by Nella Tyler
“Oh? Is everything alright?” I asked, slightly nervous now that my father’s attitude change had a deeper meaning than a simple Christmas revelation.
Scrooge indeed, I told myself at the thought, trying to keep my mind from overreacting.
“Fine,” my father answered sincerely. “It’s no emergency. What have you got there?” he ushered to the papers I held in my hand, and I passed them across his large desk, explaining what they were. “Excellent!” he exclaimed as he read them over and started to sign. “This is really a big deal for you, Dex.”
“Yes, Sir,” I insisted, “And for the company.”
“Agreed. Because of your diligence, you have
brought the company more money and resources than it has ever had,” he looked up at me with a strange expression, “You know, I spoke to the owner’s son a little earlier today and he insisted that the way you handled yourself was pivotal to his acceptance of the deal. He insisted that his father was extremely impressed with the way you worked with them to assure you were making the right choice. Plus, you explained a form of innovation that not even his own son could convince him of,” my father laughed, and in that expression, I sensed a genuine, strange sense of pride.
I couldn’t tell whether it was more appropriate to be worried or relieved.
“I can understand his frustration,” I teased.
“In any case, that brings me to what I wanted to talk to you about,” he paused and again, I wasn’t sure if he was simply looking for an opening of if I should be worried that he didn’t acknowledge my comment.
“Sure,” I answered carefully.
“I also spoke to Brent this morning,” he offered, pausing as though he wanted to ensure that he said this right.
“Oh? Wow, you were busy this morning,” I grinned.
“I’m always busy, Son,” he offered, “But this morning, I had a particular ambition driving me. I have decided, after speaking with Brent, that it is time for me to retire. I need some time to myself…away from the office. After all, I’m not getting any younger.”
“Is everything alright?” I asked again, unable to control the sudden hastening pace of my heart.
“Everything is fine, Dexter,” my father assured, “I know it seems sudden but I’ve actually put a lot of thought into this, and after the way you handled yourself with this deal, I think it’s time. I want you to take the business with Brent as your partner.”
“Me?” I asked, surprised by his decision for multiple reasons.
“Well, of course, you,” he chuckled, “I’ve only been grooming you since birth.”
I gave him a weak smile but said nothing.
“Now, I’m not going to be gone until everything is settled and I don’t need an answer now. I want you to think about it. Needless to say, this is one of the biggest decisions of your life. I’m not planning on mentioning it again, unless you have questions, so please, just let me know when you have come to a decision.”
I wasn’t sure what to say. A flurry of emotions cascaded through me. I couldn’t deny that I was excited, but I still couldn’t shake the feeling of mistrust. After all, a few days ago, my father hardly said two words to me and now he was offering me the business.
Then again, life was funny like that. Perhaps my father simply need to have that conversation, or maybe it was something else, but for the moment, I didn’t want to get too excited.
There was a large part of me that simply wanted to see how it all played out.
“Thank you, Sir,” I exclaimed, “I will get back to you with my decision soon.”
My father shook his head affirmatively as I turned to leave.
As I closed the office door behind me, I attempted to sort out the range of sensations I was experiencing.
It was the conversation I had waited my entire life to have, so my enthusiasm made perfect sense. What I thought was interesting though, was that I was that I found the person I couldn’t wait to tell, was Mazie.
Chapter 32
Mazie
When Mittens woke me up the following day, I immediately felt refreshed. Between the break and patching things up with Dexter, I felt extremely positive for the new year.
Figuring that I had quite a bit of cleaning to do, I got up with the intention of straightening up the house.
Mittens wasn’t as keen on the idea but when I fed him, he seemed to soften to it. He wasn’t used to me being home as much and thus, I think I was messing up his routine; or at least, that’s the impression I received.
However, once I started my cleaning, I was surprised to find that I didn’t have nearly as much to catch up on as I thought.
So, even after searching for tasks I had neglected, I was still finished with the chore of cleaning within two hours.
Eventually, I was able to abandon the effort without feeling guilty and decided to go to Laura’s for the day.
It wasn’t until I had already knocked on the door that I realized how early it was, even after my cleaning marathon. Although, since I had already knocked once, I prepared myself for her wrath and waited for her to make it to the door.
“Did somebody die?” she grumbled, with her eyes at half-mast.
“God, Laura, no!” I answered, appalled.
“Then, why are you here?”
Laura was never a morning person, but when someone dared to come into her space, unannounced, before she officially woke up, of her own accord, things could get ugly.
Granted, as her best friend, I know this, and therefore, I am able to use that knowledge to my advantage.
“I came to hang out,” I answered, sauntering past her with a sly smile as she narrowed her eyes.
“It’s too early!” she complained.
“I thought you might want to get your nails done with me, maybe do a little shopping?” I grinned, watching her face unintentionally soften, leaning toward the promise of fun, girly plans.
Still, she grumbled, closing the door behind me.
“So, you’re getting your nails done? I can assume it’s probably not for those ankle-biters at work, so who do you have a date with?” she moaned in a complaining tone as she slunk to the kitchen to make her coffee.
