Falling for the Seal

by Mia Ford

  It was still early in the morning and I rode by his place of work. I made a few rounds and stopped a couple of times to take photographs of something that might have turned out to be something. I had a detailed oriented mind. Anything standing out would be a like a blazing sign.

  I saw him arrive by limousine, catered to by the wealth he had in millions. He was quite relaxed and I could only hope some of that was due to me. He looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders at the fundraiser. This time he was carefree, jovial and smiling with a relaxed state of mind.

  I walked over to him in front of his driver. I stood there with my feet planted and my hands on my hips. “I came here to tell you what we did last night is never going to happen again. You might think I can resist your natural charm and charisma, but I can. You’re going to have to do a whole lot more than that to be with me. I’m going to assume you took care of the evidence. Like any man, it would not surprise me if you were to keep a reminder to look at on your own time.” I waited for him to say something, but mostly he was looking at me and taking stock of the inventory.

  “You certainly do know how to take a toll on me, Payton. I have no choice, but to give into you willingly. I did take care of the evidence. I’m not going to lie, I was tempted to keep it for myself, but I didn’t think it would be right. I’ve done my research on you and I had no idea you had a business mind. I would like to pick your brain on a few discretionary details of a business proposition I’m working on.” It was agreed upon I would work closely with him. Being his girlfriend only gave me access part of the time, but mixing business with pleasure helped to solve the problem.

  Knight was dressed in a dark suit with a power red tie and a white shirt which stretched over his massive chest. I wanted to peel his shirt off his body to reveal the special little nuances of his physical makeup. I hadn’t seen much of him, but I was going to make sure to put that on the top of my priorities.

  “I don’t know what game you’re playing, but I’m not jumping when you say so. Some girls you have been with in the past might feel obligated. You don’t know me and there’s no way for you to read my mind. I will let you imagine what my thoughts would tell you about me. I hope you’re not the kind of guy to judge a book by its cover. I may look easy on the eyes, but getting me into bed is going to take a whole lot more than a lobster dinner.” I followed him into the building looking at the marble and knowing he had spared no expense.

  “I can’t say I’m very fond of the idea of a girl that plays hard to get. It’s never been my strong suit, but there’s always a first time for everything. I find myself interested to know more about you. Your acumen in business is something for me to utilize. Since you’re following me, I have to believe we want the same things.” He was clean shaven and those dimples were making my knees weak.

  “I’m not going to be one of your yes men. I’ll tell you exactly what I think without sugar coating it. You may find a strong woman to be a bit more than you can handle. I already told you there’s no way I’m going to change for any man. Take me as I am, or risk walking away from the best thing in your life.” It was just an act, but most of what I was saying had a ring of truth.

  “I appreciate your candor and the best thing for everybody is for you to be completely honest. I get tired of people telling me what I want to hear. There is no difference of opinion and I have to rely on my own instincts to know what to do. Having an unbiased eye will help me to stay on the straight and narrow.” His words conveyed to me his sincerity. Our arrangement was beneficial to the both of us in more ways than one.

  “You’re going to get the unvarnished truth. If that scares you a little, then I’m doing my job. As you have already learned, I was a consultant for many businesses with several stellar references. I turned companies drowning into one flourishing to new heights in revenue.” I had made up a dossier and provided phone numbers of people willing to speak on my behalf. I would have to pay them a generous some, but it was worth it to have a back story.

  “I want you to be on your best behavior unless you can’t. Try to keep your hands off of me. I know how difficult something like that is for you. In the workplace, we remain cordial and a united front. I want you to keep your eyes and ears open for anything of suspicious water cooler talk. They will know very little about you. It’s up to you to fill them in. You can do that in whatever way you think is necessary.” He was whispering, keeping his voice low and making the conversation private. He didn’t want to send the wrong message to his staff.

  “I’ll improvise when the time comes. You know who you are, but you may have become complacent in your thinking. Going outside the box is healthy and will keep you guessing.” I saw no one looking and I grabbed his ass, squeezing the package and watching him momentarily jump like a live wire had been attached to his privates.

  “I can see I’m not going to get very much work done around you. They will see you as someone using your position as my girlfriend to get ahead. I want you to keep them believing it. There can be no reason for them to go digging. I want everything to be transparent like seeing through a sheaf of paper.” I was a little uncomfortable showing this kind of public displays of affection, but I could get used to it in a hurry.

  I stopped him outside his office door with his name embossed in gold lettering. I put my hand on the back of his neck and I drew him into a heated embrace. The world felt like it was ours. His tongue was demanding, but I was up to the challenge. I could hear murmurs of dissension with the rumor mill now making its rounds.

  I had caught him off guard. It was precisely the reason for this exercise. His eyes showed alarm as he looked around to watch his people stand at attention. They couldn’t take their eyes off of us and I made a show of out of touching him inappropriately.

  I scratched my nails on the back of his neck, hearing him moan with no semblance of what he was doing. He fell back against the door. I was keeping him a captive audience with me being the one in control. It was a departure from last night in the elevator. It was nice to know we could switch roles and give each other new experiences.

