by Kitty French
The next couple of hours passed in a blur, and almost to her surprise, Sophie found that the job actually held some similarities to her old one. She still had to clear emails, manage the post, type memos. She drew strength from those familiarities. I can do this.
She was about to get to grips with the filing systems when an instant message box popped up in the corner of the screen.
“You’re very industrious in there, Ms. Black. I’m impressed.”
A smile touched the corners of her mouth. How very Lucien Knight to choose to do something other than just lean back far enough to put his head around the door and speak to her. She was fast learning that he was a man who avoided the predictable. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard as she tried to decide how to respond. First and foremost, this man was her boss. She should just be screamingly professional, but he’d somehow managed to show her that that wasn’t what he was looking for from her.
She rather thought that he wanted the other Sophie. Even so, there was something inherently intimate about messaging him that made her feel weird. But turned on weird, rather than run for the hills weird.
She racked her brain. What would the other Sophie say?
“I aim to please, Mr. Knight.”
She pressed send.
A few seconds later, his reply flashed in.
“Then I hope you’re a good shot, Sophie.”
Sophie laughed softly under her breath.
“I never miss. Is there anything particular you’d like me to do next, Mr. Knight?”
“Yes. I want you to call me Lucien.”
Sophie blushed. She’d already attempted to call him Lucien a few times that morning, but his name felt wrong in her mouth. Why couldn’t he have a run of the mill name? Something normal, like Tom, or Jack… or Dan. Something that could have been anyone’s, rather than a name that was so personally, completely his? He seemed to fill every corner of the word.
He chose that moment to roll his chair back and come through into the office with a sheaf of papers in his hand.
“Sophie, could you work on these after lunch, please?” He handed the papers over. “It’s customer feedback reports from our product testing group. I need the results collating, please.”
She put the papers aside with a professional smile. Say his name. Say his name. “Of course… Lucien.” There. She’d said it, and no one had died.
His eyes glittered with approval. “Much better.”
He glanced at his watch. “I have to go out for an hour or two. Don’t forget to take a lunch break.”
He left a few minutes later, and Sophie breathed out properly for the first time since she’d arrived that morning. She’d been tense, too tense in his presence. An unbidden image of Lucien Knight massaging the tension out of her shoulders popped into her mind, and she pushed it aside hurriedly. What was happening to her? Her last boss had never unsettled her like this, but then Derek was a man whose attentions she had actively avoided, rather than daydreamed about like a star struck fan-girl. The fact was that being around Lucien Knight had her on edge.
She’d never met anyone like him before. He radiated a raw sexual energy; it dripped from his every pore. He had exempted himself from the usual conventions that shackle people and had created the Knight Inc. empire on the back of it. Her pre-interview research had told her little of the man himself, but much about the multi- million pound business of adult clubs and stores he operated up and down the UK. He seemed to view the world through an x-rated lens, and he had made his millions by tapping into the vein of depravity that ran through every otherwise decent person.
Up until now, Sophie had considered herself a conventional woman. Accepting this job was probably – no, definitely - the biggest risk she’d ever taken. She’d applied for it because the boredom of her life was suffocating her, and so far it seemed that if her aim had been to inject some excitement into her days, she’d scored a spectacular goal.
Was she escaping from her old life? Yes.
Was she using the job to stop herself from thinking about the terse text she’d received from Dan this morning, telling her not to call so late again and that he’d be in touch when he could? Absolutely.
He’d been gone for three days and had yet to find the time to take her calls. Not that that was so unusual these days. It had been that way on more and more overnight trips over the last couple of years.
Sophie knew better than to let herself think about it too deeply, because then there would be questions that needed answers. Up until now she hadn’t wanted to ask them, even though they were there in huge black capital letters. The gulf between them had slowly widened into an ocean awash with the flotsam and jetsam of a neglected relationship; countless cold shoulders instead of enveloping hugs. Too many dry pecks on the cheek rather than passionate clinches on the dining table. Too many hurriedly hidden text messages. The circumstantial evidence all pointed towards another woman, and Sophie’s sexual confidence had ebbed away in the face of Dan’s undeniable rebuttals in bed. She’d been feeling old, and cold. Until now. Until she’d stepped into Lucien Knight’s force field yesterday evening.
He had a way of looking at her that made her feel all woman, and Sophie could feel herself blossoming… ripening… re-emerging… and she liked it.
She liked it a lot.
She grabbed her lunch from her bag and returned to her desk to make a start on that report Lucien had asked for. She flipped the file open, and the full-page illustration on page one stilled her sandwich half way to her mouth.
What was that? She tilted her head to the side to try to work it out but ended up none the wiser. A standard vibrator given to her on her hen night was as far as her experience with sex toys went, and even that hadn’t seen much use. Sophie flicked over the page and read the product description.
