by L. D. Davis
"I will never admit to any such thing."
"You probably have every Jane Austen movie hidden under your bed. I'm going to check next time I'm over."
"Do you plan on being near my bed?" He asked softly.
Flustered, I looked away.
"No," I said. My eyes focused on a small opening in the curtains. I jumped up and swept them wide open and stared.
Kyle was standing very close to me, also watching. It was snowing pretty hard, although the roads looked drivable.
"Check your phone," I said. "See how much we're getting."
"My phone is in my car," he said and slowly eased his hand into the front pocket of my tight jeans. I held my breath until he pulled out my phone.
"Wow. We're getting eighteen inches," he said after a minute.
"How do we keep missing the news on these things?" I shook my head.
"I heard it was going to snow, but I didn't know we were getting eighteen inches."
He slid the phone back into my pocket, but when he took his hand out, he moved it to my lower belly and closed the inches between us.
"I guess we're not going to work tomorrow," I said and then sighed when I felt his lips on my neck. "I'm glad I went food shopping," I said, my voice shaky.
He gently moved my hair and his kisses landed on the base of my neck, making my knees weak. I gripped onto the curtains for some balance. His hand that had rested on my belly slid down between my legs. I gasped and tensed up. How he was able to hit that spot through my jeans on one try, I didn't know.
"At least you...unhh...can beat the storm home...mmm...this time."
"I'm not going home unless you're coming with me," Kyle said huskily.
"Mmm...why is th-th-thaahh?"
"Because you're riding my hand," he whispered in my ear before flicking at the lobe with his tongue.
I couldn't deny it. I was grinding against his hand as if it were going to save my life. His other hand reached around and found a nipple through my tee shirt. My vision blurred and then I stopped seeing altogether when my head tilted back and my eyes rolled to the back of my skull. I climaxed so hard I almost tore the curtains down.
"I love hearing you cum," Kyle whispered in my ear as his fingers expertly unbuttoned my jeans. Before I could even recover from my orgasm, his fingers were sliding into me. He forced my head back and kissed me while he fingered me to another orgasm.
He carried me away from the window, not bothering to close the curtains. In seconds, he had my jeans and panties off and was pulling my shirt and bra up over my head. He planted his mouth over a nipple and nibbled, licked, and sucked me into a frenzy while he thumbed my engorged secret spot. I screamed out his name, begged him to make love to me.
Kyle undressed himself quickly, poised himself over me while I kept begging him.
"No," he said, and slipped in only a little bit before pulling out.
"Please," I whispered.
"I can't make love to someone who doesn't love me. I can fuck you," he slammed into me, making me cry out, but then he pulled out again. "So, which one do you want, baby? Hmm?"
I stared into his eyes. I knew this was more than lust. I was risking everything with Luke for Kyle. I could have made him leave before this got started, but I really didn't want him to leave at all.
"I love you," I whispered. "You know I do."
He smiled. "Yeah, I know you do." He kissed me, and while I was wrapped up in his kiss, he slid inside of me and I melted into the couch.
Chapter Fifteen
"My god, I've missed you," Luke said, before kissing me.
It was Sunday afternoon, and he had literally just returned from his trip. He didn't even go home first. I found myself genuinely happy to see him, eager to hold him, and our first kiss after his absence was magical. I wondered if the experience had been lackluster, if I would have felt just as guilty.
The guilt was swimming through my veins, mingling with my strong feelings for Luke. I was practically choking on my guilt while he told me how much he missed me. He was on a cruise ship and on various islands, surrounded by gorgeous scantily clad women, missing me, and I was playing house with Kyle.
Bad Emmy. Bad, bad Emmy.
"I missed you too," I said, and it was true, but it was also true that I had not missed him as much as I would have had I been alone all week.
"Emails, text messages and short phone conversations weren't cutting it for me. I was tempted to swim home to be with you."
And I would have drowned you with grief.
"But you had a good time, right?" I asked.
"Yeah, I did. I brought you some gifts."
"I like gifts. Maybe I have a gift for you," I said, running my fingers across his muscular chest.
"Oh yeah?"
"Mmm hmm. How about I give it to you right now?" I kneeled before him and unzipped his jeans.
"Wooooooowwww," he said after a moment. "I really love your gifts."
***
Kyle was in a bad, bad mood Monday morning. He was in total dick mode, barking at everyone who fell into his line of sight, including me. I blamed Jess. She had returned Saturday afternoon, and Kyle had spent the rest of the weekend with her. All her fault.
Being Kyle's personal assistant, I had to talk to him more than most. I tried to not let his bad attitude get under my skin. I was still on a high from spending all day Sunday and Sunday night with Luke. I also avoided going into his office if I could help it, so I wouldn't be tempted to knock his lights out.
Early in the afternoon, I had just come back from lunch with Luke. I still felt guilty, but it was subsiding. I was daydreaming about him when Jeoff Urvin approached my desk. I recoiled when I saw him standing there. That was my usual reaction to Jeoff.
