“McCann? The architect?”
“Yup, I’m impressed…most people think I’m talking about the actor. You have an eye for finer things,” he said in a low tone of approval.
He slowed and turned, reached up and pressed a button. A garage door opened and we slid underneath, the car purring in the silence of the space.
Hunter parked, helped me out and held my arm as I almost toppled over on my shoes.
“Too much gin,” he said and put his arm around me.
“Shoes too tight, my feet are killing me,” I replied.
“You’re hurting?”
I nodded and he bent down, swept me up into his arms and said, “I can’t have that on my watch.”
“You’re crazy,” I laughed and kicked my feet, my shoes looking ridiculous hanging off my reddened feet. My handbag dangled off my arm and he carried me all the way to the elevator.
He pushed the top button, it wasn’t a floor number, it simply said, “Residence.” It beeped at him until he balanced me against his body and punched in a code. The light turned green and we began to move.
I was impressed, even more so than before.
“Are you sure I’m not too heavy?” I asked as we headed upwards.
“Not at all,” he smiled, “you weigh next to nothing.”
I knew that was a lie, I was a curvy girl, not exactly a beanpole. But I appreciated it, and in his muscled arms, I really did feel light and feminine.
The elevator came a stop, the doors opened and I had to hide my gasp.
They opened directly into a wide, white, marble foyer adorned with elaborately carved wooden tables and pieces of art everywhere.
“This is like a museum,” I said and ogled everything.
“It’s my mother’s decorating,” he admitted, “I’m afraid I’m not that good at these kinds of things.”
It felt good to hear him admit he wasn’t perfect, even though he was as close to it as possible in my mind.
He set me down and I looked back up at him. “Your mother has excellent taste,” I said.
“Don’t let her hear you say that, she’ll never stop trying to take over every place I live in,” he replied with a smile.
“So now what?” I asked and kicked off my shoes. I was instantly a few inches shorter and much more aware of his towering height.
“Now,” he said and slid off his own shoes before stepping towards me and pulling me against him, “that is something for us to decide.”
He leaned down and kissed me again, this kiss just as thrilling as the first one with his hot lips and insistent passion.
I moaned and pressed hard against him and this time I felt his thick shaft down the leg of his suit.
I rubbed myself against it wantonly, he stepped forward so I could straddle it and ride his leg like there was no fabric between my pussy and his throbbing cock.
I bit his lower lip with urgency and he chuckled lowly. “Getting excited, princess?” he asked.
In response I groaned and ran my hands up and down his body.
I had no idea how this was even happening, this wasn’t me, I wasn’t this kind of girl.
He kissed me harder and I felt butterflies stirring in my stomach.
That quickly turned to lurching quakes of nausea.
I jerked back, held my hand up to my mouth and widened my eyes.
“Is there something wrong?” he asked, alarmed by my sudden change.
“I think I’m going to—“
And then I did, well not quite, but I gagged and almost hurled the contents of my stomach right onto his immaculate marble floor.
I began to cry as I clenched my hand over my mouth desperately. I half expected him to shove me away in disgust, given the high powered rich boy he was, but kindness spread across his face and he led me straight towards a guest washroom off the foyer.
“It’s okay, you’re okay,” he said and rubbed my back. “I’ll leave you here, you do what you need to do and I’ll be outside.”
I was deeply humiliated, my exciting sexy dream night had just turned into my worst nightmare. What a disaster.
He closed the door and left me alone, I hit the toilet and threw up, trying to not make any noise as I did so.
I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to not make a sound while puking, but it makes things worse. The stuff you learn in the midst of a crisis.
I spent a couple minutes make noises akin to the sound of a dying dog and a walrus having sex, and finally my body let up and I was done.
Tears streamed down my face still, embarrassment and the pain of dry heaves combined, and I stood slowly on shaky legs.
I splashed water on my face and stared at my face in the mirror, my makeup was smeared and I looked more like The Joker than a worthy sex partner.
I had never felt so horrible or so embarrassed in my entire life and I prayed he’d forget about me so I could curl up and die right here in the gorgeous bathroom.
“You okay in there?” Hunter asked as he rapped lightly at the door. “I brought you some fresh clothes if you need them. You can get cleaned up and I’ll make you some tea.”
“I’ll survive,” I replied in a shaky voice. I remembered my handbag, the change of clothes I had in there but it was too far out in the foyer for me to dash and grab. “But it would be nice, if you have something I could wear.” I looked down and noticed the mess on the front of my little black dress and almost threw up again.
I stripped off the dress, carefully folded it to hide the small splatter of vomit, and waiting shivering in the chilly room for Hunter to return. While I was waiting, I dug through the medicine cabinet hoping to find some toothpaste, but it was empty.
“I’m back,” Hunter said through the door.
I opened it a crack and instantly started to cry.
“I’m so sorry,” I said through my tears. “God, I can’t believe I did that, I feel so stupid.”
“You were drinking and I was driving like a maniac. I shouldn’t have tried to show off like that, knowing you had drunk that much.”
