by Mia Ford
“Ava,” Tanner said.
“Yes,” I said, snapping my head back into reality and blushing. Everyone at the table was looking at me expectantly.
“Why don’t you come up, introduce yourself, and talk to us about some of your ideas for pushing our new financial divisions to the next level during the merger?”
“Okay,” I said, taking in a deep breath and walking to the front. I knew this was coming. He had told me ahead of time, but I was never quite ready for public speaking.
Everyone’s gaze was one me, all looking unsure of whether they should prejudge the fact that I was young, judge me for being the only woman in the room, or stare at my tits. It was a mixed crowd, and Tanner was teetering between respect and tits. I straightened out my skirt and walked to the front of the room, taking in a deep breath. Every time I looked over at him, I felt heat creeping up the back of my neck. I wanted so badly for him to be suffering the same affliction I was suffering, but at the same time, I was hoping he wasn’t, so I could keep myself in check.
“Thank you,” I said to Tanner before turning toward all the faces. “My name is Ava, and I’m going to be assisting in the financial changeover on the client end of the spectrum. I got together with our CFO recently, and we discussed the questions the clients will probably have, especially in the beginning. I have come up with a fact template that will post to all representatives, starting today, and will help them begin to ease their client’s concerns. I also believe full candor is a must when it comes to working with people’s money, so we want to let the clients know what we are doing at every step. I have created a template for that as well, and it will not only be emailed but physically mailed as well to make sure our clients are fully understanding what we are doing at every turn. That being said, all managers in all departments will receive a copy of those letters before they are sent out, and they will be in charge of training their teams on what to say, what answers to provide, and how to calm the client by not addressing their fears so much as letting them know how this change will positively affect their money. We don’t want people running just because they aren’t educated on what is going on. Any questions?”
“Yes,” Tanner said, watching my blushed cheeks. “Will we be providing fact lists with every single letter?”
“Yes,” I said, nodding my head. “Every letter will come with a cheat sheet, if you will, an answer to what we believe will be the most asked questions, so we are able to tackle these issues head-on. My door will always be open to anyone, and I’m willing to answer any questions you or our clients have.”
“Thank you, Ava,” Tanner said.
I nodded my head and walked back to my seat, smiling at the applause from the men. I could tell they were surprised by my knowledge and intelligence, and that was the kind of response I wanted. I was never the girl okay with being quiet and submissive, and I knew I was just as smart, if not smarter, than most of the men in that room, except maybe Tanner. When the meeting was over, I shook the other gentlemen’s hands and collected my stuff, trying not to notice that Tanner and I were the last people in the room.
“You okay?”
“Mhmm,” I said, trying not to blush again.
“Ava,” he said, walking over and putting his hand on my arm. “What is it? You were distracted the whole time, though I’m probably the only one who noticed.”
“Nothing,” I said blushing, standing and staring him in the face. “I mean it’s something, but it’s my problem, and I’ll deal with it. There’s nothing you can do about it.”
I put the rest of my files in my bag and tried to ignore the fact that he was staring at me, a small smirk on his face. I put my bag over my shoulder and pushed in my chair, looking up with beet red cheeks. I turned and walked toward the door, trying to get myself together.
“Ava,” he called out. “It’s because of our attraction, isn’t it?”
I stopped and snapped my head back toward him and saw that he was now blushing slightly, too. I closed the door to the meeting room and sighed, taking my bag back off my shoulder and walking to the table. He was standing there, hands in his pockets, leaning against the table. I shook my head holding onto the back of the chair, trying to figure out how to approach the subject. It was undoubtedly a tricky one, but I was glad that he noticed and kind of turned on that he felt the same way and had the guts to admit to it.
“What the hell are we going to do about this?” I asked the question, not sure if he even had an answer.
“I don’t know,” he said calmly. “I suppose we should work on our professional relationship and try to push this aside. I’ve learned through the years that crushes like these tend to fizzle out over time, especially once you start working with someone every day.”
“Really?” I didn’t want it to, but I had to at least act the part. “It’s kind of distracting, and I’m dedicated to this job. I don’t want it to interfere. I’ve known you a long time, Tanner.”
“You don’t have to explain,” he chuckled. “I’ve known you since you were in diapers. If you think it's awkward for you, think about how conflicted by it I am.”
“Okay,” I said taking a deep breath. “Then we will focus on our professional relationship right now, pushing the other stuff aside until it just goes away.”
“Perfect,” he said, walking toward the door. “Oh, do you want to come out to Driscoll’s on Friday for dinner?”
I scrunched my eyebrows and turned toward him with a confused face. We had literally just decided to work on our professional relationship and let the other side fizzle out, and he followed it up with dinner requests. He looked at me and chuckled, shaking his head when he saw my reaction.