He was a junior executive, just under Kyle. Whenever Kyle's schedule was too heavy, Jeoff took the overflow of clients on top of the more minor clients he acquired. I didn't like Jeoff because he was a talentless hack, a brown nosing, sexist, snake who kissed ass, lied, and stomped on toes to work his way up in the company. He really didn't know very much about his work. I knew more than he did.
A long time ago, Jeoff tried to pull rank on me. If Jeoff was worthy of his title and not a puss filled zit, I would have conceded as I do with Kyle. Instead, Jeoff left the office that day without his balls. Every since then, I was recognized as the second in command, and the HBIC (head bitch in charge).
"What?" I said, irritated to have him standing near me.
"I'm sick."
"Ew." I sprayed Lysol in his general direction. He was looking a little greener than usual. "So?"
"I'm supposed to have a meeting with Hernandez in an hour. I can't go."
"So?"
"So, I need you to go."
"I'm not going."
"You're going. Kyle wants this wrapped up last week."
"So, why didn't you wrap it up last week?"
"Hernandez is...difficult."
More like Jeoff was incompetent.
"It doesn't matter," I said. "I'm not qualified."
"Bullshit. Show him some leg and go get it done." He wiped at his face with a handkerchief. He looked like he was going to hurl.
"Are you trying to tell me what to do?"
"Look, if no one goes today, Kyle is going to be in one hell of a mood, and he will take it out on everyone. Besides, this came down from Kyle."
"Then why didn't Kyle tell me himself?"
"He told me to tell you on my way out. Look, I gotta go. Get it done."
He ran into the hall and turned toward the restrooms. Gross.
I got up and marched into Kyle's office without knocking. He was concentrating on something on his computer screen.
"What."
"Did you tell Jerk-Off Jeoffery to tell me to go to the Hernandez meeting?"
"Yes."
"I am not an executive or even a junior executive. I'm not qualified."
"You're more qualified than Jeoff." Kyle still had not taken his eyes off
of the computer screen.
"I don't get paid to do what Jerk-Off Jeoffery does. You can go."
"I'm busy."
"Clearly," I said dryly. "Hernandez is a bigger pig than Jerk-Off Jeoffery. He gets handsy. Don't you remember how handsy he was when I accompanied you last time?"
"Threaten to taser his balls. You'll be okay for a couple of hours. Take someone with you."
"Okay. Right. Except, I don't have a taser."
"I don't have time for your whining, Emmy!" Kyle roared, finally looking up at me. "I need you to just do what I need you to do and stop crying about it."
I stood there in a stunned silence for a moment. Kyle has yelled at me before, but after all of the personal shit we recently shared, it felt very personal this time. He's never called me a whiner or a cry baby or any names at all. Then again, in the past I would have never approached him like this.
I turned on my heel to leave the room.
"Wait," Kyle said. "I'm sorry. It's just that -"
"Go fuck yourself," I said in a low tone so no one close to his office could hear and then left the room.
Late that night, five minutes after Luke left, Kyle appeared at my front door. I didn't let him in.
"What did you do? Circle the block until Luke left?" I asked, leaning against the door frame with my arms crossed in front of me.
"Actually, yes I did."
"What do you want?"
"Did you get my texts?"
"Yes."
"You didn't answer."
"I was busy. First I was busy trying to keep that creep Hernandez's hands off of me, and then I was busy with Luke."
He flinched slightly.
"I'm sorry I yelled at you like that. There's no excuse for it. Do you forgive me?"
"Sure."
"I don't believe you."
"I don't like to hold a grudge."
"Okay." He shifted from one foot to another. "Can I come in and show you how sorry I am?"
"No. We agreed to put 'us' on hold, remember?"
"No, you agreed. I adamantly disagreed."
"It will be easier for both of us if you go along with it. You're not ready to end it with Jess and quite frankly, I'm not sure I really want to let Luke go."
Another flinch.
"Did you say that just to hurt me or do you mean that?" He asked.
"Maybe a little of both," I admitted.
"Harsh."
"I'm sorry."
"Are you?"
"A little."
We stood there staring at each other. I really did feel sorry for being mean, but I had to keep on my game face.
"I guess I'll go."
"Okay."
He turned and started down the drive, but turned back.
"Did you get Hernandez to sign?"
"Of course I did."
"Good girl."
He continued on to his car.
"I love you," he called over his shoulder.
"Love you, too."
Stupid, Emmy!
"Shit," I said and slammed the door.
Chapter Sixteen
"My parents are having a cocktail party Saturday night and my mother invited you," Kyle said.
We were waiting for the elevator after another late night of work.
"Me? Why did she invite me?"
"You must have impressed her at the gala."
"We barely spoke ten sentences between us at the gala," I said, stepping onto the elevator.
"She told me to make sure you and Luke were invited," he shrugged. "I will be happy to see you there."
"As your friend."
"Yeah. Whatever."
I was trying to reinforce our friends only relationship. I was selfish, because I didn't want to give Kyle up completely, but I didn't want to be a sneaky hoe bag either. We "agreed" on a platonic relationship at the end of that long week after the gala. Since then, we have only hung out a couple of times, and I sorta missed him.
"What's the party for?" I asked.
"For nothing. A good time. A chance for the Mainline to show off in expensive clothes. Will you come?"
