A Knock From The Past: (The Phoenix Series Book 1)

by Emma Vikes

  Her lips were on mine and I could taste the pre-cum that glistened on her lips. I wanted to push her against the wall and shove my pulsating dick inside her pussy, ram myself against her until the sun came up. But she pulled away from me and I saw the satisfactory smirk on her lips.

  She placed a thumb against my lips, wiping whatever fluid was on them. “I think that’s all for tonight, love. It’ll take a lot more effort to get inside my pussy.”

  She pulled away from me with a sly smile on her face and the book in her hand. I didn’t even know how she had gotten hold of it. She waved the book in the air and then began to back away. “I’ll bring it back to you once I’m done. Thank you for this, stranger.”

  I stared at her in surprise but she just continued to back away slowly, tantalizingly, and I knew that she was teasing. I wanted to grab her arm and spin her around because she just played me. She didn’t even let me cum and left me to finish what she started. But I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself when she was finally out of the door, my book in her hands. I shook my head and then began to walk back to my room, knowing that I had to jerk myself off at the thought of her. I wasn’t sure if I would see her again but she sure as hell would be in for a bigger game if I did.

  It was later in the morning, when I was done with my morning shower, that my personal phone began ringing. The caller wasn’t registered and the number wasn’t familiar, which was surprising because I normally didn’t just give out my number to anyone. Even the girls I played with were registered on my work phone.

  I answered on the fourth ring. “Hello?”

  “Your voice hasn’t changed that much, Artie.”

  My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Who the hell is this?”

  “My, my, I don’t think that’s the way you should be answering calls, Artie. Haven’t we taught you manners at all?”

  “You must have the wrong number. I don’t know you.”

  He chuckled on the other line. “Ah, ignorance can be bliss, am I right? But don’t worry, Artie. You’ll remember me soon enough. And I’m excited for that day to arrive, Artie. You’re going to be pleasantly surprised.”

  And the line went dead. I stared at my phone long and hard. There were people I knew who used to call me Artie, but it was impossible for the caller to be one of them. Whoever this caller was, he was simply just messing with me. And for someone like me to get a random, seemingly threatening call, wasn’t unusual. I was the CEO of the fast-growing gaming company. I had also been managing Julian’s company. His enemies had become mine.

  It was probably just one of them.

  I finished getting ready and headed over to Interzone. My morning went on the way it usually did. There was nothing out of the blue other than that call I had earlier, but it wasn’t something I should worry about. I had enemies, which was one of the things included in my job description.

  I was at my office when the head of the creative staff came in. Gian was carrying a portfolio and I vaguely remembered him asking me about a month ago if he could add someone new to his team. “Ah, Mr. Waters, I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time but I was wondering if you could check out this resume of the newest member of my team?”

  He sat on the chair across from my desk and then placed the documents neatly in front of me. I opened the file and was surprised to see the picture. A slow smile made its way across my face. “Is she here?”

  Gian beamed and nodded enthusiastically. “Yes! I’ll ask her to come in right now if you want to meet her.”

  He rushed outside and opened the door. She walked in behind Gian, the confidence that I saw in her earlier this morning replaced with a quiet and tamed one. She couldn’t see me, because Gian was blocking her view. I stood up from my seat, straightening my jacket as Gian made the introductions.

  “Miss Stone, I would like you to meet the president of our company, Mr. Art Waters.”

  When Gian stepped aside, that was when she saw me. Her mouth hung open when she realized who I was and she stared at me with wide, shocked eyes. I smirked and nodded at her. “Hello, Miss Stone. Welcome to my company.”

  CHAPTER 2

  Lily

  Sometimes our stupidity just landed us in deep shit that we couldn’t swim away from, because that was where exactly mine had led me.

  How was I supposed to have known that the guy from the café just happened to be my new boss in the company I was just hired in? I mean hello, it wasn’t as if he was wearing a label on his forehead that said he was the CEO of Interzone Productions. He wasn’t acting like a CEO either. I honestly thought that I was just lucky because a gorgeous guy just happened to come into the café.

  But then again, how awkward would it have been if something had actually happened between us? If I had allowed that one-night stand to have occurred and sneaked out when the sun was up? What kind of punishment would he have given me?

  He had already gone too far with this punishment.

  I was hired as a part of the creative staff team, a job that I had crossed continents for because it was my dream - only to be rejected the moment I got here because Mr. CEO had a better idea. He said that I would be perfect as his assistant. I looked the part, he had said, and he said he was sure that I would do a good job. It was only temporary until he was sure that I was credible enough to be a part of his creative team.

  Pure bullshit.

  “What happened with the sexy smile of yours I saw at the café?” Art asked the moment I stepped foot into his office carrying his lunch. I almost slammed the paper bag onto his desk in annoyance. It was infuriating how I had to face this man every day and it hadn’t even been a week. “I vaguely remember you had such sexy confidence.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him in annoyance. He always brought up our first meeting every chance he got. He began to sift through the contents of the bag, placed two of the sandwiches between us and then motioned to one of them. “That one’s yours.”

