by Magan Vernon
My cheeks felt incredibly hot as I nodded, keeping my head down as I walked back to Aubrey and the podium.
Most of the old men pulled out a pair of reading glasses from their pockets, looking over the documents, but Aubrey was quick to get their attention back to her.
“My intern went to over two-hundred homes in the area, finding that most were young families with kids and dogs. All who would be interested in having an area of green space.”
“And what do you get out of this, Mrs. Bateman? What interest does the shelter have?” Another old man asked, barely looking up from the paper, but waving one of his wrinkled hands.
She nodded, ever the poised professional, she didn’t even flinch. “Mr. Waldorf, the animal shelter and the rescues in the area have had to walk over a mile just to give our animals a bit of green space. A dog park within a block of the shelter would give an opportunity for residents to see available dogs and get more space to interact with them than we can provide in our 12 by 12 fenced enclosure. This would help get more dogs off the streets with our shelter less full and a cleaner overall area with a designated spot for dogs and complimentary clean up baggies.”
“But who is going to fund this?” Another man piped up.
I flipped over the pad, revealing the next sheet of numbers I’d printed out for Aubrey. She mouthed thank you before turning back to the desk and I grabbed the copies, ready to hand them out.
“We’ve prepared a spreadsheet with a breakdown of costs to get the project started and how much it will be to maintain by the city.”
That was my cue.
I shuffled the sheets then approached the desk, handing one to each man as Aubrey explained each point. But I lingered a little longer than necessary at the last spot. A soft graze of Adrian’s thumb over my knuckles sending a warm shiver down my chest.
He didn’t say anything this time, but he didn’t need to, that damn smile said it all and I had to calculate each step so I wouldn’t face plant as I walked back to the podium.
Mr. Waldorf raised his hand. “Okay, Mrs. Bateman, I think we’ve seen what we needed, are we ready for a vote?”
He looked around the desk where all the men nodded in return.
“All in favor of using lot 42 as a park, say ‘aye’.” Four sets of hands raised up.
None of them Adrian.
All the color and warmth I once had now turned into a cold chill raking my body.
“All those opposed?”
Adrian’s hand was the first one to shoot up and this time I couldn’t even glance at that smile.
It wasn’t one aimed at me.
It was smug.
It was because he was about to win and he knew it.
“4-4 tie. We will table this discussion for our next meeting. Mrs. Bateman, Miss Knopp, will you be able to make our council meeting next month?”
Aubrey nodded slowly, the only trepidation a slight shake in her left hand. “Yes, sir, we’ll be there.”
“Good. I look forward to hearing from you then. Next.”
He banged the gavel and Aubrey and I shuffled to our seats as another person approached the podium.
“What the hell just happened?” I hiss-whispered.
“I guess we were wrong about Adrian Chase,” she gritted.
“You’re damn right we were.”
If looks could kill, I swore I could have burned a hole through that man’s forehead.
Still with that damn smug smile as he listened to each person give their argument.
They didn’t know how much of a prick he really was.
And it was time to show him that he might have swindled some other people, but this time, he wasn’t going to get to me.
No matter what.
Chapter 8
“I’m going to take an early lunch before heading back to the office. It might be a late night tonight,” Aubrey said solemnly as we exited the board room.
I half listened, but my mind was elsewhere.
Then I spotted exactly who I was looking for, standing by the door with a few other council members.
“Yeah, I’ll see you back at the office.”
I didn’t want for her response as I turned quickly, approaching the circle of laughing men.
“Mr. Chase, a word?” I interrupted.
Silence drifted in the circle as three sets of eyes locked on me, the only one I cared about, displaying that smarmy smirk.
“Of course, Miss Knopp, step into my office.”
He reached for the door handle behind him, turning it so a burst of cool air drifted into the hallway.
I froze, not wanting to be alone with him, but maybe this was what I needed. To let it all out.
“Thank you, sir.”
I nodded, politely to the other men before crossing the threshold.
The door swung shut behind us as I took stock of the room.
It wasn’t much bigger than a walk-in-closet with frosted glass windows taking up one wall, the other two lined with bookshelves. A large oak desk was framed by two leather chairs, ‘Councilman Chase’ proudly proclaimed on a bronze nameplate secured to the front.
“I wasn’t expecting you to come in here so quick, actually, I thought I’d hear from you earlier when I left my number on the card. You like the flowers?” Each word went to the same beat as my heavily thumping heart.
Clenching my hands into fists at my side, I whirled toward him, mustering up all the courage bubbling in my chest. “What the hell was that in there?”
He took a step closer, his hands in his pockets, biceps tightened. His long, lean body so close that I could inhale his woodsy cologne. “That was a council meeting. First one?”
I took a step back, my hip bumping against the desk as I tried to control the contrasting feelings of my fuzzy brain and heavily thumping heart. “You know what I mean.”
He nodded. “Ah, the vote. Well, like I told you the other night, you have some good arguments, but it’s a smarter business decision to make the lot into a strip mall.”
“You’re such a prick,” I spat, my jaw clenching as I shook my head.
