My boss’ son.
I quickly excuse myself from the table. “Hailey Lundeen?” I say into the receiver, trying to sound professional although my stomach is doing somersaults.
“I passed by your cubicle. You weren’t there,” he says matter-of-factly.
I glance up at the clock on living room wall. It’s 8:47 in the evening. “I went home.” I try to sound casual just as loud laughter erupts in my kitchen.
“What’s going on over there?” I can hear the possessive jealousy creep into his voice.
“Some of the girls from the office are here. We’re having dinner.”
“Well, you’re gonna have to come back in to work…I need you tonight.”
My breasts tingle at his words. Every time I hear his voice or see his handsome face, I think back to that first night in late summer when we let ourselves get carried away. Every part of me wants to experience that again and again, but Matt has made it clear that it was a one-time thing and that I should forget it ever happened. Our relationship is strictly professional. He’s a senior associate who needs my assistance tonight and if I want this internship to firm up into a permanent job once I pass the New York state bar exam, I need to be at his beck and call.
I suppress a sigh. “I’ll be right there,” I say in a small voice just before disconnecting the call.
“Who was that?” Nadia asks as I stick my head into the kitchen to tell the girls that I have to leave.
“Uh, it was Matt. I’ve gotta head back to the office.”
“Aww. That sucks,” Amber whines.
“Dammit – my brother’s such a buzzkill,” Madison groans.
I sweep my hand through the air dismissively. “No worries. He’s always working on some exciting deal. I don’t mind going back in. I really don’t.”
“Well, we’ll catch up tomorrow,” Jasmine says.
“Yeah – good night, ladies.” I waste no time grabbing my purse and hurrying down the stairs. Once I’m on the sidewalk, I hail a yellow cab and hop in. The cabbie swerves into the bumper-to-bumper traffic so fast that he almost knocks over a cyclist on his bike. I clutch my chest as the cyclist bangs against the roof of the car and hurls obscenities at the driver. The cabbie honks his horn loudly as he merges into the relentless midtown Manhattan traffic.
It’s pure chaos.
It’s New York.
And I love every bit of it.
Chapter 3
The office is eerily quiet as I step off the elevator and am greeted only by the sign mounted on the vestibule wall.
Cartwright Moretti Stevenson.
In big, shiny silver-plated letters.
I smile to myself still in awe of the fact that I landed an internship at one of the country’s most reputed law firms. It’s true that CMS isn’t the biggest law firm in town and in this case, size truly doesn’t matter because CMS is by far, the best. We have top talent in real estate law, entertainment law and most importantly, tech startup law, my primary area of interest.
As I quickstep down the 7th floor hallway to Matt’s office, I remind myself of just how lucky I am to intern at a place like this.
“Amelia – I’m done playing this game with you!” I hear Matt growl into his smartphone as I approach his office. His voice echoes in the otherwise quiet space. “Tilly is not a pawn. She’s not a negotiating chip. She’s a child. You have to stop with this nonsense.”
I can feel his contained fury before I’ve even entered the room. Matt’s broad shoulders are tense as he stands in front of his floor-to-ceiling window, looking out over Union Square. Not one strand of his thick, dark hair is out of place. A tumbler of dark alcohol dangles from his fingers and his expensive watch peeks out from under the long sleeve of his white oxford shirt. His suit jacket is draped carefully over the back of one of the chairs facing his desk. The papers on his desk are stacked in neat rows.
I steel myself and tap lightly against his open door.
He spins around to face me. He takes an audible breath and drops his tone. “Look – I have to go,” he says curtly into the phone. He ends the call without waiting for the person on the other end to respond. He sets his phone and the alcohol down on the edge of his desk.
“Hi, Matt,” I say hesitantly as I take a tentative step into the room.
“Why did you leave the office so early?” he says in a terse voice as he walks by me to close the door. His body brushes against mine and I shiver all over as the musky scent of his skin fills my senses. My lips part involuntarily as I take a small breath of air into my lungs.
God – this guy gets me going.
He’s cold, distant and aloof. But he is so utterly sophisticated and urbane.
He’s sexy.
With those intense, hooded brown eyes. And those deep dimples that make an appearance on the rare occasions when he chooses to smile. Those blood-red lips that were designed for sucking on and that thick, dark Moretti hair.
Every thing about him is so…intense.
“Hailey – why did you leave so early?” He looks irritated. He doesn’t like repeating himself.
I dart my tongue across my bottom lip almost to wipe away the nerves. “My friends were hosting a dinner to cheer me up. I got mugged today,” I say sweeping my arm dramatically in the air.
Matt sits on the edge of his desk with a heavy sigh. “Hailey – you are well aware that I’m working on a major deal for DuBois Realties and that I need your help. Is this internship not a priority for you? If you’re not prepared to take this opportunity seriously, I might have to ask another one of the interns to take your place.” He’s literally growling at me, completely ignoring that I just told him I was attacked only hours ago.
