He smiles affectionately, before walking over to my chair and scooping me up in his arms.
“I’ll take care of it, Amber. Trust me.”
Chapter 4
I pause on the pavement outside, giving myself a moment to admire the building’s striking architecture. From where I’m standing, the soaring column looks to be 500 freakin’ stories high. The façade is covered in dark brickwork and the offices above are concealed behind dark tinted floor-to-ceiling windows. I push through the imposing steel-edged glass doors and find myself in a spacious marble and gold lobby bustling with anxious-looking people talking animatedly on cellphones, guzzling down pitcher-sized caffeinated beverages and wearing impeccable business attire. This is my first time in Spencer’s office building and I feel a little tinge of excitement in the pit of my stomach as I stand waiting for the elevator.
I took a cab from Cartwright Moretti Stevenson to this hectic building in Midtown after Spencer ‘summoned’ me down here to the DisSpence Development Group’s corporate offices. It’s just past 1:30 p.m. and it hadn’t been easy to get out of work at this time of the day. Just before I left, Ms. Harvey had emailed to say that Mr. Moretti wanted to speak to me but I was in no hurry to see him after the whole incident with Matt on Spencer’s doorstep yesterday. So, I had shot back a reply claiming that I’m on my way to a dentist’s appointment and that I am available to meet with the boss tomorrow morning.
My day has already been full of heart-stopping moments like receiving an email from the human resources coordinator, Pam Shenk, this morning. When I saw her message in my inbox, I was certain that she was emailing to ask me to pack up my personal belongings and hand in my keycard. Instead, the message had simply been to inform me that Stella Goldberg, one of the lawyers that I’ve been working with on the DisSpence file, had given birth to a healthy baby boy and that I would be expected to help out with her workload while she’s away on maternity leave.
False alert!
So now I’m here at Spencer’s office building, in the elevator inching up to the 30th floor, praying to god that he’s about to clue me in on his plan to handle the Matt situation once and for all.
The elevator doors slide open and I find myself in a spacious polished concrete lobby. The styling of this floor is in direct contrast to the classical décor of the lobby downstairs. I approach the gleaming black lacquered reception desk with a polite smile for the beautiful redhead sitting just beneath the black etched sign that simply reads ‘DISSPENCE’ in bold golden letters.
She doesn’t return my smile and before I can reach her desk, she presses a button that causes the doors behind the reception area to slide open. “Through those doors. To the end of the hallway. Up the stairs.”
“Sorry?” I say stunned.
“Spencer is expecting you…Through those doors…To the end of the hallway…Up the stairs.” She stresses her words, arching her perfectly-groomed eyebrows and snaking her neck for emphasis like she’s speaking to a person who doesn’t understand English.
I walk past the open doors into an expansive room with an open concept design. Thick copper pipes run alongside the concrete beams holding the ceiling up and panels of fluorescent lights hang suspended above the black work tables giving the space a very industrial feel despite the flashes of gold accenting most of the furniture. A dozen or so employees stop working and eye me, whispering among themselves as I walk by. I pick up the pace and rush towards the wide concrete staircase at the end of the hall and in through the open office door.
I see Spencer sitting behind a sprawling industrial-style desk, looking impeccable in a light gray suit and white button down shirt with a royal blue pocket square peeking out of his left breast pocket. He stands to greet me as I quickly close the door behind me, happy to escape the curious mumbles and stares in the next room. I press my back into the door and close my eyes, grateful for the reprieve.
A familiar voice shakes me out of my moment of solace. A voice that doesn’t belong to Spencer.
“So…dentist’s appointment, huh?”
My gaze flashes to the man sitting on the black couch in the corner of the room. Matt Moretti pierces into me with leering dark brown eyes.
Chapter 5
“Don’t address her unless I tell you to,” Spencer snaps at Matt.
Spencer wraps me in his arms and plants a tender kiss on my face. He runs his nose along my cheekbone. Stunned by his display of affection, I try to wiggle my way out of his embrace.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Matt look away. The minuscule hope I had of preserving my job is now gone. Yup – the jig is up.
Still, I pull away from Spencer.
And that’s when I see it.
An 11 x 14 inch photo of me posing outside of Chez Depardieu’s restaurant on the night of the law firm’s meet and greet dinner is sitting in an ornate gold frame on the edge of Spencer’s desk.
Isn’t that my Facebook profile picture? How the fuck did he even get that?
My face turns crimson and I feel my armpits dampen instantly under my mauve shift dress.
“Sit, Amber,” Spencer commands softly, pointing his chin towards the pair of black wire chairs in front of his desk. “Matt,” he says sternly. And in an instant, Matt is on his feet and moving into the chair next to mine.
Spencer perches on the edge of his desk, hovering over both Matt and me. In that position, his command is all-consuming. I press my damp palms into my thighs to keep them from shaking nervously.
