Caught in the Dark

by Ann Jensen

  He moved slightly, his eyes catching hers and his breath warm against her lips. “No other reason?”

  She wanted to break her own rules and lean forward and kiss him but restrained herself, barely. “No.” Her answer was more a whimper than words.

  Deft fingers plucked her glasses off her face without even a brush against her skin. Then he took the pad and pencil out of her shaking hands and tossed them on the couch. When he stepped back, she swayed slightly, missing the warmth of his body. Tek sat back down on the couch, looking like a king on his throne.

  “I need my secretary to be able to take direction, have a good memory, and know what pleases me. Do you think you handle that, Ms. Cami?”

  “I’ll try, Sir.”

  His small smile sent goosebumps up her arms. “Take off the jacket.”

  “Is that appropriate, Sir?” Cami blushed hoping he would play along with her and not get annoyed that a stripper was balking at getting undressed.

  He clicked his tongue as if in disappointment. “Already questioning direction.” He shook his head. “You look hot. I want you to be comfortable.”

  “Sorry, Sir.”

  Her fingers trembled as they slowly undid the three buttons. Her excitement grew as she realized he would play her game. The emerald green bra she wore was sheer, and she loved the contrast against her pale skin. Nervous he might not like it as much as she did, she clutched the jacket in front of her after giving him a peek at what was underneath.

  “Fold the jacket and place it nicely on the chair.”

  Needing to please him and feeling the music pulsing through the room she swayed her hips slowly as she followed his instructions. The hunger that filled his eyes made her feel powerful. It took a lot of work to keep her curvy body from slipping into overly lush given her sedentary lifestyle. By the standards of the shallow, she was considered overweight. They could jump off a cliff for all she cared, she wouldn’t starve herself. The heat in his eyes said clearly, he wasn’t one of those shallow men.

  “Turn around, run your hands down your sides, then slip off your skirt and let me admire your beautiful ass.”

  “Sir?” She tried for outrage but her desire filled her voice.

  “You must not have a good memory if three instructions are too complicated.” He leaned forward with a smile. “I thought you wanted this job, but obviously pleasing me is not your first priority. I guess I’ll have to find someone else.”

  “No, Mr. Tek I need this job!” Her nipples tightened at how wonderfully he was feeding her fantasy.

  He raised an eyebrow and leaned back. “Prove it.”

  She turned, his tone of command spoke to a need inside her she had never known existed. With only words he had her more worked up than she had ever been before. Maybe that was what she needed, a dominant partner. Her one boyfriend had been so passive they had never even kissed unless she initiated it. Nothing like this sexy, rough biker.

  She ran her hands down her sides and shivered as she imagined they were his hands. She unzipped the material and let it drop to the ground. She bent and made the movement as sexy as she could. Her long hair fell out of the tight bun she had put it up in and her purple hair swept down against her legs. She knew her ass was perfectly on display to him sitting there, the matching emerald thong barely even covering her pussy.

  “Like this, Sir?”

  “Very good. Are you wet for me, naughty girl?”

  “I’m sorry, Sir.” Angela’s voice was husky with arousal.

  “That makes me very happy.” The deep timber of his voice filled the space. “Turn around and display your breasts.”

  Angela didn’t usually do topless but she had already pushed him and didn’t want to disappoint him again. She stood up and turned. Shyly she scooped her breasts out of the cups of her bra, leaving them supported but on display to his hungry gaze.

  “Play with your nipples.” His gaze got sleepy. “I hate your rules right now, I want to be sucking on those pretty tits listening to you moan as I nibble and lick each one until you are so wet your honey is dripping down your thighs.”

  Angela moaned. She pinched lightly at first, then moaned as she twisted each nipple in turn. It wasn’t hard to imagine his grip, and she tightened more, knowing he wouldn’t be gentle with her. Lightning shot straight to her clit and her inner walls trembled as if on the verge of orgasm.

  “Take your panties off and give them to me.”

  Glad she had put the underwear on over her garter belt, she slipped them down quickly. Air hit Angela’s wet pussy, and she wondered if he liked the fact she had gotten a full wax a few days ago. The silken material landed in his hand and she held her breath, waiting for his next command.

  “Come closer, I want to see my secretary’s pretty pussy up close.”

  Tek’s dirty talk excited and embarrassed her. She had never had a man gaze at her most private part so closely before. The thought that he wanted to, made her excitement ratchet up even further. She stepped and positioned herself between his legs. They were technically touching, but she didn’t care anymore.

  “You smell like heaven. I can almost taste you on my tongue. Lie down on the couch and spread for me. I want to watch you make yourself come.”

  She lay down beside him on the couch, heat burning her cheeks, and propped one leg up behind his head, putting herself on full display. With one hand she spread her pussy lips, while she used the fingers of the other to slowly circle her clit.

  “Fuck. Your clit is so hard I can see it begging for attention. Pinch it for me, sweetheart. Know that I want to be tongue deep inside you eating up your sweet honey. Damn, I can see it dripping down your ass.”

  Light flickered behind her eyelids and she moaned loudly as she followed his directions.