  “I would hate to interrupt whatever this is, but Hong Kong is on line one. They have been waiting for the past half an hour and you know how they can get overanxious. Would you like me to find a place for your ‘friend’ to stay while you conduct business?” This girl with flaming red hair and judgmental eyes was not happy by this latest turn of events.

  We wallowed in the awkwardness for a few moments longer before we finally disengaged from the passionate kiss. His eyes were glazed over and I was a little worried he was in no shape to have a serious conversation with Hong Kong.

  “She will be joining me and I want someone to keep me from losing it. This company deserves my best and I feel sometimes I’m not giving it. Payton will make sure to keep me on course. I am seeing her, but I think that is obvious. I recently found out she has a keen eye for business matters. I know what you are going to say and it’s not necessary. Payton is different from any other girl I’ve been with. This is the first time I’ve ever wanted one to stick around longer than breakfast.” I thought he was lying, but I could tell from his body language he wasn’t.

  “It’s none of my business about your love life” I’m not sure he noticed, but I certainly did. Rachel was smitten and I could see the metaphorical green streak running down her back with jealousy. “I’ve always been your right-hand woman and I do hope the position won’t change with her around.” It was an ugly look on any woman. He was oblivious to her infatuation. He couldn’t even fathom she would be interested in him. I was tempted to set him straight, but I had ulterior motives for keeping him all to myself.

  “Payton is not here to step on anybody’s toes. I want her around. I don’t have to justify my actions. I’m the president and owner of this company. What I say goes. Some of you may have forgotten I’m the boss, but I’m going to be sticking around a long time. Don’t do anything to get on my radar. Your work is invaluable,
but I will not condone attitude for no good reason.” He was trying to smooth troubled waters with words when it would’ve been more prudent to use actions.

  “I’ve been with you for the past five years and I haven’t heard you complain about my work ethic. I would never presume to stay somewhere where I wasn’t wanted.” If anybody had a reason to threaten Knight, then Rachel would be a prime suspect.

  “I hope you don’t take this the wrong way. I don’t want to be disturbed for the next couple of hours. I’m going to personally debrief Payton. It’s not how it sounds and I just want to make sure she’s up to speed.” I wasn’t sure she believed him. She wasn’t the only one.

  “I’ll be sure to put a do not distort sign on the door like you see at a motel. Perhaps, it would be better for you to put a sock on the doorknob. It’s a universal sign to indicate to others you are getting busy.” She was stepping over a line and I wasn’t even sure she was aware of her biting tongue.

  “I don’t need a cat fight and I thought we could remain professionals. We had one night, but we both knew it was a drunken mistake. Besides, you were the one that ended it. Telling me in no uncertain terms you’re not interested gave me the freedom to stop any kind of advances toward you.” I was standing there during this exchange. I was on the verge of saying something.

  “I apologize, but you’ve never brought one of your conquests into the office before. It’s highly unusual and you have always been a man who separates work from private life. I can’t help it and this is a little awkward for me.” She was dressed to seduce. If that was the way she always dressed, then her intention was pretty clear. The red leather skirt did not project professionalism, but she wore it like our own personal shield against invading forces to her heart.

  “We both have some adjusting to do. I’m the one to blame for all of this. There’s no reason to cast aspersions on Payton.” I wasn’t very good at apologies and I didn’t feel like I had anything to be sorry for. I was the one invited, but keeping quiet was only going to alienate his staff.

  “I’ll learn to live with it. Make sure she stays out of my way and doesn’t interfere with the day to day business of running this empire of yours.” I would have gladly taken every piece of the blame if he wanted me to

  “While she is here, you will afford her the same respect you give any of my colleagues. If you can’t do that, then I will have to make a more permanent conclusion. I don’t think I have to paint you a picture of what I’m talking about. Your continued employment comes with a sacrifice of keeping your mouth shut. I don’t care if you think you’re right.” I wasn’t used to somebody coming to my rescue. It was usually the other way around.

  “I know where I stand and maybe it’s about time I look for some other line of work. I’ve always been happy here, but I mistakenly thought we could have something more. I thought if I gave you time you would come to your senses, but you haven’t. This is a cold reminder of how heartless you can be. I have to thank you for making it very clear. Don’t be surprised if you find my two weeks notice at the end of the week.” She was a little hot under the collar and she was saying these things in the heat of the moment.

  “I would be very careful about saying something you can’t take back. I don’t want to lose you over some kind of silliness. Take the rest of the day off and think about things. When you find a different perspective, come back and we can forget this ever happened.” It was pretty big of him to rely on somebody that would have loved to seen him fall flat on his face. Rachel had some demons and I was the one that was going to uncover them. It was my job to keep him safe. I had to do it without raising suspicion.