Matt handpicked me to work on this case after Chase, Mr. DuBois’ son, quit his internship at the firm a few weeks ago to go travel Europe. I know that I’m lucky to have been assigned this case. But I got mugged today for Christ’s sake. A little leniency would be nice.
“Now, I need you to make two photocopies of each of these documents,” he says authoritatively as he picks up four sheets of paper from his desk and stretches them in my direction. He doesn’t even bother to look at me.
Are you fucking serious?
I left my house at nearly 9p.m. to come here and photocopy four sheets of paper?
I take a few steps forward and yank the papers out of his outstretched hand. “Is that it?” I try to suppress the irritation edging into my voice but I can’t.
Matt glances at me. His lips thin into a frown when he notes the displeasure on my face. “Is there a problem, Hailey?”
I’d normally bite my tongue but today has been particularly rough for me. I just can’t resist.
“It all just seems a bit unnecessary – you calling me in at this hour to make a handful of photocopies.”
The instant I say it, I wish I could take it back. Dammit – this is the boss’ son I’m talking to. I’m not usually the feisty type. What the hell has gotten into me tonight?
Matt’s nostrils flare. His stormy eyes darken. He approaches me and snatches the papers out of my hand. He rips them up into shreds. He glowers down on my five foot, five inch frame. “Hailey Lundeen, I am working towards closing a major real estate acquisition for one of this firm’s largest clients. Plus, I have an ex-girlfriend trying to take me to the cleaners. The last thing I want to deal with is insubordination from a fucking intern when I ask her to perform a simple task!”
“I – I’m sorry, Matt,” I stammer shrinking towards the closed door. We stand there for a long while, both frozen by the intensity of the moment. His body is so close. His scent, so overpowering. I’m painfully aware of his presence. Aching with the need to touch him. If I wasn’t completely shaken by his verbal rampage, I might do something stupid right now.
Like kiss him.
He turns away from me suddenly and storms towards his desk. He slumps into his executive chair and throws his head back against the seat, scrubbing his hands down his face. “Ah go
d – I need a fucking escape,” he mutters to himself.
“Should I leave?” I ask in a small voice.
His eyes rise slowly to look at me. “No – stay.”
I see vulnerability cracking through his icy façade. He stands and approaches me slowly, tentatively.
“I need you tonight.”
His hand leaps to the base of my neck and then glides into the roots of my wavy, blond hair. He tilts my head with just a touch of violent passion and I hear myself moan impulsively right before his soft lips bruise mine with rough desire.
His lips never leave mine as he walks me over to his desk. There’s nothing sweet in the way he kisses me. I hold tight to his bulging biceps when I feel the desk pressing against the backs of my thighs.
It’s all hunger and lust. I hear a drawer open. I hear a condom wrapper tear.
“Bend over, Hailey.” His voice is gruff and low.
I do as I’m told and wait for what seems like an eternity as he pulls down his pants and cloaks himself in the condom. He yanks up my skirt and tugs my panties to the side. I silently thank the heavens that the lighting in his office is dim enough to hopefully conceal the cellulite crawling up the back of my thighs.
There’s no warning or kind words before he plunges his cock into me as far as it will go. I cry out loudly as a mix of shock and pleasure invades my system. “Shut up,” he orders in a low voice as he smacks my ass with his open hand. I feel mortified as I imagine my enormous ass jiggling with the aftershocks of the blow.
Matt yanks on a handful of my hair as he rides the wave of pleasure that my body is offering his. I press my forehead into the top of his desk and bite back the moans building up in my body. But I can’t take it anymore. I cry out brashly. He groans loud and long as he climaxes hard.
He leans forward gripping my hips. His breaths come out in quick bursts as he catches his breath. His cock is limp as it slips out of me.
He rounds his desk as I straighten up, tugging my skirt back into place. “Bathroom’s over there,” Matt says with a slight growl to his voice as he gestures with his chin towards a door in the corner of the room.
I thank him silently as I pad over to the washroom. My system is way too shocked to fully absorb my luxurious surroundings. I dampen a clean towel and wipe my skin without bringing my eyes to the mirror. I know that if I do, I’ll see the embarrassing, shit-eating grin that I know is plastered across my face.
When I walk out of the washroom, Matt is on the phone again. “Amelia – what kind of woman uses a child as a blackmail weapon?” he growls. He falls silent when he sees me. He gestures for me to come over to his desk. He hands me a page torn out of the small yellow note pad sitting on his desk.
Tomorrow. 3:30p.m. is all it says.
He shoos me away with a flick of his wrist, all his attention now trained on his phone call. I pick up my purse from the floor where it’s sitting and quietly make my way out the door.
Once I’m out in the hallway, I need a second to catch my breath. I can’t believe the events that just transpired. I hear myself giggling profusely as I lean against the wall just outside of Matt’s office.
