Owen felt someone shake him. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but knew he was now alone in his dream. A very soft voice was calling his name. A voice he would recognize anywhere. “Cali? Where are you?”
“Owen, I’m right here.” He looked, but didn’t see her.
“I can’t find you!” He was shaken once more and his eyes shot open. Cali was there, in his bed right next to him. He reached for her, crushing her to his chest.
His voice was shaky. “I had a dream, but it felt so real. You left me for someone else. I tried to get you to stay with me, but in the end you chose the other man.”
“I’m not going anywhere. I’m right here. You don’t have to worry about me leaving you.” Her hands were running up and down his back as she spoke. “Owen, please tell me you know that.”
He never liked to show vulnerability, but with Cali, he let her see every side of him. He couldn’t help it. She touched the deepest parts of his soul. She was his one, true weakness. The only person that could bring him to his knees with a simple touch.
He let out a breath that he didn’t realize he was holding. “I know. The dream felt so real though.”
“Let’s lay down and try to go back to sleep. It’s only five in the morning. We have plenty of time left to rest. It’s Sunday, we have nowhere to go.”
She gave him a soft kiss on the lips and laid down next to him. He loved sleeping behind her with her back flush to his chest.
His heart was still beating fast, but her touch soothed him. She was lightly dragging her fingertips up and down his arm that was draped over her stomach. He felt as if he couldn’t get close enough. The dream was still so clear in his mind. It was more than an hour later before he finally fell asleep. He hoped he never had another dream like that.
* * * * * * * *
Cali opened her eyes Sunday morning to Owen absent from the bed. She had started to get out of bed when the door opened. He walked in holding a tray of food. She sat against the headboard as he set the tray in front of her.
Smiling, she asked, “Did you make me breakfast?”
He gave her a lopsided smile in return. “I helped. Does that count?”
“Yes, it does. Thank you. I can’t wait to taste everything.”
She checked out the food in front of her, taking it all in. On the tray were scrambled eggs, fresh cut fruit, buttered toast and a glass of orange juice. The smell made her stomach rumble.
“Did you eat already?”
“Yes, I ate while helping. I had to sample everything to make sure the food tasted good.”
She laughed and picked up her first forkful of eggs to take a bite. They were cooked perfectly. Not too runny or overcooked. “Holy shit, these are so good. The eggs have got to be the best I’ve ever eaten.”
“Yeah, I think breakfast is my favorite meal. Adeline makes great pancakes and French toast too.”
After a few more bites of the eggs, she drank some juice. “What are we doing today?”
“No plans. Is there anything you want to do?”
“Not that I can think of,” she said.
“I wanted to ask you something.”
“Shoot.”
“I know you’re bored sitting in this house and was wondering if you wanted to come with me into the office a few days each week.”
“What would I do? Do you want me to work?”
“I don’t want you to do anything unless you want to, but I was thinking of starting a charity for kids. One where the kids learn how to sail or operate a boat. Something they can do after school, keep them out of trouble. And every child will be welcome, regardless of income. The charity will be free. I also want to offer swimming lessons for those who can’t swim. What do you think?”
“Owen, I think that’s a great idea. I’m not sure where I would fit in though.”
She would welcome the chance to do something with purpose. Something that, at the end of the day, she could be proud of. Something which made a difference in someone’s life. The charity was just what she was looking for, but not sure how she could help.
“Well, I need someone to run the program. To bring everything together, set a schedule, get the word out to the community, et cetera.”
“I could do that, but might need some help. At least in the beginning.”
“Sure, we can bring on a couple of people to help,” he said.
“But I don’t know how to sail or drive a boat.”
“That’s okay, we have plenty of people who do. We could even ask some of the employees if they want to help out. We could bring five of them on. I would still pay them of course, but instead of doing their normal job, they teach kids in the afternoon. And only a few hours a day, one day, every week. The charity wouldn’t take too much away from what they are currently working on.”
“Very doable. I would need to learn how charities work so the program is set up properly,” she said.
“Avery can help you with that. She works with various charities on the weekend. I’m sure she knows a lot.”
“Great, Avery. I’m sure she’ll be thrilled.”
“I don’t give a shit if she’s happy or not. She’ll help you if I ask and she’ll be nice to you while doing it.”
Cali rolled her eyes. “Whatever you say.”
“So is that a yes?” He had a hopeful look on his face and she couldn’t resist him or the idea to help kids.
She smiled. “It’s a yes. I can’t wait to get started!”
“Great! How does tomorrow sound?”
“Do you want me to dress in suits or is a little more casual okay? And by that I mean, dress slacks, skirts and so on, but not jeans. Either way, I need to go shopping.”
“Cali, whatever you wear will be fine. You see what I wear to work every day. I put on dress clothes if there is a meeting, but when I’m out with the guys working on the yachts, jeans are the way to go. We can shop this afternoon and buy whatever you need. I’ll let Steven know since Erik won’t return until tomorrow.”
