by Kat Long
Too lanky with slicked-back blonde-white hair, he put an empty drink on the table and said, “I’ve had it with the hard-to-get act, Annaleigh.”
He sat down and leaned close enough for me to smell the alcohol wafting off him. I reluctantly looked away from my unfinished mousse and decided I needed a more direct approach for his nonsense. The time for being polite was over.
“It’s not an act. And we’re not going out, ever. You need to back off.”
“You better change your mind after I’m named the next Senior Vice President. I’m tired of you turning me down.” He picked up a half-empty glass of white wine and downed it in one gulp. Gross.
Ugh, his arrogant attitude and assumptions made him worse than his father. I was counting the seconds until he left the table. This man-child was a trust fund kid with freaking logos on his shoes. He was a hard no, even if my thoughts weren’t focused on a certain SVP.
“Benjamin, for the last time, I’m not going out with you. Stop asking, now.”
I turned away and scanned the room again, finishing my bourbon slowly before glancing back in the hopes he would get the point.
“You know, it’s going to be very hard to find a position for you if you don’t start playing ball.”
He put one sweaty hand on my arm and squeezed.
“What is that supposed to mean?” I jerked my arm away and turned to face him.
“It means you need to reconsider my offer. You don’t want my father to hear you turned me down again.” He reached out to grab me again, but I pushed my chair back and crossed my arms.
“Really, Malfoy? I’ll be glad to tell him myself as soon as I see him. And you’ll do well to remember who got a position working here because they earned it, not because of nepotism.”
“We’ll see about that. Don’t make me tell Jake about you making eyes at the guy who stole my job,” he sneered, buttoning his coat and standing up. He grabbed his empty glass and stumbled, bracing himself on a chair—twitchy little ferret.
I put my hand on my stomach and took a deep breath, watching him take two steps back and bumping into the table behind ours. He picked up another half-empty glass, drinking whatever was in it before coming back. He pointed a finger at me when I felt a hand on my shoulder. It made me jump, but the hand was warm, firm, and reassuring.
“I didn’t realize this event included Analysts, Benjamin. Is there a problem here?” Jake said, his soft brown eyes almost black. I could see how white his knuckles were from gripping the chair beside me. He took a step closer and unbuttoned his jacket. Jake’s temper didn’t come out often, but when it did, you’d better back off.
Benjamin was close enough to hear him but didn’t answer, looking down at me instead. “Not yet. Annaleigh, but we’ll talk again soon.”
He walked away with his shoulders hunched, darting around guests. I waited until he left the ballroom, then stood up to face Jake and thank him. He smiled and took my hand, leading me to the dance floor.
“What did he say?” Jake asked, spinning me around with a flourish of his wrist as the band started playing Norah Jones.
“Nothing new,” I sighed, letting him lead me around the dance floor. “Raymond is looking for a way to push you out and put Benjamin in Max’s position. And I get to come along for the ride as some sort of sick consolation prize.”
Jake gave my hand a reassuring squeeze and spun me again. “It’s time to take this a step further. We’re going to talk to Human Resources on Monday.”
I nodded, following his lead and swaying with him to the music.
“Good. Thank you, Annaleigh. Now, please tell me why my Senior Vice President is staring at me like I kicked his puppy after running over his grandmother. I had to threaten to send Leslie home with him so he wouldn’t stomp over to break Malfoy’s nose.”
Even with asses like Benjamin, another reason I loved my job was because Jake’s knowledge of Harry Potter rivaled my own, and he deserved the truth.
“Max and I ran into each other the weekend before he started. Now, things are… I don’t even know Jake. They’re upside down. I’m a mess.”
I looked up and met his eyes, expecting judgment, but there was only understanding. He looked at me hard as we danced, and for once, I wasn’t confident with what he would say next.
“Upside down like you need to disclose a relationship?”
“I don’t know. It’s more like a reevaluation of my…”
“Priorities?” he said, twirling me around again.
“Something like that.”
