by C. J. Thomas
She lived in the meatpacking district, a trendy area that was worlds away from where I lived. People described it using words like diverse and exciting to hide the fact that it was really a bunch of overpriced boutique bars and apartments laughably small compared to the amount of money charged by the landlords.
But people flocked there, and I supposed I could understand why. It held a certain charm, a sort of eccentric vibe.
I wondered what a girl like Kenzie was doing there, somebody who seemed to have her head on her shoulders. I wouldn’t have pegged her as the type to be swayed by the surface of the area, but then again, most people her age had been raised on shows like Friends and Will and Grace. They thought life would really be that quirky and fun just because of their zip code.
Judging from the rant she gave in bed this morning, she was already well past the point of disillusionment.
Her building was just another converted packing plant, and I texted when I arrived. She was out the door in an instant—she must have been waiting in the vestibule.
A good sign.
Her eyes widened when she noticed the Porsche, but I didn’t care about that. I cared about the way she looked, and couldn’t deny how good it was to see her again even though she was wearing way more clothing than I would have recommended.
“Are you hungry?” I asked as soon as she was settled in the passenger seat. Her long legs had me stirring again in an instant, even though she wore jeans to cover them.
“A little. Not very. I don’t often eat a big dinner,” she explained.
“Neither do I,” I agreed. “I have plenty of food to snack on at my place, anyway.”
“Your place?” She fixed me with a hard stare, which I felt even as I focused my eyes on the road. “Who said we were going back to your place?”
“Are we really going to play that game?” I asked, turning my head toward her while we were stopped at a red light. “I mean, that photo didn’t leave much to the imagination.”
She chuckled. “Still, you could at least ask me.”
I chuckled, too. “Okay, sorry. Hey, Kenzie? Wanna go back to my place?”
She reached over, running a hand up my thigh. The muscles jumped and twitched there. “What do you think?”
CHAPTER 10
Kenzie
Who could say no to a man like him? Especially when they stepped out of their apartment building to find him waiting in a sex machine like the one he drove? It only added to his mystique, to the image I had of him.
Once again, I wondered who he was.
What he did.
How he could afford to live his life.
The girls certainly wanted to know, charging me with bringing home serious intel on him. “I mean it. Where does he work? Is he a secret agent or something?”
“I honestly don’t know,” I’d said before dashing into the bathroom for a shower. I’d intended to do a little looking into him while at the office earlier, only the day had been too crazy for me to remember.
By the time I was finished with the shower and was barreling out of the bathroom, all three girls were sitting around a laptop with their mouths hanging open.
“Oh, great,” I’d said, dashing to my room with my toothbrush sticking out of my mouth. “Tell me he’s a serial killer or something.”
“No. Well, I hope not. You said his name is Aaron Bello, right?”
“Right,” I called out, pulling on the underwear I’d worn for his photo.
“That makes him the CEO of Ricardo de Lugo,” Emery called out.
It took a second for her words to sink in. “What?”
“Yeah, you know. Ricardo de Lugo. One of the most popular clothing lines in the country, maybe the world.” Chloe stared at me with wide eyes. “I have a few pieces in my closet right now. You should wear one and really fuck with his head.”
“Like it would fit me,” I said, distracted. She was a good half foot shorter than I was. “He’s the head of the company? Holy shit. No wonder he’s stupid rich!” I wondered why he hadn’t let that nugget of information drop last night.
So, in the car, I asked him that very question. “Why didn’t you tell me you’re the CEO of Ricardo de Lugo?” I asked, smiling.
“I didn’t think it mattered,” he said with a shrug.
“But, I mean, we were talking about work this morning. That would have been the perfect time.”
“Right, but . . .” He trailed off, looking sheepish. I could only see his profile, but I could tell he was embarrassed by what he’d been close to saying.
I read his mind. “You didn’t think we’d ever see each other again, so what difference did it make?”
“Yeah. That.”
“You have a point.” I let it go.
He was right, naturally. We weren’t dating. We weren’t even friends, really. I wasn’t sure what we were, thanks to the gift he sent and the fact that I was sitting in his car, speeding toward his apartment building.
I’d never been more confused about a not-relationship in my life.
Don’t over-think it. Chandra’s words rang in my head.
Right. I couldn’t over-think it. All I had to do was have fun—and if he was in the mood for the sort of night we’d had once already, I had the feeling that fun was on the menu, so to speak.
It was just as it had been the night before, only I knew what to expect this time. Once we reached the inside of the elevator, I could hardly wait until the doors closed before I jumped him. I had a lot of stress to work off, and just the sight of him in his black V-neck and jeans—a simple outfit if there ever was one—was enough to turn me on.
He lifted me again, pushing me against the wall, driving his hips upward to hump me as we made out. I clawed at him, wanting to tear his clothes off. He sucked on my lower lip, then bit down. I hissed in surprise, then groaned as even more intense pleasure swept through me. He pulled my hair, yanking my head back so his mouth could travel down my throat.
