The Island

by Alice Ward

  “Kendra—”

  “Let me finish, Eli, please.” She looked away, blinking hard as she searched for her words. “I can’t be your intern. Trade me to someone else tomorrow.” Then she closed the door on me.

  On us.

  And I’d never felt more alone in my entire life.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Eli

  Even though Kendra requested that I send her to another mentor, I didn’t. Instead, I promised her that I’d do the job I was supposed to do with her, teach her about my world. The business world, not my sexual world.

  A month had gone by, and we got along as strict professionals as I took her to meetings full of high-powered executives. She was learning a lot from me, and she seemed happy that I’d kept her as my intern.

  The month of denying our sexual chemistry was hard on both of us. She’d get cranky for no reason at all. I’d snap at her if she jumped a step or two away from me to avoid my touch. It wasn’t easy keeping the promise I’d made myself about leaving her alone.

  We had lunch together that day. Kendra wore a shirt that fit her breasts just a little too perfectly. Her skirt wrapped around her ass just right, and my libido was out of kilter.

  Somehow, I hadn’t had sex since I’d met Kendra. Not that it wasn’t offered. I just wasn’t interested in taking anyone up on it. Kendra was wedged in my head, and other women just couldn’t fit.

  Although I didn’t want Kendra to leave, I knew once summer was over, she’d have to go back to college, and my life would return to normal. And I was planning on getting a piece of that ass before she left New York. A keepsake of the only woman to make me certifiably crazy.

  Once the internship was over, she surely wouldn’t have any hang-ups about me. And she was acutely aware of my lack of involvement with any other women. I made sure she was aware of that. For some reason, I needed her to know she could trust me.

  The hours after lunch crawled by as I couldn’t think of anything but her. I called her cubicle to see what she was up to. “Yes, Mr. Reed?”

  “Hi.” I fidgeted in my chair as I tried to think of an excuse for calling. I couldn’t very well tell her it was just so I could hear her voice.

  “Hi.” There was a pregnant pause as we both just listened to the other breathe. “So, what did you want, sir?”

  “Sir?” She knew that aggravated me. “Kendra, what did I tell you about that? Mr. Reed is fine, but leave the sirs to a minimum. Damn!”

  “Damn, yourself. Why did you call me? I’m putting in a ton of data that Lola gave me. She came down just after we got back from lunch and saddled me with enough work to last the rest of the day. I guess you made her jealous again when you left her out of our lunch. Now I get to pay for that. Thanks, sir.”

  “You know you only have to follow my orders. When she does shit like that, refuse.” I drummed my fingers on the desk and looked out the window. “How did you like lunch?”

  “I already told you it was delicious. And I do have to work on what she gives me, or she gives me that look that says I know what you and the boss did.”

  “No one knows shit. I hate when you bring that up.” I got up and walked to the window, leaning against it and looking down at how small everything seemed. “Kendra, I…” I couldn’t finish what I wanted to say.

  I wanted to tell her that I wanted her, I needed her, and I needed her right then. But even if I did say all that, she’d turn me down and that would send me into a real tailspin.

  “What?”

  “I need you to come up here.”

  “Why?”

  I butted my head against the thick window pane. “Why do you always have to argue? Can’t you just do what I say? You can be so stubborn.”

  I heard her swallow. “Tell me why you want me to come up. What’s the assignment?”

  “I need you.” I hated myself for muttering the words.

  I’d tried hard to get past my feelings for her, but they just got deeper, more embedded inside of me. My fingers curled into a fist as I grew hard just thinking about her.

  “Mr. Reed—”

  “Just come up here, please. I want you to work in the office next to mine for the rest of the day. I think you need some time at the top. You’ve done so well all month. You deserve it. Bring your laptop and come up here.”

  “That’s nice of you, but I’m fine right where I am.”

  “Fuck! Do what I fucking told you to do.” I gritted my teeth as my jaw clenched. Then immediately felt horrible. “I’m sorry. I am. Please, just come up here. I just want you to enjoy the rest of your day.”

