by Ava Alexia
“I’d better get going. It’s late and we will have a busy day tomorrow preparing for your trip,” he said.
Maddie was standing in front of the bay window. She turned to face him.
“Alright. Thank you for the Edelston job. I won’t let you down,” she said earnestly.
“I’m not worried that you will. You’re an excellent designer, Madison. Edelston could not be in better hands,” he responded.
He moved to the door and held out his hand to her. Maddie hesitated then moved to join him. She grasped his outstretched hand. He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it. He gently suckled it for a long moment; his eyes never leaving her glistening green orbs. Maddie caught her breath at the gesture. Never in her life had a man kissed her hand in such a manner. He finally lifted his head and smiled.
“Goodnight, Madison,” he said gently.
“Goodnight, Whit,” she whispered.
He opened the door and was gone in an instant. Maddie put her hand to her chest and covered it with the other. She cherished his farewell and could feel the excitement mounting in anticipation of seeing him in the morning. She turned off the lights and went into her bedroom. As she settled into bed she eagerly closed her eyes. Maddie readily welcomed the dreams she knew she would have that night.
*****
Maddie walked into her cubicle and stopped short. At first she thought she was in the wrong cubicle. She looked around the tiny office in confusion.
“It looks good, doesn’t it?” Tina said admiringly. “It seems that Whit has a softer side after all.”
“I don’t understand. Did Whit do all of this?” Maddie asked in awe.
Tina nodded her head affirmatively.
“The rumor mill says that he had workers here before the rooster crowed to transform your office. You must have made a huge impression on him,” Tina said knowingly.
Maddie ignored the innuendo and walked further into the office. It was triple its original size with a draft table, a round conference table and a comfy sofa. But it was the desk chair that Maddie was irresistibly drawn to. She moved to it and sank into its cushiony comfort. She leaned back into its tan leather comfort and sighed contentedly. She couldn’t refrain from putting her feet on the corner of the desk. Tina laughed and clapped her hands.
“No one deserves this more than you,” Tina said excitedly. “I felt so badly for you when he kicked you out of your office. But he has redeemed himself nicely.”
“This is pretty cool,” Maddie grinned.
“All you need is an office door,” Tina exuded.
“I’ll put an order in for one.”
Tina spun around at the sound of Whit’s cool British tone as Maddie quickly removed her feet from the desk. Whit stood in the doorway, formidable and imposing. He was such a tall and muscular man; dwarfing every man in the office. And when you add his handsome magnetism to his physical attributes, no other man could compare or compete.
“I’ll be happy to place the order for you, Whit,” Tina offered sweetly.
“If you would,” Whit said amiably. “Check with the contractor, Jake for the measurements on your way out.”
Tina knew that she had been dismissed. She nodded.
“Right away,” she said as she scurried out of the office.
Maddie knew that within seconds the gossip mill would be turning. But she didn’t care. She adored her new office and was very grateful to Whit for his kindness and generosity.
“Whit, this is phenomenal,” she said breathlessly.
“Do you like it? I took a page from your home design to configure this space. I hope the color scheme is to your liking,” he said.
“I love it. It’s wonderful. Thank you. I never dreamed that you would do this for me after—
She stopped abruptly.
“After I tossed you out of your office?” he questioned. “It’s the very least I can do to make amends.”
“Well, I’m not one to carry a grudge. Consider the matter closed. And I really do like what you’ve done here. It screams Maddie,” she smiled radiantly.
Whit caught his breath at the sight of her smile. She truly was gorgeous.
“I thought it suited you as well. I felt you would like the pale green and cream color accents. But I couldn’t be sure until you saw it. I’m glad you like it,” he smiled.
“I do and I can’t wait to start working here. There’s so much to get done before I leave for Aruba,” she said.
“The workers are still coating the windows in the office. It will be some time before they are done. You are welcome to work in my office until they are finished,” he explained.
“Okay. Let me grab a few things and I will meet you there,” she said.
“Alright,” he replied.
Whit left her office and quickly crossed the room to his own. It was true that the workers were coating the exteriors of the office windows but he had an ulterior motive for wanting Madison in his office—it had a door and a lock. And he intended to close it immediately upon her entering the office. Last night had been a hellish night. He had quickly sought his shower when he got home but the cold water did little to temper his raging need. He was surprised and frustrated that the freezing spray had not cooled his ardor. It had always worked in the past. He left the shower with his penis just as erect and pulsating as it had been when he entered. He got in bed and determined to jack off. He had but it had not been satisfying. He needed Madison. She was the only one who could give him the fulfillment that he craved. As soon as they were alone he intended to kiss her to delirium.
“Hey there. I may have forgotten a few items. It’s hard to collect everything when you’ve recently changed offices,” she chattered. “You’re not sure where everything is.”
Whit closed and locked the door while she talked. As she placed items on the conference table he quietly approached her from behind. He slid his arms about her waist. She gasped.
“Whit! We can’t,” she exclaimed.
He began kissing her neck.
“We can,” he countered.
“Someone could come in,” she protested.