“And you’re so fucking sexy when you argue,” he growled.
Closing the space between us, he cupped my cheeks in his rough hands, his mouth crushing against mine.
All of the air whooshed out of my lungs and slammed back in.
I wasn’t supposed to like this.
I wasn’t supposed to think how soft his lips felt compared to the roughness of his hands as his fingers threaded through my hair, pulling me closer.
When his tongue pushed against my mouth, reason left my body and into a gasp.
He tasted like peppermint and bad decisions; one this would definitely be.
I fought against my own pulsing heart, curling my fists between us as I pushed back, forcing his lips from mine.
“What was that?” I spat, trying to keep my gaze from his bruised lips. The ones that just deliciously assaulted my mouth.
Shifting my weight, I tried to dart to the side but his hand seized my wrist, pulling me against his hard chest.
“We can’t do this,” I whispered into his parted lips.
“Can’t do what exactly?” He murmured as his breath trailed down the sensitive skin of my neck.
“We’re basically enemies. We can’t be kissing...or other things.” My words faltered as his hand traveled from my wrist, tiptoeing to my waist.
“Are you talking about sleeping with the enemy?” His teeth nipped at my neck and I couldn’t hold back a gasp, my legs buckling beneath me.
His strong hands steadied against my sides, lifting me onto the desk.
This was like every damn fantasy I didn’t know I had, my heart beating heavily as the rational part of me tried to rack my brain for a reason to say no.
“Does this mean you’re going to vote ‘yes’ at the next meeting?” I managed to croak.
His smile spread across my neck before he slowly slid his hands to my knees, pushing them apart.
“I’m not saying anything, Miss Knopp.”
Before I could argue another point his hand slipped up my thigh, all reason leaving my brain as his knuckles brushed against the silk of my panties.
“Your arguments, God, I wanted it to be you and that smart mouth of yours telling me off today,” he murmured, but I couldn’t focus on anything else but the buildup between my legs as he slipped his fingers inside me.
“I can keep arguing,” I breathed, gripping onto his shoulders, my body already building to the brink.
“Tell me why I shouldn’t fuck you on my desk right now? Why I shouldn’t give this greedy little pussy more of what its begging for against my fingers?”
Desire pooled deep in my belly as the brashness of his words hit me.
“I think it’s something else that’s begging,” I gasped, bringing my hands down to his cock, desperately pulsing against his dress pants.
He moaned, pressing his hardness against my palm.
“Do you know how fucking sexy it is when you argue? Fuck, Melanie.”
“I can keep this up. All. Day.” Massaging my fingers along his bulge elicited another long groan, his Adams apple bobbing as he tilted his head back.
This was a terrible idea and deep down I knew that, but as his fingers found my pressure spot, all reason left me in the moan I muffled into his shoulder.
“Fuck, did you just come on my fingers?”
I didn’t respond, the euphoric high of my orgasm now bringing me back down to reality.
Looking up to meet his hooded stare, he didn’t let me back away. Do anything put get wrapped up in his arms as he pressed his mouth to mine again.
His kisses desperate as our tongues tangled together.
This time I didn’t try to stop him when he pushed my skirt up, our mouths still fused together while his pants slipped off.
The only break in our fever was when he pulled out a foil packet, sliding the rubber over his length.
It was a silent agreement between us as our eyes met and he filled me completely, my legs wrapping around him as our heavied breaths met in the limited space between us.
Each meeting of his hips to mine had a bundle of pleasure traveling straight to my core.
The rational part of me knew this was a bad idea, but that part of me wasn’t thinking. And when another orgasm sailed me over the edge, crashing into him, all reason left.
This could have been the biggest mistake I made in my career.
Or maybe the best.
Once we’d both come down from our euphoric high, still pressed together with his head in my neck, I tried to think of what to say.
Where we went from here.
My phone buzzing from my purse quickly brought me back to reality as I pulled my panties back on. Then I grabbed the device from where it fell on the floor.
Aubrey’s name flashed across the screen and the once cloud I was floating on now came crashing down like a thunderstorm.
“I have to go,” I muttered, pulling down my skirt and fixing my hair, making sure I kept my back to Adrian.
“You don’t have to. We still haven’t finished that argument and I’m ready to go as long as we have to.”
A text appeared on my screen.
Aubrey: Hey, I’m running late to get back to the office. I think I’m going to work from home the rest of the day and we can meet to discuss the next meeting tomorrow if that’s okay?
“Well is it?” Adrian’s breath was hot on my ear.
The right thing to do was probably go home and plan for the meeting. But with Adrian pressed against my back, I dropped my phone, along with all my reason.
If this was going to never happen again, well, I could at least make the most of it.
Part II
Adrian
Chapter 8
My hands slipped between the silken sheets, wishing the pads of my thumbs were grazing something else. Or more like someone else.
After the longest dry spell of my life, I finally had Melanie Knopp not once, but twice, on my desk.
Ever since I first saw the brunette barista at the Starbucks across the street from my condo, I wanted to get to know her.
