by Jaye Diane
“Fine, spoilsport.” Lacey went to her desk and sat down.
Emerald tried to focus on her own work but she made several stupid mistakes because her mind kept drifting. She skipped lunch since her work day had gotten to a very late start and often stared at the flowers while she worked. When it was time to leave, she clutched the vase of flowers to her chest as she rushed from the building.
By the time her name popped up on his cell’s screen, he was pissed off. He’d paid extra money to guarantee that she’d get the flowers before noon and he’d been staring at his phone all day, waiting for her to call. It was already after seven and she was finally getting in touch with him. By text message!
He parked his black Mercedes in the parking lot that served the tenants of his building and looked at her message before he’d even taken off his seat belt.
Thank you for the flowers. They’re so pretty.
“That’s it?” He muttered under his breath. He’d been hoping she would have said that she’d had a good time with him too. He told himself not to dwell on that. It was obvious that she’d had a good time with him. He didn’t need her to say it.
He got out of the car and locked it, waving at the security guard who sat in the small booth on his way out of the gate. He used his key to enter his building. The swank lobby had cream colored walls and a red carpeted floor. It was completely empty. At night, there was a doorman who stood just inside the door but he wasn’t on the clock yet.
Linc lived in one of the best neighborhoods in Hoboken, which was already a quaint little town anyway. Everybody minded their business and it was usually quiet, with the exception of summer when the kids were off of school. That’s when the parks came alive and lots of people had parties. His parents lived only a few blocks away in their own brownstone and his sister lived just a little further than that.
He checked his mailbox and hurried to the elevators. He pressed the UP button and sifted through the envelopes as he waited. A couple of utility bills and a Christmas card. He opened the envelope of the card as he stepped onto the elevator. It was from an old friend that he didn’t really keep in touch with.
Once he was in his apartment he again looked at the message that Emerald had sent him. He was so disappointed that he didn’t even know how to reply. He wondered if she’d be so cool face to face. In that instant he decided to pay her a visit.
Refusing to have an internal debate over whether it was the right thing to do, he called a cab. She lived in Jersey City, a nearby city, in a really rough neighborhood and he wouldn’t risk leaving his car parked anywhere near there, especially not at night.
He’d never been inside Emerald’s house before but he’d dropped her off a couple of times. He didn’t like that she lived there but she was accustomed to it after living there for so many years. If anyone expressed concern for her safety, she just brushed them off.
He had the taxi driver stop at a take-out restaurant and he picked up some food for dinner. Hopefully the food would buy him entry into her apartment.
He shook his head when he was able to walk right into the dim halls of her apartment building. No locks on the front door.
He couldn’t remember which floor she lived on but it was listed on the mailboxes. 4C. After finding the elevator out of order, he ran up the stairs, shaking his head at all of the graffiti and written profanity all over the walls. He could hear a baby crying and rap music blasting. The faint odor of marijuana hit his nose as he climbed the last flight of steps.
When he reached the fourth floor, what he was about to do dawned on him and he felt a stab of nerves. He paused for a split second before going to her door and knocking hard. She might kick him to the curb but in his gut, he just knew she wouldn’t.
“Here goes nothing, Thayer,” He whispered to himself. He held his breath and waited for her to open the door.
Emerald looked through the peephole and gasped. Shaking her head at her reaction to him, she opened the door. She was still in her coat, having only just gotten in a minute before.
“Hey,” She said, forcing herself to sound casual. But she felt very jittery after parking her car five blocks away after stopping at the police station.
“Hey.” He leaned forward and kissed her cheek then walked into the door without waiting for an invitation.
She was glad she’d cleaned her apartment the day before but it still wasn’t impressive. She wondered what he thought about the old green couch, beat up coffee table and mismatched lamps that were on either side of the couch. The walls were painted a vibrant shade of orange and she had multicolored area rugs throughout the room.
“How are you?” He asked, putting a big plastic bag down on the coffee table. “You just got home?”
“Yeah, I did,” She replied and removed her coat. “It’s been a long day.”
She thought about telling him about her car, and the notes and messages. But she didn’t want it to get back to her Devin, which meant that Robyn would automatically find out. She didn’t want Robyn to worry. She wanted Robyn to enjoy herself on her honeymoon, not be worried about some idiot who had nothing better to do than harass her.
There had been several times over the past several months that she’d been very tempted to confide in Robyn and their other friends as well. But she never gave in. She didn’t want them to worry unnecessarily. It was her problem to deal with.
“I brought some dinner,” He said as he gestured to the bag. He had a broad smile on his face and she felt her blood heat just a little.
“That’s great,” She replied, hanging up her coat and watching him shrug out of his navy blue pea coat. “I missed lunch. I’m starved.”
He was still dressed in a shirt, tie and slacks but she could clearly see the contours of his chest through his shirt. He had a lean, swimmer’s body. She knew he loved to run and swim. In turn he’d been rewarded with a fine ass physique.
He winked at her and she quickly turned her head, embarrassed to be caught staring even only for a moment.