“What’s so funny?” The voice takes me by surprise.
I glance over at a nearby cubicle and see Matt’s secretary – Anna-Maria is her name, I think – shooting daggers in my direction in the dim hallway.
“Oh – I – I’m sorry,” I mutter, mortified as I resume my walk towards the elevator.
“You think you’re special, huh? You’re just one of the many interns he’s fucked, sweetheart.” Her voice is poisoned with envy.
The words sting. But I don’t turn back. I just keep walking towards the elevator.
Chapter 4
The usual pep is back in my step by the time I walk through the chrome and glass doors of the building that houses CMS munching on buckwheat crackers the next day at 3:15 p.m.
The sex last night wasn’t exactly mind-blowing, but I’m so attracted to Matt that it doesn’t matter. Just being close to him again was enough to send me straight to cloud nine.
And to top it off, I just know that I aced my family law mid-term this morning.
So, I feel good. So good that I almost have to restrain myself from skipping through the busy lobby.
“Hey! Hey you!”
I faintly register someone calling out but I’m so lost in my own world that I don’t even think to respond.
I get to the elevator and hit the call button. Then, I feel a strong hand rest gently on my shoulder. That nearly makes me jump out of my skin. “Oh sweet Jesus,” I yelp as I spin around grasping at my chest. My cracker falls to the floor and my mouth is hanging open. I’m immediately embarrassed by my very Texan reaction. No matter how much I try to suppress it, the little southern girl in me still rears her sweet little annoying head every now and then.
I bring my eyes up to those of the man standing in front of me.
Whoa!
He’s no less than six foot five. His short hair is sandy brown and his plump lips wear a boyish smile. His eyes are striking. The most unusual shade of green I’ve ever seen. He looks just a year or two older than me. He’s handsome. Very handsome. But I’m wary. I did just get mugged yesterday.
I take a cautious step back, gripping tightly to the strap of my purse. “Yes?”
“Hey Cowgirl – How ya doing today?” he says in a tone that’s way too comfortable. And way too Texan.
“I’m doing good,” I say raising an eyebrow at him.
“I can’t believe you don’t remember me,” he says sounding disappointed. He frowns slightly, causing lines to form on his forehead.
Do I know this guy? I study his face for a few seconds. Then, the connection lights up my brain. “Oh, yes! I’m so sorry! Hi!”
“I helped you get your purse back yesterday,” he says, a wide smile pulling across his lips.
“Yes, of course. I’m so sorry. I guess I’m a bit distracted today.”
His toothy, white grin won’t quit. “So, you okay?” he asks.
“Yes. Yes. I’m fine,” I say blushing with embarrassment that I’ve already forgotten the face of the hero who saved my purse from the mugger just over 24 hours ago. “You just took off yesterday. You were gone as quickly as you showed up.”
He smirks. “I had a job interview,” he informs me.
“Oh – how’d that go?”
“I got the job!” he says with a wry smile as he gestures towards the badge on his shirt. ‘Security’ it says. “I’m the new security guard in this building. After one of the guys told the boss that he’d just seen me save a damsel in distress on the front steps of the building, I guess they had no choice but to hire me right away.”
“Well, congratulations!” I say giving him a small smile. “So, I guess you’re a full-time tough guy now, aren’t you?”
Just then, I hear the elevator chime and the doors slide open.
“I’m only part-time,” he says with a small laugh. “I pretty much work nights, weekends, holidays. All the shifts that nobody else wants. Today, I’m replacing a guy who called in sick, actually,” he rattles on.
“Hailey.” I turn my head and find Matt stepping off of the elevator with an expression of stone.
“Oh, hi Matt.” I feel butterflies dancing around in the pit of my stomach.
“My office in ten minutes,” he growls sternly before he disappears into the coffee shop in the lobby.
I turn my attention to the man in front of me. “I’m sorry – I’ve gotta get going. I’m late for work,” I say.
“Yeah. Of course,” he says his eyes raking slowly over my body as I step onto the waiting elevator. “It was great seeing you.”
“It was great seeing you, too,” I say.
Just as the doors begin to close, I hear him say in a smug tone, “I’m Jackson, by the way.”
I don’t offer my name in response but I catch myself smiling anyway.
Chapter 5
I’ve been waitin
g patiently in Matt’s office for at least twenty-five minutes. He finally strolls in holding a paper cup of coffee in his hand. He slams the door shut behind him.
He sits on the edge of his table and casually puts a foot up on the empty chair next to the one I’m sitting in.
What an arrogant bastard! He enjoys his little power trips way too much.
“So, who was that redneck you were talking to in the lobby?”
His question takes me off-guard.
Moments with Hailey - The Esquire Girls Series - Hailey's Story (Books 1, 2, 3 & 4) - Box Set (featuring Tender Moments , a brand-new Valentine's Day novelette) Page 2