by Dauphin, M.
Shit!
I hate to do this because I’ve made it clear to him that I can make my own way in this world, but obviously can’t do that today. I pull out my phone to call my dad and he picks up on the first ring, all business.
“Vick,” he snaps into his phone.
“Hey, Daddy,” I smile as I speak, trying to hide the fact that I’m about to beg him for help.
“Oh. Oh my, Annie? God, baby girl, I’m sorry. Hey how’d your test go this morning?” His demeanor went from all business to all fatherly the minute he realized he was talking to his only daughter.
“Oh, uh.... It went good. Thanks,” I say shuffling my feet as I sit on a bench under the awning of the school.
“Good, good. You’re going to do great things in this world, Annie. I’m so proud of you,” he beams and I cringe. I hate that nickname but he’s been calling me that since I was five years old, so with him I let it slide.
“Thanks, daddy. Hey... I walked to school this morning for the test....” I trail off as he starts in on me.
“What do you mean you walked? If your car isn’t working you should have called me, Annaliese. We Ryders don’t need to be walking around the city alone,” he growls at me and I shake my head in disgust. How can being the CEO and founder of the biggest chauffer company in Chicago make it dangerous for me to walk to school? He’s always been too over-protective of me. I get it. Losing my sister when she was ten took a toll on the whole family, but I’m a grown woman now. I can defend myself.
Last night in the alley was just a fluke.
Oh God, now I’m thinking about mystery man again. He looked insanely familiar, but I was also pretty drunk. His hands were so perfect. His eyes... his cock. GAH! I wish I could just see him in the daylight. Maybe then I’d see him without my drunk goggles and not be obsessing over him.
“Annie, are you still there? Did you hear me?” my dad asks, breaking into my daydream.
“What? Yeah!? Sorry, Daddy.” He’s always been a sucker for the ‘daddy’ card and I’ve learned how to play it well. “It’s gonna rain, Daddy. Can I use a car... please? Straight to the apartment, I swear.”
Last time I asked him for a car, Gab and I ended up going out for about ten too many drinks and we coerced the driver to join us. He was a blast. I wonder what ever happened to him after my father fired him.
“Do you not have the money for a cab?” he asks worriedly.
“Uh,” I can’t tell him about what happened last night. He would assign me a personal bodyguard for sure. “No, I left it at home.”
I hear my dad sigh, then hear the computer clicking away in the background. I smile because I know as much as he wants to tell me no, he’s going to say yes. He always does.
“You’re still on campus, right?”
“Yup!” I stand and start walking towards the door knowing he’s going to have a car here for me any minute.
“Great. Joe will be right around to get you. He’s just a block away right now.” The phone disconnects and I smile to myself.
Score! I should be upset with myself that I had to call on my dad to help after making such a big stink about being independent, but I can’t get down-poured on today. Tonight we’re going out and the last thing I need is to have a cold from the rain.
Standing just inside the door, I wait until the black Cadillac pulls up and Joe gets out, smiling at me as he runs to open my door. I run towards the car, holding on to my purse tightly so it doesn’t get rain-spotted, and duck into the open car. When Joe gets back into the driver seat he turns and smiles.
Oh this boy can melt my panties any day.
“Hey, Sweets. How’d the test go?” he smiles as he starts the car.
“How the hell did you know about that!?” It’s like everyone around me knows everything I’m doing.
“Your father won’t stop talking about you. It’s annoying really. He’s so proud of you, Annaliese.”
“Ah, I should have known. Well thank you, it went terrible. I couldn’t clear my mind of other... things. I’m just praying I passed so I don’t have to take it again.”
And so I don’t have to face the wrath of my father, but I’d rather not think about that.
“I bet you did fine. So what’re you up to today now that you’re a free woman and all?” he asks as he pulls out into mid-day Chicago traffic.
I grin slyly, biting my bottom lip and look at him in the rearview mirror. I don’t have to be anywhere for a few hours....