“Should I be concerned, Annaleigh?”
“No,” I said, louder than I should had.
“Maybe?” he prompted, guiding me in the opposite direction. He looked at me, really looked at me, and smiled.
“Possibly.”
“Annaleigh, I know you, and I’ll support you. Remember, Katie was my tennis instructor, so I get things happen in inappropriate places when you least expect them to happen. But please be careful. I don’t want to see you hurt. Either of you.”
“Jake,” I started as my eyes traveled the room, looking for Max. I found him at the bar with a large drink in his hand. He nodded his head to the left. And when I looked over, there was Leslie, practically making out with whomever she was talking to earlier. He downed his drink and signaled for another as Jake stopped us by the bar.
“Thank you for the dance, Annaleigh. I’m off to spin my beautiful wife around the floor again. Take the town car home. We’ll probably stay a while longer.”
“Thanks, Jake,” I said, giving him a quick hug. He kissed my cheek and shook Max’s hand before turning around to find Katie.
The bartender sat another bourbon in front of Max, and I signaled for one as well. Max braced himself with one hand on the bar and took a long drink, crunching the ice and giving me a full wattage smile that showed both dimples. It made the slight crinkling around his eyes stand out. I was not prepared for that smile.
“Look, I’m just trying to get a drink, and you’re very distracting.” He tilted his head and steadied his feet before downing the bourbon.
“Max?”
“I could buy you a drink, but I’d be jealous of the glass.” His crooked grin made his eyes a shade of golden hazel, perfectly matching the bourbon Hugh sat in front of me.
“What?” I dropped in the orange peel and took a sip, smiling at the cheesy pickup lines.
“Are you a Beaver? Because Damn!” Max snorted, and his shoulders shook as he laughed at his joke. “You know, I’m fine being friends, as long as I can seduce you when I’m drunk. Why don’t we get out of here, Blue? I bet you’re way better to wake up next to than a hangover.”
Oh my God! Max was drunk, or at least buzzed enough that his entire demeanor was different. I was completely prepared for a snarly, stoic, silent drunk. But not this goofy, giggly, flirty ball of smiles. I was completely smitten, falling even harder for this man with his layered personality, rugged good looks, and adorably buzzed lean to one side.
He was in no shape to represent the bank, especially now that the food was gone, and the alcohol flowed. I ran my hand down his arm and took his drink. “How much have you had to drink tonight?”
“I’m sober enough to be pissed that my fake date, with her fake tits, is sucking face with someone else. Come home with me, and I’ll make you a peanut butter and Smucker’s sandwich. I’ll bet you’ll love it. It’s even better with potato chips. I want potato chips too. I want to lick strawberry jam out of your belly button.”
“Let’s go, big guy,” I said, taking his hand and guiding him towards the side exit. He threw a muscular arm around my shoulders and nuzzled my neck.
“You always smell so good. Like oranges and vanilla and sunshine. I want to put you in my dryer with my clothes, so they smell like you all the time.”
“You want a lot of thi
ngs, don’t you?”
“I want you to come home with me. I want to hold you. I want a Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jam sandwich. I want my Pimp Chalice.”
“Your what now?”
“Sandwich, then the chalice. I’ll tell you all the things Blue. All. The. Things.”
With that, he booped my nose and stood on the sidewalk as if he didn’t just tell me he needed a fucking Pimp Chalice.
When the car pulled up, it took him two tries and lots of giggles before he made it in the back. I couldn’t help it. I stood back and laughed, completely unhelpful. When I got in the car, he rested his head on my shoulder with a deep sigh.
“This is nice. You’re so pretty.”
“Max, what did you mean?” I needed him to finish telling me what he started earlier. Needed to know if he was having second thoughts too.
“What,” he replied, turning his head enough to look up at me. “When I said how pretty you are, or when I said that we shouldn’t screw, or when I said you deserve more than me? Or what I meant by a PB and Strawberry Jam sandwich because that is life changing.”