“I locked the door. No one will have the balls to knock,” he whispered.
He turned her to face him and claimed her mouth. He kissed her ravenously. He couldn’t get enough of the recesses of her mouth. Maddie relaxed against him and returned his kiss. She couldn’t deny the fire that quickly ignited at the touch of his lips. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. She doubted that she would be able to hold very long against his advances. Whit caressed her breasts and her peaks soon hardened. He licked them through her blouse. At that moment Maddie would have given her right arm not to be wearing the thin barrier. Whit held her tightly with one arm as he slid his other hand down to the hem of her dress. He pushed the hem upward until his hand could easily glide up her thigh. Maddie knew where his hand was going and welcome the intrusion. Her haven was on fire with need. She widened her stance in readiness for his hand. He pushed her panties aside and fingered her aching clitoris. She almost screamed in excitement. He covered her mouth with his own; his tongue tangled with hers. He increased the pace of his fingers and Maddie knew that she would soon explode.
“Whit, I can’t stop it,” she cried.
“Don’t try. Let it come, Madison,” he said gruffly.
He pushed his finger into her hollow and pumped. That was her undoing. She clung to him as she spiraled out of control. He held her tightly to his chest and kissed her deeply. Maddie’s legs felt so weak that she collapsed against him. Whit scooped her up and sat in a comfortable chair at the conference table. Maddie wiggled as she made herself comfortable on his lap.
“Stop that or you’ll find yourself spread eagle on this table,” he grinned.
“You wouldn’t!” she exclaimed.
“I think I’ve proven that I would,” he retorted.
Maddie looked into his beautiful blue eyes and saw that his threat was real. Maddie was tempted to toss caution to
the wind..
“I think we’ve had our fun for one day,” she said instead.
“I could get used to this kind of afternoon delight,” he teased.
“I bet you could. But don’t get any ideas. What just happened should not have and it can’t happen again,” she said sternly.
“Maybe not here. But it will happen again,” he assured her.
Maddie smiled and shook her head at him. She gave him a peck on the lips then moved from his lap.
“Let’s get to work,” she said.
Whit smiled and let her go. He had won a small battle today. He had been intimate with her and she had welcomed his advances. It was evident that he had not imagined her heady response to him last night. And her reaction to him today was just as powerful and potent. She was uninhibited and passionate. Her sexual appetite was as fierce and as great as his. He could only imagined what it would be like when they had full blown sex. His cock was rearing its greedy head at the thought of it. He grasped his penis under the table and massaged it. He wished it were her hand administering to him but he had to be patient. She wasn’t ready and he could wait. It might be a tortuous wait but he would do it. He smiled as he looked at her; head bent over the plans. He had enjoyed giving her pleasure and she had received it freely. Seeing her climax at the touch of his fingers was an exciting turn on. And he intended to repeat the act whenever he got the chance; and that included here at the office. He removed his hand from his cock and moaned softly. Maddie glanced at him in askance. He smiled faintly at her to assure her that all was well. He was far from well but he would manage. He finally turned his thoughts to the Edelston project. They worked steadily for the rest of the day.
Chapter 3
Maddie laughed uproariously at Dillon’s joke. Her brother-in-law should have been a stand-up comedian. He was hysterical. Maddie missed spending time with her family. Since her career had been on the fast track she had been skipping the weekly Friday night dinners. She was happy that she had carved out the time to attend tonight. The doorbell rang and Logan hurriedly left his seat on the sofa to answer the door.
“Hey Whit! Come on in,” Logan said from the front door.
Maddie’s head performed a spin that would have made the exorcist proud. She couldn’t believe she had heard Logan accurately. She waited impatiently for Logan and his guest to come into the den. She was sure her heart momentarily stopped beating at the sight of Whit. He grinned at her boyishly.
“Hey, everybody. Say hello to my friend Whitman Lampier. He, Jules and I worked on a project together while in London. He’s as good as they come,” Logan announced.
Maddie’s two sisters, her parents and Dillon converged on Whit in greeting.
“Whitman, I remember you from Jules wedding. Welcome,” Winifred McClain said cheerfully. Maddie’s mom could always remember a face.
“Yes, I attended that wonderful affair. And please call me Whit,” Whit said smoothly.
“Indeed, you were Jules’s best man,” Logan grinned. “I’m still miffed about that. It should have been me standing by Jules side.”
Both Logan and Whit laughed good-naturedly. Maddie hung back from the crowd which her mother noticed immediately.
“Maddie! Come greet Whit,” Winifred encouraged.
Maddie could have happily strangled her mother. She’d been hoping to sneak out without being noticed. She had almost made it to the door when her mom snagged her. Everyone turned to look at her so she had no choice but to join the party.
“Hello, Whit,” Maddie said. “Didn’t I just see you a few hours ago?”
“Hi, Madison,” he smiled. “I hadn’t anticipated the pleasure of seeing you tonight either. But I am pleased by the occurrence.”
Winifred frowned at their greeting. Somehow they sounded very intimate with one another.
