by Claire Angel
I met with a couple of business associates that had heard about the party and had wanted to be invited. I had been too preoccupied with Sarah to get the message and respond in time. Instead, they had just shown up.
My bouncer had taken the invite list way too seriously and had threatened to physically kick them out. I had to remind Terry that we weren’t attacking guests. I had pulled him from a bar, and he was good protection, but sometimes he took his job a little too seriously.
Once that was resolved and everybody was happy again, I went back upstairs, anxious to get back to Sarah. I didn’t want to worry about the party. It was important, or so Charles told me, but I wanted to have Sarah back in my arms. At this point, it was all that mattered to me now.
Charles had tried to follow me up, but I made sure that he knew it wasn’t an option. I wanted to be alone with her, but when I got up there, Sarah was gone. I didn’t have to search around the place, to know that she had left. She had skipped out and again, I was kicking myself for letting her go. I should have waited for her to pull it together, so that she could come with me.
Never before, had I dealt with a woman, that I was so unsure of what she was going to do next. I wanted to believe that she wouldn’t leave me like she had, but obviously I was wrong. When I went back downstairs, Charles had a lot to say, but I didn't want to hear it. Just because she took off, didn’t mean anything. I was going to have to hope that it wasn’t because she didn’t like what we had just done together. I wouldn’t be able to handle that truth all that well.
It really didn't matter why she was gone in the end, just that she was. I was hot and bothered in a way I had not experienced in a very long time and there was nothing I could do about it. I had already figured out that no one was going to do. No woman was going to give me what I needed. Just Sarah.
Chapter 24
Sarah
“Come with me Sarah. I have a surprise for you.”
We were surrounded by coworkers and after the way that he had acted in the elevator, I knew that I didn’t want to do this again. Not in front of everyone.
I shook my head that I wasn’t going to come with him. He gave me this look, that I didn’t understand. It was something akin to humor, but not. I don’t know how to describe it, just that I didn’t want to know what he was going to do next. Richard did not like to be told no. He thought that everyone should listen to him and do what he says. I was one of those people.
“Sarah, I won’t ask again.” It was framed as a threat and I was again, concerned what he meant by that. I did know that there was truth to it. I wanted to think that Richard was more professional than this, but I was starting to see that I was wrong on that assumption as well. Richard didn’t care about much of anything, just what he wanted and achieving his goal.
I was starting to get up and I could feel eyes on me, but I apparently didn’t move fast enough. The next thing I know, he’s pulling me to my feet and then into his arms. I felt his lips on mine and I was shocked more than anything else. I couldn’t believe what was going on, but I knew that I needed him.
For a second, I fell into the way he felt against me and I almost forgot about the congregation of people that surrounded us. These were people that I had to work with and now I don’t know if I was ever going to be able to face them again.
Finally, when he pulled away, I was able to breathe again, but it wasn’t helping. My heart was racing, and I was so embarrassed and turned on, all at the same time. He was really going to ruin me, in all ways. I took the hand and the help to get up. My legs were unsteady because of the kiss. More importantly, I was unsteady after thinking about what he had done with me last night at his house. I was never going to be able to be around him and not think about it, not want more.
“What are you thinking Richard?”
“I’m thinking that you should have come with me.” He had something on his mind and he’d already proved that he had more courage than I did. He was the boss after all. What was someone going to say to him?
“Did you have to do that?”
Richard shrugged. “No, I guess not, but if I didn’t, I don’t know if I would be able to stop myself from slamming you against a wall and sliding into you for real this time.”
He’d gotten closer and I swear his voice had gotten deeper. It was calling to a very lustful part of me, that I don’t think I was able to control. I wanted to, but there was just no way.
“You really have to stop saying things like that.”
“I agree. I need to just do it, huh?”
He looked at me like he was going to do that, and it bothered me, because I was worried that he would do it, right here in the hallway. Richard didn’t seem to have the same compulsion to restrain from doing things around others, that I would never want a witness to. He was certainly more liberal in his thinking about that.
“No, we work together. Why are you messing with my head today?”
“Because I can and because I have a surprise for you.”
It must have been something good, because he’d brought it up several times now. What would he be so excited to give me? What sort of surprise is it?
When I asked him what it was, Richard just smiled in the way he did and shrugged.
“You’ll just have to wait and see.”
I was intrigued, but nervous all at the same time. We could be opening up into a room with a bed for all I know. When we went down three flights and the he stopped at one of the many doors in this hallway, I asked him where we were.
“Open it and you’ll find out.”
It sounded easy, so why was I shaking? It wasn’t at all what I had thought it would be.
“Donna?” I was surprised and so happy to see her.
“Well, you said you missed her, she hates her current job and we needed an intern for our philanthropy side of things. It all works out and you have your friend here with you. I also took the liberty of getting another apartment, just for the two of you.”
