by Coco Miller
Fuck.
She’s mine.
She. Is. Mine.
8
Keisha
I try to sit as still as possible and take quiet breaths. Sitting this close to Mr. Pope makes me nervous as hell. I can feel his energy consuming all of the oxygen around me if that makes any sense. At least for me it does because I’ve never been in this type of situation before. Never with a man either.
I know this isn’t a real date, but it almost feels like it is by the way he’s looking at me. His eyes dart to my legs from time to time. It’s obvious that he approves of my dress. I must admit that when I put it on, I felt sexy. Not cheap like I thought I would feel. Wearing it gives me this confidence in myself that I’ve never really had before. I like it. I feel pretty. Like a fairy princess dressing up for a ball.
He has no idea how grateful I am for this dress. When I saw the register ring up eight hundred dollars, and he flashed his black American Express card, I realized that he was right. I don’t feel like Julia Roberts. I don’t feel like a prostitute. I simply feel like a beautiful woman who looks like a million bucks even though the dress didn’t cost that much. Someday I want to be able to pay him back for this. Someday I know that I will be able to.
“I want to thank you, Mr. Pope, for the dress,” I tell him for probably the third time as we sit at the back of the limo.
“No need to thank me. You’re doing me a favor by accompanying me tonight.”
“Still...you didn’t have to give me the royal treatment so thank you again.”
“You look beautiful and you’re welcome. Just one thing, though.”
“Sure, what’s wrong? Did I do something wrong?” I frown as I start to feel paranoid.
He laughs. “No, it’s just that we’re not in the office anymore and you’re not my employee. Please call me Nicholas.”
I nod as my stomach drops.
“Okay...Nicholas.”
He smiles and then he moves his hand from his leg to his side. He’s nearly brushing my leg, and the slight touch is making me grow wet. I think that I appeal to him.
Me.
The country girl who’s never been with a man. I don’t know if it’s this dress, but right now I feel different. I don’t feel like a country girl who barely owns anything. Tonight I feel like one of the women that he would date. One that he would be proud to have by his side.
“Tell me about yourself, Keisha. You’ve been working for me for weeks and I know nothing about you.”
“Well you were in and out of the office for the first week.”
He sighs. “Yeah, the Japanese deal that went horribly wrong. Hmm, don’t remind me of that. It was one of the worst experiences that I’ve ever had.”
“Oh?”
He shakes his head, “Let’s not talk shop. Not tonight. I’m more curious about why it is that you don’t have a boyfriend.”
Wow, that was direct!
I’m looking at his dark eyes trying to figure out if he’s toying with me, but I can’t read him. His facial expression seems indifferent. I guess that’s one of Mr. Pope’s, I mean Nicholas’s strengths. He has a way of putting up a front. One that’s so damn hard to read.
“I just don’t.”
“Wow, a knock-out like you?”
I giggle. “I’m not a knock-out. Only in this dress.”
He shakes his head, his dark eyes shining.
“If you didn’t have the tools, Kitten, then you wouldn’t be able to work it.”
His hand is cupping my face as if he has something more to say, but then he drops his hand and then turns to face the front.
Put it back!
I want to scream at him. I uncross my legs, knowing that’ll get his attention. Knowing his eyes haven’t strayed very far away from my legs all night.
“There must be a reason that you don’t have a boyfriend.”
Wow, he’s pushing the subject. I feel a tiny tingle race across my skin as I wonder if he’s asking because he wants to be my boyfriend. I shake my head at the idea of it. Silly me, of course a man like him would never go for the likes of a girl like me. Even if he is attracted to my body.
This is not a date, Keisha.
This is not real.
“I just haven’t met the right man yet.”
Understatement of the century.
“Ah, so you’re a picky kind of girl?” He raises an eyebrow, and some part of me likes this game. I should tell him that it’s none of his business, but he just paid for my dress, and this is the most interaction I’ve had with him, plus it’s my last day working for him. So, I won’t be seeing him again anytime soon.
Part of me is sad about the whole idea of not seeing him again. Like I almost want him to offer me another position or fire Joanne. But, again, I know that’s not the way the world works. I know I have to bide my time and naturally move up in a company when I finally find a permanent position. I just really wish it could be his company.
“Do you ask all your secretaries the same question?” I throw back at him.
He laughs. “Have you seen Joanne? She’s old enough to be my mother.”
“I thought that men liked older women?”
He sighs. “Fine, if you don’t want to answer my question, then you don’t have to. I was just kind of curious.”
His answer intrigues me, awakening a part of me that has lied dormant for so long. It’s almost like I’m on a date and it’s been ages since I’ve been on one.
“I just…don’t have the time.”
I fob him off with a feeble answer. I’m too embarrassed to tell him the truth. My dad hurt me so badly time and time again that it makes me feel as if I can’t trust men, and that’s one of the major reasons why I don’t date. So even though I don’t have the time to really date, the truth of the matter is that I don’t trust men enough to even try.
Even Mr. Pope.
I mean he’s bought me this dress and begged me to come to this party with him, but there must be some ulterior motive and the thought frightens me. What does he want from me? Why did he ask me of all people to attend this party with him? And why did I agree to this?