“All the things Max,” I said, using his earlier words and desperate to peel back the layers of his hot and cold mood swings.
“I’m a screw-up. Let my parents run my life. What kind of thirty-year-old does that? Me, that’s who. Almost lost my brother, can’t let go of so much fucking anger. You’re too good for a spoiled mama’s boy. I’m no better than that fuckwad Benjamin.” He turned his head and tugged on his shirt collar, releasing the bowtie and undoing the top three buttons.
I used the opportunity to inhale whatever shampoo he was using, a scent that was unanimously Max. He continued to nuzzle my neck as we drove, and luckily the driver knew where Max lived. How could he think he was a screw-up? This deep, sweet man had more layers than a honey cake.
“Max.”
“Don’t Blue. Just come home with me.”
“I’m taking you home, not going home with you.”
“I’ll wear you down, especially after you taste my Smuckers. See what I did there? I made a sex joke. I’d love to taste your Smuckers. Why can’t I stop thinking about you? I wanted to kill Bennie-Boy for touching you.”
“Hush and enjoy the drive, Max,” I said, stroking his hair. It was impossible not to touch him, and my rationale for staying away had slipped out the window.
It was the bourbon, had to be the bourbon. Not the man that was slowly running his fingers up and down my thigh while snoring.
Snoring? Ugh and drooling. I rubbed the side of his mouth as drool dripped down my neck, startling him awake with a sexy little snort.
- 12 -
DOUBTS DISSIPATED
Max
Rise and shine. Let’s get you to bed,” said a warm, bubbly voice. It was the sweetest voice I’d ever heard. And I was so happy, so content, so buzzed. I needed to be closer to the sunshine voice, so I stepped out of the still-running car and tangled myself in the arms of the most stunning woman in the world.
Blue waved to the driver as I wrapped myself around her waist, and she eased us towards the front door. How did I get so lucky?
“Easy there, Casanova. I’m pretty sure these heels have a weight limit.”
“Casanova? Trying to nickname me already, Blue?”
“I might as well. It’s hard to remember why we shouldn’t be together when you’re this blissed out. Now, where are your keys?” she said, feeling in the inner pockets of my jacket.
“Not there, beautiful.” I reached into one pocket and came up empty. I reached in the other, spun around, found the keys, stumbled, and dropped them on the ground.
She sighed and bent down to retrieve them. With a stretch and a stumble, I smacked her right butt cheek. She made an adorable squeak, and I lifted my shoulders in a half shrug, tucking her back into my arm.
She was shaking her head and fumbling with the lock but got the door open and took a step inside, removing herself from my arms and bending down again. Just as my hand came up to give her left butt cheek the same treatment, she pinned me with a death-stare and unhooked one strap of her silver heel. She slipped it off and did the same with the other, shrinking five inches and breathing a heavy sigh of relief.
“Oh, god. That’s good,” she said, putting her heels and purse by the door. “Sorry, my feet were past uncomfortable and heading towards nuclear.”
“I’m not sorry for anything that lets you make those noises, gorgeous.”
She gave me a sly little grin and glanced around my living room, taking in the almost empty boxes and furniture before looking back to the entryway
“Um, Max? You barely have room for another pair of shoes here,” she said, looking at my three pairs of sneakers and two pairs of loafers by the door. “But personally, I like a man who knows how important the right pair of shoes are.”
She bent down and moved a pair of my sneakers to the side, putting her heels there instead with a wink.
I rubbed the back of my neck and shook my head. Damn.
Five days a week wasn’t enough. I wanted her every day. Her sighs, moans, screams, everything. I cupped her jaw, focusing on her up-turned nose and rosebud lips. God, this woman.
Why was this a bad idea?
She stepped back and put one hand on her hip, “Point me to the kitchen, and I’ll get you Ibuprofen and water while you get your chalice. I’m going to need that story.”
“That’s my brother,” I said, walking in the general direction of the kitchen.