I looked at him in awe. Donna hadn’t seen me yet, but I couldn’t believe that he would do this. He was so sweet. I always thought he was a playboy and I was just one of his one-night stands. I think I was so wrong. It was hard not to get all teary-eyed. I couldn’t believe that he could do something like this. It was just what I needed.
I didn’t care if anyone was around this time. I leaned in and gave him a kiss, because I wanted to feel his lips on mine. It was all just too much, and I pulled him down for one, before he could deny me.
When I was done, I righted him, and he had this silly grin on his face. It was hard to turn away from him, but I had to see Donna. It had only been a little more a month, but it felt like a lifetime.
“You would not believe how good it is to see you.”
***
Now, I didn't know what to say to Richard. I had been so mad at him for how he had acted in front of everybody, but I was not prepared for the way he acted a little while later. And to think that he had gotten Donna a job with us, and a new apartment, just to make me happy. I had never had somebody cared about me like that and it was still hard to believe it was true.
The apartment was amazing, and Donna went with me to get my stuff from the other place. I really just needed her around for moral support. Now that I had someone on my side, I noticed that I stood a little taller and I was able to hold my head high. I did not have to be ashamed or avoid them anymore.
Amber saw us come in, but she didn't say anything the whole time we were there. I know that she was dying inside to ask me, but Amber said nothing. I'm sure that it was because of the talking, she had gotten from Richard. I had only been able to hear part of it, but it was enough to know that I would most likely not have any more trouble from her. That was a blessing, more than anything else.
The next day when I went to work, instead of Richard tracking me down, this time I was tracking him down. I wanted to thank him in person for what he had done for me. He had ma
de my life so much better in the span of a couple of hours. I don't know how he did it or why he did it. I still wasn't even sure why he cared so much, just that he did, and I was thankful for it.
I knocked on his office door and waited for him to answer. I still wasn't sure what I was going to say. All I came up with, was to tell him thank you, but that seemed to not be enough.
“Come in.” He sounded rushed and I hoped that it wasn’t a bad time. I was starting to think it was, from the bickering that I could hear underneath his breath. He was mad about something and taking it out on someone on the phone, it sounded like.
“I don't give a shit what you tell them. I am going to sell everything that they own and make sure that they never get it back. You just tell them that.”
I stopped at the door, because I was sure that I wasn’t supposed to hear this. I didn't see Richard as the ruthless businessman he was. I'd only seen him as the generous boss and man that I looked up to. This was another side of him, and I wasn't sure how I felt about it.
He put his hand up and told me to stop. I made a remark that I would come back when he wasn't so busy, but apparently, I wasn't going to get away from Richard that easily.
“I will call you back Steve. Don't play coy with me. You know that I'm not going to mess around with this. You brought him in, so you keep him in line.”
Richard by mistake pressed the speaker button on his phone in place of end buttoned.
“Where are you going off to? Are you going to go see that little intern?” The voice from other side echoed. As soon as I heard it and then saw the expression on Richard’s face, I knew that the man on the other side knew about me. The only way that was going to happen, was if Richard told him. I really don't know how I felt about that.
Richard hung up the phone quickly and I didn't get to hear the rest of it.
“The little intern, huh?”
He shrugged and even though he looked uncomfortable, he played it off pretty well.
“What can I say Sarah? You have made a hell of a good story for the local offices.”
“I can imagine what they're saying. They are probably saying that I am just another notch on your belt, huh?”
He grinned at me and shook his head to the latter. “It is actually not that way at all. You are the one who has tamed me, from what I hear. Which, you have to admit, is pretty bad, considering you haven't even really touched me.”
He was moving closer and again I was getting nervous. A moment ago, the look of nervousness was all over his face, now it was on mine. I'm sure that we were feeling anxiety for completely different reasons. Every time he got close to me, things happened that I wasn't prepared for.
“Is that what I have done? Are you tamed?”
He agreed. “I don't know about tamed, but I think this is about as far as it's going to go.”
“Well then, I should be thankful that it was so easy.”
“Yes, you should. Now are you going to let me kiss you again? See tame. I even asked nicely.”
“I don't think that we should be doing that. From what I hear, that sort of fraternizing is frowned upon at Grant Holding. I had to take three separate classes and two of them was about that.”
“Yes, the mandatory sexual harassment classes. You really have to love them.”
“Especially when the boss is such a naughty boy.”
That got an even wider grin from him and I was lost in the moment. His eyes were twinkling, and he really did look like he was up to no good. The problem was, I wanted to be right along with him, doing bad deeds and doing the very things that were going to feel good. The ones I shouldn't do, but I wanted to.