  Chapter six

  “Have you always been in a position of power over everyone? It might explain why somebody is out to get you. I’m looking at these letters and this is someone who is treating this personal. The vocabulary does not remind me of a woman scorned. You might be right and somebody feels like you have done them some disservice.” I’d taken the time to go over all the letters and immerse myself into the tone.

  “Am I overreacting or is there something to worry about? I could be finding trouble where there isn’t any.” He was behind me looming closely and making me feel a little uncomfortable in my own skin. Whenever I felt that way, I would always go off the handle and teach somebody a lesson.

  The big difference with him doing it was my body was craving some more of his presence. I could feel the wild horses underneath the hood pressing against my shoulder blades. He purposely flexed the piece of pipe between his legs to distract me from what I was doing. I was tempted to turn in his swivel chair and face a dilemma of getting one out of the chamber.

  “Ahem...there is definitely something here. This person is going to escalate and it’s just a matter of time before he gets his hands dirty. I’m only using the gender biased opinion of him being a male because everything points towards it. It could easily be a woman, but I really don’t think so.” I’d had my fair share of boyfriends who had gotten a little too clingy. They realized their mistake when they were walking doubled over. They tried to put their hands on something they believed to be their merchandise. I was nobody’s property.

  “I don’t have the time to constantly look over my shoulder waiting for the other shoe to drop. I’m going to ask something that may not seem like a favorable idea. What do you think about drawing him out into the open? I don’t know how to go about that, but maybe you have a few ideas you can run up the flagpole.” The only pole with my undivided attention was the one that was constantly thumping a beat against me from behind.

  “There are always ways but we have a disadvantage. He knows who you are, but we have no idea who he is. To draw him out would mean doing something extreme to get his attention. Flaunting our relationship in front of the staff was a good way to uncover hurt feelings.” Rachel was somebody to keep a watchful eye on, but not for the reasons he would’ve thought.

  “I am so tied up in knots. I feel like I’m going to explode. This whole thing has given my business a black eye. If I can’t concentrate then millions be lost. I have a board of directors to answer to. Most think I’m at the highest point on the ladder, but it’s only an excuse to be more in control than I really am. Come to think of it, those board members might be something we should investigate further. They all have a reason to hate me with some more than others.” It was interesting he had gone there and I was curious to learn more of the reason why he would think that.

  I felt like I was being watched and my chest flushed by the realization he was looking down my blouse. I was breathing heavily, trying to keep my composure, but failing miserably. This was unlike being in the ring facing an opponent. I was never nervous, but with him, it felt like my whole body was riding on a wave of indecision.

  “It would be a good idea for me to see you in your environment. You must have a board meeting coming up soon. I want to sit in and witness your interaction with each and every one of them. Don’t do anything unusual. Keep it strictly business related matters. Anything out of the ordinary will alert the person in the room. We don’t want them to know we are getting close to the truth. We don’t even know if one of them is the culprit. It could be somebody you have crossed paths with doing your routine.” Everybody had a routine and I could easily find somebody on the street and learn a direct path into their private life.

  “It’s disheartening to think somebody has these kinds of feelings. They are waiting to act on them. I’ve been holding everything inside. When I’m with you, I can speak candidly with no secrets between us.” It was natural like breathing. All I wanted was a chance to prove my worth to him. I didn’t want to find the person responsible too soon not when I was having way too much fun.

  “I don’t think you have heard this enough. I believe in you and you can hold onto me tight and never let go. I will always be near in and out of the bedroom.” He needed somebody to stroke his ego along with another part of his anatomy. It had been hours since we had done something
strictly for pleasure.

  “I can see your heart is true and you’re not just doing this for the almighty dollar. You may claim otherwise, but I know differently.” His fingers grazed over the surface of my nipples. It caused them to become hard as pebbles. “I can’t help the way I feel. From the moment I saw you fighting in the cage, I was wrapped around your little finger.” His hands moved up to my shoulders and began to give me a very deep tissue massage.

  “You keep doing that and I won’t be responsible for my actions.” His fingers had the magic touch and just enough pressure to make me moan and close my eyes. “I hope you know what you’re doing. Lighting that match is only going to end one way.” I was warning him ahead of time, but he wasn’t taking heed which was going to be his undoing.

  “I don’t know what it is about you, Payton. You have this raw sexual chemistry that exudes out of every pore. I can hear you calling to me even when you’re not saying something. I don’t like thinking you have this kind of hold on me.” It had been a long day without him touching me the entire time. We hadn’t known each other very long, but the heat between us was like an inferno.

  “I’m sitting right here and there’s no other place I wanna be. You have given me something more than a job. We can’t seem to stand more than a few minutes without thinking something physical.” He was sniffing my hair and the growl of enthusiasm underneath his breath was making my whole body tingle with excitement.

  I was about to turn and take matters into my own hands, but he beat me to it. I felt the chair move and then I was face to face with his crotch. The lump of his arousal was not easily ignored. I thought for sure he was expecting me to do something, but once again he surprised me. He summarily dropped to his knees and lifted my legs until my high heels were tapping on the upper part of his back.