by Renee Michaels, Collette Thomas, Aspen Mountain Press Authors
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Aspen Mountain Press
www.aspenmountainpress.com
Copyright ©2008 by Hall, Thomas, Michaels, Robinson
First published in 2008, 2008
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NOTICE: This work is copyrighted. It is licensed only for use by the original purchaser. Making copies of this work or distributing it to any unauthorized person by any means, including without limit email, floppy disk, file transfer, paper print out, or any other method constitutes a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines or imprisonment.
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CONTENTS
Goin’ Down
Fired or Fired Up
The Aft Shaft
The Elevator Man
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Descent Into Pleasure
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Thank you for purchasing this copy of Goin’ Down, Book One.
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WARNING
This story contains elements that may be offensive to some including: sex, language, and adult situations. Please store your adult books where they cannot be accessed by underage readers.
Goin’ Down
Mallory Hall, Renee Michaels,
Shannon Robinson,
Blaise Kilgallen
Aspen Mountain Press
Goin’ Down
"Fired or Fired Up” Copyright © May 2008 by Shannon Robinson; “The Aft Shaft” Copyright © May 2008 by Mallory Hall; “The Elevator Man” Copyright © May 2008 by Collette Thomas; “Descent into Pleasure” Copyright © May 2008 by Renee Michaels
This e-Book is a work of fiction. While references may be made places or events, the names, characters, incidents, and locations within are from the author's imagination and aer not a resemblance to actual living or dead persons, businesses, or events. Any similarity is coincidental.
Aspen Mountain Press
PO Box 473543
Aurora CO 80047-3543
www.aspenmountainpress.com
Published by Aspen Mountain Press, May 2008
www.AspenMountainPress.com
This e-Book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of International Copyright Law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction fines and/or imprisonment. The e-Book cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this e-Book can be shared or reproduced without the express permission of the publisher.
ISBN: 978-1-60168-107-2
Published in the United States of America
Editor: Heather Aguilar
Cover artist: Blaise Kilgallen
[Back to Table of Contents]
Fired or Fired Up
Shannon Robinson
"Chirene, grab me a cup of coffee, will you?” Jacob Kennedy yelled from the office behind Chirene's desk. “And make sure you put two sugars in it this time. That last one tasted pretty weak."
Chirene Matthey gritted her teeth, stood up, and walked over to the coffee pot sitting only a scant five feet away from her boss's door. She always put two sugars in his coffee. If he didn't like it the way she made it, he should fix his own.
Not that she'd ever say that to Jacob. It wasn't in her to be confrontational. Besides, she was his personal secretary. She'd been hired to be at his beck and call, regardless of what it was that he needed.
If she'd known that this was where she would end up after four long years of studying for her business degree, she'd have switched majors and become a botanist. At least plants couldn't boss her around.
She gripped the mug with both hands, carried it into his office, and set it down on the corner of his desk.
"Thank you, Chirene.” Jacob didn't look up from the finance reports he was reading. With his head bent over the papers, wavy brown hair curling around his ears, ending at the base of his neck gave him a younger and infinitely more touchable appearance than he ever had when his stern, brown eyes were on her. His shoulders filled the tan shirt he wore. The thin cloth straining against the muscles of his biceps fit him like a second skin.
She had to admit there was one perk to her job—her boss was quite attractive. Even if he was overbearing and demanding, she did like looking at him. At thirty-three years old, Jacob Kennedy was one sexy bachelor. Why he wasn't already settled down and married was beyond her. However, she wasn't one to question his personal life, especially considering their working relationship. She may fantasize about him, but the realistic line was one she wasn't about to cross.
Chirene turned from his desk to walk back to hers, when he called for her.
"Chirene?"
She stopped. Her palms immediately moist from the deep, smooth pitch of his voice that rumbled through her like a lingering caress. She inhaled slowly and turned around. “Yes sir?"
"I have a meeting at three this afternoon with marketing. I'd like you to present the charts about next year's promos to the group today."
"Me?” She asked, unsure if she'd heard him correctly. “You want me to discuss the charts?"
"Yes,” Jacob frowned, his lips pursing into a tight scowl. He narrowed his mahogany colored eyes at her, no reprieve or mercy evident in his smoldering stare. “You can handle it, correct?"
Chirene swallowed hard. “Yes, I think so.” She turned to go, but turned back to him and asked, “Why do you want me to do it?"
Jacob sighed and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his broad chest. His eyes traveled down the length of her torso and back up to her face. A quiver of warm velvet went up her spine at his perusal. “Chirene, I need you to follow through on projects that I give you to manage. It's time for you to take on more intricate tasks, really invest yourself into them. By doing that, you have to be ready to take whatever comes along with the assignment, do you understand?"
Chirene nodded.
"Good.” Jacob looked down to the papers on his desk, dismissing her.
Chirene walked out of his office and went to her filing cabinets, pulled a drawer open and searched through the files for the notes she'd need. Her hands trembled as she removed papers from the folders.
