by Bianca Vix
James is going to flip right out.
Chapter 2
Melissa
James is already out of his office, striding towards Rob. I don’t know how he could tell that Rob’s arrived. There’s no way he could have seen him yet. They must have been in touch.
I’m too far away to hear what they’re saying and it’s clear Rob is talking to him in a low, purposely restrained voice. The grip James has on his friend’s arm is tight as he pulls Rob into his office.
Just before the door closes, James shoots a glance my way, gesturing for me to join them with a short, sharp tilt of his head. I hurry over, grabbing all of the extra notes that I’ve made just in case he wants to see more evidence of what I’ve been working on.
I can’t help but notice Rob even as I close the door behind me. Somehow, he’s even more handsome than usual. No surprise, since he’s just come back from vacation. He’s very nicely tanned and looking just as relaxed as if he doesn’t have a care in the world. I try to will away the blush that threatens to rise into my cheeks as I remember exactly what he was wearing when he was out in the sun.
TMI.
Focus, brain.
“Hello, Melissa. How are you?” Rob’s smile is just as sexy as before he left for his holiday. It makes me melt.
Stop. No. A bad idea in so many ways. Terrible, career-killing idea. I cannot have a crush on either one my bosses. I’ve been repeating that to myself, over and over again so I’ll always keep it in mind.
So far, it hasn’t really worked. But I’m hoping it will soon.
Nothing else has.
“I’m great,” I manage. Suddenly it no longer matters that I’m more sleep-deprived than usual because I got awakened so early to try and clean up after him. Rob’s smile is doing more for me than the espresso I grabbed on my way in.
That’s no good. I shouldn’t be this into him. It should bother me that I was dragged out of bed early on a Monday morning solely because of him. I should be pissed at Rob.
I’m not.
Damn it.
I’m about to ask how his holiday was, as ridiculous as that would be, when James starts in on him.
“What were you thinking?”
“About what?”
“Don’t play dumb. Not this time.” James looks like he’s about to rip Rob’s head off. I intervene.
“Do you really not know? About the photos that were leaked?” I search his expression carefully. Because James is right. Sometimes, this is exactly what Rob will do. Try to dodge the consequences of his actions by playing innocent.
But he genuinely doesn’t seem to know what we’re talking about. “Photos of you and Stella Wellington. On the beach?” I prompt him. I don’t continue. He should know what I mean.
He frowns. His response is genuine. He doesn’t know.
“They’re everywhere. You and her. Together.” James’s jaw is tight.
Rob shakes his head. “I had no idea. I thought we were alone. I sure as hell didn’t think anyone was photographing us.”
“Not the point, Rob.” James’s words are clipped, as if it’s all he can do to keep from raising his voice. He’s probably only holding back because I’m here. “Why the fuck were you on holiday with her anyway? And of all times to do it. You know we have the presentation with the association coming up soon. You promised me you’d watch yourself. Not to mention, you’re not supposed to be screwing around with any married women anyway.”
“Relax.” Rob directs a smile at James, which only pisses him off more. Rob knows it. The games these men play with each other seem to be endless. It would almost be fascinating to watch, if only they didn’t affect their company so much.
“She’s not married. Well, technically she is,” Rob amends after James shoots him a murderous look. “But she’s separated. She has been for a while now. They’re heading towards divorce court. The papers have already been filed.”
James’s eyebrows lift in disbelief.
“It’s the truth. Check if you want,” Rob says dismissively. “I’ve been good. No married women. Not anymore. That’s too much trouble anyway. She and her husband just haven’t made it public yet. Not at all.”
“Well, you picked a hell of a way to do it for them. We’re going to have to put it there, and fast.”
Rob tightens his lips. “Stella’s not going to like that. She’s keeping it a secret for as long as she can, to keep the media attention off herself.”
“You should’ve thought of that sooner. If we don’t make it clear that she’s not with her husband any more, it’ll kill our chances with the association. Bad enough that your cock is out there for the world to see. Real professional. Just the image we need to project.”
Unwanted images spring into my mind. I can’t think of those now. Later. When I’m at home, alone. Then I can let my imagination run free and wild.
Rob’s shoulders sag a little bit as he considers what James said. “Okay, fine. But I want to talk to her first, give her a warning.”
“Right now. Melissa’s already been working on damage control.” James turns to me. “This little bit of info should save us. You can get it out there, as soon as he’s done.”
“Right away.” I try not to give a huge sigh of relief. This will make everything a lot easier to contain.
As I walk back to my desk, I have to admit to myself that I’m not just relieved because my day’s going to end a lot better now. It’s Rob, too. I don’t like the thought of him being with a married woman. Or any woman. I want to imagine that he’s free and available for me.
Except that he can’t be. Only in my dreams.
I can’t get involved in any way with anyone from the office, especially not one of my bosses. Plus, and I hate to say it, Rob’s a total man whore. And even though he likes to flirt with me as much as he can get away with, it doesn’t mean anything. It’s only in fun. And I try not to take it too seriously.