“Dexter,” I replied, unable to hide a wide grin.
Laura stopped dead as her spine prickled, looking as though she might throw something at me when she turned around.
“Wait! Before you freak out, I didn’t call him.”
“He called you?”
“Um…he apologized…first,” I replied before I delved into the story of the best present I received.
“Damn,” Laura answered, impressed, “All I got from my dad was a gift card, because ‘he doesn’t know what to get,'” she laughed.
“Well, sometimes my dad surprises me,” I answered as she threw up her hair and announced she was ready to go.
The majority of the day was spent at the mall. We got our nails done, and we shopped. I bought a new outfit for my date while Laura added to her wardrobe; which was already nearly endless.
I talked about Dexter a lot and was happy to see that given the way he had done what was necessary to get me back, Laura forgave him.
I had no idea what I would’ve done if she hadn’t.
Thankfully, it didn’t seem like that was a possibility that I even had to entertain, which reinforced the positivity I was feeling toward ringing in the new year!
Chapter 33
Dexter
Time seemed to stand still. I couldn’t wait until it was time to go pick up Mazie and I spent an exuberantly long time trying to look my best. After my major screw up, I wanted to show appreciation for her giving me another chance.
Plus, I wanted to dress the part for the news I had to give her.
When it was finally appropriate for me to go pick her up, I couldn’t help but feel slightly nervous.
However, when she answered the door, looking positively stunning in her crimson dress, with her hair pulled back in a sensual fashion, all of th
ose thoughts drifted out of my mind.
Immediately, I had the urge to rip the dress off her body and ravish her, but I controlled myself, knowing that considering the circumstances, that probably wouldn’t be wise.
As usual, Mazie was all ready to go when I arrived, and in the car, while driving to the restaurant, we made pleasant conversation.
Mostly, Mazie told her what a wonderful Christmas she’d had, and I was pleased that she didn’t require much from me since I only had one conversation on my mind.
I waited until after we had sat at the table and ordered to reveal my news, still not sure if it was the right time but deciding it would be better to get past it.
“So, I’ve got some news…” I started when I was given the chance, knowing I wanted to tell her but not sure how she would react.
“Oh?” Mazie answered, her eyes narrowing slightly with intrigue, “Is this news good or bad?”
“Good…I think,” I answered honestly as Mazie leaned closer to me, as though she thought I was going to tell her a secret.
“Okay, so, what’s up?”
“My father…he asked me to take his place as partial owner of the company.”
Immediately, her eyes lit up, and she beamed.
“Oh my God, Dexter! That’s great! I am so excited for you! What do you mean, that is great news…unless,” she stopped her burst of excitement suddenly as she thought deeper into why I would answer in such a manner, “What do you think about the situation? Is it good news for you?”
“Yeah, for the most part, sure. It’s just, you know, a week ago, my father hardly spoke to me and now, this? It just seems…sudden?”
Mazie nodded with understanding.
“Yes, but you said you guys are doing well. Trying to make a change even. Maybe he thought it was just the right time?”
I felt my shoulders rise and fall in a nonchalant manner, “Sure, I guess. It’s still weird though; a pretty quick turnaround, considering the enormity of what he is asking.”
“Well, what do you want to do?”
“I want it to work out. I’ve been waiting my entire life to actually talk about taking over the company. I just don’t want it to come back to bite me in the ass.”
“Well, even though your father is nothing like my father when it comes to the business, I think they both would only do what’s best for its survival…it is their legacy, after all.”
“I guess you’re right,” I answered, trying to sound more convinced than I was. “I just hope that this wasn’t some big I told you so. I don’t know, I can just imagine my father getting some news that could potentially kill the company, so he passes it off to me so that when I fail, he can come back and save it, using my dumb ass as a scapegoat.”
I could tell that Mazie was trying not to laugh, but eventually, she did.
“Wow, you really don’t trust your father, do you?”
“Not as far as I can throw him, at least not yet. As thrilled as I am that we are finally building a relationship, I’ve still had a lifetime worth of mistrust.”
Mazie didn’t try to argue that fact. Instead, she made a motion of understanding and finally gave an answer that was genuine, instead of idealistic, “I want you to think what will be right for you. If you make the decision that makes you happy, I don’t think you will ever regret it. Go with your gut and do what you think is best for you. I did, and it worked out alright.”
“Besides being the pariah of societal functions?” I teased.
Again, her shoulders rose and fell, but this time, it was in a playful manner, “Somebody’s gotta give those stiffs something to scoff at and talk about.”
“Well, being that we’re together, if I do turn down my father’s offer, at least we’ll have one another to talk to,” I laughed, and the conversation eased into jokes from then on out, until it was time to leave.
“So, what do you want to do now?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” she offered earnestly before falling into thought, “I have never seen your house.”
I playfully snorted, “Why would you want to go there?”
“So we could be alone?” her eyes raised as she squeezed my hand suggestively.