“No, no,” he said. “Everyone from today’s meeting will be there. It’s a work dinner, an appreciation for the constant hard work. I didn’t want to ask you in front of everyone in case you had other plans. I always hated being put on the spot by my boss in front of the executives.”
“You had another job before the company?”
“Sure, but it was for my father,” he explained. “Which was why he thought it was okay to put me on the spot.”
“Oh,” I said. “Okay, work dinner on Friday. I will be there, absolutely.”
“Great.” He smiled as he walked from the room.
I waited until he turned the corner, and I let out a deep breath, grabbing onto the chair and shaking my head. How absolutely horrifying was that? He not only noticed my distraction but was meeting me right there, almost joking like I was a child with a crush. I froze again at the sound of his voice and turned around.
“And Ava?”
“Yes,” I said with blushed cheeks.
“You look amazing today.” He tapped the doorframe and bit his bottom lip before he walked away again.
All I could do was smile at him before collapsing into the roller chair in front of me after he had left. This man was going to be the death of me, I could feel it. Now, I was starting to understand what my father meant when he used to talk about Tanner to my mother. He was arrogant and sure of himself, something that would normally hinder someone, but it really worked for him. Not only was I freaking hooked and ready to jump in bed with him, but our clients loved how honest, upfront, and no bullshit he was, even if it was born from arrogance. His cockiness was sexy in a way that I had never thought of before, and immediately, visions of him controlling every part of me flooded back into my mind.
I really needed to get it together. I couldn’t be sitting in the conference room dreaming of fucking my boss when I had so much work to get done. This was insane. I had never had this issue before, not even in college when I had a serious crush on one of my professors. I took in a deep breath and pulled myself from the chair, grabbed my bag, and headed for the lounge where I poured a cup of coffee and headed back to my desk. I was ridiculously relieved when I walked by and saw that Tanner had closed his office door. The temptation to flirt was too great when I could see him from my desk.
He
ll, the temptation was too great when I was in the same city as him.
Chapter 5
Tanner
Most people were excited to see Friday finally come, but for me, I felt like it was a waste of precious time to have two days off. Most of the time, I was inside my office on the weekends catching up on all the paperwork and things that I couldn’t get done during the week. Most older execs kept easy hours, and if I didn’t reach them by two during the week, I wouldn’t reach them at all, so I focused on getting the work done during the week that required me talking to other people. I understood that I was not the norm, but at the same time, I ran a company and worked there every day in the thick of things. That company was my life, and I was doing everything I could, hoping in five to ten years, I could hold golf course hours as well. In the meantime, I would put in the extra hours and relax when I went home at night.
Everyone else was gone, already on their way to the restaurant for our dinner. I collected my things and headed out of the office, feeling a bit strange leaving before seven. I took the town car to Driscoll’s so I wouldn’t have to deal with traffic. My apartment was just across the street, and if you stood on the balcony of my penthouse, you could actually see into my office. I wanted to go there and change, but I was already running late and didn’t want to make them wait on me. As we drove along, Ava came back into my mind, something that had almost become the norm for the last week. Her sexy curves and sweet smile were almost plaguing me. I wanted to fuck her, that was no secret, but I also wanted to be around her, which was a bit strange and slightly alarming for me. That was the part I kept pushing down. The sex was something I just let my mind run wild over.
The other day during the meeting, I had to keep talking to my cock, begging it to give me a rest. Watching Ava blush like she was, thinking dirty thoughts about me, was extremely erotic, and it made me unable to clearly think about what I was saying. I was glad when it was her turn to get up and talk, and I could sit there and imagine bending her over the conference room table while the cameras projected us fucking up on the screen for me to watch. I reached down and adjust my dick, which was now playing along with the thoughts in mind.
As we pulled in front of the restaurant, I took a deep breath, trying to get Ava out of my mind. The driver came around and opened the door, nodding as I stepped out onto the sidewalk. The air was still cool, even though it was just beginning to look like fall outside. I straightened my coat and looked over as a cab pulled up behind me. The door to the car opened and Ava stepped out, giving me a welcoming smile. She looked gorgeous in a little black dress, black stockings, and heels.
“Well, hello there,” I said. “You look amazing as always.”
“Thank you.” She blushed.
“If I knew we would be arriving at the same time, I would have had you ride me—with me. I mean ride with me, of course.” I tried not to snicker at my slip, but it came out anyway.
She looked at me for a moment before bursting into laughter, too, a relief from the tension that had been plaguing us. We walked toward the door, which I held for her as we entered. The others were all seated around a large table at the back, and they greeted us cheerfully, obviously already having had hit the bar up. Ava ordered a glass of wine and sat down in the middle while I sat at the head of the table. The guys were unusually jolly tonight, which I was glad for. I was tired of talking about the merger and just wanted to relax.
