“I’m going to go to my office before I go in with Arlene. I’m not quite ready to deal with her level of moodiness right now,” I said.
“Good Idea.” Kayla frowned.
Before I could walk away, I heard Arlene yell through her closed office door. I turned back to look at Kayla and the young woman winced.
“Who is in there with her?” I asked.
“She is in with Reid now. They are going over transitioning the file. Doesn’t sound like it’s going very well.”
“Not at all.” I narrowed my eyes at the door as if doing so would give me a window into what was going on.
To be a fly on that wall....
At that moment, the door flung open and Arlene flew out of her office like a bat out of hell. Her face was tear-streaked, yet again. She looked at me with contempt. “You!” She pointed a long manicured finger at me. “Get your ass in here.”
“Arlene!” Reid’s voice roared behind her. “Don’t talk to her like that because you are upset with me. Addison has nothing to do with this.”
“You are sticking up for her now? Do you know how highly inappropriate whatever attraction you have for her is? Are you sleeping with her, Reid?”
My eyes grew wide, and I looked at Kayla; her eyes were saucers. She looked at me as I looked at both Arlene and Reid in horror.
This could not be happening at my job. I looked around to see if anyone else in the office heard what she’d just said. Luckily most people were in their offices actually doing their jobs and not in the hallway listening to Arlene lose her shit like a wild woman.
“Arlene, shut the damn door. You are being ridiculous,” Reid demanded.
“Oh, now you want to talk? You couldn't be bothered with me when I came to your house Friday. But you prance into my place of business and—”
I didn’t hear the rest of what she said as Reid had rushed to the door and closed it around Arlene. The rest of her temper tantrum was now muffled.
“Holy shit. What was that all about?” Kayla whispered.
I knew what it was about, but I sure as hell wasn’t letting on I did.
“She’s crazy.” I shook my head.
Kayla nodded. “I’ll say.”
Chapter 11
Just before lunch, Reid walked into my office, shut the door behind him and pulled the chair out on the opposite of my desk. “Mind if I have a seat?” he asked.
I looked up from the report I was working on and raised a brow at him. Why did he have to be some handsome? It made ignoring him so damn hard. “I was about to leave for lunch, Reid.” I tore my gaze away from him and looked back down at my desk.
“I was going to ask if you wanted to go somewhere for lunch so we can talk.” His tone was quiet and the very thing that made my insides do somersaults. Of course my traitorous mind went right to the thought of him moving inside me while using that same tone. I closed my eyes to that thought. I couldn’t fantasize about him, not now, especially when he was staring right at me and could read me like a freaking book.
I stood, reaching for my lightweight jacket hanging in a wood cabinet behind my desk. It had rained earlier bringing with it a spring crispness, and I was chilly.
I could feel him watching me, so I stopped to look at him. “What?” I asked.
“Are we going to talk about it?” he asked, his eyes pleading.
“Talk about what?” I played coy. “The merger? I heard you are taking it over.”
“Addison.” His voice dropped to that octave again, and I looked away from him. That tone was dangerous, and I didn’t want to end up over his shoulder again.
I’d already heard that seductive tone while lying in the middle of his bed, his cock pressed to the hilt, filling me completely. He felt amazing inside of me, stretching me completely. Hitting all the right spots…
I couldn’t have that with him. He was basically off limits. There were too many cons and it far outweighed the pros. Sure, he was hot as hell and rocked my ever-loving world between the sheets, but It wasn’t enough.
“Reid...don’t.” I shook my head.
He took the few needed steps rounding my desk; he came to me. “Can I help you with your coat at least?”
“I can manage,” I said, swinging the jacket around my shoulders.
“You can’t avoid me forever. You have class… We have this project now...” he attempted.
I turned to glare at him. “Is that why you are here right now?”
“What are you talking about?” he asked, putting a hand on my upper arm.
“Did you steal this project, and take me to your bed to stick it to Arlene?” I asked the question that had been nagging me all morning.
“I answered that Friday. My attraction to you has nothing to do with Arlene. I took the project because Joe asked me to take the damn project. I didn’t request this. It’s an added bonus I get to work with you.”
I shook my head. “You knew about this on Friday. Why didn’t you tell me then? You wanted to get me in bed first?”
He flinched as if I’d punched him. “I didn’t say anything because Joe wanted to be the one to tell Arlene. You left before we could have any pillow talk. I emailed you twice this weekend and you didn’t respond. I wanted to tell you.”
He did have a point. He had tried to reach out to me before I got in the office.
“I didn’t see your emails until this morning. I wanted to completely unplug after Friday.”
He nodded, his face grim. “I hate to think I’m the reason you shut the world out for two full days.”
“It was a number of things, Reid. I just needed the mind break, you know?”
“I understand that, but I think we should—”
“I don’t think talking is what we need.” I cut him off.
“Then tell me, Addison, what do we need?”
“I could hear you arguing with her…” I stopped and looked at him.
“Were you eavesdropping?” he asked.
“Of course not.” I lied. “But, her office is next door, Reid. The walls are pretty thin. You were fighting with her about this project and about me,” I whispered so she wouldn’t hear this conversation as I had heard theirs.
