by E. Ayers
“That’s gross! How can anyone be that desperate?” Chloe shot him a disgusted look and then stormed off to the bedroom.
She tossed a few things into her suitcase and then snapped it closed.
“Where do you think you’re going?” He came up behind her and touched her arm.
She pulled away from him. Revulsion ran through her over the thought of him with some high-classed hooker. “Home. You are no longer sick, and you don’t need my help.”
“True, but I don’t want you to go. I want you to stay here with me.”
“You couldn’t pay me enough.” Anger burned brightly.
“I wasn’t planning on paying you. And if you must know, MaryAnn Webster is a divorced mother who has a child with leukemia. She’s also the daughter of the mayor.” His words came out in rapid fire. “I took her to a fundraiser and donated fifty thousand dollars that night. Afterwards I escorted her to her door, kissed her on the cheek, and came home alone. I’ve never paid for sexual favors. I haven’t had casual sex since I was about twenty-three, but I have had two serious relationships over the years.”
The fire inside of her still burned. It wasn’t going to be easily appeased. “There is no reason for me to stay here. I’ve got a job, and I need to be back at my desk.”
“Yes, there is a reason for you to stay here.”
She tried to push past him, but he grabbed her and held her tight.
“I didn’t realize it back then, but I do now. The reason those relationships never panned out was because I wanted more than they were able to give. There’s only been one female that I ever wanted, and I’m not about to let her walk out that door.”
His words struck her like a thunderbolt. She tried inhale, but her lungs were squeezed tight. “You’re out of your mind.”
“Then explain this.” Rich kissed her. He held the back of her neck with one hand and her butt with the other. She resisted, but then gave into his kiss. Her body surrendered as her tongue found his. Her hands ran up his back and grasped at his shoulders. His lips left hers and trailed across her cheek to her ear. He nibbled on her lobe before slowly making his way down her neck. Little moans escaped with each breath she exhaled. He energized her with a powerfully explosive fuel. She rubbed her body across his already hardened rod. Her leg lifted against his as his hand slid down her thigh.
His mouth found hers. Her tongue pushed and probed until he captured it between his lips and sucked on its tip. He pulled away from her kiss and tucked her head under his chin. She felt so petite in his arms, yet so alive.
“Dickie, why did you stop?”
“I need a shower before we do anything else.”
“I can’t fathom doing more,” she whispered. Filled with pounding desire, her body trembled and begged for more of him.
“It’s not what. It’s who.” His hands gently rubbed her back. “Take one with me?”
She clung to his robe as she gazed into his eyes. Her heart wanted him, yet her mind wasn’t ready to surrender to another man. “Take your own shower. You don’t need help.”
He touched her cheek and ran his thumb along her jaw line. “I promise to make tonight memorable for you.”
She nodded, and he went into the bathroom. She stared at the bathroom door and then at her suitcase. The electricity between them sparked and ignited a passion deep inside of her. Her body surged. Never had any man elicited such an inferno within her.
Knowing what she needed to do, she picked up her suitcase, grabbed her purse and carry-on, and walked out of his place. She didn’t want to think; she just knew she needed to get away. The first flight home, she’d take. There was no way she’d spend another hour with him. Maybe with some distance between them, she could sort out her feelings.
***
The next morning Rich was on the phone with the florist. “I don’t care. I only want the flowers to be sky blue and lemon yellow.” “Carnations are fine. I don’t want any other colors.” “Nothing on the card.”
His thoughts drifted back to yesterday’s kiss. He’d wanted that with her since before he knew what it was like to hold such a woman in his arms. His heart beat at twice its normal pace. Her every curve seemed to match his perfectly. The memory of her sweet breath and tiny mews heightened his desire.
He put down the phone and looked at his computer. He shot off a quick email to Chloe and closed his laptop. He had a flight to catch.
***
Chloe read the email almost the instant it came to her. It was brief and to the point. He wanted her to head up the marketing for Dunhurst and he wanted a layout of how she intended to do it along with the projected costs by next Monday on his desk. He also expected her to take it to the Board on Tuesday morning.