How could he be doing this to her? Five years she had worked as Jacob Kennedy's secretary at Advanced Micro Inc. and not once had he ever asked or prepared her for presenting. She'd never even been invited to a meeting before.
She shut the drawer, walked to her desk placed the notes down, and sat in her chair. Black words stared up at her from the white paper, blurring together. She blinked her eyes, trying to concentrate as a hundred thoughts swarmed her mind.
Stop it! Chirene took a deep breath and exhaled, counting to ten. She could do this. Here was the break she'd been waiting for, the one chance to show her boss that she was more than a secretary, that she could handle more complex issues than just making his coffee.
Chirene tucked her blonde hair behind her ears, blinked her eyes once more to focus, and began scribbling down the information she'd need for the meeting. She would show Jacob Kennedy that she was capable of more than basic secretarial tasks.
* * * *
Chirene splashed cold water on her face, allowing the excess to drip into the white porcelain sink before she wiped it off with a paper towel. She flicked the paper towel into a trashcan and looked up at the mirror.
Her normally bright blue eyes appeared dull and tired, dark shadows coming to life within the pockets of skin under her eyes. She smoothed back her blonde hair and straightened her rumpled skirt.
Two
hours in the conference room explaining promotional ideas to a group of people who looked as though that was the last place they wanted to be had taken its toll on her. But she'd done it. She'd gotten through the questions, given answers, and delivered the presentation to the group members flawlessly.
Well, at least that's what she thought. Jacob, on the other hand, she wasn't so sure about.
His eyes had feasted upon her the whole time, his gaze hot and hungry until she could swear that he was peeling the layers of her clothing from her body with his eyes. Had she questioned him on any of the material she had presented, she'd bet a week's paycheck that he wouldn't have been able to answer.
As if performing the presentation wasn't unnerving enough, he had to add to her torment with looks of promised pleasure evident in his dark, scorching stare. She could only imagine what kind of thoughts drifted behind those brown eyes, drifting straight towards her.
"Yeah, okay,” Chirene scolded her reflected image in the mirror. “You're not his type. Just blame the delusions on nerves. That's all it was. Nerves."
Focused on that affirmation, Chirene plastered a smile on her face, ignoring the feigned expression as she tried to calm the tremor of nerves still flowing through her veins, and walked out of the ladies’ room. It was time to get back to her office and close up for the night.
She sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. Tonight, Chirene was going to grab a bottle of wine and indulge in a long, relaxing bubble bath.
* * * *
"What do you mean I'm fired?"
Jacob leaned against the doorframe, his air of nonchalance grating on Chirene's nerves even more than the words he'd just surprised her with.
"Chirene, I can't keep investing in an employee who doesn't return the worth in her work."
"I don't understand,” Chirene placed her hands on the desk, stabilizing herself from the dizzy, nauseous feeling that threatened to emerge from her stomach. “I've completed every request that you've ever asked. I've never been late. I usually work after hours so that the reports you need are ready and waiting on your desk in the morning. I presented the promos today without any notice or time to prepare. What did I do to warrant this?"
Jacob sighed as though bored of the discussion and walked over to her. “I've realized that this isn't the place for you. I need someone with finesse, someone energetic and excited to move forward with the company. Today's presentation proved to me that you don't have those qualities."
"But—"
"Chirene,” Jacob cut her off, holding up a hand. “Please gather your belongings.” He turned his back to her and walked into his office. Chirene watched him leave, each step he took away from her finalizing her predicament. He rested his hand on the door and paused before turning back to her. His eyes brimmed with sympathy. “I'm sorry."
She barely caught the muttered words before he closed the door, shutting her out. Chirene leaned her head back and gazed at the white tiled ceiling. How could this have happened? Five years she'd devoted to her job, to her boss, and now she was being dismissed as casually as a summer-temp employee.
She glanced around the room, cataloguing all of the personal items she wouldn't leave behind. Trying to stifle the queasiness in her stomach and fight back the tears that lingered at the corners of her eyes, Chirene walked out of the office and down the dimly lit hallway, passed rows of gray cubicles to the mailroom where she could get two boxes to put her stuff in. It was after six o'clock and everyone had already gone home for the evening. Her high heels clapped on the tiled floor, interrupting the silence, as she walked back to her office to begin packing.
Quietly, she loaded her belongings into the boxes, lingering longer than necessary to gather everything, but she wanted to be sure she got it all. Her gaze flicked over to the closed oak door, waiting, hoping that Jacob would come out and say he'd made a mistake.
The door remained shut. She sighed and turned back to the boxes.
She filled each box and lifted one to carry down to her car. She cradled the heavy box to her chest and walked down the hall to the elevator. Shifting the box in her arms, she reached out a hand and pressed the down arrow, watching it light up. Tapping a foot, she waited for the elevator to rise to the ninth floor, anxious to be out of the building now that she knew she was no longer wanted there.
The hair on her arms prickled when she heard footsteps behind her, walking down the hall towards the elevator. There was only one other person in the building at this hour, and he was the last person she wanted to see.