Because in spite of his reputation, he definitely keeps it out of the office. I don’t think he’s ever dated or slept with anyone from NovaTeam. If he has, he’s somehow managed to be ultra-discreet. Why he can’t do that with the rest of his life, I don’t understand.
Not that it matters to me. I’m here to work and to build my reputation. Nothing more. Rob’s going to stay in my fantasies only. Right alongside James.
Chapter 3
James
The smile Rob gives Melissa before she leaves my office is irritating as fuck. There are more important things that his mind should be on. As Rob turns back to me, I give him a vicious glare.
“What’s with you?” I say nothing, and he continues. “Okay, I’m sorry. But it’s not that a big deal. Stella’s separated. It’s all going to be fine.”
“You promised me you wouldn’t pull this kind of crap anymore.” I’m truly angry at him. For more reasons than he could guess, but that’s beside the point right now.
“I know. But it wasn’t actually my fault, not this time. I had no idea we were being photographed. It’s the truth. I meant what I said. No more married women for me.”
I sigh. “Do I really have to remind you that this is an extremely important event that we have coming up with the association? You already know that everything has to run perfectly this time. With all the recent scandals these teams have been through recently, they’re scrutinizing everything way more than they normally would. Including every company they hire from now on. Everything about us has to be clean. Including our personal lives.”
“I know, I know. It’s a big deal and we need to pull it off. We will. I’m on board. You know that.”
I do. And yet I’m still as pissed at him as if he did it on purpose. “It’s not forever. But at least until we’ve got a signed contract in our hands, you need to be way better at keeping your life under control.”
“Done.”
“Not to mention, the last thing Melissa needs right now is to be handling your own personal PR. Her time needs to be spent on NovaTeam.”
At least he finally looks regretful. Only a little, but it’s something. I know I’ve gotten through to him.
“I’ll buy her some flowers to make up for it. I’ve got go now, James. I’ve got a conference call to take.”
I stare after Rob as he walks out. The door clicks closed behind him and instead of getting right back to work myself, I go over to my huge picture window.
Staring down, I frown at the city spread out below me.
I never get tired of the thrilling complexity of the city I grew up in. The clash of the old and the new, fighting to be seen in the ever-changing skyline is just like the lives of the people that live in it.
It’s the same as it is with the newly-constructed buildings that appear every so often.
The only way to grow is up.
When I was a child, I loved looking up, trying to imagine what it would be like to be at the top.
Now I’m reaching for the sky, just like the tallest buildings do every day. Nothing’s going to stop me from taking our company all the way to the top. As far as it can possibly go. I don’t want to live the life I did as a child. As hard as my mother worked, it was always a struggle for her to make ends meet for the two of us.
I got my determination from her, and it’s served me very well. Now the golden ring is within my grasp, and I’m not going to let it pass me by. Rob and I are going to pull this off no matter what it takes. I won’t let anything get in our way.
Not even him.
Rob’s almost like a brother to me. I trust him that much. At least how I imagine having a brother would be. He’s my family now, and I don’t know what I’d do without him. At the same time, he can go from zero to irritating the crap out of me in about two seconds.
Grabbing my neglected coffee cup from my desk, I try to will the bitter liquid to get me focused and back on track. I still can’t believe those fucking photos are out there. The timing couldn’t be worse. Our big event is only a few weeks away. And everything has to go as smooth as polished marble, both before and during. The night that we showcase everything we’ve got for the association had better end with a signed contract.
There’s no other option I can accept.
It’s going to be the biggest promotional event we’ve ever put on. It’s the final step in convincing them that we can handle anything. On the surface, it’s about showing the managers a good time. There will be so much more going on underneath. If we can pull this off, we won’t just hit the next level. This new contract will take our company soaring sky-high.
It’s an understatement to call it a huge deal. It’s our one chance to get to the next level. Once we’ve got to a national level, we won’t have any competition.
I scowl as I catch a glimpse of Rob. He’s chatting up the receptionist. Christ. I thought he was taking this seriously. As much as I do trust him, sometimes he doesn’t quite get what needs to be done. It’s a good thing he’s so great with our clients. I work better behind the scenes, pulling everything together and setting up the deals. Rob’s the one to strike them. Once he gets going, he can talk anyone into anything. Works for me. I don’t have the patience. It’s a good thing he loves it.
Together, he and I make an unstoppable team.
It was a great stroke of luck that raised the profile of NovaTeam when Rob and I were profiled a few months ago in New Business Moves. We were included in their Top 30 Under 30. That got a lot of attention onto the company, and suddenly our sales shot right up. It was excellent collateral to have when we approached the national football association. Suddenly, everyone knew who we were and we became a driving force so much faster than we would have been without it.
But Rob loves the spotlight just a little too much. When CrossVibe magazine wanted to include both of us in their Hottest Bachelors of the Month, I didn’t hesitate to turn them down. If it’s not about business, I’m not going to waste my time.
Of course Rob jumped at the chance.
So now he’s something of a local celebrity. All the attention goes to him at any social or work event. Fine with me.