“No. Last guy of your dad’s you messed around with was out of a job so fast he couldn’t see straight. You’re hot as hell though, don’t get me wrong.” He mumbles something else and I laugh.
“I know, Joe, I’m just giving you crap. I felt terrible after, oh... what’s his face?” I hold back a laugh. Not only can I not remember his name, but he was probably the worst partner I’ve ever had. Well, second to worst.
“Ted. His name was Ted,” Joe clips as he heads back to my apartment. He didn’t need to ask. He was already instructed by my father where to take me.
Pulling up under the awning, Joe helps me out and kisses me on the cheek. I get goose bumps from the connection. I’ve always had a little thing for Joe, ever since he started working for my dad a few years back. He’s only three years older than me, and as far as I know, he doesn’t have a girlfriend or wife. He’s been hands-off since Ted was fired, but before that we had our fun. The cheek kiss just reminds me that I’m a free woman and can do whomever I want. Other than Joe, of course.
“It was nice seeing you, Annaliese,” he whispers in my ear as his hand gently slides down my arm before walking back to the driver’s side and slipping into the car.
I stand in the entryway of the apartment for a second longer, in shock that something that innocent could have me in such a needy state, but Joe’s always been like that for me. If he didn’t work for my father, if he wasn’t such an honorable man, I would have tried much harder to have him by now. Especially since I know he’d be amazing in bed.
Not quite as amazing as last night, but pretty damn close.
I walk inside and head up to our apartment. Gabby has Yuna blaring through the apartment and incense is burning in the living room. I’m a country girl at heart, but I love her eclectic self. I grab a water bottle and head to my room noticing the door hanger on her bedroom door knob. I smile and look at the time. 2 pm.
Nice, Gab.
Shaking my head, I throw on my headphones so I don’t have to listen to her sex noises and get to work on job applications.
Three hours later and I’ve submitted to everywhere that’s accepting applications, but I have no clue if anyone is actually going to contact me. I stand and stretch, looking over at my bed and smiling. It’s still unmade from last night. I’m sure his scent will still be on my sheets, on my pillow, if I walk over and sniff them. I’m not that girl, though. I don’t need to obsess like this. I need to find someone else to wash the memory of last night out of my head.
Gab knocks at my door and I yell for her to open it. She comes in and plops down on my bed, already dressed to go out tonight.
“How was your afternoon?” I smile at her and walk into my closet, trying to decide what I’m wearing tonight.
“Meh. Rachel’s good, but she just likes to receive. It gets tiring at times.” Gabby sighs and lays back on my bed, rolling over to smell the pillows I was just staring at. “Good God, woman. Who was in here last night? He smells amazing!” She laughs and throws the pillow at me.
The whiff of air from the pillow hits my nose and I breathe in his scent. Immediately, heat rushes between my legs and I’m reminded of everything we did together last night. It was so hot. So uninhibited.
“No clue. He was gone this morning. Jesus, Gab. He was amazing,” I shake my head to try and clear the memories and go back to picking out an outfit.
We’re going to a hibachi restaurant tonight, then hitting up a club downtown, so my dress needs to be versatile. I pick out a white and bl
ue polka-dot dress and smile, remembering when I used to wear it all the time because Rob thought it looked sexy on me.
Win.
I’m going for it. I need to look sexy tonight if I’m going to find someone to wash last night's memories out of my head.
“Damn, woman. You sure know how to rock the dresses lately, don’t you?” Gab sits up on her elbows and raises an eyebrow at me. I laugh and look down, enjoying the dress a little more than I used to.
“Yeah, apparently.” I smile and start messing with my hair, leaving it curled and straightening my side-swept bangs.
“Wear my red heels!” Gabby yells as she hops up and runs to her room.