I'm at the back of the limo with my boss in a provocative dress. We’re about to attend a party full of people I don’t know. But what’s interesting is that while I don’t one hundred percent trust him, that’s not really the issue. The problem now is that I’m pretty sure that I can’t trust myself around him. I’m afraid of what I might want to do to him. With him. For him.
I stare closely at his large hand while his finger rubs over his bottom lip. He’s so sexy. He catches me staring and his eyes wash over me like a giant wave crashing onto the shore. I have a strong desire to grab that hand of his and feel it against my skin. Is it possible that for the first time ever that I’m beginning to trust a man? Does Nicholas Pope actually make me feel safe?
I can’t put my finger on why, but he just does. There’s something about him.
“I see.”
“You see what?”
“Well it seems to me that you’re a woman who wants a man to love her. The type that wants a man to bend over to please her.”
I laugh. “Oh that’s right, I’m a picky woman.”
He points at me, his eyes shining with laughter. “Exactly!”
“No, that’s not me at all…besides, I could say the same thing about you.”
“How so?”
“Well, do you have a girlfriend?”
He appears surprised by what I’ve asked, but I think that’s because he’s not used to being questioned, only the other way around.
“No, I don’t have a girlfriend.”
He crosses his arms, his jaw ticking slightly, waiting for me to ask him the next question. The most obvious one.
“Ever been married?”
“How do you know that I’m not married?”
“Well it’s pretty obvious that you’re not if you’re using me to shoo away your ex.”
He chuckles.
“True.”
“Sir, we’re here.”
Nicholas nods his head as his dark eyes glance up at the building and he lets out a loud sigh, “So we are.”
He turns to me. “Are you ready, future Mrs. Pope?”
I nod. “I won’t know anyone, so I’m a little nervous.”
He shakes his head and says, “You’ll be with me, and I won’t leave your side. Not even for a second. That’s what a good fiance would do.”
The driver opens the door and I climb out. The next thing I know Nicholas is by my side. As the driver is about to leave, he says, “Roger, if you could get my car, leave it with the valet, then when I'm ready to leave I can just head home without having to bother you.”
“Are you sure, sir?”
Nicholas nods, but he doesn’t say a word.
His driver says, “Well thank you, sir. Have a good night, miss.”
Nicholas blurts out, “You have a good night too.”
His driver repeats the same thing, apparently happy to have the night off. Nicholas looks at me hungrily.
“Roger, I intend to have a very good night indeed.”
“Well, how’s Roger going to get home?” I ask.
Curiosity gets the better of me, because I feel as if he's left his driver stranded.
“Oh, he’ll figure it out. As for you my dear, just worry about tonight.”
His statement sends a shiver down my spine and ends with us walking through the lobby with our eyes locked. My smile is only for him. He’s a take charge kind of man, and it turns me on. I’ve never been with any man before, but even in the past with boyfriends back in school, no one ever took charge the way Nicholas does. It makes my heart stammer uncontrollably, and I press my hand to my chest to feel the thump there.
He squeezes my hand, and his arm flexes with muscles.
Such a turn on.
Best of all Mr. Pope is not married, he’s desperate to know why I haven’t got a boyfriend, and he’s all mine tonight.
Even if it’s all fake as hell.
9
Nicholas
As soon as we arrive, all eyes are on us. Before I got out of the limo, I took off my tie and jacket, but I know for a fact that they’re not looking at me as we head up to the terrace where the party’s being held. They’re looking at her. My knockout date. The one that doesn’t have a boyfriend. The one that’s a mystery that I’ve been trying to figure out all night.
I nod as I see a few familiar faces. People that were in our social circle. The circle that I was a part of when I was seeing Roberta. That woman was so fucking demanding. At first, I thought it was cute. She was the kind of woman who wanted attention, but after going to one too many events with her, I started to find it annoying. That was over a year ago, yet it’s obvious she hasn’t let go, because she still calls, still insists on me visiting her, but I have no intention of falling for her demands– especially with this hot woman by my side.
It’s as if the alarm bells ring the moment I start to head towards the bar. Keisha’s on radio silence. It’s clear that she’s not used to so much attention. She’s too damn cute, nice, and everything that I’ve never officially had in my life. It’s almost unsettling in a way. That the type of woman I’m accustomed to has always been of a certain way. A snobby way. It makes me almost feel mad at myself. Like why would I choose the women I have? Women like Roberta for instance. And then before I can even think anymore about it– she appears.
“Roberta,” I bark the moment she slides to my side.
She’s so fucking close she can easily be a second skin. I move away from her. “Meet Keisha.”
I was just about to say, my fiancee, but I’ll make that announcement if Roberta gets on my nerves one too many times. No need to stir up any extra drama.
“Oh,” she says surprised, as if she never saw that Keisha was by my side. Roberta is wearing a red leather dress that pushes her fake boobs practically up to her chin. I’m trying to remind myself what I found so appealing about her because looking at her right now, I can’t find anything at all.