  She felt so empty inside and had to slip fingers inside her opening to relieve just a little of the ache.

  “Look at me while you fuck yourself. I want you imagining how much better it would be if it was my cock filling and stretching your tight little cunt.”

  She locked eyes with his gray gaze and was lost. She wanted it to be his cock filling her. So much for not finding a man she wanted at a strip club. She wanted him to consume her. Shut down every whirling thought in her mind and replace it with pleasure. She was about to tell him that when her orgasm blindsided her.

  “Tek!”

  Tek watched Cami thrash as her orgasm overtook her. The purple of her hair, a beautiful contrast against the cream of her skin and the black leather of the couch. His cock ached to slam into the pink folds which were so tempting and close. He knew if he pushed her, she wouldn’t stop him, but some instinct warned if he acted on the impulse, he would never get to spend time with her again.

  He wanted hours with her, and he didn’t want it to be in the back room at a strip club with a timer counting down the minutes. Decaf had popped his head in a minute or two earlier, probably intending to say his time was up. When he had taken in the scene, he had wisely ducked back outside, saying nothing. Tek didn’t think Cami had even noticed.

  He needed to get her back in clothes or there was no way his self-restraint was going to last. “That was gorgeous, and I would love to see it again, but our time is up.”

  Cami looked around, confused, then seemed to pull herself together. He couldn’t hold in the laugh as she almost kicked him in the head in her haste to sit up.

  “Sorry! So, s-sorry” She grabbed at her jacket, buttoning it up crooked in her haste to cover up.

  Where had the sleek coordinated seductress gone? Tek found he liked this awkward, shy version of her almost as much. The tiny stutter, which gave away her nerves, was adorable. When she started to put her skirt on inside out, he decided she needed some guidance.

  “Cami, eyes on me.” He made sure his voice was low and commanding.

  Within moments her body relaxed, and he wanted to growl in pleasure. Tek had thought he had noticed submissive signals from her but had thought it part of her act. T
ek required control in almost every aspect of his life, but he especially liked it in the bedroom. This woman was becoming more and more appealing to him.

  “Slowly and sexily redress yourself.”

  A playful smile flashed over her face and she became the graceful temptress from earlier. She redressed everything perfectly, but when she reached for her panties, he smiled and pocketed them.

  “Much better,” Tek said, then decided to push his luck. “I would like to see you again.”

  Her cool mask faltered, and she looked lost again. “I dance again on Th-Thursday night.”

  He was disappointed she didn’t seem ready to see him except in a professional capacity and doubted any offer he might make would be welcome at this point. He hadn’t made it as far as he had in life by giving up on things he wanted.

  “I guess I’ll just have to wait till then.” They would be two long days.

  She was a wonderful, sexy mystery he wanted to unravel but for right now he would step back. He would come Thursday, but if she didn’t pick his name off the list for her private time, this little chameleon would find out just how persuasive he could be in getting his way.

  Chapter 5

  I’m not antisocial. I’m just not user friendly.

  Angela stood in front of her mirror on the verge of tears. Her two wigs taunted her with an impossible decision. Blonde and people would think she was fun and vibrant. Black and she would be the mysterious new girl. Thank God, Joshua had picked out her clothes. The Versace suit along with the chunky silver necklace and leather belt were perfect for either choice. The pantsuit screamed elegant professional and might help distract people from her nerves. She had braided and pinned her purple hair close to her head but was paralyzed in deciding between the blonde or black hair.

  New things sucked. Options had to be evaluated, or how could she be sure she made the right choice. Visualizing all possible outcomes was part of her process. Why had she agreed to work again? Her last internship had ended when her boss had suggested she fill out disability paperwork so they could accommodate her special needs. Mortifying!

  He thought she was autistic. She wasn’t. Several psychologists who administered batteries of tests agreed. Severe social anxiety was the preferred diagnosis. Panic attacks and non-standard reaction to stress made people uncomfortable around her. The stuttering and quoting of relevant facts when nervous didn’t help.

  When she refused medication, her last psychiatrist had suggested playacting as a coping mechanism. Pretend to be someone else until she knew how to feel about a situation. Then when ready she could be herself again. So far it worked. Though she doubted he had intended for her to become a stripper to find her sexual identity.

  “Your chariot awaits, beautiful.” Joshua’s sing-song voice came from her living room.

  Angela jumped. Panicked, she looked at her bedside clock. She had lost almost an hour debating over her hair choice. There was no time for breakfast. She dropped her head in defeat. The idea of working for Vallier Technologies was exciting. The research into facial recognition software exhilarating. The ideas she had come up with on how to create a search algorithm that would start working on probable data sources first to reduce the time needed to go through video feeds for kidnap victims could be groundbreaking.

  Why would they want someone as indecisive as her working for such a wonderful company? Now that she didn’t have time to eat, she might pass out. If she did that, her coworkers would lose confidence in her ability to function. Without social support within the office, she would again have to work alone. If she worked alone, she would overwork to compensate. Without free time, she would lose her only friend because she wouldn’t have time to—

  “Oh no, you have that look.” Joshua cut off the spiral of her thoughts as he stepped into the room.