You want something that should take weeks done in a matter of days. I know what you want - you want to see me fail! It’s not going to happen. I’ll give you a presentation like you’ve never seen out of this division. She shot off a message to her entire team calling an urgent meeting.
The team brainstormed for hours, and when the meeting finally broke, she was exhausted. She was still not feeling well and the lack of sleep on the flight home didn’t help, but when she saw the carnations, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to cry or throw them in the trash.
Tara popped her head around the corner. “What’s the occasion?”
“Nothing that I can think of and there’s no card.”
“A secret admirer?” Tara grinned.
Chloe rolled her eyes. She wasn’t about to let on that they were from Rich. “Probably my mom trying to cheer me up. She knows I’ve been a little under the weather.”
“You’re lucky you got out of here when you did. I think John was the first to leave. I know he was complaining of a wicked sore throat. Marion’s been out all week. Whatever it is, it has run through this office like wildfire.”
“Sounds a little like what I had, except I had an earache with it.”
“That was sweet of your mom.” Tara sat on the corner of Chloe’s desk and sniffed the carnations. “They smell divine.”
“I know. My mom is like that. I’m a long way from home.”
“Speaking of home, isn’t it amazing that you knew Richard Warren?”
“Small world.” She didn’t want to talk about him.
“I think you called him a nerd.”
“I probably did, but so was I. We were the top students and the competition between us was intense.”
“Wow, and now he’s VeePee.”
Chloe forced a smile. “I’m pleased that he’s done so well. I always knew he was destined for something really big.” She put her things into her desk drawers and locked them.
“Are you going straight home?”
“Yeah. I’m still tired from the trip, and it’s been a rough day.”
“Don’t forget your flowers.”
She looked back at her desk and the overly large bouquet. “Why don’t you take them? They’re too big for my desk and my cat will just knock them over and make a mess.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive. Take them and enjoy them.” Chloe slung her laptop case over her shoulder and left her small office.
A few minutes later Rich Warren pulled into his designated parking spot near the front door. He watched Tara leave the building carrying the bouquet. She waved a cheerful hello at him, and he raised his hand in recognition as he exited his car. Why did Tara have Chloe’s flowers?
~~~ Seven ~~~
Chloe worked all weekend on the proposed marketing plan and turned it into a PowerPoint presentation. She had just sat at her kitchen table to eat a salad on Sunday evening when she heard a knock. Still chewing, she opened the door. She took one look at Rich standing there, and her heart thumped as she attempted to slam the door, but he was quicker.
“Chloe, we need to talk,” Rich said holding the door open.
She did an about-face and went back to her small kitchen. “Make yourself at home. Nothing grand about thi
s place, and I promise wherever you sit you’ll be covered in cat hair.”
“Did you ever get my flowers?”
“Of course. No note, school colors, I knew they were from you. Thanks.” She stuffed a forkful of lettuce in her mouth avoiding his gaze.
He pulled out a chair and sat at the small kitchen table.
She swallowed then said, “What am I supposed to do with flowers? They don’t fit on my desk.”
“I’ll remember that the next time.”
She rolled a grape tomato through the salad dressing before stabbing it.
He clasped his hands together and placed them on the table. “Why did you leave? You could have just said no. I’m not a total idiot.”
“Why are you here? Were you intending to pick up where we left off?” She put the small tomato in her mouth, but her eyes never left him.
His face became very somber. “I didn’t want to go another day without seeing you. You weren’t pretending and that was no ordinary kiss.”
“It’s much easier to dislike you.” She stuffed another forkful of salad into her mouth.
“Why? We’re actually quite compatible when you’re not loathing me.”
“I don’t want to have this discussion.” She stabbed at her salad trying to clear the frustration building inside of her.
“Too bad. We need to talk. Try telling me your kiss was meaningless.”
She shrugged. “It was just a heated moment. We were horny.”
“Do you really believe that? Because I don’t. That’s not what you said when you thought I was still asleep or have you forgotten?”
Quickly, she tried to recall their time together in Texas. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I doubt that your memory is that short. Maybe I need to jog it.” As he stood, he grabbed her and pulled her to her feet. Her protest was cut off as his mouth covered hers.