She followed, and it took me three tries to take down the crystal-covered, gaudy beer goblet and hand it to her. She twirled it around, running her fingers over the stones and laughing. Filling it up with water and pushing it to me, she grabbed a beer for herself out of the fridge and opened cabinets until she found medicine while I talked.
“He’s always been crazy over the top, doing and saying shit to purposely weird you out. We’re rebuilding our relationship, I guess, and when he found out my engagement was off, he sent me this monstrosity. He said something like if I confidently drank this with a hot girl, she would bow to the power of the Pimp Chalice and be at my mercy. Stupid, right?”
I downed the water and pills, waiting for her reaction.
“Well, the chalice works, right? I’m here with you. I’ll bet it’s wielded its power over many, many women.” She made a steeple with her fingers around the beer, smiling with a wink.
“Only the one I can’t stop thinking about. I wanted to kill Benjamin when I saw him sitting with you. Please tell me he hasn’t done anything inappropriate, Blue.”
“I can handle that ferret, Max. So, you were engaged? And what happened with your brother?”
I knew she could handle herself and knew she was deflecting, but I couldn’t get the image of him leering at her out of my head.
“Ahh,” I said, spinning around too fast. “That’s a long story, but the short version is when my brother was eighteen, he had a falling out with our parents and left. My dumb ass believed them when they said it was his choice to leave. He reached out to me, but I ignored him. I was a stupid shit, pushing him away like that. It wasn’t until they told me I should take my cheating ex back because she’s from a good family that I realized how blinded I’d been and moved away. See? I’m no good for you past a hot, dirty fuck. I’m no good for anyone.”
I bowed my head and let out a deep breath. I’d never verbalized the shame I’d felt with Warren, and here I was, spilling my guts to the beautiful girl in blue.
“Wow, Max. I had no idea. How many years has it been?”
“So many I’m too ashamed to even say, Blue. Not exactly something I’m proud of. All those years we didn’t talk… He’d never do something like that to me.”
I shook my head and wobbled, pulling my bowtie the rest of the way off and throwing it on the kitchen island. Water,
I needed more water.
“Hey. Listen to me,” she said, refilling the chalice as if she’d read my mind. I didn’t deserve the way she was looking at me like there was nowhere else she’d rather be.
I brought her to my chest, clasping her hands with mine. “No, don’t start that pity bullshit. Let’s skip the deep stuff and go back to flirting. Sit your fine ass down, drink that beer, and let me make you the best sandwich you’ve ever had.”
I squeezed her hands, backing her up to the barstools at my kitchen island before opening the fridge and taking out the Smuckers Strawberry Jam. Moving to the pantry for bread and chips, I opened the bag and stuffed a handful in my mouth. I got to work with Annaleigh watching, and she pulled the chips closer and helped herself. I liked that she was comfortable in my house, in my space.
“You ready for your mind to be blown, Blue?”
“With Smuckers and flirting?”
“Oh, yes, baby. After all, Smuckers make me wanna fuckhers. Get it?” I said, laughing and pointing the butter knife in her direction.
She smiled and took a long pull of beer, looking way too serious suddenly. “Max. Don’t let the past define you. I’m not one to talk because I feel stuck in the past sometimes. But listen, you are an amazing man. And you admitted your mistakes and are now fixing things with your brother, that shows so much about your character.”
I was speechless. It was like she had reached into my chest and soothed the anguish in my soul. Before I could come up with a reason she was wrong, she leaned across the island, giving me a tempting peek at her tits, and wrapped her hand around my wrist. Her pink tongue darted out, licking both sides of the knife, tasting the jam, and turning my dick to diamond.
“Blow my mind, Max,” she said, dipping her finger into the jar for another taste.
She sucked on her finger, hollowing her cheeks as I plated everything. Dropping the knife, I stepped around to the barstool, thankful her dress had a slit that let her legs spread slightly. I picked up one half of the sandwich and brought it to her lips, loving how her mouth wrapped around the bite.