The sushi restaurant was owned by Lin Tom, a Japanese guy with an American accent. I’d become friends with him through the shop, and had visited his restaurant more times than I could remember over the year. He grinned when he saw me, and grinned even wider when he saw Eliza standing next to me.
“Lin, meet Eliza. Eliza, this is Lin. He’s the owner and chef here.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” Lin said. He was an obvious flirt, but Eliza didn’t seem to mind. She shook his hand and told him how beautiful his restaurant was.
“Eliza is new to Arizona. So I’m showing her the best restaurants in town,” I told Lin.
“Ah, you flatter me, Mr. Gunner,” he said. “Sit down, sit down. You’re not going to order. I’m bringing the food to you.”
Eliza chuckled as she sat down and looked at me. “Mr. Gunner?”
“For some reason, he thinks my name is Ian Gunner. I’ve told him a million times that it’s not, but he keeps forgetting. Now I don’t bother to correct him.”
“He seems lovely. And this place looks incredible. I must say, this doesn’t seem like the sort of place you’d hang around in.”
I raised my eyebrows and was about to tell her that she shouldn’t judge so quickly, but she was right. It wasn’t the sort of place I usually hung about it. “Yeah, the club guys would most definitely laugh if they saw me here. They’d probably tease me relentlessly for the rest of my life. They can’t help themselves. They like to be seen in a certain light. Especially the older guys. But the sushi is so good that I’m willing to take the risk.”
“I like the fact that you do things out of character.”
“Out of character?” I asked. “What’s in character for me?”
“Actually, I don’t know anymore. But you do realize that your club has quite the reputation, don’t you? I mean, I’m new in town, and I’ve still heard some stories.”
I groaned. That was the biggest problem with the club. It branded you as something you might not be at all. “I know,” I said. “It doesn’t have the best reputation. But that’s just because certain people have done certain things that gave it a bad name. Trust me; we don’t allow those members to stay. And also, the media sensationalizes things to make for a better story. But it’s hard to rid yourself of a reputation. People like to think that we’re this group of bad guys, even if it’s not the case for the most part. I’ve stopped trying to change their minds.”
“Good for you. Just be yourself and let them judge away. People can be cruel.”
“You sound like you speak from experience,” I said.
I knew that there was something going on with Eliza. Something that she wouldn’t tell me. I had a feeling that she’d been hurt before. But every time we got close to the conversation, she changed the subject. And I didn’t want to push. I figured she’d tell me when she was ready. This time, she didn’t have to, because Lin came by with a platter of sushi and the conversation moved on to how wonderful the sushi was.
After the sushi, and a glass of Lin’s famous house wine, we went over to say thank you. Lin assured us that we were welcome anytime. And that any friend of Mr. Gunner’s was a friend of his. I could see Eliza trying not to laugh every time he said my name.
Once outside, Eliza wrapped her bare arms around herself and shivered.
“Since when did it get so cold?”
“Yeah, that’s the thing with this place. The weather changes easily. A hot day could easily turn into a cold night. You have to come prepared. It’s all about layers. Thankfully, I don’t go anywhere without my jacket, so I’m usually fine.”
“I left my jacket at work today, so it looks like I’m going to be cold all weekend.”
“You only have one jacket?” I asked.
“I sort of left a lot of stuff behind in California. Long story.” She clearly did not want to talk about that long story, so I didn’t push for it.
“Well, do you have the keys to your office?” I asked instead.
“I do. Why?”
“Well, then I’m taking you to get your jacket.”
“Oh, no, you don’t have to. I was only kidding. I mean, I’ve got some other warm things at home that I can wear. I really don’t need that jacket. But thanks for offering. That’s nice of you.”
“Nope. We’re going to get your jacket. And you might as well just accept the fact. Anyway, it’s on the way home, so it’s really no big deal.”
“Thanks, Gunner,” she said.
We made our way to her office and climbed up the broken stairs. Once she opened the door, I smiled. She was right. The outside and the inside were nothing alike. I sort of liked the contrast and hoped they never redid the outside to match the inside.
“This place is so cool,” I said, admiring the brightly colored walls. It looked nothing like my own place of work, but it suited the theme of party planning. And it reminded me a lot of Eliza—bright, colorful, interesting.
“Yeah,” she said and looked around. “It’s such a great place to work. So much color. I love it. And this is where I work,” she said and pointed to her desk where her jacket was hanging over her chair.
“So, this is where you sit all day,” I said and looked at her desk. It was neat and tidy, and far less chaotic than the other desks around. And the thought of her sitting there tapping away on her keyboard suddenly sent a thrill down my body.
“Why are you looking at my desk like that? Is something wrong?” she said.
I realized that I had been staring. I quickly blinked and looked back up at her. Her black outfit, her blue earrings. And I knew that I would not be able to resist her for much longer.
“Oh, nothing is wrong. In fact, everything is very, very right.”
“You’re weird,” she said and laughed nervously. Then she said, “Want the tour?”