“Oh…” I answered in a teasing fashion, “Well, in that case, I don’t think I want to keep you in suspense.”
So, after settling the bill, I took her back to the house.
Once inside, I started to show her around. I started with the front of the house, showing her the kitchen and the dining room, purposefully leaving the bedroom for last, hoping that something would come of it.
“Would you like anything to eat or drink?” I offered as we passed the kitchen, trying my best to be a good host.
“No, thank you,” she replied, trailing behind me as she took in the sight of my house. “It’s beautiful,” she added after I presented a few more areas.
“Thanks,” I answered, looking back to her with a small, knowing grin. “It does its job.”
“No, my little apartment does its job. This does far more than house you,” she argued in a lighthearted manner.
“It’s nothing like your parents’, or my father’s house,” I returned as we started down the hallway.
“Fair enough, but I wouldn’t want their houses.”
“But, you’d want mine?” I teased.
Even though I didn’t chance a look behind me, the tone of her voice told me that it likely was accompanied by a shrug.
“I could get used to it,” she retorted playfully.
I continued down the hall, pointing out the bathroom, the office that is hardly ever in use, and the guest bedroom.
Hoping to God that she was still in the mood when I introduced my bedroom, I turned around in a suggestive manner, only to be surprised by the sight of Mazie in nothing but her panties.
“Oh…” I answered, my eyes growing wide at the sight of her engorged breasts and perfectly formed body. Instantly, I felt a throbbing in my groin, having to resist the urge to rip off her underwear and take her right there, against the wall.
Mazie giggled, “I thought we could skip the formalities.”
While she spoke, she inched closer to me, sauntering seductively with every step.
I turned to face her, with my back still in the doorway, taking in her delectable nakedness.
My heart started to beat heavily, and my mouth ran dry as all the fluid I had in my body seemed to culminate in the vicinity of my manhood.
I swallowed hard as I felt her nimble fingers press against my body, immediately removing my shirt.
Mazie worked slow but diligently, easing me out of my shirt before kissing my now bare skin. The feel of her lips and her gentle touch sent tremors of excitement through my body, and as her fingers drew a line toward my pants, I braced myself in the doorjamb.
I groaned, feeling her hands so close to my groin as she unbuttoned my pants and dropped them to the floor.
Drawing in a wild, ravenous breath, my eyes dropped down to her as I imagined being inside of her.
When we were both equally nude, however, I couldn’t take another moment of this torment.
“Mazie,” I called, tearing my grip away from the wood of the doorway, causing her to look up.
Immediately, I grasped ahold of her, pulled her up, spun her around with my lips on hers and guided her toward the bed.
Chapter 34
Mazie
My heart pounded, and my mind raced. I thought of everything and nothing all at once as I felt his nakedness press against mine.
When Dexter lowered me back into the bed, I felt my body quiver with excitement.
I grinned as his mouth reunited with mine, thrusting his tongue through my teeth with power and vigor; solidifying his ravenous resolve.
I moaned, smiling behind his lips as my arms entwined around him, pulling him closer so that I could feel the heavenly pulse of him.
With every pulse, I felt a jolt of excitement ripple through me.
With the taste
and sent of him surrounding me, I thrust my bosom against the taught rope of muscle that encased his chest.
The warmth of his body eased my already overly-sensitive skin into a flurry while his strong arms secured me, flexing against my skin with every subtle movement.
By the time his lips traveled off mine and started to caress their way down my chest, my heavy breathing was exacerbated.
Rubbing my legs together, I also noticed that moisture had started to coat my womanliness as I readied myself for Dexter’s entry.
I closed my eyes and eased my head back, reveling in the feel of his lips and the slight scratch of his beard nuzzled against my breasts.
Slowly, seductively, Dexter traveled down the valley of my cleavage before he suddenly thrust both his hand and his mouth up toward my nipple.
I gasped as he shifted his weight against me, suckling my breast and winding his tongue around the already swollen, blushing bud.
He moaned my name as I wrapped my legs firmly around him, pulling his groin toward me, causing a thrust of elation to erupt between my wetted legs.
I coaxed myself up, riding him gently, teasingly. He returned my taunting with a slight nibble of his teeth, tugging with just enough to relay his devilish charm.
I squealed with surprise, and he growled in response, pulling back from me to stare upon my fully exposed body.
Inspired by Dexter’s movements, I giggled and pushed against him. He allowed me to push him over until I was straddling him, looking down into his ravenously sexy eyes.
My hair fell around him as I took in his delectable body and ran my fingernails down the front of his chest.
Enriched by another tremor of erotic euphoria, I crouched down so that the majority of my body was pressed tightly against his, tilted my head, and pressed my lips against his.
Closing my eyes, I focused on the feel of him. I reveled in each and every crevasse my body melded into and the increasing warmth that was nearly molten at his virile core.
I focused on his lips, how they felt against mine and the increasing taste that tingled my senses, always leaving me wanting more.
Dexter was certainly an addiction, and after fearing that our love affair had ended, I now couldn’t get enough of him.