  That was also another thing about him that irritated me. I wanted to be pissed off at him because he practically demoted me, but how could I if he had this innate sweetness in him? Add the fact that he was also infuriatingly sexy in his suit and I was a goner every time he arrived in the morning looking sharp and crisp and all I wanted to do was run my fingers against his strong jaw and then press my lips against his, feeling the smooth curves that I had felt a few nights ago.

  “Thank you,” I said quietly, taking the wrapped sandwich and turning around. But I felt a hand on my shoulder, stopping me.

  I turned to face Art and he had a small smile on his face. “C’mon, Lily, I know you’re annoyed because you’re not a part of the creative team but you brought this on yourself. If you hadn’t teased me that night.”

  “I’m sorry for not succumbing to my desire but I wasn’t just going to fuck a stranger in a new country, Mr. Waters.”

  The corner of Art’s lips lifted into a crooked smile and I could feel the heat rising in my body. His hand was still on my shoulder and I could feel his thumb gently moving against my skin, caressing it. “Would you screw with your boss then?”

  “I’d rather keep things professional,” I replied curtly, trying my best to mask my emotions even when his words had their desired effect.

  Art chuckled to himself and then his fingers slowly traced my shoulder to my collarbone and then his hand cupped my face. His touch was gentle and light but it had the effect he desired. My body was automatically – instinctively - reacting to it. I hated how I was beginning to get wet and I squirmed under his touch, wanting to get away from it.

  “You do know that playing hard to get will only make you want me even more,” Art murmured, leaning close to me, his hot breath tickling my neck. “You’re just signing yourself up for more sexual frustration, Lily. You could just ask me and we’ll be done with this.”

  I narrowed my eyes and scowled, forcefully pulling myself away from him. Art smirked, and then purposely made of a show of him checking me out. I could feel him undressing m
e with his dark brown eyes, and when he looked up and met my eyes, he whistled lowly.

  “Wear skirts more often, Miss Stone, I like it when your legs are on display for me to ogle.”

  I huffed and spun around, but gave in to the part of me that wanted to play this game too. As irritated as I was with what he had done to my job, there was no way I was allowing him the satisfaction of winning this game of cat and mouse. I'd give him a damn good game if he wanted until one of us succumbed to our sexual desires.

  “Miss Stone.”

  My hand was about to touch the door when he called me. I craned my neck to look at him. “Yes?”

  “I haven’t asked you, but, by any chance, do you live near my apartment?”

  I rolled my eyes. He could’ve just pried at my resume to know at my current address. “The one beside the café. But don’t think I’ll be opening my door for you when you come knocking.”

  “That would only happen if you give me the apartment number.”

  I bit my lip to stop the playful smile that was about to grace my lips. “Too bad that I’m not telling you, Mr. Waters.”

  I heard him chuckle to himself before I finally made my exit. I made my way to the office kitchen to get myself a glass of water. Hell, I needed a glass of alcohol to get myself through the day - I sure as hell knew that Art Waters wasn’t done with me. We had been playing this sexual game since he had hired me as his assistant and it was clear that he was having fun while I was growing irritated and sexually frustrated by the second.

  What the fuck had I gotten myself into?

  “It’s surprising the way Mr. Waters treats you.”

  I almost choked on my drink when she approached me. I didn’t know her well but she was also a part of the creative staff. Gian had introduced me to everyone on the first day before he introduced me to Art. Since Art hired me as his assistant instead, I hadn’t missed the critical glances of my colleagues. She was one of them.

  I wouldn’t be surprised if I had a hate club by now, what with how Art was treating me.

  “I’m not sure I know what you mean.”

  Her right eyebrow raised and she rolled her eyes. She was wearing a sexy business suit, one you would see on those porn sites when they roleplay. She actually looked the part too: hot red lips and overly caked face, the first four buttons of her blouse undone to entice the men in the company and most probably the CEO, a very short skirt that practically didn’t cover anything and high heels that finished her look.

  She was probably the go-to fuck buddy of the single and cheating men of that company. I wouldn’t be surprised.

  “Oh, don’t play dumb, Stone, I saw you two at his office earlier.”

  I shrugged and then finished my drink, throwing the paper cup in the trash bin. I looked at her and smiled politely. “Kayla, right? Look, I don’t know what you’re talking about but I don’t think you should be eyeing your boss at work or making issues about him that are non-existent.”

  She narrowed her eyes at me and I gave her a curt nod, before proceeding to head back to my desk. Art was eating his lunch, his eyes on his laptop as he began to finish whatever work he had to do. My teeth sank into my bottom lip as I watched him work. He looked different from the guy I met at the café. It was like he was two different people but with the same face.

  I watched as he pressed on the intercom. “Get me a coffee, Stone.”

  I rolled my eyes. This would probably be the fourth one he had asked me to make him today. I headed back to the kitchen and poured him coffee in a clean cup and then made my way to his office. He was still deep in his work and that was a relief, at least I didn’t have to handle his flirty comments or worry about him making a move.

  “Stone.”

  I groaned. I was ready to duck out of his office. I turned around to face him and was relieved to see him still on his computer with a furrowed look on his face. “Cancel the next meeting I have.”

  “But I thought you said the one with Collins was important?”