“She isn’t here anymore,” he said, noticing my whisper. “She decided to take a half day. I guess knowing I’d be working here on another project stressed her out.” He held up a hand when I tried to speak. “We aren’t remotely a thing anymore, Addison.”
The way he said my name with forceful tone made me stop and listen.
I couldn’t help but find him desirable. I’d never really been attracted to someone outside my race or someone this much older than me. For him, I made that exception. But, there was so much conflict between us and it went far beyond the differences in our race. He was ten years my senior. He was best friends with my boss’ boss. He was sexually involved with my boss. Okay, not anymore but still...at some point. I had one drunken night in the law library that led to something more in his bed. I stopped it before it went much further. I had to for my own sanity. But, if the way he stared at me with those intense eyes was any indication, he was not going to let this go. I was alone with him and that spelled danger...delicious danger that could very possibly lead to something I wasn’t strong enough to stop. I didn’t have a red slinky dress on anymore, but I doubt that would stop him from finding his way under the light gray business suit I wore.
“Tell me what you are thinking, Addison. Say something, please.” He ran his hand down my arm and took my hand.
I flicked a glance at him in frustration. Why did he always know when something was weighing on my mind? “I don’t think talking about this here is a good idea. And, going to lunch together would raise suspicion. It’s bad enough you are in here right now with the door closed. If Arlene was still here, she’d be flipping out. We can’t do this, Reid. Whatever this is; it was one night. We both said that. No more.” I tried to push past him but he pulled me back to him.
His hand went to m
y waist, pressing my body into him. “Do you know how fucking hard it is for me to be anywhere near you now without thinking about what went on between us?”
My eyes grew wide staring up at him.
Hard indeed.
I could feel every inch of his length pressing into my side. My mind immediately went back to him pressing that steel rod into me balls deep. I closed my eyes to the image, and ground out the words I knew were a bald face lie. “Nothing really happened, Reid. Arlene showed up, and we stopped before anything happened—”
“Bullshit.” He called me on it. “A lot happened. The fact I’m hard right now just thinking about being inside you…” He angled my body to the front of him. I felt the warm pressure of his erection against my middle. It made my heart jump. “You do this to me, Addison.”
“We can’t do this here…” My breath caught as he lowered his head and nipped my bottom lip, sucking it into his mouth and into a searing kiss before trailing his lips up my jaw to my ear. “Go somewhere with me, then. We don’t have to have this conversation here.”
“This isn’t a conversation.” I moaned as his large hand cupped my breast through my suit.
“Come home with me. I’ll make us lunch,” he whispered in my ear as he fiddled with the top button of my suit. “Or, you can just be my lunch.”
“You are relentless. You know we shouldn’t—”
My words were cut off as he closed his lips over mine again seeking entrance to my mouth with a swirling tongue. I’d love to see exactly what that tongue could do while he had me for lunch. My body was screaming to be touched and caressed, but my mind was rationalizing and weighing pros and cons as he pressed me closer into him.
“Reid… Stop it.” I put a hand to his chest. He would suffer a penis injury if his member pressed any harder against his pants and into me. “What are you doing? Are you just horny and the young, black woman in the office seems as good a place as any to let out your sexual frustration? I mean for the love of God; what is this?”
I watched the flare of anger cross his eyes. I regretted it the minute I said it. “I’m...sorry. That was…” I shook my head and gripped the front of his crisp, white dress shirt before letting it go.
“Look, I’m sorry. If you aren’t…” He stopped and stepped back from me. “Shit. I thought we were on the same page. I didn’t know you thought about this like that…”
I watched his face as some sort of realization came over him. He shook his head. “I should have never… Damn.”
“No, Reid. I shouldn’t have said that.” I felt stupid for insinuating such a thing. He’d never treated me like that. It was just something that had been nagging me.
He turned away and walked out of the office without another word or even a glance back. That is not the way I intended that to go down.
Why did I open my big mouth?
I went after him. “Reid, please…wait.”
He stopped mid-retreat, his back to me. He turned slowly. “Yea?”
I looked him over. His dark hair had a splatter of gray at the temples. My fingers itched to reach out and run through the strands I knew felt like silk. His dress shirt was now minus the matching tie and slightly unbuttoned. I wanted to free him of a few more of those buttons and run my hands up and down his bare chest while he kissed my neck and every other erogenous spot he’d discovered on my body. I dipped my gaze lower, noticing the black pants were doing a hell of a job constraining the hard on I caused.
His dark gray eyes watched me looking him over, though I could still sense his irritation with me. I wanted to kick myself. He was everything I had no business wanting. I was undoubtedly drawn to this man.
I reached for him, my hand landing on one of his corded forearms crossed over his chest. I pulled the arm free, drawing him closer. He stopped in front of me as I looked into his eyes and then at his full lips.
Maybe it was possible to have no strings attached sex, right? I wanted to feel his touch again…
“Are we going to stand here and stare at each other, Addison?” he asked, annoyance clear in this tone. When I tried to respond, he stood his ground. “We don’t have to talk about any of this. You are right, we should keep this professional. Enjoy your lunch.” He turned from me clearly pissed. I’d said the wrong thing. I’d pushed him away. I quickly followed him and reached for his arms again. “I want to have lunch with you, Reid.” He turned back to me. “You mentioned lunch at your home?”