“Thank you for the flowers,” She murmured, hearing her cell phone vibrate. She would have ignored it if she hadn’t been waiting for a call or text from Robyn. “I love them.”
It’s not over. Goosebumps rose over her skin as she read the threat and she put the phone into her purse.
“You’re welcome.” He looked at the flowers sitting in the center of her ratty, old coffee table.
“So how was your day?” She asked, stepping out of her heels. With her heels on, he was only a few inches taller than her. Without the heels, she felt incredibly short. But her feet were aching. As hungry as she was from missing breakfast and lunch, she’d planned to get into the tub for a long soak before eating anything.
“It was okay. I had a presentation today. It went well.”
Lincoln was a market research analyst. Knowing he was so successful was slightly intimidating but she usually tried not think about it. She’d never gone to college, hadn’t even tried to apply. Desperate for independence, she’d gone straight to work right after graduating from high school. It was then that she’d been hired at Marley’s Gym. She had loved her job until the elder Marley had retired, leaving control of the gym to his sleazy son.
“How are you feeling?” He asked suddenly, his tone changing from casual to intense. “You seem...sad.”
“I’m not sad!” She denied right away. She emphasized the denial with a laugh and a swat on his arm. “Like I said, I had a long day. And I’m hungry so let’s eat whatever you brought for dinner.”
“It’s pasta and salad.”
“Sounds good, Lincoln. I probably would have had cereal if you hadn’t come.” She gave him a smile and strutted off to the kitchenette to retrieve plates and cutlery. The tiny table in the kitchenette was just big enough for two and within seconds they were seated there, serving themselves from the takeout containers.
“So what happened today?” He asked once they’d begun eating. “Everything okay at work?”
&nbs
p; “Everything’s fine,” She lied, which was unlike her. But the less people knew, the better and work was fine. “I never thought I could have a traditional office job but it’s a big place so I keep busy. It never gets boring.”
“Do you like it better than your last job?”
“To a certain point. The gym’s atmosphere was fun and laid back and loud. But my last boss was a major pervert with a hand problem so going to work there started becoming stressful.” She left the table and went to the small fridge, grabbing a bottle of wine. She held the bottle up for him to see and he nodded so she poured them each a glass and set the bottle on the table.
“You were being sexually harassed?” He had a dark frown on his face.
“Yeah.” And now the prick couldn’t get to her anymore and was trying other desperate tactics. “He wouldn’t back off so I had to defend myself. I got fired then and there.”
“What did you do?”
“I kneed him in his balls,” She confessed, looking Lincoln in the eye to see what he thought about that.
“You should have sued the bastard,” He said, twirling spaghetti onto his fork.
“It wasn’t worth it. Besides, I had no proof.” She shrugged. She’d gotten over most of the anger she felt about being sexually harassed but now Marley had taken a dangerous turn. She already had pepper spray but she planned to get a pocket knife so that she could defend herself if she had to.
“I hate assholes like that,” Lincoln muttered. “Self-entitled prick.”
“It’s okay, Lincoln,” She said, heartened that he cared so much. “I’m over it.”
A quick grin came to his handsome face and he smiled as he raised his glass to his lips.
“What?” She asked, telling herself not to squirm under his scrutiny.
“I like how you same my name.”
“What are you taking about?” She was genuinely puzzled.
“You’re the only one who calls me Lincoln. I like it.”
She hadn’t realized that she did that. She didn’t like the implications.
“Whatever,” She scoffed. “It doesn’t mean anything so don’t read too much into it.”
“You’ve done it since we met,” He said, draining his glass and placing it on the table. “I know exactly what it means.”
She finished her own wine and went back to her dinner, not wanting to play his little game. She had too much on her mind to play any kind of games. She was too vulnerable to put herself out there. She didn’t want to risk saying the wrong thing.
“So I have a proposition for you,” He said after several seconds of silence between them.
“What kind of proposition?” Already her spine had stiffened. She put her fork down and crossed her arms on the tabletop.
“Hear me out,” He said, raising his hands up in a placating gesture.
“Alright.” She nodded once.
“I know you said we should just go back to being friends-”
“Please, let’s not go there right now. I really don’t want to talk about this.”
“Hear me out,” He repeated.
She sighed. She’d thought she’d made herself perfectly clear when they were at the hotel that she didn’t want a relationship.
“I know you’re worried I’ll get too attached or always be around,” He lowered his voice. “But I’m not like that. I like to keep things light. I know you feel the same way.”
“So?” She asked although she already knew what he was leading up to.
“There’s no reason we shouldn’t have fun and enjoy each other’s company.”
“We-”
“Don’t give me that bull about us going back to being friends. The line already got crossed and there’s no going back.”
She snapped her mouth shut, intrigued against her will by the idea of having a friend with benefits. It had been so good with Lincoln and she had wondered if that was because he was that good or because she’d been abstinent for more than two years.