“Owen, do we really need to bother him? It’s the weekend. He needs a break.”
“If he knew we went out without him he would not be happy. And I told you before, no chances will be taken in regards to your safety. As long as this asshole is out there somewhere, you will be protected,” he said in a firm tone.
“Fine, but I’m going to shop. Steven needs to relax too.”
Cali meant what she said. Within an hour at the local department store, she had seven new outfits and a few pair of stylish shoes. Owen did dress nice some days for work, and by dressing nice it was a collared, button down shirt and dress pants. She hasn’t seen him in a suit yet. Other days he wore jeans and a polo shirt. She wanted to look nice when she was in the office and knew she was an extension of him and didn’t want to disappoint in any way.
Steven stood on the side the whole time she shopped, not even trying to blend in. He looked like someone who would snap your neck if you fucked with him. He gave Cali space, but kept her in the line of sight.
And every once in a while she would see a woman check out Owen. Today he was dressed in jeans which hugged his ass but were straight in the leg. He had on an ocean blue, fitted tee. The muscles in his upper arms stretched the sleeves with each movement. She knew she was lucky get to go to bed with him every night.
Adeline had lunch prepared when they got home. She made BLTs and homemade macaroni salad. Owen told her they wouldn’t need her for dinner tonight. He planned on ordering in, although Cali didn’t know how she would fit anything else into her stomach. She had gained a few pounds since staying there.
“Hey, do you have a gym you go to? I need to exercise. All of the good food is not helping my figure.”
“You do not need to work out. Your body is perfect, but if you want to get some exercise, I have a full gym in the basement.”
“You have a basement?”
“I’m sorry I forgot to show you.”
After lunch, he took her to the lower level.
Like everything else he owned, the gym was amazing. Every piece of equipment she could think of was in the basement, even some she had no clue what each piece did. And the basement was actually fully finished with small windows and folding doors leading to the back yard.
“Damn. Is there anything you don’t have?”
He laughed. “Yes, there are some things not here, but this is all I really need. If you have questions about any of the equipment or how to use it, just let me know.”
“No wonder you’re so damn muscular. Look at this place. It’s huge!”
“It’s not bad,” he said looking around. “And if something is missing that you would like, I can have it delivered.”
“This is where I’ll be on my days off. I’m going to be busting my ass to get back into shape.”
“You know,” he said, walking over until he was directly in front of her. “If you ever want a really good workout, I can help you. I happen to know something that will make your pulse accelerate, make you sweat and help you burn calories.”
She looked him in the eyes. When she began to talk, she noticed her voice became throaty. “Oh I know you can help with that.”
They spent the next hour devouring one another all over the gym. “I’ll never look at this place the same,” Owen said once they were both spent from their lovemaking. She laughed and pulled him in for another kiss.
~ 17 ~
Monday came and Owen was happy to have Cali going to work with him. He had a lot to do in order to get things situated for her, but knew everything would all fall into place. Steven and Erik came along.
Steven was driving, Erik sitting in the passenger seat. He looked over to the right as they were driving in. She was wearing a pair of black slacks and a sleeveless, white blouse. Her hair was straight, falling over her shoulders. He smiled and placed a kiss on the back of her hand.
“Why are you smiling?”
“I’m just happy I’ll get to see more of you. I can request your presence in my office whenever I like.”
She attempted to hide her smile. “Oh no, buddy. There will be none of that at work. I’m there to do a job.”
He heard Steven chuckle in the front seat and pushed his knee into the back of it, pushing Steven slightly. They liked to joke around.
He looked to Cali and stuck out his bottom lip, making a sad face. She shook her head and said, “Nope, not going to work. The sad puppy dog look won’t get you anywhere.”
“Fine, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to try.” She rolled her eyes in response and turned to look out the window.
Owen never tired of the location of his office. Every day he was able to work looking out at the ocean. He made sure Cali’s office was next door and had the same view. Yeah, he had to move out one of the managers, but he only moved him a few offices away. The guy’s view remained the same. And besides, no one was going to tell the owner no.
Walking in, he spoke to the receptionist, “Rose, you remember Cali.”
Rose wore a warm smile. “Of course. We are happy to have you working with us.”
“Thank you. I’m happy to be here.”
He led the way to the offices, stopping in front of the door next to his. He noticed she saw the nameplate on the wall next to the door. A keypad was below it to keep the office secure. He entered the code and stepped away so Cali could walk in first. She scanned the room quickly with a slightly shocked look.
“This is all mine?”
He nodded. “Yes, do you like it?”
He had furnished the office with a small, modern, black desk, and white chairs behind and in front of the desk. Off to the side were three dark red, suede chairs and a small black table. In the middle of the small table was a dozen long-stem, red roses in a white vase.
“Owen, the office is great, but don’t you think it’s too much? I don’t think this is all needed.”
“Nonsense.”
He closed the door behind them and stepped within inches of her. “I’m not going to put you in a cubicle out on the floor. I want you safe, behind a door, and right next to me.”
