by Lauren Wood
“I believe you have a hidden doorway behind you. I doubt many would recognize it’s there, but I see it clear enough with my scrutinizing eye for detail.” It was impressive and not many had any knowledge of my hidden exit. “I took a moment before coming over here to familiarize myself with the blueprints. I see something left out of the original designs. There is a space originally used for a private bathroom. The dimensions have considerably changed.” He walked right into the bathroom and opened up the door connected to the cabinet with no regard for my personal space.
He motioned with his hand and I followed a little disappointed that I wasn’t going to be able to see him from behind. The green army jacket didn’t cover the best parts. He moved with no wasted motion.
“I have to get back to work, but I will check in periodically to see how the two of you are making out.” Morgan and I looked at him amused by his suggestive comment. “I didn’t mean it like that. I have to be very careful how I tread to avoid miscommunication.” He closed the bathroom door.
I went ahead of Morgan with the lights automatically illuminating everything in front of me with a motion sensor. I had contracted the work to a relatively unknown company to assure myself there was very little chance of a digital footprint.
“Henry has my deepest respect. He does have the tendency to put his foot in his mouth more frequently than not.” I nodded my head with confirmation as I continued my downward climb of the stairs made of pure metal with a railing to match.
“I knew from the moment I met him that he was one of the good ones. I doubt he mentioned anything about our past relationship. I don’t want to give you the impression I make a habit of sleeping with my employees.” The confession came out of the blue like I couldn’t prevent what my mind was thinking and what my mouth was going to say next.
“He did make mention of your relationship after a few beers. It was one of his regrets. He really wanted to make it work with you, but he knew he was better off letting you fly on your own.” I wasn’t expecting this kind of transparency. He was soft-spoken, but his words were carefully chosen.
“I really thought everything that happened between us was in the cone of silence. It does make sense for him to brag about his conquests when he is overindulging. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if the enemy used liquor as a form of information gathering. We all know the best type of torture is to sexually seduce a person until they are screaming their secret from the top of their lungs.” I found myself opening up to him by no fault of my own. It was easy especially with the awkward silence penetrating the air every time he left something unsaid.
“I believe that is one of the secrets better left unexplored. I would rather have somebody electrify my privates than to contend with a seductress trying to get into my pants.” His attempt at humor was met with a bemused cock of my eye.
“I didn’t take you for somebody who had a sense of humor. There might be some surprises in store for me when it comes to peeling back the layers of your personality. If we are going to do this then we should be on a first name basis. Morgan, this wasn’t my idea, but I don’t think it comes as any great surprise.” I was sweating profusely and the heat within the closed environment was stifling.
“I have learned to acclimate to the individual I’m assigned to. I might not have much to say, but I do keep up with current events. Some people may not agree with the new president of the United States, but they fail to realize his power is limited. There are those he has to listen to. There are guys like me who follow up on those things that need a delicate hand.” I had the feeling he was being sarcastic. I didn’t see anything delicate about the rough edges of this man.
“It’s a good quality and one you have acquired recently. I don’t know many who could do what you do on any given day. It’s a testament to your character and the strength of your fortitude when it comes to protecting those you are assigned to. I don’t think that it’s necessary for me to praise your service to your country. Everything you have sacrificed is not in vain.” I was getting to know him and I felt like I could tell him anything without judgment. I made an involuntary gasp when his two hands grabbed me by the shoulders to prevent me from going any further down the stairs.
I was about to question him on the reason why he took the action until I recognized the wire running from one side of the stairs to the other. It seemed unfathomable that I would get caught with my pants down.
“I don’t want you to move a muscle or it might be your last.” My high heel had made contact with the tripwire. I heard what sounded like a gun about to go off.
Chapter three
He carefully moved around me walking over the wire and kneeling to take a closer look. There was no sound other than my breathing. He looked up with a stoic expression not giving away what he was truly thinking inside. His dispassionate demeanor was causing me some concern. He had no vested interest in keeping me safe other than the almighty dollar. I had to assume his training prevented him from walking away when things got tough.
“I’ve seen something similar when I was stationed overseas. It is a rather crude rendering of something deadly you can’t see in the dark. Don’t make the mistake of underestimating whoever is targeting you. We need to be vigilant at all times.” He put his hand on my ankle and pushed me away gently from the danger.
He put his hand into the shadows and came back with a gun wired to go off when the tripwire was set off. It was a sawed-off shotgun most likely found in the back alley during unsavory negotiations.
“I said it was crude, but it is rather effective. It seems Henry’s concerns were not unfounded as you previously thought. I’m not one to believe in a coincidence. Whoever has sent you those letters have escalated to where they want to see you dead. I was hoping Henry was wrong, but one look at the letters confirmed to me you were playing with fire.” He pulled out a pair of wire snipers and went ahead in making sure the ambush couldn’t be used again in the same way.