Gabby is a free-love type of girl, or at least she likes to let people think that way about her. I feel like we’ve been friends forever, but it’s only been a few years. Her first time being drunk about me, she propositioned me to have sex with her. I declined, but somehow that just made our friendship stronger. I don’t swing that way, but she does, and then some. Men and women alike make it into her bed, sometimes at the same time. She’s definitely the more adventurous between the two of us, but I’m working my way up there. Last night, one man; tonight, a different one.
That’s the plan.
She runs back into the room and hands me her bright red heels.
“I’m gonna kill myself in these,” I shake my head and push the heels away. They’re beautiful, and I know they cost her a fortune, but I can’t do it. I won’t be the one to break her most expensive pair of shoes.
“You won’t kill yourself. Just hang on to me all night,” she grins devilishly and I laugh.
“If I have my way, Gab, I’ll be hanging on to someone with a little less vag and a lot more dick.”
“Ha! Oh, girl, that’s fantastic. Then you definitely need these. Your legs rock and these will be the icing on the cake.” She pushes them back in front of me and leaves to get her purse.
I shake my head and smile, slipping on the bright, shiny red heels that do, indeed, make my legs look fantastic. All those ballet lessons as a kid plus the hours a week at the gym helped perfect my legs, which I would say are my best asset. I pose in the mirror a few times and smile at what I see. Gab walks back into the room and whistles at me.
“Hot shit, you look great. Let’s get moving before I change my mind and try to seduce you myself again.” She winks and starts to leave the room.
“Funny. Now stop and help me with these bangs,” I whine as I try to make them fall correctly. She grabs the straightener, a brush, and some spray, and within a few minutes they look perfect. How she always does it is beyond me. I can never get them to look that good.
Walking to the elevator, I pull my taxi app up on my replacement phone that Gab lent me and summon the closest taxi to take us to dinner. Sure I have a car, but drinking and driving is on my never-in-a-million-years list. As is asking my dad for a car unless it’s incredibly necessary, like it was today. These heels are like walking on stilts; I’ll be lucky if I make it through tonight in one piece.
We arrive about ten minutes early for our reservations and Gabby hits up the bar while I stand and wait. She’s on her way back when I see her stop to talk to someone, holding my drink in one hand and sipping on hers in the other. I groan inwardly when I realize I’m going to have to walk over there if I want to start on my drink before the ice starts to water it down.
Moving slowly, I try to be as gentle with my steps as I can. Stepping to the side so an elderly woman can pass by, my heel hits a crack in the tile and my leg twists as I lose my balance.
Great, Annie. Perfect.
I go down, grasping for anything and everything possible to save me from hitting the floor. Everything is played out in slow motion in front of me as I fall to my embarrassing demise. I hear people around me gasp, a few chuckles, I swear I hear a camera shutter sound from someone’s phone.
Fan-freaking-tastic.
Landing on my ass with a very ladylike ‘oomph’, I try and regain composure before standing back up on these death traps. My leg is a little sore but I’m more worried about walking away from this experience with the tiniest bit of pride that I have left. I can’t look around me for fear that everyone will be staring at me, so I stand up and reach down to put my shoe back on correctly.
As soon as I finish fixing my shoes, I stand tall and start to walk away from this nightmare, but instead, end up slamming my body into a very hard male chest. A very good smelling, tall and well-built, male chest.
Awesome, Ann. Freaking great job bringing the sexy tonight.
I slowly and embarrassingly bring my eyes up to meet his, to apologize to the nice man that I just plowed into for being so clumsy, when I meet his face. His surprised face. He’s not just any incredibly delicious smelling man. I know that smell. He’s the man that sexed me up last night with earth shattering orgasms from the best sex of my life and has been invading my thoughts all day today.
It’s the guy from last night and I’ve just run straight into his rock solid body. Holy shit.
I take a breath before apologizing and quickly walking away, noticing the black haired beauty on his arm and the intense stare I’m receiving from her. Oh my God. His smell is ten times better in person, those dark eyes are ten times more intense than in my memory, and his gaze doesn’t leave mine as I walk away.