“It’s not your fault, I was trying to calm my nerves by drowning myself in alcohol. It’s totally my fault.”
“We’ll just have to agree to disagree,” he chuckled and handed me a thick, white bathrobe through the crack in the door. “I’ll be in the kitchen with tea, come find me when you’re ready.”
I grabbed the robe and peeked out to the foyer. “Do you have a bag or something for my dress?”
“My housekeeper will take care of it,” he said and slowly shut the door.
That somehow made it worse now more than one person knew about my idiotic drinking.
I did my best to freshen up, dry my tears and wipe off my smeared makeup. I slipped the thick, soft robe over my shoulders and almost sighed at the luxurious feel of it on my body, It was like being wrapped in a warm, soft hug.
I tightened the belt and opened the door at last, and padded through the foyer and tried to find the kitchen. I ended up in a living room with a view of the city that made me pause and stare at it like I was a yokel seeing lights for the first time.
But let’s face it, I came from a modest background so I’d never seen lights like this before.
I finally found the kitchen and was impressed to find Hunter whipping up some late night food.
Surprisingly my stomach growled, all signs of nausea long gone.
“There you are, did you get lost?” he smiled.
“As a matter of fact, I did,” I laughed. “Amazing view though.”
“Same as the one in here,” he replied.
“I’ve noticed. It’s incredible.”
Would you like some scrambled eggs?” he asked and pushed a mug of steaming tea across the kitchen island towards me.
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” I replied, my eyes darting downwards as my cheeks exploded with heat at the memory of my screw up.
“It’s an old family remedy after a good drunk. Your body purged yourself of po
ison, but now it needs nutrition. Eggs are the easiest to keep down.”
“Why are you being so nice to me?” I asked suddenly. “I don’t even know you and you’re going out of your way to be kind even when I was like…well, sick.”
“You’re a lovely girl,” he replied and the corner of his eyes crinkled up when he smiled at me. “I know you’ve probably heard about my reputation, but even though I love chasing women, I’m not unkind to them.”
“So were you?” I asked and sipped the tea. Peppermint, perfect for my stomach.
“Was I what?”
“Chasing me?”
He stopped what he was doing and looked me up and down with a feral gaze that dripped hot intent. “What do you think?”
I looked back at him, right in the eyes and said, “You were. Until…you know.”
“I don’t think that impedes my interest in you,” he winked and went back to the eggs.
I sipped my tea and rolled that information around in my head.
I mean there was no way I was going to sleep with him tonight, but it was pretty empowering and exciting to know that he wanted me.
Even after my shameful behaviour.
We ate our eggs together making light conversation and engaging in friendly banter until my eyes started to droop and my lids felt heavy.
I tried to cover a yawn, but Hunter caught me and said, “I think it’s time for bed.”
My knees shook as we walked back through the living room and up a wide, curving staircase to the second floor.
“This place is huge for an apartment,” I said, taking it all.
“It’s ridiculous for one person, but the family insists I stay here. It’s a company property and needs to be occupied for tax reasons,” he said and for a moment he looked bashful. “It feels empty sometimes, so I amuse myself by chasing women.”
I let out a little laugh at that and was reminded again that I was just another notch on his belt. I was fully aware of it, but it hurt nonetheless.
At the top of the stairs we turned left and Hunter took me into a beautiful room with a large bed in the middle and a fireplace already going to the side.
“This is pretty,” I said, “too pretty to be yours.”
“It’s not, this is the guest suite. You’ll be staying here tonight. As much as like chasing women, I also know when it’s not going to happen.”
He smiled at me, brushed my hair off my shoulder and bent to kiss my forehead. “I’ll see you in the morning, we can have breakfast before I call you a ride home.”
“Thanks,” I replied and watched him leave, feeling distraught at being abandoned by an admitted man whore.
Was I not good enough for him? Did my earlier accident mean that he was off limits forever?
I felt the weight of it all land directly on my shoulders. My actions had been horrible, from letting him go down on me in the bathroom, to getting drunk and then throwing up on him.
I had made a fool of myself and it was something I could never come back from.
I curled up under the cozy comforter in the nicest room I’d ever seen in the most luxurious penthouse in the city on the most amazing mattress I’d ever felt.
And cried myself to sleep.
Chapter Seven
I woke up with my phone buzzing like crazy. I rolled over, shielded my eyes from the bright sunlight and reached out for it.
I looked at it, and saw that my room mate and best friend Samantha had texted me about a million times already.
It was eight in the morning on a Saturday, I had no idea what she was so frantic about.
I read the texts and they were increasingly more and more panicked, where was I, who was I banging, and was I dead.
As of five minutes ago, she’d basically decided that I was dead or dying and was thinking about calling my parents.
I texted her back and begged her not to include them in this.
I’m coming home soon, don’t you dare call them!
Jesus Mel, where the fuck are you?
You wouldn’t believe it if I told you.
Tell me now!
When I get home. Give me an hour.
You owe me a story, bitch.
Love you!
Love you too.
That was my Sam, anxious and wonderful.