“Hi.” She cuts her eyes to Keisha, taking in her good looks and naturally curvy body. I’m sure she’s not happy. Roberta’s always been insecure and has paid big bucks for her man made lips, tits and ass.
“Nice to meet you. This is a great party.” Keisha smiles at her. “Thanks for having us.”
Roberta blatantly ignores her as she starts to trace her finger on my shoulder. “I’m so glad you came, Nick. I was worried you weren’t going to turn up. The party started two hours ago.”
Hell yeah we’re two hours late, because who the fuck has a party that starts at six in New York? Apart from kids? Even eight’s a bit early, but I don’t want to cause a scene, especially because I’m trying to stand up straight against the force of Roberta leaning against me. Has she put on weight? Or is it all the silicone? Because even her face looks a bit blotchy.
“Oh, we lost track of time,” Keisha says as she purrs on the other side of me. “Nicholas was treating me like Cinderella, and he wanted to make sure that I wore something fabulous for tonight.”
Keisha is holding onto my arm but unlike Roberta’s touch– I don’t mind; and I love that she’s a good little actress basically putting Roberta right in her place and selling a convincing story that we’re telling. A story that we’re a couple in love. Shit, I almost believe it.
In the store, she was acting all innocent. Now, she’s acting super confident like Sharon Stone out of Basic Instinct. I’m almost expecting her to spread her legs wide open so we can all take a look at what’s in between her legs. Or maybe that’s wishful thinking on my part.
Fuck.
Roberta looks her up and down as if she’s throwing daggers at her, and her lip purses into a thin line.
“Or maybe,” Keisha whispers loud enough for Roberta to hear. “We can just get out of here now, and you can see the new lingerie that you bought for me too.”
My dick feels like a heavy brick inside of my pants. I know she didn’t mean to do it, but I’m so turned on. Roberta abruptly moves away as if she was just smacked in the face, and all I seem to care about is if Keisha actually meant what he just said or said it only to fuck with Roberta’s head.
I almost want to grab a bucket of popcorn and watch the show.
“I have guests to attend to,” Roberta says tersely. “Anyway, you just got here, and there are some of your friends who are dying to say hi.”
Then she struts away from us, her hips looking as if she’s moving them from left-to-right, but even her butt looks big too. I don’t remember her having that shape at all. Her waist is too thin and she looks like she’s competing in a Jessica Rabbit look-a-like contest.
I shake my head about being with her in the past, and I move closer toward Keisha. A one hundred percent real woman. With curves that are soft and real and begging to be touched.
I spin her to face me, close enough to grab her full attention, but a bit too close making the temptation to kiss her even stronger. Fuck, she’s pretty. I study her face for a moment, and realize this girl is truly something else.
“Keisha, you’re full of surprises.”
“I just didn’t like the way that she was coming onto you with me standing here. It’s just rude. I wasn’t fully on board with us pretending like this, but now I understand why you wanted me to do it. She would have been all over you all night.”
I don’t need Keisha to fight my battles, but it’s nice for her to think that she’s here to do it. It’s nice that someone has my back. I could have brought anyone else with me tonight but I chose her; that’s the part she fails to realize. While the ultimate goal was to get rid of Roberta, my true motivation was to spend the evening with Keisha.
I laugh a deep hearty laugh. “That was just a sample of the way that she behaves. Believe me she is much worse the more you get to know her.”
“God, I hate to think about what’s she’s like when she gets in a ra
ge. If she could have kickboxed me away from you, I have a feeling she would have done it.”
I nod, smiling along with her words. “I’m surprised she didn’t. She must be getting old.”
“If she had tried to kick my butt, would you have stopped her?”
I pause as I think about Roberta fighting Keisha and what I would have done. The same thing that all the other guys here would have done…watched.
“Nah.”
I let go of her and face the bar, ready to order.
She hits me and says, “Well, next time you need a favor then don’t expect me to do to it.”
I wink at her and say, “I won’t.”
* * *
Keisha’s had a couple of cocktails, and she’s dancing with one too many men. I’m not jealous, but I can see that they’re trying to take advantage of her because I’m being distracted. Roberta hasn’t given up. In fact she’s working hard to keep Keisha out of my arms.
She’s sending nearly all of my so-called friends to come and talk shop with me, and I think it’s left Keisha bored, meaning that she’s decided to make her own entertainment on the dance floor.
Damn, can she move.
I watch as she expertly holds her glass in one hand and seductively moves her hips. One minute I think that she's trying to get attention, but then I decide that she just loves music. It’s clear by the fact that she seems to know the lyrics to the songs as she sings along every time she dances.
She closes her eyes, swaying to the rhythm of the music and my dick hardens; but then Steve puts his hands on her and I step closer. This is not going to happen on my watch. Especially not with the woman I brought to the party.
Fuck that.
I touch Keisha’s arm, her eyes shoot open. “Keisha, let’s go.”
“Oh no, why? I was just dancing with…”
“Steve, who’s trying to touch your ass every minute he gets. Now, let’s go.” I hate how possessive I’m being but she doesn’t know this jackass like I do. She doesn’t understand the way he is to women. Especially drunk women.