Chapter 2
Adam
“That’s it, baby. All the way back,” I moan as her mouth wraps around me and her blue eyes gaze up at me. My hand goes to the back of her head to guide her while I let my head fall back to my chair and close my eyes, picturing the one thing I haven’t been able to get out of my mind all day.
Fucking Vick Ryder’s daughter.
This girl’s only been interning here for a week and I’ve already got her under my thumb so she’s great for a quick stress reliever before a big meeting, but Jesus if I can’t help picturing Vick’s fucking daughter from last night every time I close my eyes. When I close my eyes while this Wendy girl is sucking me off, I see Annaliese.
Jesus, even her name. Annaliese. Those eyes. Those legs. Her ass. Fuck. I can’t stop thinking about her. The more I imagine what she let me do to her last night, the harder I get. Wendy’s hand cups my balls and all I can do is imagine Annaliese’s hands doing the same.
“Jesus,” I gasp as she starts sucking harder, and it’s all I can do not to yell out Annaliese’s name.
She moans as she takes me as deep as she can go, and I lose it.
Fuck!
“Mmm... yummy,” she says as she smiles and smacks her lips from swallowing my orgasm. Wiping her mouth, she stands and smiles at me.
I try and smile at her but that comment and the bright orange fingernail polish really has me turned off to this girl. She’s a decent lay and can suck dick like no other, but God she’s annoying.
“I gotta get to my meeting. Thanks. You can see yourself out,” I say impassively as I clean myself up and start to fix my suit.
I can see her pouting at me but the minute the door opens and Benton walks in, she scurries out like a lost and injured puppy. That’s one more employee I’ll need to be replacing. No doubt she’ll be turning in her notice today.
“For real, man? What’s that? Three this week already?” he asks as he relaxes on the couch in front of my desk while I adjust my shirt and throw on my suit jacket.
“Fuck off. You look like shit, man,” I throw at him but he ignores me and rubs his jaw.
“For real, though. You’re getting more now than ever before. Divorce looks good on you, A-Team.”
“Funny. I’ll say the same thing when Carly finally leaves your ass,” I joke with him. Everyone knows if there’s one couple that will never break up, its Benton and Carly. They just mesh and it’s sickening how perfect they are for each other.
“Yeah, laugh now. One day you’ll find your Carly.”
“Not even looking, bro. Let’s get moving. The meeting can’t start without us there,” I say and slap h
im on the back as we walk out of my office. He winces and I remember the bruise on his back he got last night.
Shit. This can’t last. Carly won’t go for it.
I see Wendy crying to my assistant, and I’m fairly certain she’s shooting daggers at me right now, but I smile and nod as we walk by. I can’t take drama. That’s why I pay my assistant, Reese, the big bucks. She can handle anything for me. She filters out the bullshit and leaves me with the important stuff. Wendy is most definitely not ‘important stuff’.
This meeting today. This meeting is important stuff.
It’s not a business meeting per se, though on paper it looks just like any other company meeting. It’s one that I’ve been looking forward to for a week now, and I don’t typically look forward to meetings. I have more important shit to do with my time. That is, until last night. Last night I put my livelihood in danger by sleeping with the one girl in the city that is so painfully out of reach my balls hurt the entire way home this morning.
“You cool with sitting in on this?” I ask Benton as we approach the double door on the top floor of my building.
“Why wouldn’t I be? Just another A-Team meeting.” He sighs and grins. “How much you going in for this time?”
“He has me for one K already. I’m thinking about upping it. Double or nothing. I’ve heard the guy tomorrow night is on fire lately, but my guy’s better.” I slap his shoulder and he nods with a knowing smile.
“Let’s do this shit. You know me, dude, I’m in.”
“Alright,” I sigh and let him enter me.
To everyone on the outside, this looks like a meeting between a chauffeur service and a high-profile businessman who needs our services.