“This ridiculous situation has gone on for long enough,” Spencer growls in his most authoritative tone. He faces Matt with an expression like stone. “In case you haven’t figured it out yet, Amber and I are in a relationship. And that’s none of your business. It’s none of your father’s business. It’s none of your firm’s business. All you have to worry about is ensuring that all my business ventures are in compliance with the law and that my corporate decisions are legally sound. You are not to pry into my private life. And you most definitely are not to harass Amber in anyway. What you saw outside of my home yesterday – you will not repeat it to anyone. If you do, there will be dire consequences. I don’t have to elaborate on what those consequences are. You know what’s at stake. Understood?” Matt nods like a little boy being scolded by his elementary school principal. Spencer continues, “And from now on, you’ll refer to me as Mr. Harrison.” Matt looks up, stunned. A frown tightens at his brow.
I’m sitting there with my mouth slightly agape wondering what the hell Spencer has on Matt that allows him to wield so much power in this situation.
“You can leave now,” Spencer says rising to his feet with his hands fisted on his hips. He looks like the king of this concrete jungle, standing there in all his glory with New York City’s skyline as his backdrop.
Matt and I both rise in silence to leave.
“Amber. Wait,” Spencer says, his tone is softer yet remains commanding. I halt my steps and watch as Matt walks out of the office with his shoulders slouched and head hanging.
I’ve never seen Spencer angry before, and frankly, I’m turned on. He has just defeated a foe in my honor and watching him tear Matt to shreds was wickedly hot. Still, I’m stunned and a bit mortified at the tone he’s used with Matt.
I wait till the door shuts behind Matt before I rush to Spencer. “What the fuck was that?” I say in a heated but hushed timbre.
“I was giving you what you wanted,” Spencer says in an impassive tone, his hands pushed casually into the pockets of his slacks.
“What I wanted?” I repeat incredulous. He tries to move away from the window, but I pin him back by the shoulders. I know that he’s letting me restrain him. Still, I feel a small sense of power as I push into his body. “I never wanted you to intimidate and bully my boss’s son!”
“Amber, you’ve been whining about that stupid firm policy since the day I met you. I gave you a chance to resolve the matter on your own. You failed. You caved to the pressure. I wasn’t going
to lose you or have you go crazy over it, okay? So, I took the situation into my own hands.” The aloof expression on his face only infuriates me.
“What is it that you have on Matt that allows you to talk to him that way? What’s going on between the two of you?” I demand, pressing my palms into Spencer’s chest with all my might, which isn’t saying much because is firm body barely budges.
“Does it matter, Amber?” His tone reeks of irritation. “I promised you I would take care of the situation – I did. So, drop it.” Now, his lips are reaching for my neck.
I growl at him and push him one last time.
“You know you loved it! You loved seeing me push him around…It turned you on!” his eyes glint with mischief. He moves behind me and I turn to face him.
He grips me by the shoulders and spins me around, pressing my body into the window. I feel heady looking down on the city bustling 30 stories below. I feel Spencer’s deft hands tug at the zipper of my dress. The purple fabric drops around my ankles. Before I can wrap my head around what’s happening, my strapless bra falls on top of the pile on the polished concrete floor.
“Spencer,” I mumble. The temperature between my thighs shoots up a thousand degrees. This isn’t supposed to happen – I’m angry with him.
My nearly-naked body is pressed into the tempered glass window overlooking Manhattan. I feel my nipples tense into hard pebbles. Spencer gives my ponytail a swift tug, pulling my mouth to his. “You piss me the fuck off,” he growls before taking control of my lips with his. The contrast of the cold window pressing against the front of my body and Spencer’s warm chest pressing into my back has me heady enough as it is, but then I feel his fingers slide across the silk crotch of my panties and I hear myself whimper softly as my eyes flutter and my knees weaken. “You are so fucking annoying,” He whispers into the side of my face as he slips two fingers into me at once.
“Fuck you, Spencer,” I whimper as I grind into his fingers, hard but slow.
“Fuck me?” he echoes, biting down on my neck.
“Fuck you,” I repeat in a tone that’s more breathy and carnal than irritated or angry.
“Fuck me?” he says again.
“Fuck me!” I yelp, pushing my ass into his erection. “Fuck me, Spencer. Please.”
He groans as I continue to beg for his cock. “I don’t have condoms – Not at work,” he mumbles into my hair.
No condoms.
The disappointment that I feel is quickly replaced by relief. No condoms at work means that at least he’s not fucking the pretty redhead at the front desk.
He holds me against the fogging glass for a few moments longer as I whimper and whine, struggling to regain my composure. He laces my neck with butterfly kisses.
A demanding bang at the door jerks us out of our embrace.
“Go away,” Spencer commands as I scamper to retrieve my discarded articles of clothing.
“I’ve been meaning to talk to you about the whole condom issue,” I say as fumble with the clasp of my bra.
His eyebrow lifts. “What about it?”
“Well, we’re exclusive, right? We’re only seeing each other?” I say tentatively. My question is rhetorical.