But she didn’t give me a second look, just went onto the next customer.
When she literally ran into me at city hall, I knew it was my chance.
But that sass wasn’t going to come easy.
Enemies?
Hell, no, we weren’t that, but we did have a different view on how Lot 42 should be used. And if every time we argued about it, the closer her lips got to mine, I’d take it.
My cock pressed against the seam of my boxers just thinking about the way she clenched her thighs around my waist. How if Councilman Stark didn’t knock on my door asking for some asinine thing, I would have demanded she come home with me.
The rising sun cast over the empty side of my California King.
I’d been alone in this bed every night since I bought the sprawling two-thousand-square foot place, overlooking the pier.
But I never thought of it as empty.
Until now.
Fumbling for my phone on the dresser, I grabbed the device, wishing the messages on my screen weren’t news briefs.
Should I have told Melanie I needed her number before she left my office? Said it was for business purposes?
She had my business card but still hadn’t used it.
My jaw ticked, knowing she wouldn’t. Knowing that she probably didn’t wake up this morning like I did with morning wood and the smell of her citrus perfume still on my neck.
Scrolling through my contacts, I found the number I called a few days ago.
Maybe this would get her attention.
***
After a shave and a shower, I put on a dark blue suit before heading into my office at city hall.
Normally I didn’t spend much time there unless we were getting ready for a council meeting, but I was hoping a certain brunette got my message.
What felt like the longest morning of my life, finally had a little bit of excitement when a knock came at my door.
My heart skipped but I tamped it down, clearing my throat and keeping my head down.
What the fuck? Why was I acting like a teenage girl with a crush?
Get it together, Chase.
“Come in.”
The door squeaked open, shutting just as loud again before a pair of red Chuck Taylors padded on the ground.
My gaze trailed up those long legs that were once wrapped around me and up to Melanie’s puckered lips.
Damn her for wearing jeans and some sort of button-down shirt and not that little skirt I hiked up her to waist the night before.
“You’ve got some nerve,” she grumbled, hands on her hips.
“Take it you got my flowers? I was going to go with three dozen again but figured your seven orgasms deserved seven dozen roses.” I leaned back, crossing my arms over my chest.
Her cheeks tinged red and if my cock wasn’t already aching for her, now it was begging.
“Look, what happened last night was a mistake. And it can’t happen again.”
I raised an eyebrow, my heart thudding down to my chest at her challenge. “So, you don’t want me to bend you over this desk? Would you prefer I take a long lunch and we head to my condo?”
She balled her hands into fists, throwing them down to her side. “Adrian. My internship is dependent on this park proposal and if you’re going to continue to vote against it, then we have nothing to talk about.”
I stood up slowly, watching her neck bob as my full height loomed over her. “Who said anything about talking?”
With a few quick strides, I was around my desk, cupping her face as I brought those luscious lips to mine.
She sighed into my mouth, her arms still at her side, but her body melted into mine. She fit so perfectly against me. Like it was exactly where she belonged.
I trailed my kiss from her lips, to her neck, inhaling the mixture of her lemony perfume
and whatever heaven her shampoo was.
Those silky strands of her brown hair fell over her shoulders, gliding through my fingers as I pushed it aside to get a better feel for her sumptuous skin.
“Adrian,” she breathed my name like a prayer.
Running my tongue along the pulse in her neck, my cock twitched at the sound of her gasp.
“We...I...” Her words stunted as I trailed kisses down her skin.
“I couldn’t sleep last night,” she blurted breathlessly.
“Neither could I,” I whispered, trailing my lips back to her ear.
She stiffened. “I was up doing some more research. If you really want whatever this is to happen, you’re going to have to look over this park proposal.”
I snapped my head up, her eyes wide as she held up a set of stapled documents. When did she get those out?
“Can we discuss this after?” I breathed, tiptoeing my fingers down the buttons of her shirt.
Before she could answer, another knock came at my door.
She jumped back as if I was on fire, a smirk crossing her lips once her gaze traveled down the length of my suit. Guess she saw that she wasn’t the only thing jumping.
I groaned, adjusting my cock. “Whoever it is, I can get to them later. We have business to take care of.”
She put a hand out, waving her palm out toward me. “Nuh uh. Nothing further is happening until you actually read over what I researched.”
She sauntered toward my desk, setting the documents next to my computer monitor.
“My cell number is hidden in the pages, so I know you’ve read it before you call me to discuss.”
I threw my head back, letting out a deep breath. “Are you punishing me on purpose.”
She leaned forward, ever so slightly brushing her lips against my jaw. “It’s just politics, Mr. Chase.”
Before I could grab that perfect ass of hers and pull her back to me, she was already at the door, opening it to reveal two of the older council members.
Their eyes widened like Easter eggs behind their thick frames as they eyed Melanie.
I stepped forward, one hand on her lower back the other gripped tightly into a fist at my side. “Councilman Clark, Councilman Stark, I was just discussing the Lot 42 proposal with Mrs. Knopp, can we help you with something?”
