mother is in your car?”

  “She, um, drunk a little too much.” The girls both breathed in and looked at each other in shock.

  “Is she ok? She didn’t…” the one on the right was craning her neck trying to see into his car.

  “She definitely did. Then she passed out and I can’t wake her.”

  The twins looked at him in horror for some reason checking out his clothes. Then they both creased up laughing. “Oh my god, we are so sorry. Jess, wait until we tell Luc – he’s gonna die!” Joe stiffened at the mention of the name Luc – there it was again and his curiosity was definitely piqued. “Luc?” he enquired.

  “Oh, just a friend of ours.” The one called Jess punched the one called Lucy on the arm and they stopped laughing in front of their mother’s boss who had driven her unconscious arse all the way home.

  “Can you bring her in to the den? Just pop her on the settee.” Joe frowned not understanding half of what Jess had just said but went and got Rachel out of his car. He smiled as soon as his back was turned as he heard the twins making appreciative noises about him; he’d long ago given up trying to be modest about his appearance.

  Opening the passenger door Rachel slid into his arms. He relished the warmth of her body against his and tried not to react as she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck and squashed her breasts against his chest. He carried her easily through the door of her home and into a room indicated by one of her daughters. The other one was removing cushions from the couch in order to make room for her as Joe gently laid her down disconnecting her head from his shoulder and her body from his, leaving him distinctly lonely. He propped her head up with one of the cushions and grabbed the throw from off the arm and covered her body with it, then he bent his knees and squatted down to remove her shoes. Running a loose tendril of Rachel’s hair through his fingers he tucked it behind her ear so he could take a last look at her beautiful face before leaving. The urge to brush his lips over her mouth was so strong that only the twins being in the room stopped him.

  Realising he had been acting way too personal for a boss and not a boyfriend, Joe jerked to his feet and hastily exited the den making some excuse about getting back to the party before it finished. The twins stood on the doorstep thanking him profusely and apologising for their mother’s behaviour.

  “It’s fine; no trouble.” Joe told them with a tight smile that didn’t reach his alarmingly dark grey eyes, and then he climbed back into his Range Rover and sped off into the night.

  **********

  Sunday morning, around 8am, Rachel woke with a crick in her neck completely dis-orientated. It took her a minute to realise where she was and then for the pain in her head to rudely remind her how she got there. She supposed Joe had brought her home after all. She remembered being sick then not much else after that.

  “I am so royally fucked,” she admitted to herself. No way was she ever going to get the respect of her boss now after another diabolical exit on her behalf. First she nearly disabled him in the gym; then she ran from the steam room after leading him on in the worst possible way, and now last night’s spectacular vomit fest. She truly knew how to make a lasting impression on someone.

  Gingerly making her way to the kitchen to get some paracetamol and strong black coffee, Rachel mentally declared her battle over. Joe had won after all – she really was out of her league; both with him and with Genesis. She planned to try this one case that she had prepared for, and then resign. It was best for all concerned and she could be proud of herself for attempting to get Nate’s project off the ground in the first place. Maybe she would find something part-time locally that was a little more within her skill set. She would tell Joe personally first thing Monday morning before she set off for her trial which would hopefully manage his expectations of her in advance of her failing that too.

  After recovering sufficiently from her hang over, Rachel showered and changed and settled in for a day of pre-trial prep. The twins w
oke up around lunchtime and they all sat in the kitchen together over bagels and salmon and lots of delicious deli food. Karen had introduced Rachel to the delights of Jewish comfort food and it had become a Sunday favourite in their house for many years.

  Munching on a pickled cucumber, Lucy casually asked Rachel what she recalled about her journey home.

  “Not much, thank goodness. I’m sure Joe took every opportunity to regale you with horrendous tales of my inappropriate behaviour.”

  “Not quite Mum. Actually, he was lovely.”

  Rachel choked on her mouthful of food. “Lovely? Joe? Are you nuts? Lovely is not a description I would ever associate with that pig of a man. He’s a bully and a beast.”

  Jess laughed. “Beast is very apt I have to say. Oh my god he’s absolutely devastating. Swoon worthy Mum.”

  “And bloody enormous!” Lucy added.