He put me down when the elevator arrived at the top floor, and we were hardly inside the penthouse before we started taking our clothes off. We left a trail through the hall, leaving us in our underwear by the time we reached the bedroom.
This time, he pushed me back onto the bed with no question as to how I wanted it. The buzzing between my thighs strengthened in reply to his demanding nature, and a fresh wave of warm pleasure spread there.
No sooner was I on my back than he was on his knees, between my thighs. I held his head fast, tangling my fingers in his hair as he kissed and licked his way over my inner thighs until he reached the center of my need.
“Yes, Aaron,” I breathed as his tongue teased moans from the very depths of my being.
Slowly—achingly slowly—he eased the panties down until he revealed all of me. I was there, exposed, trusting him even as my heart beat like a speeding train.
Then he dove in like a man starving for the taste of me. I arched my back, crying out in pleasure as his tongue lapped at my lips before dipping further inside to tantalize my throbbing button.
As he licked that little bundle of nerves, making me writhe and call out his name until it was the only word I knew, his fingers slid in and out of my waiting entrance. He curled them up, toward my navel, massaging me both inside and out until I was sure I couldn’t stand the pleasure anymore.
I was certain it would kill me even as I screamed and shook from the force of a mind-blowing orgasm.
I held his head between my thighs in a vice grip as I came down, slowly relaxing and coming back to my senses. He grinned up at me, planting one more kiss on my mound before climbing onto the bed.
I spread my legs wider, inviting him between them, holding my arms out to take him inside me. I needed him, needed the fullness of him, the way it felt when we were together.
I was already hooked on him and powerless to stop it.
When he lowered himself over me, guiding his thickness inside me, I shuddered with intense pleasure and raked my nails down his back.
; Then he surprised me, taking one wrist, then the other, holding them over my head with one hand while he massaged my breast with the other.
And still he drove himself forward, on and on, sliding into me with a satisfied grunt every time. I matched him, driving my hips upward to meet his thrusts.
He was so strong, so demanding. He held me fast, taking me his way, forcing me to succumb to him.
And I did, gladly.
It was even hotter that way, and I looked up into his flushed face with a smile as he pressed my hands into the pillow above my head.
His thrusts grew stronger, sharper, deeper. I felt the urgency in him as he pushed his way into me, and I willingly met him. I let him take me, urging him on, crying out in ecstasy as he pinned me to the bed and plunged into me with a loud slapping noise every time our bodies met.
It was bliss.
One I wanted to last forever.
But it couldn’t. It never did.
The sweet tension in my core tightened, grew, pulsed stronger and stronger until there was nothing in the world but the sweet, overwhelming joy as my body shook with the force of another orgasm.
I cried out in ecstasy and opened my eyes to find him looking down at me with even deeper lust in his eyes as he neared his own climax.
“Yes! Yes! Kenzie, oh fuck!” He drove himself forward once more, gasping and shaking, roaring my name.
I closed my eyes, loving the way it sounded. Taking pleasure in his pleasure. It was all so sweet, so deep and all-consuming. I couldn’t have described it if I tried.
It was the sort of thing that had to be felt.
He rolled over, onto his back. We lay there, side-by-side, both of us gasping for air. He was in incredible shape, and even he’d lost his breath.
“Wow.” I hadn’t thought it could be that good two nights in a row—I’d hoped, of course, but I hadn’t dared go further than hoping.
I heaved a heavy sigh, reveling in the way every last bit of tension had left my body. All the stress in my neck and shoulders was gone. He was a miracle worker, pure and simple.
“Come here,” he whispered in a deep, satisfying husky voice, holding an arm out.
He wanted to cuddle again? It was like hitting the lottery. I wondered what I had done to get that lucky.
Aaron didn’t have to say it—I knew he wasn’t the type who ordinarily engaged in post-coital cuddling.
“By the way,” I whispered, running a single finger over his chest, “thank you for the flowers and champagne.”
I heard the chuckle bubbling up in his chest before it came out of his mouth, his breath stirring my hair. “You’re welcome,” he murmured, running a hand up and down my back.
The last conscious thought I had before falling asleep was the realization that Aaron was the best thing I had going in my life.
CHAPTER 11
Kenzie
For the second morning in a row, I was waking up beside Aaron Bello. It was like something out of a dream or a fairytale. A very hot, dirty fairytale. One that wouldn’t be suitable for children, or even some adults.
I giggled softly, stretching. His really was the most comfortable bed I’d ever slept in. If I thought I could afford it, I would have asked him where he’d purchased it.
As if he knew, I thought with a chuckle. He probably had an assistant or decorator who handled things like that for him.
Then I remembered how controlling he was in bed, how he hadn’t given me a choice of whether or not I wanted to get together with him the night before.
Maybe he did handle everything himself, after all.
It didn’t matter just then. What mattered was getting my butt out of bed and into the office on time. No way I was about to deal with Reed’s attitude for the second day in a row.
I checked my phone—it was only six-thirty, which gave me plenty of time.
To wake him or not to wake him?