He leaned in and gave me a kiss. It was really quick. His lips barely brushed against mine, but I swear that it was enough. I was trembling inside from just that tiny little touch and I knew that there was nothing that the man couldn't do. He was magic, amazing and I felt like half the time I was just along for the ride.
When I heard a commotion at the door, I pulled away from him really quickly like he was on fire. I had just felt so guilty and I knew that someone was going to catch us. Someone already had and I don't think I would be able to face Charles again, if he saw me in that way.
He grabbed me and tried to stop me from pulling away, but I just pushed a little harder.
“I think we will have to talk about this later.”
“This was talking?”
I agreed that it was and he just kind of smiled. “Well, anytime you want to talk, I mean you just come right in and I will stop whatever I'm doing for a chat.”
The fact that he was serious made me giggle and I couldn't help the smile that came over my face. He really was a charmer. Everything that came out of his mouth was smooth and that's what made him so dangerous. It was hard to be around a man that I was unable to tell no. Especially a man that was so dirty minded.
“We’ll see.”
“Tonight?”
“Are you sure you don't want to go ask me in front of everybody and embarrass me again?”
“I can if that will make you say yes.”
I quickly agreed to go out with him, and I know that half of it was because I was afraid, he was going to do just that. Richard was a man of his word.
Chapter 25
Richard
It was the end of the day on Tuesday and I had finally gotten Sarah to agree to come out with me. It wasn't the situation where I'd be surrounded by people all evening and she would be able to run off. This time, it was going to be just me and her and I was going to make sure that she didn't go anywhere.
I went to her cubicle and even though there were a few people around, I asked her if she was ready to go.
She gave me a bit of a dirty look, but I just smiled at her. It was hard to stay mad at me and I was going to use that to my advantage.
“Yeah, let me just grab my purse.”
I could see the looks that were coming from the people around us, but I just ignored it. I was the boss after all, and I could do whatever the hell I wanted to do. I had noticed Charles giving me a few questioning looks as well, before he could say anything, I motioned him to stop right there.
This was happening. If she was going to give me a chance, then nothing else mattered. It didn’t matter that this was completely unlike me. Until I met a woman like Sarah, I didn’t know how it could be any different. It certainly didn't feel like anything would ever be the same again.
We got out of hearing distance and Sarah looked at me.
“Was that really necessary?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know exactly what I mean Richard. Is it necessary that you have to do it in front of other people?”
I thought that I had done it as nicely as possible. I was sick of waiting and there was no way that I was going to let her slip away from me again. The best thing for me to do, was to get her out and on our way. And then maybe I would be able to think straight again.
“Is it so bad that they know about us?”
“Considering that there isn't really an us Richard, maybe it isn't the best idea. I know that there is something going on between us, obviously, but that doesn't mean that I am ready to let the world know about it. You shouldn’t be so willing to either.”
Her face got beat red and she was stuttering through the last couple of sentences. It was almost painful to listen to her. She was so nervous.
She liked to pretend like she could really talk about it, but it wasn't quite the way it was. I had never seen her so embarrassed before and for one reason or another, it just made me smile.
“You can deny what is going on all you want to Sarah, but it isn't going to do you any good. I think you know that too.” I held her eyes for a moment and then she finally looked away.
“I am starting to think that you really like to mess with my head Richard.” I certainly wasn't going to deny it. Her reaction was one of my favorite things.
; “You make it too easy, don’t you Sarah?” Sarah started to say something and then she snapped her mouth shut. I had a feeling that I wouldn't like that she was going to say anyways. I didn't want to be on this foot now. I wanted to have a good day and a good time. That meant that I had to get her to see things my way.
“So, we have to at least get ready before we go out.”
I disagreed.
“Why not?”
“Because I'm not going to let you run off again. You do any time things get too close with us. Any opportunity, you’re gone.”
That got a frown on her face and she looked down at what she was wearing. “I don't think that you want to go out with me like this.” I pulled the sticks out of her hair that were holding it together and it fell to her shoulders. I unbuttoned her blazer and took it off of her. In seconds, she was instantly hotter, and I couldn't think of anything better for her to wear.
She kind of had this untrusting look on her face, that made me wonder what she had going on in her mind. There were many times that I wanted to ask her. It seemed like it was going to be the only way I was going to find out, because Sarah really didn’t talk about herself all that much.
“See, there you go. Now you're ready.”
“You really don't take no for an answer, do you?”
“You said you've heard a lot of my talks, then you know that I don't. I don't really hear no that often either.”
“I can see that.”
We were downstairs and getting into the car. She asked me again where we were going, and I still didn't answer her. There was only one place I wanted to take her, and that was to bed. From there, I didn't care what we did. But first things first.
When we pulled up in front of the penthouse. She looked up at it and then back over to me. “What are we doing here?”
“You know what we’re doing here Sarah. If you want to go somewhere else, we can, but I think this is exactly where we need to be.”