I rolled the comforter off me and stepped out of the bed. I found my black dress folded neatly on a chair at the end of the bed and my oversized purse next to it.
I gulped when I realized Hunter’s poor housekeeper really must have cleaned the dress and brought the rest of my things up. Humiliation was complete, she knew what had happened and there was no hiding it now.
I went into the bathroom and washed my face, found some toothpaste and a brand new toothbrush. I scrubbed my gross teeth, tied my hair up in a loose bun on the back of my head, pulled on my work clothes and I was ready to go home and hopefully forget this night had ever happened.
I crept down the stairs and blessedly didn’t see a single soul on my way. I called for an Uber to meet me in front of the building, found my shoes and pushed the elevator button to leave.
The doors opened, I stepped inside, pressed L and held my breath until I was almost halfway down.
As much as I did hope there would have been more coming from tonight, that maybe I secretly would have been the one magic pussy that convinced Hunter that he should settle down and make me happy…I was even more happy to get the hell away from him.
I didn’t know how I could ever face him again. I might even quit my internship and look for another one.
My car was waiting for me when I got down to street level and I made it home in record time.
I guess there were some benefits to doing the walk of shame early on a Saturday morning. The streets were clear and the driver seemed too grumpy to make conversation.
The moment I got inside, Samantha practically leapt on me screaming, “Tell me everything, dammit! Who was it?”
“It was a disaster,” I moaned and threw my handbag to the floor and flopped onto our threadbare couch in our tiny living room. “I don’t think I’ll ever get over this.”
“Over what?” Sam asked, joining me on the couch.
“So you know Hunter Drake, my gorgeous boss of course,” I said.
“Well I don’t know him, but I know you’ve been talking non-stop about him,” she laughed.
“I know, it’s awful…but my crush isn’t as awful as what happened last night…”
I told her everything and I watched her wince in sympathy as I recounted the moment of horror. The throwing up, the crying, the rejection.
I shared every bit of my most humiliating experience with her, and it felt good to share it with my best friend.
After I was done, she sat there with her eyes wide open staring at me, not saying a word. This was so unusual for her, she was usually an outgoing chatterbox.
“Come on, say something,” I said, prodding her to respond.
“Give me a moment, I’m processing this,” she replied, biting her lower lip and frowning. “How can I spin this into a positive?”
“There is no positive spin!” I cried out. “I have to quit!”
“No, don’t quit. Maybe. I mean, damn, unless that’s your only choice.”
“Seriously? Do you think I should look for something else?”
“No, let’s not be hasty,” Sam said and carried on, “I think the only way you can handle this is to pretend it never happened.”
“How am I supposed to do that?”
“This internship is too good to give up. You deserve it, you’ve worked hard for it,” she said, “you can’t drop this now. Just look at him on Monday morning and pretend it never happened.”
I tried to argue, but that ended up being the only way it could work without me jeopardizing my future.
Sam was a good friend though, she spent the rest of the day taking me for lunch, window shopping on my favourite street, and finally a sushi dinner at an inexpensive restaura
nt near our apartment.
I’d known her for years, and she obviously knew me. She was exactly what I needed to calm my nerves and after a few shots of saki and some almost hysterical giggles, the night before seemed a lifetime away.
“Sounds like you two are having a good time,” a man’s voice said from the next table.
I looked over, irritated and angry that our fun had been interrupted, but I couldn’t help but notice Sam perked up when she saw him.
“We’re having a great time,” she said and brushed the hair off her forehead. “Why are you here all alone?”
"I was stood up by my Tinder date," he said and laughed, "I know, fucking pathetic, right?"
"She doesn't know what she missed," Sam giggled and flirted outrageously.
I bristled as they chatted but had to admit he really was Sam’s type.
Well built, charming and funny...and tattooed with big muscles, long curly hair and that bad boy attitude she loved. He looked like he belonged on stage or riding a Harley with his biker gang.
Sam herself was one of those alternative types, she had her lip pierced and tattoos all over. Currently her hair was short underneath and coloured a bright pink on the longer parts. She was beautiful, but never seemed settled on her looks, she always wanted to change.
I wasn't surprised when Sam invited him to sit with us, I moved my chair over so he could sit closer to her.
"The name's Marco,” he said, “and yes, I’m Latin and a lover.”
I fought against rolling my eyes and said, “I’m Melody and this is Samantha.”
“Sam,” Marco said, locking his eyes on my best friend. “I love it, it suits you.”
I took the hint to sit back and let them get to know each other. Half an hour or so later, I had finished my noodles and was pushing the last of my rice around on the plate, bored out of tears.
“Hey guys, I’m going to head home,” I said at last. “I’m tired and need to take a nice long bath.”
“Oh please don’t let me ruin your girl’s night out,” Marco said and looked over at me.
“It’s not ruined, we’re roommates so we see each other all the time,” I replied
“Sure, sounds good, I’ll see you later,” Sam said, barely looking up at me. I could be angry, but I’d done the same thing as her in the past, so I wasn’t too upset.
Big Boss: Quick and Dirty Page 3