“Yes,” he says, eyeing me suspiciously as he sinks back into his chair and watches me put myself back together.
I suck in a gulp of air. “I don’t think we need condoms. I could go on the pill…We could get tested…”
Spencer heaves a sigh. “Can we talk about this later?”
I don’t know how to interpret his response. I hurt a little that he didn’t just give me an enthusiastic ‘yes’. Does this mean that he doesn’t trust me?
When I’m finished putting myself back together and I’m satisfied that my appearance doesn’t betray the carnal exchange that I’ve just shared with Spencer, I push myself towards the door. Spencer springs to his feet and loops his arms around my waist. His breath tickles the side of my face. “We’ll talk about it later, okay?” he says. “Come over to my place after work.” He feathers my temple with his lips.
I don’t answer as I reach for the doorknob and push my way into the hall. I scurry past the piercing stares of Spencer’s employees. I need to get back to work.
Chapter 6
When I hear my front door creaking open just before 10:00 p.m., I naturally assume that it’s Oksana. After all, she is my roommate and the only person that I’m aware has a key to my apartment. She had rushed off mere minutes after I walked in from my Narcotics Anonymous meeting so I’m guessing that she’s back to pick up something she forgot on her way out.
So, imagine my surprise when I look up from the couch where I’m curled up with my tattered copy of the Great Gatsby to find Spencer standing in my dim hallway.
“You didn’t come for dinner,” he says matter-of-factly, shaking out his umbrella before shrugging his damp jacket off of his shoulders and hanging it on the coat rack near the entrance.
“What are you doing in my house? How did you get in?” I demand, bouncing to my feet as the book tumbles to the floor.
He nods towards the doorknob. “It was unlocked. You really shouldn’t leave your door unlocked.” Damn Oksana. She’s so careless sometimes.
“Why didn’t you call first?” I say, folding my arms across my chest and shifting all my weight to one foot.
“Why didn’t you come for dinner?” He says, imitating my posture.
“Spencer, I don’t have the time for this.”
“For what? For dinner?”
“No! For this! For us!” I say waving my arms, gesturing to the space between us.
He closes the gap with elegant strides. “What are you talking about, Amber? Are you saying you still doubt me? Why? I took care of the situation with your job. Matt won’t breathe a word about us to his father.”
“You just don’t get it,” I say, turning on my heel and stomping down the hall to my bedroom.
Spencer is quick on my heels. “I don’t get what, Amber? You’re giving me a migraine!”
“Well then leave, Spencer. You weren’t invited here!” I ease myself under my sheets. He studies me. I can almost see the thoughts running through his brain like a ticker tape in Times Square.
“Wait – are you mad because of the condom thing?” Incredulity bathes his tone.
Although the fact that Spencer didn’t jump with glee when I suggested we make love sans condom is the major source of my irritation, I can’t admit it. Proposing unprotected sex had been a big move for me and a huge show of my trust in Spencer. I had felt truly vulnerable in the moment. And his lack of enthusiasm about it had left me feeling like a big, fat slut.
But I can’t admit that to him.
So instead, I just turn over on my bed, giving him my back. I decide to broach a lesser source of annoyance instead. “You have a picture of me on your desk,” I huff, referring to the photo of me displayed in Spencer’s office.
“Oh, jeez,” I hear him say as the mattress sinks under his weight. I feel him curl up next to me. I want to push away from him, but there’s really nowhere to go in my tiny twin-sized bed. “Really, Amber? Really?” He wraps an arm around me.
“Don’t touch me,” I bark. “I have my period.” I take great pleasure in this very convenient yet very true announcement.
He sighs audibly. “Why is that a problem? Why are you mad that I have a photo of you at work?”
“You didn’t ask – You just went digging through my Facebook profile and you didn’t ask –“
“You looked me up on Facebook – You didn’t find anything – But you looked me up first,” he whines.
“You have that big, stupid picture of me on your desk. Is that why everybody in your office was whispering about me?”
He chuckles slapping my thigh playfully. “They’re jealous. They’re all jealous. And curious. They’ve never seen me with another woman before. So, they’re curious about you.” He rubs my leg with his big warm hand.
“And that chick at the
front desk – What’s her problem?”
Before he can answer me, I hear a loud banging at my door.
Spencer eases off of the bed. “That must be the pizza I ordered on the way over here. I’ll get it.” I hear him shuffle down the hall.
But, he’s taking just a little too long to come back and I hear a familiar female voice talking indistinctly by the door. Then, I hear her high-pitched, schoolgirl giggle.
Oh shit!
“Emery!” I yelp as I bustle to the door with my cotton bed sheets wrapped around my shoulders.
She surveys me with a faint lopsided grin before her eyes bounce back to Spencer. “Am I interrupting something?” she asks, her big blue eyes laden with suggestion.
Amber Nights - The Esquire Girls Series - Amber's Story (Books 1, 2, 3 & 4) - Box Set Page 13