I nodded without saying anything. But when we got to the conference room, I knew that I wanted her right there and then. The table was big, and wide, and completely empty. She was talking and busy telling me all about the meetings that they have in the office, and I was barely listening. She was halfway through her conversation when I walked up to her, picked her up, and placed her on the table.
“What the—”
But I didn’t let her talk anymore. Instead, I leaned in and immediately started kissing her. It was time for her and me to have our own little meeting here.
Chapter Eighteen
Eliza
I’d been thinking about how exciting it would be to have sex in the conference room, but I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea or not. After all, I’d only just started working there. And even though I’d had a really great time with Ian all night, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to have sex again. I mean, I wanted to. I just wasn’t entirely too sure if it was a good idea. I kept hearing Mae’s words telling me to lay off guys for a while. I kept seeing Raymond’s face flash before my eyes. But then Ian picked me up and placed me on the table, and I knew that there was no chance that I was going to say no. How could I when his mouth was so hot against mine? We’d ended the meal by trying out one of the new cakes on the menu, and all I could taste was the sweetness of chocolate as we kissed. He was intoxicating. I kissed him back.
I lay down on the table while he pulled my jeans off my body. I was impressed at his skill. Even I battled to get those jeans off me sometimes. Then he pulled off my panties and leaned down to lick between my legs. I opened my legs wider, and I reached my arms out against the cool wooden table. He pulled my body down slightly so that it was easier for his tongue to reach inside me. I groaned as he licked and kissed and licked again. When it got too much for me to handle, I tried to sit up, but he wouldn’t let me.
“No,” he said. “I want you to come like this.”
I thought about stopping him. I’d never known what it was like for a man to put me first. With Raymond, it had always been about him. Even in the beginning when I actually enjoyed having sex with him, he would always worry about himself first. This was a new
sensation to me. And even though I felt slightly awkward about it at first, I decided that the only way to enjoy myself was to surrender to the moment. So I lay back down, opened my legs wider, and let him carry on. Ian’s hands were moving up and down my body as he licked me. His one hand reached up and under my bra, and he played with my nipples while I came. I came harder than I’d ever come before, and right at the end, I groaned loud in pleasure without any shame. When he was finished, I lay there for a while, just breathing in and out. Then I sat up and saw him looking at me. I licked my lips. For the first time, I wanted more.
I pulled him in and started kissing him. Then I hopped off the table, and told him to take off his clothes. He was rock hard and ready for me. I leaned against the table and bent down, and waited for him to come behind me. For someone that was as conservative as I had always been during sex, I was surprised at how many new things I was willing to try with this man I hardly knew. He made me feel safe enough and sexy enough for me to want it, both feelings I hadn’t felt in a long time.
Ian came up behind me, his hands felt their way up my shirt, and as he grabbed onto my breasts, he pushed himself inside me. I groaned in pleasure and held onto the table for support. I was already feeling so sensitive from the orgasm that I’d already had only moments before, and the feeling of him behind me was incredible.
“Yes!” I shouted as he pushed himself against me.
He kissed my neck and sucked gently on my skin and a new sensation rocked over me. How had I never experienced this before? I felt as if I were enjoying sex for the first time in my life. I didn’t know that it could be this good.
Afterward, as Ian was getting changed, I looked around for my jeans. I found my panties and quickly put them on and then giggled as I walked around looking for the rest of my clothes.
“Where on earth did you put them?” I asked.
He looked around and laughed. “I don’t think I was thinking straight at that moment. I sort of threw them behind me. Oh wait, here they are!”
They were draped against some plant, and we both burst out laughing when we saw them.
“Thankfully I found them. Imagine everyone coming in here on Monday and wondering where the jeans came from?”
“I sort of wish we hadn’t found them just so that that could’ve happened.”
“So cruel!” I said, but I was laughing. “Well, I didn’t expect that to happen.”
“Sure, sure. I know that’s why you bought me here. You left your jacket behind on purpose after work. It was all part of your master plan.”
I sighed. “You’re right. I’ve known all along that it was going to happen. Man, how am I going to take meetings seriously from now on? This boardroom has a whole new meaning for me now, thanks to you.”
Ian grinned. “I’m glad I could be of some assistance.”
“Come on, let me get my jacket. For real this time,” I said, and the two of us walked back to my desk.
I grabbed my jacket and put it on and then the two of us headed out. The last thing that I expected was to see Mary, the cleaning lady, walk in. She stopped short when she saw us, and for a few seconds we all just stared at each other.
“Mary, what are you doing here?” I finally asked.
“Oh, John has an early meeting tomorrow morning, and he asked me to make sure everything was clean.”
“On a Friday night?”
“It’s okay. He doesn’t ask me often, and he pays well for the extra time. What are you doing here? Working late?” she asked and then looked at Ian in confusion.
I could feel my face getting more and more red as the conversation went on. “Oh, no. Actually, I was out with my friend Gunner, I mean, Ian here. Ian, this is Mary. As we were leaving the restaurant, I realized I’d left my jacket in the office.” I signaled to the jacket now on me as if trying to prove my point. “I have it now. Anyway, we better get going. I hope the cleaning goes quickly.”