“I was a little reckless, but you were derelict in your duties.” He looked confused by my comment and I was prepared to defend myself. “If you were serious about protecting me then you would have gone first.” He didn’t seem to know what to say.
“You make a valid point. There was a small part of me that believed there was nothing to worry about. It didn’t seem possible for someone like you to make enemies. I stand corrected. I promise not to make that mistake again. We now know the threat is tangible. It means we’re going to have to be connected to the hip from this moment on. I will be living with you.” He said it like it was a matter of fact. I wasn’t sure I was ready for a roommate with the ability to make me toss and turn into the wee hours of the night frustrated beyond reason.
“You’re not the only one who made a mistake. I wasn’t taking this seriously. From this moment on, I will have my head on a swivel to the best of my ability. I will let you do your job without making any waves. I don’t like the idea of you living with me, but it’s a small price to pay to continue breathing.” There was something about him making me believe there was something he wanted to say to get it off his chest.
“I never wanted this to happen again.” It appeared he was about to say something important, but then he shut down like a wall had come down around his feelings.
I stumbled on my heels finding out too late one of them had broken from all the weight that I had been putting on it with my foot hanging precariously in the air. I didn’t mean to fall into his arms. It felt good to be safely wrapped up in those very huge biceps of his.
“You’re going to have to be more careful and not so accident prone.” I was always a bit of a klutz and breaking a bone or cutting myself was common growing up. There was no way for him to know that without personal knowledge.
“Henry has to learn to keep his mouth shut even when he is drinking too much. I don’t particularly enjoy people knowing there’s a weakness behind the cold and calculating stare in the business boardroom.” It didn’t seem to affect him.
He carried me like I was light as a feather.
It was nice to be this close to him even though I had no designs on mixing business with pleasure. It didn’t mean it didn’t occur to me. I didn’t think it was a good idea to make his job any more difficult than it already was.
I had sailed the seven seas with the world as my oyster. I only had one life to live and I was going to make the best of it. Shying away from the unknown was not in my vocabulary. It didn’t matter if it was skydiving from the top of my building in the middle of the night or taking the hand of an impressionable young man and corrupting his thoughts by making him scream my name in the throes of passion.
“I want to put you down, but I’m not sure it’s a good idea.” I ran my hands through his hair and down until I was scratching the nape of his neck. My lips were close enough to kiss him, but I was waiting for him to break the ice.
“I’m in no hurry to put my feet back on solid ground.” His mouth parted and I could see the semblance of the tip of his tongue trying hard not to snap forward.
“It has to be the heat making us feel this way. Lilly…Lila… we shouldn’t do this and we both know it’s the wrong thing to do.” I knew a Freudian slip when I heard one. Some woman named Lilly was still holding onto his heart with an iron grip.
We were staring at each other and then he pressed his lips to the crimson color of mine. It was soft, but then there was this demand for more which came from the insertion of his tongue. It searched out and found the target he was after. It was an electrifying experience and had me losing focus on the reason why I had brought him into my employment in the first place.
We were ravenous animals, ferocious in nature and we didn’t come up for air for a full minute. I didn’t need any confirmation of his arousal. It was quite evident when I looked between us. Our lips finally separated long enough for us to catch our breath.
“I really should know better than to get personally involved with my clients. Let’s forget this even happened.” He put me down on my feet and I couldn’t help but look below his belt.
All I wanted to do was to wake up in the morning and see his eyes. To hold him tight and keep him close to my heart was becoming more important by the second. I would have gladly met him halfway, but he was the one who put the brakes on to a screeching halt.
“You are probably right, but I do feel it’s necessary to do this.” I grabbed him and squeezed to feel it pumping against my fingertips. “Forgive me. I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night without at least finding out what I was going to be missing out on. I was hoping for a little bit less real estate, but it’s not your fault you are blessed with an anaconda between your legs.” I was kneading his love muscle like I would if I was making bread.
He wasn’t trying to stop me and he stood there quite rigid in more than one way. I had a hold of him with a power unknown to him. I was slowly tearing down the wall between us. I was discovering the length of his manhood by climbing the throbbing flesh of his appendage.
I wasn’t breathing and everything was at a complete standstill. If he was expecting mercy then he was barking up the wrong tree. I had some intense feelings to work out. I was using his body to get over the one I lost. I attempted to unzip his fly, but his hand stopped me from making that kind of forward action.
“I know it will feel good, but I can’t let you get this close. My job is better when I can keep things professional. I hope you don’t take any offense. This isn’t going to happen. It doesn’t matter what you do to try to convince me otherwise.” It didn’t sound like his comments were directed at me. He was trying to bring his condition down to a low simmer.
“I hear what you’re saying from your mouth, but your body seems to speak a different language. I take it as a personal challenge to seduce you into my bedroom. I will pull out every stop with only one thing on my mind.” I stood back from him to take in everything from the top of his head all the way down to his feet. Getting him naked was necessary to quell my curiosity once and for all.