“You just said that isn’t a good idea. And, you aren’t gonna accuse me of whatever racist bullshit you just said in there,” he growled.
I flattened a hand to his chest and pushed him lightly against the door frame of my office, making sure no one was in the hallway to witness this. Even in high heels, I still had to stand on tiptoes to kiss him; a soft gentle kiss that told him my intentions. “I said, I want you to have me over for lunch, Reid,” I whispered against his lips.
His hand moved up my side, the warmth of it giving me chills. I heard his moan rumble against me as he met my mouth this time. His tongue split my lips, and I met it with my own in a dance of lust.
“Let’s go,” he growled.
Chapter 12
Reid sat next to me in the back of his black sedan as his driver, Hank, navigated the city streets between the job and his home. He didn’t speak. He didn’t even look at me, but he had linked his fingers with mine.
I stole glances at him during the twenty minute ride. His jaw twitched under the light dusting of stubble growing there. I wondered what the prickle of that hair would feel like between my thighs. My body reacted immediately.
Yes, I wanted this man. I had wanted him the moment I laid eyes on him three years ago when I’d started law school. I didn’t think he felt the same. I didn’t think he could. A law professor with his student was a no-no.
Right?
Yet, here I was going back for round two after we’d said it would only be for one night. But in fairness that one night had been ruined.
When we stopped outside of Reid’s place, he thanked Hank and exited the vehicle. I waited while he came around to the opposite side of the car and opened the door. He took my hand helping me out. “Come on,” he murmured, leading me up the front steps I’d walked down just a few days ago when I fled the scene and ran home like a wounded puppy.
I know he was wary of my uncertainty, but I didn’t deserve to be treated like a fling he’d lose interest in, in no time.
He’d assured me it wasn’t like that at all, but he’d have to prove it.
He unlocked the door and held it open for me as I stepped into the foyer. The place looked different during the day, now bathed in sunlight and not cast in shadows and serenaded by soft jazz like it had a few nights ago.
“Nice place,” I said, looking around as if I’d not seen it before.
He smirked as he tossed his keys into the small dish by the door again. “Thank you. I believe you’ve seen it before…”
“Perhaps,” I said, running a hand over the railing I knew led down to his game room and garden patio.
I followed him into the impressive kitchen. “Can I get you something to drink, Addison? I have water, tea, soda… “ He opened his fridge to inspect the contents. “Beer?”
I chuckled. “Are we day drinking now?”
He shrugged, sliding a bottled water to me as he fished the makings of a sandwich out of the massive fridge and placed them on the island as well.
“I don’t judge. To each their own. ” He smiled at me and went to work on the sandwiches.
“Is this okay? I should have asked before we made it all the way back here. We could have stopped for something else.” He looked up from his work.
My stomach growled looking at the food. “At this point anything is fine. I’m not picky.”
He grinned and his eyes twinkled with mischief.
“What is that look, Reid?” I asked, trying the line he usually used on me.
“Are you easily pleased?” he as
ked, piling a piece of rye bread high with meats and cheese.
“Are we talking about the sandwiches still?” I eyed him and he laughed, sliding the mouthwatering sandwich to me. He turned and reached for a bag of chips atop his fridge.
“I meant easily pleased in life, Addison. What makes you tick?” he asked, standing across from me at his kitchen island.
I have to admit this is not the conversation I was expecting. I thought he just wanted to get me back here to strip me bare and spread me wide…not that I would be opposed. Did he really want to get to know me? Maybe I was wrong about him.
“What makes me tick? If you’re looking for the full story, we may need some wine for that.” I laughed.
He watched me, his expression amused. “We can do wine.”
“No, no… I was just kidding. We have to go back to work…”
He looked at his watch taking a bite of this sandwich. “We can take half a day.”
“Ha! Yea, right. Just because Arlene left for the day, doesn't mean I can take a half a day. I have other cases and things I'm working on that I need to—”
“Stop.” He held up a hand cutting me off. “You are my paralegal now. You don't work for Arlene anymore after today. I said we can take a half a day. We're going to take a half a day. Now, there are some things we need to go over….”
He proceeded to speak, but I was still stuck on ‘I wouldn’t be working for Arlene anymore after today’. What exactly did that mean? Just how closely would I be working with Reid…under him? I blushed at that thought.
“Addison.” I looked up at him and he gave me a knowing look. “Are you back with me now?” I nodded. “I just watched your mind go a thousand different directions. I know it’s not what you are used to, but...we need to get to know each other and be able to work together. I think we need to do that out of the office first. It would help us work better in the office. We also need to talk about your future, your career and what your plan is after you pass the bar.” His tone was so straightforward. I stood looking at him aghast. He was talking like this was all very normal. I went from his law student to his employee now? What in the world did he mean after today I was his paralegal? What in the world happened to Arlene? Some answers would be nice.
Forbidden Page 7