'The all new Vibrating Lick’n’Love Ring features all the best features of our regular vibrating cock ring, with the addition of an innovative silicone tongue-shaped clit stimulator for enhanced couple play. Designed to move and feel like a real tongue, the remote control Lick’n’Love Ring combines the best of all worlds. The fully waterproof unit also comes with detachable anal stimulation beads for male or female use.'
Sophie read the blurb with her hands pressed against her cheeks in shock. Was Lucien testing her again?
Or was this just the reality of the job she’d taken on? Sophie wasn’t certain, but either way she needed to write the report. A flick through the rest of the pages showed them to be individual satisfaction surveys with tick box answers, and then a space for individual comments. Straightforward enough to collate, but far from easy to read. Sophie found herself growing hot and flustered as she read the anonymous strangers’ responses on the forms. It certainly seemed as if the toy had found favour with its reviewers.
Mind blowing orgasm, one said. Felt just like a real tongue, another reported. Sophie found her eyes constantly pulled back to the image of the toy as she tallied up the responses.
Was it really that good? How life-like would it actually feel? These questions and more crossed Sophie’s mind as she collated the comments, and she didn’t hear Lucien’s office door open until he appeared around her doorway. He gave her a mock salute when she glanced up.
Were her cheeks telltale red? Could he see how flustered she was? By the knowing gleam in his blue eyes, probably yes.
“I’ll be just out here if you need anything,” he murmured. Sophie looked up as he turned away, and couldn’t help but notice the way his dark shirt clung to the width of his shoulders. He was obviously in great shape, long and lean with defined muscles. Sophie puffed her fringe out of her eyes and shook her head to dislodge her mind from the path it was heading down. A path that had her wondering just how good Lucien Knight would look without that shirt on.
“How’s the report coming along?” The question appeared in the chat box in the corner of the screen. She hesitated, then tapped,
“Okay I think. Almost finished.”
Lucien probably heard her gasp out loud. The idea of discussing the reports findings with him made her squirm in her seat.
She couldn’t, she just couldn’t.
“Yes you can.” The words popped up on the screen, and she heard his low laugh. “Your CV said you want to be challenged, Ms. Black.”
Sophie put her hands over her face. She hadn’t expected this sort of challenge.
“Fifteen minutes. Bring coffee.”
Sophie almost longed for her old job as she clicked save on the last of the comments and pressed print. Boredom was easier to handle than this barrage of nerves that had her constantly on edge.
She pinned two copies of the report together and put them on the tray next to the coffee. It was now or never. She popped her head around the door.
“I could just email the report to you if you’re busy?”
Lucien grinned at her last ditch avoidance pitch.
“No need. I’m all ears, Sophie.”
She turned back and took a deep breath as she picked up the tray. It was time for the other Sophie to come out to play; the one Lucien had given the job to. She could do this.
She turned around and went through into Lucien’s office.
CHAPTER FOUR
Sophie placed Lucien’s coffee down next to him and took the seat opposite his at the desk.
“So, Sophie. How did you get on with the report?”
Sophie picked up the two printed copies and handed one across to him. He glanced down at the front cover, on which Sophie had included the image of the Love’n’Lick Ring and its blurb accompanied by the date and report header.
“Nice presentation.” He nodded. “So far, so good.”
“Thank you.” Sophie smiled but didn’t look up and meet his eyes. She’d decided that the only way she was going to make it through this session was by imagining that he was her old boss, Derek, and they were discussing something as innocuous as wall grouting options. If she looked up, that would be impossible.
Lucien turned the top page over to the results analysis.
“Talk me through the findings, please Sophie.”
Sophie swallowed at his softly spoken command. Short of refusing, he’d left her little room for manoeuvre. She cleared her throat.
“Well, as you can see, the test group found that the product was, umm… fit for purpose.”
“Fit for purpose?” Lucien’s laugh was low and suggestive. “You’re going to have to do better than that, Ms. Black. From the top, please.”
Sophie’s fingers touched against her throat, and Lucien’s eyes lingered on the movement.
“Okay. Right. Well… question one. The testers were asked to judge the product on appearance.”
“And?”
“And they liked it. A couple of people would have preferred it to be coloured, but most liked the fact that it was clear.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why do they prefer clear to coloured?”
“From the comments, people like the fact that it blends in rather than stands out.”
Lucien nodded. “And what do you think of its appearance?”
“Me?”
Lucien nodded again and looked at her with expectant eyes, and she tried to imagine that he’d just asked her which grout mix she would recommend. It didn’t work very well.
“I couldn’t really say,” she stumbled and flicked back to the front cover to look at it again. Lucien wheeled his chair backwards to a cabinet and opened it, then returned to the desk with a real life version of the Love’n’Lick in his hand. Sophie blanched as he took it out of the packet. He held it out across the desk, and Sophie did the only thing she could. She took it.
“Look at it,” he said, and she dropped her eyes hurriedly. “Test how it feels against your skin.”
Sophie could do nothing to stop the warm flush on her cheeks, but what else did he expect?
“Note how you can see your own skin through it. We designed it to become almost invisible when used.”