  Angela held out the wigs with a wordless plea. He looked each over, shaking his head.

  “I don’t know why you don’t just stick with the purple. I promise no one would care.”

  “It’s not professional and you never get a second chance to make a first impression.” Her father had taught her that, and it was one of life’s great truths. It took a long time to fix a bad first impression, and by then it was usually too late.

  “Black dear. You don’t have a tan and the blonde will wash you out.”

  Angela kissed him on the cheek and took five minutes to be sure it was pinned tight to her head and looked natural.

  “Ready?” Joshua handed her a banana nut muffin, proving to her once again why he was the best friend in the world.

  The Vallier office complex was so beautiful. Four stories of glass and chrome in the middle of a gorgeous landscape. How did any of the employees resist the urge to sit outside all day and take in the mountain view? The security at the location was impressive, with friendly guards at the front gate and sitting inside the principal building.

  Joshua led her inside the pristine white building and helped her get her temporary security badge. Anxiety was an all too familiar feeling building in the back of her mind as he walked her among the low cubicles which housed people already hard at work.

  “Relax, honeybunch. I can hear your teeth grinding.” Joshua rubbed her shoulder in what was probably supposed to be a comforting gesture.

  “This was a mistake. I’m going to just e-mail research and development with my ideas and offer to work as a consultant from home.” Angela stopped walking and turned to leave. Being an intern was silly. She had done it three times before, and she never lasted more than a few months. The need to please supervisors and meet new people was overwhelming.

  “Angela.” Joshua quickly stepped in front of her and blocked her retreat. “You can’t keep hiding from the world.”

  “I’m not hiding. I’m being strategic with my productivity. Socializing can take between twenty to fifty percent of the average worker’s day. Add onto that the commute time and two to five hours of my day, which could be spent on designing and optimizing programs, is wasted.”

  “And you end up a friendless, shut-in, virgin without even pets to keep you company.”

  “I have friends.”

  “Other than me, name one person you talk to on a regular basis who knows your real name.” Joshua’s raised eyebrow was like an accusation.

  So maybe he was right. Strippers and hackers didn’t exactly make for close companions when you were hiding your identity from them. Angela dropped her head, letting the straight black hair of her wig cover her face. The probability that this internship would end in social embarrassment was pretty high, but if she didn’t try, nothing would ever change.

  “Honey, if you can take your clothes off to find your sexual self, you can sit in an office and find your social self.”

  She wanted to be normal. Or at least her own version of that word. She wanted to find people who would accept her and all her quirks without pity or condescension. The only way to do that was to put herself out there like she was doing at Darklights.

  “Fine. I calculate only a 22% chance of this ending in anything but disaster. But fine.” She took a deep breath. “I will try.”

  “Good, because here comes your new supervisor.” Joshua raised his voice a bit. “Rick, this is your new intern, Angela.”

  Angela looked up, her pulse racing. The man walking towards them could have stepped out of the pages of middle-management monthly. Dark brown hair gelled into the latest style, his white button-down shirt looked freshly starched, and his red satin tie was perfectly centered. He looked so unlike a programmer she had to do a quick re-evaluation. Rick reminded her more of a slick salesman than someone who led a department that focused on digital security.

  Hopefully, something was going wrong in his day because if an expression of annoyance was his default state, she didn’t have much hope for a fun, open, working environment. She straightened her shoulders and offered her hand to him.

  “I’m looking forward to working on your team.”

  Rick
shook her hand and gave her a once over that reminded her a little too much of the hungry glares men often gave her on stage. “Aren’t you a little old to still be in college?”

  Angela wanted to kick the smug man right where it counted to remind him of his manners. Stats of average college age graduation as well as the thousands of reasons one might want to start as an intern even when not a student flooded her thoughts. Twenty-six was not old considering she earned her first degree at sixteen. She was going to lay into him, but Joshua stole her thunder.

  “Actually, Angela has two doctorates and just defended a third.”

  She was currently under review for two more doctorates at Cambridge and the University of Colorado. It wasn’t worth interjecting the information since those would be honorary based on the research she had done for the universities instead of time spent in classes. Research was relaxing and had given her something to fill her time while coming to terms with her father’s death. The classes to earn the first two had been boring, but her father had insisted she wouldn’t be taken seriously without them.

  “Well, I guess the job market is slim for some people. Good for you, working with what you can get. I’ll show you your workspace.” Luckily, Rick turned and sauntered away, or he would have seen the furious expression on his newest employee’s face.

  “Be good, girlfriend. Brawling on the first day is discouraged.” Joshua’s playful grin as he whispered soothed her nerves a bit.

  “I was thinking a Hello Kittie porn virus to his personal email, but I will hold off for now.” She rubbed her sweaty palms on her hips. “I’ll see you, Joshua.”

  Angela followed as far behind her new boss as she reasonably could, biting her tongue the whole way.

  Chapter 6

  Surprises are only fun with presents and parties.