He pointed to another door along the wall. “The door leads to my office. If you ever need me, just come in.”
He had the furniture arranged so her back was to the wall opposite of his. That way she could look out onto the bay and see if he entered through the door.
“Yeah, I think I’ll stay on this side of the wall.”
Owen put his hand on her lower back pushing her to his chest. Their foreheads were touching and he could smell the minty toothpaste on her breath.
His voice was firm, yet knew his eyes gave away the desire inside. “You will visit my side of the wall, often.”
He crashed his lips to hers and could feel her melt in his arms. He heard her purse hit the floor. Her hands were in his hair, pulling him to her.
Owen moaned when their tongues touched. His cock was hard in an instant. She pushed her hips into him, his length now pressing against her stomach. One more sweep of his tongue and he stepped back.
“Shit. I’m going to have to stay in my office for a bit until I can stand without drawing attention to my crotch.”
She laughed and gripped the bulge in his pants. Owen shuddered. He held her petite wrist to still her.
“Maybe if I take care of you now, you’ll be able to relax the rest of the day. Then I can get some work done or at least start organizing things.”
He nodded and she immediately kneeled on the floor. Her long fingers quickly worked the button and zipper of his pants, freeing him. Cali’s mouth was on him and she was moving at a quick pace, wasting no time.
He had to grit his teeth to keep from moaning loudly. She took his balls in hand, massaging them gently. Owen gripped the desk to keep from falling over. The sensation was rocking his body.
Her other hand was pumping the base while her mouth worked the top. He started rocking into her mouth. It was almost like a reflex he couldn’t help. The feeling of her mouth sucking him felt so good he didn’t want it to end.
She looked amazing on her knees in front of him. Especially in that environment. He fantasized about fucking her in the office ever since the first time he saw her standing in front of the windows. Next, he thought, I’m having her on top of my desk.
The vision in his head of her on the desk, spread for him as he fucked her senseless, sent him over the edge. He closed his eyes and forced his voice down. Owen didn’t want anyone to know what they were doing behind closed doors.
She gladly accepted all he gave her, flooding her mouth. When the orgasm finally subsided, Cali leaned back on her heels and ran her tongue along her lips.
“Fuck, you are sexy. I’m going to have to stake my claim on you before my male employees get any ideas.”
She stood and pressed her lips to his. He could taste the saltiness of him on her mouth. “You already did that the minute you moved me in right next to you.”
Owen grunted and said, “Not enough. You’re gorgeous and they will all take notice. But I’ll beat anyone’s ass that tries to get near you.”
Her hand went to his chest. “I’m sure you will. And if you don’t, Steven and Erik will be right there to kick some ass for you.”
“Damn right.”
She picked her purse up off of the floor and moved to her desk, placing it in one of the drawers. “Okay, what now?”
“I’ve made Avery aware of everything we will be doing and that you will be running the charity. She will be here in,” he looked at his watch, “an hour to meet with you. Until then, I’m going to show you the layout. Let you know where everything is should you need it. I’m going to go next door and get my laptop running. Then we can go.”
Cali smiled and nodded. He turned to walk through the adjoining door. He was sure to install a keypad on either side so the door remained locked unless access was needed. He kept the code the same as the one to her office so she could easily remember it. Both offices would remain secure.
S
itting at his desk, he booted up his laptop and checked email quick. He loved having her so close to him, but realized it was going to be a challenge to keep his hands off of her. A welcome challenge, though. One he planned on giving into his desires whenever he could.
He mentally went back to the shopping trip yesterday and remembered her buying a few dresses. The image sent his mind reeling. He didn’t have to worry about any extra clothing between them. He could lift the skirt, move her panties aside and slide deep inside of her. Yes, this was a very good decision indeed, he thought.
Owen stood and walked into her office. “Are you ready for your tour?”
“You know you’ve given me a tour before, right?”
“That was different, more of an overview. Now I’m going to show you where everything is. All the while my hand touches you in some way or another, making it known you are off limits.”
Cali shook her head. “You’re such a caveman.”
“Call me what you will, but you’re mine. And this company is full of men. Now, get your fine ass moving. You have a meeting soon.”
Owen could see her face change. He knew she didn’t like Avery, but the two women were going to have to get along and work together. He already told Avery that she needed to watch herself and to treat Cali with utmost kindness and respect.
He went through the building, showing her the kitchen, copy room, restrooms and supply room. Although, she would only be using his private restroom. If he wanted her to be safe and with two male guards, the public bathroom wasn’t going to work. They knew his office was safe.
Steven and Erik followed wherever the two of them went. The employees were used to Steven being nearby, but some of them raised an eyebrow seeing the additional security. No one would say a word though. They knew better than to question him.
Out in the warehouse, he introduced her to the craftsmen, one by one. These men produced amazing results. He knew she had met some before, but now that she would be working with everyone, he wanted to introduce her.
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