"Interesting statements from a man who spends thousands of dollars on a single suit. Do you want me to go?"
He gave a small smile. "Of course I want you there. Even if you will be with Luke, and I'll be with Jess."
I didn't say anything. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to try and maintain a platonic friendship after all.
"What should I tell my mother?"
Gah.
"Tell your mother I will be there."
We stepped off of the elevator and walked through the lobby.
"Are you meeting Luke?"
"Nope. He's in Dallas."
"Want a ride to your car?"
I looked through the front revolving doors. It was pouring rain. Even with my umbrella, I would surely be soaked by the time I got to my car at the speed line.
"Yeah, I'll take the ride," I said.
We walked through the building to the attached parking garage reserved just for Sterling employees.
"Why don't you drive to work?" Kyle asked as we neared his car.
"Traffic is a bitch, and I like walking through the city, and if I want to do anything after work, I don't have to worry about finding parking. I just go."
The rain was falling in sheets and giving everyone a reason to drive like idiots - more than usual. Kyle didn't complain when he was cut off by cabs or when traffic gridlocked. He kept one hand on the wheel and one on my seat, not so much a position of comfort as it was an indication of possession.
"Do you have plans for dinner?" He asked me.
"I have meatballs in a crockpot at home."
"I could go for some meatballs."
Probably, it would have served me well to say no.
"I just have to stop at the bakery on my way home," I said.
Traffic eventually eased and we made our way out of the city. Every now and then Kyle's fingers would lightly touch my hair or brush gently across my neck. I didn't stop him or even acknowledge it.
"I'll meet you at your house," Kyle said when I was getting ready to depart.
"There's a spare key under that big rock in the front garden, if you don't want to wait outside for me."
"Cool. Now I can sneak into your house anytime I want to."
"Can you turn the crockpot off, stalker?" I asked, rolling my eyes.
"Sure. Be careful." He leaned over and kissed the corner of my mouth.
"Okay," I said, flustered.
The bakery was half way between my house and the speed line. I parked at the curb while I ran in for bread to go with dinner, and a cake for dessert.
When I got home, Kyle was draining pasta in the sink, with his sleeves rolled up to the elbow and the top of his shirt unbuttoned. His tie was on the table and his jacket was draped over a kitchen chair.
"Thank you, Betty Crocker," I said, pulling my shoes off.
"Julia Childs," he grinned.
"I'll be back, Julia. I have to change."
I went upstairs and after some thought, I changed into unattractive sweat pants and an ugly purple tee shirt. Maybe if I looked a hot mess, Kyle would be less likely to want to throw me on the floor and make sweet love to me. The thought of it instantly made me horny.
I sighed and returned to the kitchen where Kyle had set the table and poured two glasses of red wine.
"Nice work," I said, impressed.
"Thanks."
We ate dinner with quiet conversation. It was pleasant and platonic, and I started to feel that maybe we could pull off this friendship thing after all. After dinner, we put the dishes in the sink and started on the cake, while standing at the counter.
"I want to talk to you about something," Kyle said after we finished the cake and had washed it down with the rest of the wine.
"If it's about the cake, I'm sorry. We can't always have my mother's cake, and I'm not a good baker. My cookies burn and my cakes are crunchy."
His mou
th curved up slightly, amusement danced in his eyes.
"I'll let it slide this time," he said.
"What a friend." I gave his arm a hearty, friendly whack.
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about."
"Oh?" I took a step backward, which was a big mistake because I literally backed myself into a corner. Kyle wasted no time closing the distance between us, trapping me.
"I don't want to be just your friend," he said.
"We had an agreement," I said feebly.
"No, you agreed. I didn't agree to something I knew I wouldn't be able to do."
"You have to accept my friendship or nothing at all," I argued.
"I don't have to accept either one of those options. You want to explore the possibilities as much as I do. You don't like this box you've put us in any more than I do."
"That's not true."
"Oh? It isn't?" He ran a finger over my neck, just under my ear, like he did in the car earlier. A grin appeared on his face. "See? Your eyes just glazed over. You love when I touch you."
I pushed his hand away, aggravated by his ballsy behavior, but he grabbed my hand and pinned it to my side. He pinned my other hand, too before leaning in to kiss me. I pulled my head back, turned so that he got my cheek instead. He let go of my hands and grabbed my head with both of his hands.
I was pressed into the counter, with nowhere to go, and he had a firm hold on my head. I could have hit him, or pinched him, but why bother? I probably would still cave.
Kyle's lips were warm, his tongue warmer. When it was apparent I wasn't going to fight him anymore, he used his hands to pull me into him and then held me extremely tight. I wrapped my arms around him and kissed back.
Minutes passed, judging by the numbness spreading through my lips, when suddenly Kyle pulled away. Entirely. He backed away from me, leaving me confused and wanting.
"I want you to think about that for a few days before you decide you only want to be my friend," he said and left me alone in the kitchen. Moments later I heard the front door close.
I was still reeling when my phone buzzed on the kitchen table. On weak knees I crossed the kitchen and plucked the phone off of the table.
"Hey, babe," Luke said.
"Hey," I said, breathlessly.
"You sound like you ran to the phone."