“Have the two of you seen one another today?’ Winifred asked in puzzlement. Winifred hadn’t seen them spending any time together at the wedding. But it sounded as though they had seen each that very day.
Maddie knew that she would have to explain. Drat! Why did Logan have to invite him? She needed some space from him. Things were going way too fast between them and she needed to slow them down. She’d thought that coming to her family dinner would be the perfect diversion from thoughts of him. Little did she know that he would be standing in her den mingling with her family.
“You could say that. Whit is the new owner of Creative Concepts,” Maddie explained.
“He’s your boss!” Tiffany exclaimed.
Maddie cringed. Leave it to her fifteen-year-old sister to broadcast it to the world.
“I prefer to think of us as colleagues,” Whit said smoothly.
Tiffany was instantly smitten. She hung on his every word as infatuation danced in her eyes. Maddie couldn’t blame her. Whit’s British accent was quite pronounced in his tactful delivery and he looked like a gorgeous Greek god. Maddie couldn’t help but remember their afternoon tryst. She could feel her blood begin to rush at the thought of it.
“Well, what a small world,” Winifred said. “Come sit and tell us about your work. Maddie, come join us.”
Maddie ended up seated on the couch beside Whit. She listened to him talk about his work and was soon captivated by his enthusiasm. He loved his work and did not think of it as a job. It was simply his life. She realized that Whit was quite the entrepreneur. His international company invested in a myriad of fields; aero-space technology, crop cultivation, medical research as well as the arts and media. Whit was a hard worker and an over-achiever. The accomplishments of his business reflected his dedication to his passion. Maddie had his same passion for design. The more he talked the more she recognized their similarities. Maybe this was why she was so drawn to him. In many ways they were two of a kind.
“So, why did you buy an interior design company?” Tiffany asked.
Maddie very much wanted to know the answer to that question as well.
“I’d heard through the gossip mill that the owner wanted to unload it. Rumors said that he owed a lot of money to an unsavory lender and that he was running out of time,” he explained. Maddie remembered hearing those rumors. “I did some research on the business and saw that it was on good financial footing. With a little TLC it would be a very good investment. I have a background in art history and architecture so I felt that I could contribute to its continued success.”
“No wonder he was so well versed in design. His background lends itself to the craft,” Maddie thought.
Whit suddenly looked at Maddie, as if wanting her approval of his actions. Despite her attraction to him, she was still somewhat annoyed at his autocratic behavior from several days ago. But she could feel her irritation slipping away the better she got to know him. And she had to admit that she enjoyed their sexual play. It was somewhat ridiculous for her to remain miffed at him. She gazed into his deep blue eyes and felt her lips form a smile. He winked at her; a gesture that did not escape her family’s notice. Everyone looked at them speculatively; especially her mother and sisters. Maddie determined she had better leave before those women could get their claws of inquisition into her. Maddie allowed another thirty minutes to pass before she said her goodnight.
“Must you leave so soon?’ Winifred bemoaned.
“It’s late, Mom and I need to get back to New York. I want to go into the office tomorrow,” Maddie explained.
“On a Saturday,” Winnie exclaimed. She turned to look at Whit. “What kind of slave driver are you?”
Maddie grinned at Whit’s discomfort. He raised his hands in self-defense.
“I did not tell her she had to work tomorrow. For once in my life I am totally innocent,” he said wryly.
“Then why is she going in?” Winnie demanded.
“It’s completely her call,” Whit defended himself.
Maddie found it annoying to be spoken about as if she wasn’t there.
“Hello! I’m here. I can speak for myself,” Maddie said loudly.
“Then why don’t you?” Winnie said tartly.
“I will,” Maddie retorted. “I’m going into the office because I want to. I have a lot of things to square away before I leave.”
“Leave where?” Tiffany asked.
Maddie groaned in frustration. She had intended to tell everyone about her Aruba trip but hadn’t had a chance. She glanced at Whit who was grinning broadly.
“Never mind. I’ll tell you later. Gotta go. Goodnight!” Maddie said as she trotted to the door.
“Maddie!” Winnie exclaimed.
“I must be leaving too. Thank you for your splendid hospitality. I had a wonderful time,” Whit said graciously.
Winifred sighed and smiled lovingly at his affable manner. Whit’s English charm was shining through.
“No problem. You’re welcome any time,” Logan said.
Logan walked Whit to the door and they said their goodbyes. Logan closed the door as Whit ran down the porch steps of the Connecticut home. He saw Maddie backing out of the driveway. He ran to her white Mustang and hit the hood. She stopped.
“What are you doing?” she yelled. It was a warm night and her convertible top was down.
“I’m going to follow you home,” he said from over the top of her raised windows.
Maddie panicked. He couldn’t come home with her. She wasn’t sure that she could say no if he did.
“No, Whit. Please don’t follow me,” she begged. “Please don’t.”
Whit looked into her dark green eyes and saw the turmoil there. He immediately backed off. The last thing he wanted to do was cause her pain or confusion.
“Alright. I’ll not follow you. Goodnight, Madison,” he said softly.
He saw her sigh deeply.
“Goodnight, Whit,” she whispered.