She could hear the note of pride in his voice. However titillating the subject matter seemed, the fact was that this product research was essential information to Lucien and he took it seriously.
She looked down at the sex toy in her hand, and curiosity overtook embarrassment. It was far softer and stretchier than she’d imagined it would be, more tactile. The tongue stimulator struck her as very… well… tongue-shaped. Her mind skipped along the obvious path… how would it feel to use this during sex? And more disturbingly, it wasn’t Dan who starred in her x-rated imaginary sex test.
“Question two,” she coughed, and chased the images from her head. “How easy was the product to use?”
People had raved over it on the questionnaires.
“It scored highly in this area, Lucien. People found it incredibly easy to use.”
“Good. That’s what we hoped.” He seemed satisfied with that, so she thanked her lucky stars and moved on.
“The next question was aimed specifically at women.” Sophie willed her cheeks to stay cool. “It asked if the product increased the female partner’s pleasure during sex.”
Sophie couldn’t look up. This whole conversation was too intimate. She wouldn’t even have felt comfortable having it with Dan, let alone Lucien.
“And the results?”
Sophie nodded. “Umm, yes. The responses were favourable again.”
“For everyone? No additional comments?”
Oh, there had been comments. Plenty of them.
Sophie passed her hand over her forehead and coughed again. This was excruciatingly hard, given the subject matter. But then wasn’t that the point? This was the bread and butter of the business she was now part of, she needed to prove to Lucien that she could handle it. It was time to pull herself together and be the PA Lucien needed, or she might as well get her coat now. The thought of losing the job centred her, and she put her shoulders back and looked up.
“Every last women loved it, Lucien.” Sophie spoke without allowing a trace of her inward tremble into her voice. “They all found that the additional clitoral stimulation helped them achieve orgasm during sex. One woman reported three orgasms within half an hour, and many mentioned that the tongue action felt extremely life-like.”
Lucien nodded. “And you, Sophie?”
“Me?”
“Do you think the tongue action feels life-like?”
“Lucien, I haven’t…” Sophie’s eyebrows hit her fringe.
“Switch it on and test it against the palm of your hand.”
“You’re not serious.”
“Perfectly. I need you to be fully conversant with all aspects of what we do, and that includes product awareness.”
Dear God. He genuinely expected her to switch it on and test it, right here in front of him. He was outrageous, and Sophie had never felt so exposed in her life. Or so turned on.
She flicked the switch on the vibrating tongue, and the little machine buzzed into life in her hand. When she looked down she could see that the tongue had small raised bumps all over its surface that undulated in a wave-like motion.
A tongue-like motion. She flicked her eyes up at Lucien and found him watching her face intently, and his blue eyes had darkened to navy glitter. He raised one eyebrow at her in a challenge.
“Try it against your palm.” It was more of an order than a question, but one Sophie found herself ready to comply with.
She placed the tip of the tongue lightly against the centre of her hand.
Lucien shook his head. “Not like that.” He came around the desk and dropped on his haunches in front of her chair. “Imagine the position it would be in during sex.” Reaching out, he placed one large, golden brown hand flat underneath her smaller one to hold it steady, and then with his other hand he turned the toy over and pressed the tongue stimulator flat against her palm.
�
�There. Like that,” he said, looking up at her. “How does that feel now?”
Sophie sat rooted to the spot and stared down at him, wide eyed.
“Like someone is licking my palm,” she all but whispered.
He flicked the switch and the vibrations increased.
“And now?”
Sophie shifted in her seat. The scent of Lucien reached her nose and filled her head with cinnamon and spice, and the warm strength of his hands holding the toy against hers made her want his hands on her everywhere else. His eyes watched their hands, and he looked somehow vulnerable with the sweep of his lashes against his cheek.
“It’s licking me harder,” she said.
Lucien nodded and snagged his bottom lip between his teeth. He pushed the slider onto full strength, and the little tongue started to lap urgently against Sophie’s palm.
“And this, Sophie? How does this feel?”
Sophie closed her eyes. She couldn’t get her breath.
“Honestly?” she breathed, her mind back on her earlier fantasy of a shirtless Lucien. “It makes me want sex… to know how it would feel between my legs.” She dragged her eyes open and realised with horror that she’d actually just said that out loud. Lucien stared at her with barely controlled lust, his breathing almost as shallow as her own.
“That’s excellent, Sophie.”
He cleared his throat and snapped the vibrations off, giving Sophie a couple of seconds to gather herself together as he returned to his seat. “I think we can send this one to production,” he said, dropping the Lick’n’Love toy into his drawer. “It seems to hit the spot perfectly.”
Sophie stayed at her desk until well after five o clock, waiting for Lucien to leave before she passed through his office. She couldn’t believe what had happened out there earlier, and she couldn’t blame him because she’d willingly let it happen. From the moment she’d set eyes on Lucien Knight, she’d fallen.
She should resign, run for her life and her marriage before anything more serious happened.
Because it would.
The computer screen lit up as the instant messaging box popped up.