We told jokes, listened to stories from the older gentlemen who remembered when the company first started, and I laughed as they told stories of my younger ambitious but naïve self. I glanced over at Ava who was listening and laughing right along, really starting to fit in with the group well. She looked over as I raised my glass to her, everyone else oblivious to our attracting gaze. She nodded her head as her cheeks grew red, and I smiled at the way I had such an effect on her. I was glad I’d picked Driscoll’s and wasn’t going to run into any of the cocktail waitresses I had been moonlighting with at the other bars I frequented. For some reason, I wanted Ava to think good things about me, not knowing just how much of a playboy I really was. I hadn’t ever given two shits what anyone thought about me personally. I chocked it up to being a professional thing, wanting her to respect me professionally, and moved the thought from my mind.
I was having a wonderful time, the first time in months, and I enjoyed not being by myself for once. These guys were entertaining, but what was really catching my attention was Ava and how sexy she looked taking control of the conversation midway through and making everyone laugh at her horror stories from her internship. She was sassy, and I liked it, wondering what it would be like to have her take control of me during sex. I could feel my pants getting tighter, especially with my alcohol-induced lower inhibitions.
As the evening began to wear down, everyone began to trickle out, going home to their wives and families. Out of the group, Ava and I were the only ones who didn’t have significant others or children to go home to. I was glad to see her sitting firm, not leaving with the other gentlemen. I wanted some alone time with her, and I wanted to gauge how she was feeling about our attraction. I had told myself to back off, but the alcohol was not even starting to let me drop it, and I could tell she was feeling the same way.
I thanked everyone for coming, and when the last person left us alone, I walked over and held out my hand, helping Ava from her chair. We went over to the bar and sat down, ready to have another couple drinks before parting ways. It was just the two of us at that point, and neither one of us had to rise and shine early in the morning. I figured that would be the perfect opportunity to really spend some alone time with her, get her talking, and maybe see where the night took us. At first, she was quiet, but I ordered us a couple of drinks and she started to laugh.
“What are you laughing at?” I was amused by her.
“Nothing,” she said, almost snorting. “It’s just that when I first walked in, I felt like the guys were plotting my death, but by the end, they were slapping me on the shoulder and offering me cigars. Men are so territorial about their man space. You seriously need some female executive power up in this company. Not only would it diversify how you work, but it would lend you a better public image. I hate to tell you, old man, but the days of the boy’s club are over.”
“Wow.” I laughed. “Old man? Ouch. That almost hurt, except it’s true.”
“It’s okay,” she said, sipping her drink. “You are a sexy old guy.”
Her cheeks immediately went red, realizing that she had indeed said that out loud. I was silent for a moment and then started laughing hard, watching as she let go of her embarrassment and laughed along with me. She slid her hand down on my leg as she took a deep breath in, trying to control her laughter. Who knew she was sexy, ambitious, and so much fun to be around as well. How was this girl still single?
“This has been such a great night,” she said. “I’m glad I decided to come. I’m usually boring and spend my weekends preparing for work the next week. Catching up on stuff I couldn’t get done during the days.”
“You, too? I’m usually the only person in the high-rise on the weekends,” I said, shaking my head.
“Well, if you’re there, most likely I’ll come there, too, so I can work at the office and not my dining room table,” she replied.
“You’re always welcome,” I said, trying to keep my mind off the fact that we would be alone in the office on a weekend together.
We sat and had one more drink, talking about our lives, laughing at ourselves, and flirting relentlessly. She was sitting so close to me that when she turned in her stool, her crossed legs were between mine. I reached down and put my hand on her bare thigh, handing the bartender my credit card to pay.
“Why don’t you let me drive you home,” I said.
“Okay,” she accepted. “I would love that. The cabs in this city can be terrifying sometimes.”
“That’s why as soon as I could afford it, I hired a car service,” I said, laughing
. “Except I live in the building across from the office, so I walk to work every morning.”
“Well, that’s convenient,” she laughed. “I live about six blocks away, which isn’t too bad. Thanks to Daddy, of course. I never claimed to be a girl who’s struggling right out of college. I am pretty lucky, actually.”
“I’m impressed at how well your father manages money,” I said, surprised he still had that nest egg he had been building.
“Yeah, well, it's not easy with my mother.” Her wry tone told me a lot about her feelings toward her mother. It was a good sign she didn’t take after the woman.
I stood up from the bar and wrapped my coat around her shoulders, leading her to the car parked out front. We sat close in the back, her thighs rubbing up against my legs. I couldn’t hold back anymore. It was just too much restraint for me. I turned toward her and ran my hand up her thigh, feeling her breathing grow heavier as my lips touched hers. She immediately leaned into the kiss, a small moan escaping her throat. I could tell she had been waiting for this as much as I had been. Our mouths swirled around each other’s, and my tongue parted her lips, tasting the sweet wine on her tongue. Her perfume engulfed me and immediately my pants were tight, my cock responding to the warmth between her thighs.