Except when something like this happens. It isn’t the first time he’s been the topic of gossip sites.
But this time is definitely the worst.
It’s not the only reason I’m angry with him now. I don’t like the way Rob checked Melissa out when she was here. I shouldn’t care. I know it. Melissa caught my eye right from the first moment she started at NovaTeam. And from that moment, I’ve done nothing about it. It’s bad enough to be painfully attracted to someone you work with.
Completely impossible to date an employee when you own the company.
Rob’s interest in her bothers me, it’s true. But not just because I want her for myself. If I can’t have her, there’s no way he can either. She’s off-limits for both of us, so it’s not like he’s going to be able to have her when I can’t.
My biggest problem is that I don’t know which one of them to be jealous of.
Rob doesn’t have a clue, but I’ve been attracted to him for a long time. Years now. We’ve been best friends since school and sometime in college, I realized my feelings for him had gone beyond friendship into some very uncharted territory.
It was back when we were roommates, sharing a single dorm room between us. Although I remember it as vividly as if it was a dream I’d had last night. I’ve always been able to sleep through anything short of a violent earthquake, but something woke me up one night. It took me a minute to realize what was going on. When I did, the fog in my brain cleared up instantly.
Rob had brought someone back with him. And once I was awake, I couldn’t block out the noises they were making. So I listened, until curiosity drove me to crack one eye open.
I got an eyeful of Rob and for some reason, I couldn’t look away. Fuck, he was sexy.
Where the hell that thought came from, I had no idea.
Rob was lying right beside a pretty woman I vaguely remembered him hitting on at a party last weekend. It wasn’t so easy to make out what she looked like in the total darkness, so my memory and imagination both went into overdrive to fill in the blanks.
She had her clothes still on. Since Rob was behind her, all I could see of him was that he had his shirt off. They were kissing as Rob fondled her breasts over her snug top. He switched between them, fingers massaging her nipples. I imagined them stiffening up under his touch.
My breath caught as he slipped his hand up underneath her shirt, pushing it out of the way. A flash of lacy bra soon disappeared under Rob’s big palm.
He moved his hand down, and started slowly sliding it up her leg. My cock was throbbing as he reached the edge of her skirt and kept going.
I had to work to control my breathing to not give myself away as being awake. Not being able to see his hand, I could only imagine what Rob’s fingers were doing, and how her body felt. She helped me out, her moans showing her enjoyment of whatever he was up to.
The only sound in the room was her moans and their heavy breathing. I kept mine under control somehow, not being too careful since they were obviously too into each other to care that much that I was there.
My cock was as hard as ever, but I couldn’t risk trying to get any relief. It crossed my mind that Rob must certainly be in the same state as I was, and I couldn’t help but wonder what his erection might look like. Being roommates, we’d seen each other changing more than enough times. I’d certainly never been curious about his hard cock.
Not until now.
I made an effort to shift my attention back to the woman he was touching. Her breathing was getting more erratic. Rob hadn’t taken his hand away, he was still working her into a state of ecstasy. Her body started to shake and again he kissed her, which didn’t do very much to muffle her sexy sounds.
Once she was done coming, Rob sat up, starting to pull her clothes off. Once he was done, he got off the bed to get himself the rest of the way naked. I closed my eyes but not entirely, somehow unable to look away from R
ob stripping down to nothing.
My eyes were on his crotch as he tugged his jeans and underwear off. For some reason he was facing my direction. So once everything came off, I got a very good eyeful of his hard, pulsing cock.
I couldn’t look away.
I didn’t want to.
It was the first cock I’d seen hard, other than my own. I was so attracted to it. It looked like pure sex to me.
Rob paused for a couple of seconds before he climbed back into bed and joined her, stretching out on top of her. I was so turned on, I could have come myself when he bent down, sucking one of her nipples between his lips. At the same time, she curled her small fingers around his shaft, stroking his hard length. I couldn’t help but wonder what that would feel like. Rubbing a cock that didn’t belong to me.
It was almost impossible to resist the urge to grab my own throbbing cock, but our beds were too close. One of them would have noticed a movement like that.
The live action in front of me stopped while Rob found a condom. Once he was ready, Rob grabbed his big cock and I had an excellent view of him guiding it deep inside her body, inch by inch. I nearly exploded just from the sight of it.
It didn’t take long before she was rocking her hips up to meet Rob’s thrusts. She wrapped her legs around his back and they moved together, lost in their own passion.
I shifted around, turning as a test of what I could get away with. Neither one of them reacted to my movements.
Horniness overtaking my better judgment, I decided to chance it. Luckily they were both too absorbed in each other to notice me easing my hand down under the covers.
She was clutching at Rob’s back as he went faster, grinding up against him. He withdrew nearly his entire length, except for the head, giving me another teasing view of his sexy cock before he thrust back inside of her.
I was loving every moment of the scene playing out in front of me. I jacked my cock in time with Rob’s movements. To my delight, Rob kept taking long, deliberate strokes so I could see his shaft every single time. Even as he was pumped faster, he kept it up.