But still, she hesitated. She didn’t have time for a relationship, even the no-strings one that Lincoln was now offering. She had to figure out how to get proof of what Marley was doing so that her life could go back to normal.
He stood up and grabbed her hand, pulling her up with him and then against him until their bodies were pressed together. She could feel his erection pressing against her and the knowledge of her power over him seemed to make her weak in the knees.
Almost against her will, she was instantly turned on. She tossed her doubts and worries to the side. Maybe fun was just what she needed. She’d just have to play it smart.
She stood up on the tips of her toes and pressed her mouth against his, giving in without another thought.
With a satisfied murmur, Linc cupped her ass, pressing their bodies even closer. Her mouth was so hot beneath his, her tongue darting in and out of his mouth. He slowly backed her up, kissing her all the while, until they reached the couch.
She lay back on the couch, staring up at him with those russet eyes, and his heart seemed to tighten in his chest. She was just so beautiful and he was as enthusiastic as a teenager. He got rid of his tie but gave up on his shirt after the top button because he had to kiss her again.
He settled between her legs and she pressed her hands against his chest. He fed on her mouth until they were both breathless. She flicked her finger back and forth across his nipple and he laughed and groaned at the same time.
Lifting away from her, he undid the rest of his buttons and threw his shirt to the floor. He had a white tank top on and he got rid of it before going back down to her and tasting the slope of her neck.
Her thighs were up around his waist and he automatically grinded against her. He still had his pants on and she was wearing suit pants too. The friction was torment.
He nipped her neck and she yelped.
“No hickeys!” She exclaimed, breathing heavily.
He placed hot, wet kisses from one side of her neck to the other before going up to her ear and sucking her lobe into his mouth. He felt her shudder and her hands ran up into his hair in a tight grip.
He released her ear lobe and went to the other one, gently sucking it for a few moments as she squirmed beneath him. His breathing was ragged and he was beginning to feel desperate. He pulled away so he could stand up and she seemed unwilling to let him go. After a couple of seconds, her arms dropped to her sides and she lay on the couch with closed eyes. Her ample breasts rose and fell with her erratic breathing and he smiled at the sight she made.
He toed off his shoes and began to unbuckle his belt. She opened her eyes and watched him for a few seconds before reaching for the button on her own pants. They were naked in seconds and he hurried back to the couch, eager to touch her.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and they kissed again. He pinched her nipple and rolled it between his fingers, making her cry out.
She opened her legs, wrapping them around his waist. His shaft was nestled against her wet heat and it was his undoing.
He moved back, opening her for him, before thrusting inside with a long sigh. She felt too good to be true and he immediately began to move.
“W-wait!” She gasped through gritted teeth.
“What’s the matter?” He managed to say. It took everything in him to be still.
She opened and closed her mouth several times without making any sound other than heavy breathing.
“Em?” He whispered, his body trembling under the stress of sexual tension.
“A condom!” She breathed and snapped her eyes shut.
With a jolt, he pulled out of her, shocked beyond words. He’d never, not even as a randy kid, had forgotten to use protection. To do it now was so unlike him that he didn’t know what to say. Wordlessly he fished his wallet out of his pants and retrieved the condom.
“I’m sorry, Emerald,” He said, embarrassed at his mistake. “I would never-”
“It’s okay!” She snapped, her legs still wide open. “Hur
ry up.”
He smiled in spite of the huge error he’d just made and quickly rolled the condom on. He joined her on the couch and she took him in her hands and guided him inside. Digging her nails into his back, she met his thrusts, crying out with each one.
He knew he had a death grip on her hips but he couldn’t help himself. He was already mindless with need. He began to thrust faster and faster until he felt her body quaking around him.
“Lincoln!” Her nails raked him again and he was vaguely aware of some stinging on his shoulder as he reached his own climax.
Out of breath, he gently lowered himself down on top of her. Her breath came in warm bursts against his cheek and he lifted up on his elbow and smiled down at her.
“That was…” She sighed and smiled.
“I know,” He whispered back, touching her face, loving the contrast between her creamy brown skin and his fair skin.
Something remarkable was happening here and he couldn’t help but be pleased about it. Tonight had gone better than he’d even dreamed. Hell, he’d only planned on going to her house so they could talk. But they’d already made love again and with it, a huge step was taken in the direction that he wanted to go.
The next day, Emerald drove her car, trying and failing not to think about Lincoln. She ignored the little voice at the back of her head that told her she’d made a mistake and that she was taking advantage of Lincoln. It had been obvious the day after the wedding that he wanted some kind of relationship. But that quickly changed to him just wanting a sexual relationship.
Either he’d been lying about wanting a relationship or claiming he wanted a relationship based on sex was the lie. She doubted that he’d have changed his mind so fast. But she refused to let herself think about it too much. They were both adults and she was sure that when it came time to end their little affair, they would handle it maturely.
She parked her car in the Jamison’s driveway. They had a traditional two-story house with a white picket fence. It was the kind of house that Emerald had dreamed of growing up in but the closest she’d come to it had been sleepovers at the Phillips’ residence.