“Thanks, Eliza. Enjoy the rest of your night.”
Ian and I quickly hurried out, and the moment the doors closed, we both burst out laughing.
“That could’ve been bad!” I said. “If she’d come only ten minutes before she’d have seen far more than I would’ve wanted her to see. Oh no, and she’s there to clean the boardroom. I’m so embarrassed!”
“Well, to be fair, the boardroom does need to be cleaned.”
I laughed. “Think she believed us?”
“Probably not. We both looked very suspicious. But there’s no proof. Thankfully we found both your underwear and your jeans in time.”
“Okay, I don’t think we should do that again,” I said. But we both grinned at each other, and I knew that it would more than likely happen again.
How could anyone say no to this man?
Chapter Nineteen
Ian
I woke up after a very strange dream mixed with motorcycles and boardroom tables, and looked around in confusion. What day was it? I checked my phone and smiled. It was Monday, my favorite day of the week. Another full day of working with bikes. And at least Chris wasn’t knocking at my door telling me that the shop was closed. I drank some coffee, and then made my way to the shop.
I walked passed my father’s office and spotted Patriot talking to my father. As I walked by, I heard my father laughing at something that Patriot had said. That wasn’t a surprise though; my father loved Patriot. I wondered what he had said to make him laugh like that. I certainly couldn’t make my father laugh. Oh no, everything I did had to be perfect, while Patriot just got to be himself.
I shook my head and busied myself with my work. A client had already dropped off a bike and there was plenty that needed to be done. I started working on it immediately.
Chris walked in about half an hour later and called out to me over the music.
“Gunner!”
“Gunner!”
Three “Gunner’s” later and I finally emerged.
“Sorry, were you calling?” I asked.
“Only about a million times,” he laughed. “Good morning!”
“Morning, Chris. Good weekend?” I asked.
“Yeah, not too shabby. Nice and chill. How about you?”
I thought back to the night with Eliza and smiled. “Pretty good.”
“Good. Listen, your father asked if you could come in and see him when you get a chance.”
I tried not to groan. If I did, Chris would only lecture me again about how hard I was on my father. “Sure thing, I’m almost done here. Is he alone?” I asked. The last thing I wanted was to sit in a room with my father and Patriot together.
“Yeah, he’s alone.”
I washed my hands, hung up my toolkit, and made my way to the office. I half expected Patriot to be hiding behind the door or something. But thankfully we were alone.
“Hi, Dad. Chris said you wanted to speak to me?”
The funny thing with my father and I was that we could have a fight about something and then talk normally to each other the following the day. I wondered if either of us would mention the fact that I’d stormed out his office the other day, but I doubted it.
“Yeah, take a seat, Ian. Want some coffee?”
I took a seat and shook my head. “Nah, I had some before coming in. And I’m already too hot for coffee. Your office is like an oasis. No wonder you like it in here,” I said and smiled as the air conditioning unit blasted cool air on my face.
“You should get one in there,” my father suggested.
“Really? We have the budget for it?”
My father grinned. “Sure we do. You’ve seen the books. We’re doing well. Go on, get yourself one. I don’t mind.”
“Thanks, Dad. Chris is going to love you forever.”
“Good. You boys deserve it. Now, the reason I’m calling you in the office is not because of the air con. It’s because of the club. Now, before you say anything, I just want you to know that the decision is purely up to you.”
“And you won’t be offended if I
say no?”
“Of course not. But I want you to at least think about it. Really think about it. Have you?”
I shook my head. “Honestly? No.”
“I thought so. And that’s okay. But I’m asking you now as a favor to please think about it properly. You’d be great at it, even if you don’t think so yourself. And I really do want you to do it. But at the end of the day, the decision is yours. Now, if you don’t mind telling me at the end of the week, that would be great. Because if you don’t do it, then I need to find someone else. And right now, I don’t even have a backup plan. Will you think about it and let me know?”
I looked at my father in surprise. He really didn’t seem to mind what decision I made, and for the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel angry at what he was saying. I knew that if I told anyone else that they would just tell me that my father had complimented me. Why should I get angry?
I nodded. “I promise to think about it and to let you know by the end of the week. And thank you; it really is nice that you asked me.”
It was my father’s turn to look surprised. Then the two of us nodded, and I got up to leave before we could ruin the moment.
The moment I got out, I saw Patriot talking to Chris. I groaned. I thought he’d gone home. I thought about quickly walking the other way, but he saw me, and it was too late. I plastered on a smile. Just like with my father, I was going to forget about the fact that the last time I had seen him, I’d demanded that he get out my house.
“Patriot! Nice to see you,” I said instead.
He smiled. He had my father’s charm. “Gunner, I’m glad you’re here. Nice chat with Pop?”
“Yeah, actually, it was.”
Both he and Chris gave me a funny look but didn’t say anything.
“You’re doing a good job here. While you were in there with Pop, two other people came in and dropped off bikes. You guys are pretty popular. Do you advertise?”
Dirty Roomie_A Maxwell Family Romance Page 33