  “You sound upset. Has something happened?”

  Yeah, I need to fuck you and you won’t let me, and it has my head wanting to explode!

  “No, I just want to do something nice for you, and it’s frustrating that you won’t let me.” That was all true. But I wanted to do something nice to her, not for her.

  “I’m coming, Mr. Reed.”

  The sigh of relief I breathed out was louder than it should’ve been. I went back to my desk and tried to make myself think about things that would make my hard-on go away. Old ladies in stockings that had fallen around their pale, thick ankles. Puppies pooping on the grass. Anything that might help.

  Just as I managed to get myself calmed down, I overheard Lola, “What are you doing up here, Miss Baxter?”

  “He wants me,” was Kendra’s reply.

  I got up and opened my door. “Hey, come here.”

  Kendra walked right in as Lola glared at her. I ignored her and closed the door once Kendra was inside. “You want to let me into the other office through here, Mr. Reed?”

  I reached out for her as I leaned on the closed door. “Kendra…”

  She turned and looked at me, a frown playing on her face. “You don’t look well. Do you feel okay? Did something at lunch make you sick? Maybe you should go to the bathroom.”

  She was teasing, which only made her more adorable. How could I tell her that I was backed up in a different way, waiting for her to give me what I needed? I hadn’t even masturbated in a month because of her.

  “Maybe I should.” I walked over to the adjoining door between the offices, unlocked it and pushed it open. “There you go. Get to work, intern.”

  As she walked past me, I inhaled her flowery scent. It was pathetic, I knew, but oddly comforting to have her close enough to do so.

  I needed to get my shit together.

  I needed to come, get some of the pent-up frustration out of my system.

  Fuck it!

  With her scent fresh in my nose, I went into my private bathroom and took my still rock-hard cock out of my pants, wishing like hell she was the one touching me.

  Eyes closed, my hand stroked up and down my length as I recreated a scene in my office. Only this time, she was on my desk, legs spread wide open. Her skirt was hitched up around her waist, her teeth showing as she bit her lower lip. “You wanted me?”

  “Oh, yeah, baby. I wanted you.”

  I imagined moving closer to her and taking her black silk panties in one hand, ripping them off her as she gasped. Her pussy was already glistening with her passion, ready for me.

  Stroking harder, I could almost see her giving me that sly little smile. “You want to fuck me?”

  “You want to ask me for it, baby?” I slid my cock up and down her wet slit, circling her clit with the head until her eyes rolled back just a little.

  “Can I taste it first?” She licked her lips. How could I ever tell this woman no?

  I nodded, and she scooted off the desk, falling to her knees in front of me. I guided my cock into her hot mouth, finding myself amazed as she took all ten thick inches into her throat. My cock throbbed as she moved her mouth up and down, over and over until my body was shaking, and I was warning her that she needed to stop.

  “Ahhh!” The sound of my own voice pulled me from the fantasy as I shot my load into the toilet. My body shook with the release it’d needed so very badly.
>
  I could barely breathe as I thought about my fantasy and how much I wanted it to come true. I couldn’t wait any longer for her. This was stupid. We were grown-ass people. Why was she acting like a child?

  Cleaning myself up, I went to my desk and called my driver, sending him to pick up dinner as I made plans to reel Kendra in. No more masturbating as I fantasized. Screw that. The real woman was within my grasp. I just hadn’t forced the issue.

  I knew she wanted exactly what I did. She was just being stubborn. With a little more effort, she’d see things my way.

  Biding my time, I waited until five then opened the door that separated us. “Time to go.”

  She got up and stretched. “Good, I’m tired of looking at that damn computer screen. See you tomorrow, boss.” She picked up her purse and headed to the other door, the one that led into the reception area.

  “Come here,” I directed her.