I turned my head to the side, eyeing him up. He was out cold, snoring softly with his mouth open just a smidge. I looked at his lips, remembering the way they felt all over me. It was a real fight to resist the urge to kiss him, or at least run my fingers over them.
My self-control won out and I decided against waking him up. I didn’t want an awkward situation. The night we’d spent together was too perfect to be ruined by the morning after.
I gathered my clothes—some of which were in the hall leading to the bedroom—and put them on in what looked to be a spare bedroom. I laughed to myself—it was bigger than mine and Chandra’s bedrooms put together.
All that space, when it looked like he lived alone. Why did he need an entire penthouse for just himself?
The other half certainly had their eccentricities.
There was a notepad and pen on the fridge, so I scribbled a quick note before making a silent exit out the front door. I wondered if I’d ever see him again and told myself to be happy for what I had.
After all, I hadn’t expected to spend a second night with him. To wish for more would seem greedy.
Unlike the previous morning, I had time to relax while getting ready for work. I was the only person up and about, Chloe and Chandra fast asleep in their respective bedrooms.
My flowers and champagne were still on the table, and I smiled when my eyes fell upon them. I took another sniff of the roses and wondered if it would seem insane to take them to work with me.
No, they were way too beautiful to sit in a place like that. I would rather they wait for me at home as something to look forward to instead of being tainted by Madison Media Group.
I got in the shower, doing my best to be quiet for the sake of my roommates.
Was I ever happy with my current work? Of course—I could remember those days well, five years earlier. It sounded like such a short time but felt like ten times that much. Maybe it was the amount of work I’d crammed into those years. It had helped me climb quickly, though, so I couldn’t complain too much.
What made me complain was the glass ceiling I’d hit as soon as I moved up to management. It had been a year and a half and I hadn’t advanced a single notch, even when I’d put in more overtime than I was comfortable with.
Still, the early days had been such a thrill. I hadn’t dreaded going to work back then because I hadn’t dealt directly with Reed. He’d just bought the company, in fact, and there was a lot of shifting going on within the ranks. I’d simply kept my head down and worked my ass off.
It had been thrilling—finally working in the big city, living the life I’d always dreamed of. And I’d chalked it all up to Madison Media Group.
Without such a generous salary, I wouldn’t have been able to afford my apartment. I wouldn’t have met my roommates, both of whom worked in other departments when I first started but left within six months.
I should have followed their lead, I thought bitterly as I shampooed my hair. I might have continued advancing in another company, instead of stalling out as I had.
Why didn’t I leave, then?
I hated myself for being so chicken. It was a the-devil-you-know situation. I might have resented the hell out of Reed and his buddies. I might have hated the twelve-hour days.
But I knew the ropes.
The advertisers knew me by the sound of my voice, and vice versa. When left alone to do my job without micromanagement or anybody breathing over my shoulder to make sure I got to the office on time, it was actually kind of fun. I enjoyed it—a workaholic by nature.
It was the environment I hated.
I was still mulling this over as I left the bathroom. I’d intended to go straight to my room, but the smell of coffee stopped me in my tracks. I grinned when I saw Chandra and Chloe sitting on the sofa, early morning sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows along one wall of the apartment. They each had a steaming cup of coffee in their hands, and I noticed a third cup on the table.
“Let’s hear it,” Chloe said, patting the sofa, signaling for me to sit. I decided I could afford an extra ten m
inutes.
Especially since I knew the topic of conversation well: my man, Aaron Bello.
CHAPTER 12
Kenzie
It was only eight forty-five when I stepped off the elevator. Why was everybody looking at me like I had two heads? I’d made sure to be early after yesterday’s ass-chewing.
I saw their eyes over the tops of cubicle walls and noticed the way all conversation stopped. The floor was nearly as quiet as it had been when I left the night before. Phones rang, unanswered.
And all the while, as I walked toward my office, dozens of pairs of eyes followed my progress.
“Are you fucking serious?” Reed stormed out of his office, charging toward me.
At first, I turned, sure there was somebody behind me with a gun or a bomb or something.
Then I remembered I was dealing with Reed, who would have used me as a human shield before he advanced on a threat. Besides, there was nobody behind me.
It was me he was charging.
“What’s the matter?” I looked around, feeling like the only person not in on the joke. “What’s going on?”
“What’s going on? Can you seriously stand there and act innocent after the shit you pulled?”
“The shit I pulled?”
“What are you, a parrot?” His voice carried across the floor, echoing off the walls. I realized the place was full of fear, tension. I could only imagine the fit he must have had before I arrived.
But that didn’t explain why he was flipping out on me in the first place.
“Reed, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
His eyes searched my face and he laughed nastily. “You have no idea? What, did you get wasted or something and decide to let me have it?”
I searched my memory, frantic by that point. What the hell was he talking about? I’d been with Aaron all night. I had no time to get up to any shenanigans.
While I’d imagined many, many times how nice it would be to call Reed and tell him off, I knew I hadn’t done it. I hadn’t even drank more than a glass of wine all night.