All sense of reason left her brain as his strong arms enveloped her, pressing her body to him. Her tongue swiped his lips and then dueled with his. He tasted of mint and coffee, warm and smooth. His soft hand was under her tank top caressing her back. Her nipples hardened and burned with desire while a deep clenching pulse in her pants made her grind her pelvis into him. She felt his fingers on her bra hooks and realized he had released them. Warmth flowed through her body and pooled in her lower abdomen. But when his hand cupped her breast it was as if an electrical bolt traveled directly to her vaginal walls clenching them tightly as her breath hitched. His moan told her he was feeling the same thing.
“Tell me this is meaningless. Tell me this is only lust,” he whispered into her ear.
“How do you do this to me?” she breathed out the words into his neck and felt her breath flowing back onto her face.
“You do it to me.”
Her brain engaged. She stabilized her body by holding onto his shirtsleeves. “I hope you have a condom in your pocket because we aren’t doing anything without one.”
“I didn’t come here with the intention of taking you to bed.”
Something in her mind clicked and she reached up and shoved him in the chest. “How dare you!”
Taken aback he stared at her for a moment. “How dare I what?”
“Come here without a condom.”
“Chloe, do you ever listen to anything I say? It was not my intent to have sex with you. I told you before I’m not into casual sex and I’m not about to have unprotected sex.”
“So what the hell were we just doing?” she asked.
He raised his eyebrows and grinned. “Kissing? I’d say I made it to first base. And you are one hell of a kisser.”
She scrunched up her face into a serious frown and hoped she was giving him her best deterrent look.
“Honey, trust me for three seconds. Come here and turn around with your back to me.” He motioned with his hands.
“What are you going to do?”
“Trust me.”
She took that step and turned her back to him.
His fingers on her skin left trails of heat. He slipped her bra straps off her shoulder.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“This.” With his hand under her knit shirt, he reached around the front and tugged her bra down just a little before returning to her back. He hooked it, and then slipped the straps back onto her shoulders pulling it back into place. “Feel better?”
She grabbed it in the front and readjusted it as she turned back to him. “Yes. That’s better.”
“Seriously, even if we had wound up naked, I would not have gone all the way.”
“You sound like a teenager.” With one hand on her hip, she glared at him.
“Would you have preferred for me to use the word fuck? It’s not part of my vocabulary.”
“Why are we fighting?” She gazed into his kaleidoscope eyes as if she were going to find an answer.
“Tell me, because I’d like to know.” He shook his head. “I kiss you, and you have to turn it into an argument.”
“Oh, Dickie, is it habit?”
He held his arms out to her, and she went into them. He tucked her head under his chin and rubbed her back. It felt so good to have him hold her. She breathed in his manly scent and savored the feel of his body.
“You really don’t hate me, and you probably never did.” His voice reverberated in his chest.
He was right. She probably hadn’t been in college more than a few weeks when she realized how much she missed him. So many times she had pictured him in some far away dorm room studying. She had wanted to throw darts at him to make sure he was studying. She wondered how he was doing. Was college as hard for him as it was for her?
She pressed her body a little tighter to his. “I’ve never had anyone stir such an intense physical reaction with just a kiss.”
“Just a kiss? That’s not just a kiss.” His breath fluttered across her hair.
“You’re my boss.” She closed her eyes.
“I know. I’m certain I can keep my private life separate from my professional life. Can you?”
“Other than my heart beating twice as fast in your presence, and that the desire to hold you in my arms never wants to leave me, yes.” She mumbled into his chest.
“The feeling is mutual.”
“This is the last thing I expected in my life.” She lifted her head and gazed into his eyes.
“Me?”
“Worse, I didn’t want any man in my life. I had my life planned out and being single was part of that deal I made with myself after my divorce.”
He lovingly cupped her head in his hands. “I’ve had two relationships that broke because they didn’t understand my hours or that I’m apt to fly someplace at a moment’s notice.” His eyes searched hers as if looking for assurance. “You need to understand that there’s no way I could be a father because I barely have time for a lover.” He took a deep breath. His thumbs soothingly caressed her cheeks. “But I’ve also come to the point in my life where having a lover is a hollow meaningless liaison.”