  Stopping, she turned around. “Um, okay.” She walked toward me, and I stayed in the doorway. Coming to a halt in front of me, she looked into my eyes. “You didn’t mean it was time to go home.”

  Taking a step back, I motioned her into my office. “Correct. You’re going with me. My driver is already waiting for us. You and I will eat dinner in Central Park, similar to our unexpected picnic the first day you arrived. I’d like another one.”

  “And what if I have other plans?” she asked, snarky as usual.

  “Do you have other plans?”

  She wrinkled her nose and reluctantly admitted, “No.”

  I grinned. “Then let’s go.”

  The hallways and elevator were crowded, as most of the people in the building were getting off work at that time. I kept my hand on the small of her back so we wouldn’t be separated.

  When we got to the car, I let her get in first and slid in next to her, moving close enough that our legs touched. Boldly, I put my hand on her knee, and she just looked at it, then up at me.

  I grinned, watching her eyes move to my dimple.

  We didn’t say a word as we got out and set up our boxed dinner on a picnic table. I sat beside her, wanting her continued closeness. “I wanted to talk to you.”

  “I can see that.” She picked up a roasted chicken leg and took a bite.

  “This is stupid, what we’ve been doing. Frankly, I’m tired of it. Are you?” I leaned over and took a bite of her chicken as she stared at me.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She tossed the mutilated chicken on my plate. “You can have that piece since you seem to want it so badly.”

  Done with beating around the bush, I took her by the chin. “I don’t want your chicken, I want you.” Not my finest line, but I plunged on. “Before you say one word, I’d like to point out that I haven’t even so much as gone on a date or kissed another woman since I met you. You want a one-woman man, you’ve got one. I see no reason to keep up this torture. I want you, you want me. Let’s be grown-ups about this and get to the good part. Now, your place or mine?”

  She laughed.

  Not the reaction I wanted.

  “You still don’t get me, do you?” Her gaze was chilly as she crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m not going to sleep with you, Mr. Reed.”

  “Stop calling me that. We’re not at the office.” I pulled out her tight bun, letting her hair fall loosely around her shoulders, and breathed in the lilac scent that floated out in waves. “And stop being a child.”

  “I’m not being a child,” she argued, pissing me off further.

  “Yes, you are. See, we bicker about everything. You know what that’s called? Sexual frustration. We’ll get along better than you can ever imagine if you’ll stop playing hard to get.”

  She squinted at me. “I’m not playing anything, and I’m not being a little girl just because I don’t feel like becoming a notch on your bedpost, Eli!” Her eyes grew wide as she shouted my name.

  “You’re being childish.” I picked up the chicken leg just to toss it back on the plate and glare at her, realizing I was being childish too and unable to stop it. “Can you look into my eyes and tell me that you don’t want me?”

  The way she laughed just a little then looked right into my eyes made me nervous. “Eli, I…” Her eyes darted so quickly to one side, I had to react.

  “Ha!” I jumped up and pointed at her. “You can’t say it. Do you know why that is, Kendra? Because you want me too.”

  She shot up too, putting her hands on her hips. “It doesn’t matter that I find you attractive. I’ll never have sex with you. Not ever. Now sit down and let’s eat so you can take me to my apartment where I will sleep alone in my bed. Alone! The same way I will every night I’m in New York City.”

  I just barely stopped myself from stamping my foot. “You don’t like me?”

  She sighed, softening a little. “I didn’t say that. I happen to like you a lot, but I’m not about to have sex with you. Sorry.”

  She liked me, found me attractive, but refused to let our relationship turn physical. Something just wasn’t adding up. My brain was moving fast, though. I needed to get her alone. Like for a few days, in a nice hotel room, far away from prying eyes. That must be what was keeping her from giving into our desires and needs; she was worried about what other people would think.

  But where should I take her?

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Kendra

  My night was spent tossing and turning, as dinner with Eli had put me in a bad mood. Not that I’d been in a fantastic one. He was right about the sexual frustration, but no way would I give into him.