  He wasn’t even looking at me when he sighed, ran a hand through his gorgeous blonde locks and tousled his hair. “It was. But I have more pressing matters at hand right now. Here, give them a call on my personal phone and tell them that something really important came up and I can’t duck out of the company and head to theirs for the meeting. Tell them I’ll reschedule whenever I can.”

  I took his personal phone from his desk and left his office to make the call. Right after I’d finished, his phone began to buzz in my hand and I was ready to head back to his office only to find it empty. The phone continued its incessant buzzing and I had no choice but to answer it. It could’ve been an important call and it was better answered than not.

  “Hello.”

  “Artie, Artie, Artie.” The voice was hoarse and gruff and I could hear the anger in his tone. “You’re acting all unfazed and unbothered. I never would’ve thought you’d finally grow a backbone after being such a pussy by running away and emancipating yourself. But don’t worry, Artie, you’re going to have to realize that this is serious one way or another - and I know just the way how.”

  Then the line died and I stared at his phone in shock. I knew a threat when I heard one. I was Detective Stone’s daughter after all. I spent the majority of my childhood figuring out crimes with my brothers while our father and uncles worked on the real major cases. But still, someone like Art Waters, the CEO of a fast-growing and rising company, getting threats wouldn’t be something surprising, right?

  After all, this was the business world, enemies and rivalries were normal.

  “Stone.” I looked up and saw Art standing just a few feet in front of me. He crossed the few remaining steps that separated us and grabbed his phone from my hands. “Were you prying? Now, now, we haven’t even screwed with each other yet. Don’t cross the bridge already, love.”

  I scoffed and then pushed past him, not bothering to tell him about the call I’d just answered. He would see it anyway if he looked through his phone log. I had a lot more things to finish that demanded most of my attention and I didn’t have time to discuss with him that phone call. After all, people like him were probably used with getting threats. Rich people and their rivals, wasn’t that a thing?

  “Hey Stone.”

  I sighed and looked back at him. “What?”

  “You better finish that book you borrowed from me. I haven’t finished it yet. Oh, and make sure you bring it to my apartment personally. Like how you borrowed it.”

  I heard hushed whispers behind me and I narrowed my eyes at him. I knew that he liked teasing me but I didn’t think that he would take it that far. He smirked at me and winked, letting me know that in this game of teasing and taunting, he had the upper hand.

  CHAPTER 3

  Arthur

  “No!” I gasped, sitting up straight quickly and frantically looking around to identify where I was. My body froze when I saw him standing on the edge of my bed, hooded and hidden in the shadows of the darkness of my room. Hastily, I made a mad dive at the lamp on my bedside. I almost knocked it off in my frenzy but as the light filled my room, I realized that I was the only one there.

  I groaned and waited until my body registered that I’d just had another nightmare. You would think that after two years of enduring them, I would have been getting the hang of it, but there were dreams that still bothered me. Dreams that reminded me of the sick past I had successfully escaped.

  Automatically, I changed out of my night clothes because I was going to spend the early morning at the café like I usually did. I had a book in hand as I made my way there, only to remember a conversation I’d had with Lily yesterday. She had told me that she lived in the apartment beside the café. I was right in front of it.

  I made sure that the security personnel in front didn’t see me duck inside the building. I wasn’t sure which floor Lily lived on or what number her apartment was. But I guessed I could knock on every door until I found her. I didn’t care if got verbally abu
sed. I could do it as quickly as I could until they called security.

  And then I’d just pay my way out of the mess I put myself in.

  After knocking on 34 doors and getting verbally assaulted, I finally found Lily’s apartment and she opened the door and her eyes widened when she saw me. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

  I grinned and then pushed past her, heading straight into her apartment. She followed me inside, the exasperation clear on her face. “What the hell are you doing here?” she repeated.

  I looked around her apartment. “Nice place you got here. Kind of small but then, you can’t afford an apartment like mine so this should probably do for you.”

  “Did you just come here to insult my apartment?”

  I sank down into her couch and then smiled at her. “No, I came here to get laid.”

  The shock on her face made me burst out laughing and she grabbed a pillow and threw it at me. “What the fuck, Art? This is an invasion of my privacy.”

  “But you haven’t called security on me yet so I think that you’re secretly grateful that I’m here. C’mon, Lily, let’s not deny that you’re probably thinking of me while you’re getting your release and don’t worry, you’re not the only one.”

  Lily narrowed her eyes at me and marched over to her door. “You need to leave, Art. I’ll admit, I enjoy this game at the office even when I end up getting pissed off and upset at you a little bit but this is too far. You need to leave.”

  I stayed rooted on her couch and then sighed. “Fine. I had a bad dream, okay? I get nightmares, that's why I can't sleep. I usually head over to the café to kill time until I get ready for work. And now someone I know lives near my apartment and I thought…I finally have someone to talk to.”

  I saw her eyes soften at my admission and I lowered my head. “I promise I’ll try my best not to give any sexual remark or comment about you even if I’d rather fuck you than talk.”

  She chuckled and then sat on the farthest edge of the couch. “Okay. I can’t sleep anyway so I’ll let you bore me with your talking until I do.”