“It doesn’t matter what he wants. I have the strength to fight your advances. I doubt many in my current position could say the same thing. They would drive you up against this wall with strong and determined thrusts to make you moan in submission.” He was bringing about visions of sexual positions. There were many I had never had the fortune to try out.
“Sometimes you should listen to the other part of yourself more often. It knows a good thing when it sees it. I don’t know if it’s too late to make you another one of my victims. I won’t give up easily.” He put his two hands on either side of me against the cool brick.
“I could easily have you wrapped around my waist bouncing on my pole. If I wasn’t working for you then I would find the nearest motel and give the bedsprings a workout they will never forget. I can be a wild animal.” I was anxious to find out for myself. I was going to use every trick at my disposal to get him to see me in a different way.
“I don’t like having my motor running and no place to go. I’m burning brighter than a candle. I’m not going to stand here and tell you I don’t want you. A man like you delicious and quite delectable should be savored like a fine wine.” The very thought of his cream touching the surface of my lips gave me a reason to squeeze him a little bit tighter.
I pulled away from him leaving him flushed and the bulge not easily ignored. Disengaging the alarm from the door was a simple matter of punching in a four-digit code. I pressed on the bar and opened the door to a rush of cool air. We needed something to throw cold water on our parade.
This time was different. He grabbed me and put himself in front of me where those half moons were calling my name. He looked both ways and then he shielded me until I was safely inside the car with him taking his position in the driver’s side.
I had dodged a bullet literally and figuratively. If I had been alone, I would have surely been lying with a hole the size of a quarter in my skull.
I acquired some valuable information. There was only one way to get this close to me. The person responsible had to be close enough to know my comings and goings. It was an inside job.
Chapter four
The meeting was conducted in a restaurant in the hotel where the client was staying. He was ready to sell his business for half of what it was worth. We both knew the reason why and it put me in a position of having some leverage in the game.
“Does he really have to be here? He stands over there like some kind of ghoul. It makes me feel trapped at the mercy of a feral beast.” I did have the same sentiment when I first met him, but things had changed.
“He is a necessary evil. Don’t pay him any mind. I have a figure. I believe that it’s more than fair considering the circumstances. You don’t want this company to fall into your wife’s hands after the divorce. Don’t be so surprised. I don’t take meetings without knowing all the facts.” I was showing my reputation was as good as people thought it was.
He folded his hands in front of him and then he looked down at the piece of paper I had presented. His eyes betrayed his poker face. They widened considerably and his lip began to twitch. If I didn’t think it was possible, I could’ve sworn I could see dollar signs in his eyes.
“This is a generous offer, but I’m worried that I’m selling myself too short. My wife is going to be breathing down my neck when she gets the divorce papers later this afternoon. I want to liquefy my assets and store them away in a private fund in the Caymans. That will be my retirement nest egg. I hate to ask this, but is there any way you could do a little better.” I was ready to tear up the piece of paper, but the company and its assets were something I had coveted for some time.
“I would be very careful about what you ask for. You want to make sure that it’s not too greedy that I will feel offended. It’s not my place to give you another offer. Come back with a counteroffer if you dare to take a risk like that.” I waited impatiently. He scribbled out the amount I had given him to replace it with another. He kept it private with hi
s hand covering the dollar amount.
“I need all the money I can get. If I could, I would make sure she never saw one single dime of my fortune. She never contributed. Drinking herself into a stupor with several bottles of wine during the week is what was waiting for me at home at the end of the day.” He passed it back upside down like the big reveal was going to be some magic trick. I was an audience of one.
I could only hope he didn’t overreach in his attempt to strangle a few extra dollars out of my pocket.
“I’m going to give you one last chance to reconsider. The offer is still good until I turn over this paper. Are you a gambling man?” There was a bit of flop sweat accumulating along his hairline. He was debating on whether or not to grab it before it was too late.
“We… we both know you’re getting an extremely good deal on the surface. There will be a necessity to restructure to make it profitable. I’m going to hold strong to the offer I just gave you back. I didn’t get where I am today by taking no risks.” I smiled sweetly and innocently making him think I wasn’t the viper everybody knew me to be.
The offer was reasonable, but I wanted to make him sweat it out for a moment longer. He watched my reaction and I showed no visible crack in my demeanor.
“You’re killing me over here.” He got on his feet with a threatening gesture and somehow Morgan had his arm behind his back crying for uncle within seconds of it happening.
“Let that be a lesson to you never to raise your voice or your fist in anger to any woman. I am going to accept this offer. I will make sure to have the papers drawn up before the end of the day. In fact, I will have them sent over to you by messenger before the end of the hour. We can dispense with the pleasantries.” I took the hand that wasn’t behind his back and shook it. This was a binding agreement in a court of law.