  He was not Mr. Right. Eli was, most definitely, Mr. What The Hell Are You Thinking.

  Not that I didn’t want to be with him. I did. God, I did. I fought myself about letting him be my first. Forgetting about being a virgin for the man I’d one day marry. This was the twenty-first century, after all. Why not be the lover of a man who I knew could make me see fireworks when he took me to the place I’d never been before? Why not allow myself that privilege?

  To be taught about sex by a man like Eli was a thing most women would probably pay money for. And he wanted to give that education to me for free. At times, I felt like a dumbass for denying myself. Then other times I’d hear my father’s voice in my head, telling me to hold tight to my “carnal treasure.”

  Just thinking it made me wince and laugh at the same time. Carnal treasure. How old fashioned could one person be?

  Too many years had gone by with my father drilling that into my head. I couldn’t just push it to the side because a smoking hot man was finally after me hard and heavy. That was exactly why Dad had drilled it into our heads. He knew that one day men would come along who’d test those morals he’d instilled in us. I wanted to make my father proud.

  And I wanted to protect myself.

  I didn’t want to fall head over heels for Eli, the way I knew I would if I made love with him. It was better to never get that deeply involved with the man who could pulverize my heart.

  When I went to my cubicle the next morning, I found a note that told me to go up to the office next to Eli’s. I recognized Eli’s handwriting, and I felt giddy as I headed to the office I adored.

  The cubicles might’ve been what everyone should have experienced at the beginning of their careers, but the constant noise and tension downstairs grated on my nerves. I was happy to get to work in the type of office I aspired to, even if only for the day.

  Doing the usual breakfast routine, I grabbed Eli a bagel, smearing it with cream cheese before adding lox, a slice of tomato, some thinly sliced red onions, and a few capers. Folding a napkin around it to keep it fresh, I placed it on a small plate before grabbing an organic apple juice from the cooler. He preferred coffee, but I made him drink the juice first. I’d go into his office later to freshen up his morning mug of coffee. He seemed happy with how I’d changed his morning meal.

  When I stepped off the elevator, I noticed that Lola wasn’t at her desk yet. It was getting c
lose to nine, so I expected to see her soon. Just as I was about to knock on Eli’s door, a woman said, “He’s not here.”

  When I turned around, I faced a tall, thin woman with lots of gold jewelry hanging around her neck and off her ears. I had no idea who this woman was, but for some reason, I felt a tinge of jealousy run through me that she knew anything about Eli and his whereabouts.

  “Oh, I see. I’m his intern, Kendra. And you are?”

  “Patsy. Eli and I were in the middle of something when he got an urgent phone call and had to leave.” She was looking me over a little too much. I felt as if she was sizing me up.

  “Well, nice to meet you.”

  I waited until she turned and headed for the elevator before checking to see if Eli’s door was open. It was, and I left breakfast on his desk before heading into the adjoining office for my laptop, unsure if I should stay or go back downstairs.

  Glancing out of the window at the beautiful skyline view, I decided to stay. At least for a little while.

  At my desk, I noticed a folder laying on my laptop. Curious, I opened it to find pictures of castles and sheep grazing in green fields.

  “Hey.” I startled, then whipped around to find Eli standing in the doorway. God, he looked gorgeous in his dark suit and bright blue tie that complemented the color of his eyes.

  “Good morning.” I held out the folder. “What’s this about?”

  “It’s about a trip you and I will be taking this weekend. Three nights and four days in Scotland.” He turned and went back to his office, and I followed him, wanting to know more.

  “Who else is going?” He took a seat, and I noticed a box of candy on his desk. “You brought me candy? Eli, I mean, Mr. Reed, you shouldn’t be doing things like this. Candy, romantic trips—”

  “It’s not for you.” He opened the box and popped a chocolate into his mouth. Two were already missing, making me feel like an ass. “An admirer gave it to me. And you can’t have any. As for the trip, it’s for business. Hate to burst your bubble.”