Jacob's musky cologne swarmed her senses before he came to a stop behind her. Chirene stood still and looked straight at the metal doors of the elevator, willing them to open.
"Can I help you with that?"
Chirene looked over at him. “No,” she said tersely. The man just fired her. She wasn't about to accept any assistance from him.
"Chirene—"
"Jacob, stop.” Chirene interrupted him, feeling free to address him by his first name now that he was no longer her boss. She turned and faced him, meeting his brown gaze straight on. “I don't need your sympathy or explanations. You've said enough already."
The elevator doors opened. She glided past him and hit the parking garage button. Jacob entered the elevator, moving to stand in the opposite corner from her. The silver doors closed behind him, locking them inside as the elevator began its crawl downward.
The air grew thick with tension. Chirene stood silent, holding the box of knickknacks and picture frames that had once littered her desk. Small remnants of the service she had provided to Advanced Micro Inc.
She didn't deserve this. She prided herself on being a hard worker and completing every task Jacob had given her over the years as thoroughly as possible. Not once had he ever complained of a lack of competence in her ability. And not once had he ever asked her to show more enthusiasm, nor had he ever stated that she lacked it.
Enthusiasm? What did he want? A bubbly cheerleader for a secretary?
She stared at Jacob's reflection on the metal doors and seethed. Five years of her life she'd given him, given the company. And for what? A casual explanation that she didn't have the right attitude for the job. She'd worked hard to make the meager salary that she did, hoping that one day the overtime and effort she'd put in would pay off and take her from the world of secretaries and into something better. Maybe even a position where she would have her own secretary.
With just a few words, that dream had been shattered.
Chirene felt her skin heat up, an angry flush crept into her cheeks. She was pissed. She'd held every annoyance, every complaint about her job and the way she was treated inside, never allowing Jacob to see how inadequate he made her feel at times. There was nothing to hold back for now. She no longer worked for him and it was about time he realized what a complete asshole he was for a boss.
She bent and set the box down on the maroon carpet of the elevator floor. Determined, she straightened and without hesitating, punched the red emergency stop button.
The elevator screeched to a halt, throwing both Chirene and Jacob off balance.
"What are you doing?” Jacob asked, shock lacing his tone as he leaned a hand against the back wall mirror to steady himself from the jolt.
Chirene turned to face him and fisted her hands on her hips. “What I should have done a long time ago.” She pointed her index finger at him. “Five years I've put up with your shit, a lapdog to your demands. And what do I get for my hard work? Just your arrogant ass kicking me out!"
Jacob's eyes widened, his dark brown eyebrows arching high. Chirene could have laughed at the stunned expression written across his face, if she hadn't been so angry.
"Every day I made your coffee, with two sugars just like you asked, and every single day, you complained about it. I busted my ass getting your reports done, sometimes only getting two hours of sleep because I stayed up all night making sure they were ready for you in the morning.” Chirene took a breath, exhaled, and conti
nued ranting at him. “I've been a perfect secretary for you. I've well exceeded the expectations listed on my job description and never once did I receive a word of appreciation from you. Not once."
Her hands trembled, her heart racing as every bit of doubt fled her body. She finally had the guts to stand up to him, and she wasn't about to let him off the hook. Jacob Kennedy was going to hear every damn word she had to say.
"You give me only a few hours to prepare for the meeting today and you say I fucked it up? Well, what did you expect? As a boss, it's your job to ensure that I'm ready, that I'm prepared. You're supposed to be my mentor, my trainer in things like this. Did you do that? No!"
"Chirene."
"No, shut it Jacob. You're an inconsiderate, pompous jackass who doesn't deserve—"
She paused. The heated flare of his brown eyes stared at her so intently, her breath was stolen from her. Every fantasy she'd ever imagined with him radiated at her. Unable to withstand his intense, uninhibited gaze, Chirene glanced down and nearly gasped as the outline of a very large arousal greeted her through the polyester fabric of his trousers.
"Oh my,” Chirene blurted out, raising a hand to her mouth. She'd fantasized about Jacob's size before, but what was obviously evident within his pants was much larger than she had guessed. “I, um..."
"I have never been as turned on as I am right now.” Jacob's voice was low, hoarse as he stepped towards Chirene. “No one has ever spoken to me like you did just now and I have to say,” his lips curved up in a sexy smirk, “I definitely like it."
He stepped closer to her and Chirene backed up until she hit the paneled wall behind her. Jacob raised his arms up and braced his hands against the wall on each side of her, encasing her inside a cage of steely muscles.
"That's exactly the kind of attitude I wanted to see from you.” He muttered, his breath warm and smelling of peppermint, before leaning in and capturing her mouth with hungry urgency.
Chirene couldn't move, frozen by the intoxicating motion of his lips devouring hers. His cologne, a dark musky fragrance, invaded her head and weakened her knees. He moved closer, his fingers gently tucking her blonde hair behind her ears and framing her face. She felt the pressure of his bulging shaft on her stomach and jumped.