“Just minor scrapes. You might want to put some ointment on them and wrap them for a day or two, but other than that you seem relatively healthy.”
I had to admit to myself I was quite surprised by Miss Anabelle MacIntyre. Even with her knuckles red from having punched a man in the nose, she had a cheerful smile on her face. I didn’t know what I would have done in her position, but it certainly took plenty of chutzpah to slug a man cold right in the middle of an office party. Most people I knew would just turn their heads the other way and ignore the intern’s situation.
I found myself mesmerized by her smile as I wrapped up her hand in a little bit of gauze. Honestly, band aids would probably be fine, but I wanted to stretch out the time between us. Something about her made it easier. For a few minutes at least, I was able to forget about my father and the coiling in my gut.
If only it could last.
2
Anabelle
I stood in stunned silence at the situation I had landed myself in. I was sure that if I told folks on the internet about it, they would reply with ‘#thathappened’ but it was absolutely true. I never thought that my defending that poor intern would end up with me in a bathroom while my obscenely handsome boss was tending to my hand, looking at me so curiously that I felt like some sort of intriguing and powerful puzzle. It was both flattering and unsettling, the way his piercing gaze drank in every inch of me -and there were plenty of inches to drink. I couldn’t explain the feeling it made coil in my chest, but he almost looked at me like I had hung the sun in the sky. Like some sort of ancient deity that he couldn’t believe was in front of him.
Whoooo, that adrenaline was something else. Certainly, it was making me see things that weren’t there. Because there was no way the mega hot, extremely smart and successful owner of the company was checking me out. I just wasn’t that type.
Despite the smile that crossed my face, I suddenly felt extremely self-conscious. I had just broken up with my now ex-boyfriend. We had dated for a month and things were fairly casual, but he’d been pressing for our relationship to go further and further. I hadn’t felt ready to have sex for the first time yet and I thought my ex understood that. He said he did, even if he thought it was weird that I was twenty-two and still a virgin. He said that he would wait till I was ready, that he loved me, and I was worth it, but not even two days later I walked in on him cheating on me.
So, of course I broke up with him on the spot and left his ass behind. I knew my worth. I deserved better than him. But that didn’t stop the nagging thought in the back of my head that there might be something wrong with me.
I mean how often did one actually hear of a 22-year-old virgin woman?
It wasn’t that I was a bridge troll. It was just that I went to a very small high school where I was the ugly, fat girl who no one was interested. Once college hit, and I should have blossomed, my mother was diagnosed with cancer and everything quickly sunk into its own hell. I took extra credits so I could get a good paying job as soon as possible so I could support her, and take good care of her. But she’d passed four months before I graduated.
That had been a year ago, and I’d only started dating my ex because I finally thought I was maybe ready for romance. And while the hugging and cuddling and kissing was nice, I’d quickly found that I wasn’t healed enough to go beyond that. At least… not with him.
My hand shifted gently, pulling me from my thoughts. I was surprised with how gentle Michael was with me as he rubbed the ointment onto my knuckles and wrapped them with a roll of gauze that was in the first aid kit.
“Why did you bring the med kit?” I asked as he worked.
Michael looked up at me with a spark in his eyes, “I didn’t bring it. I just asked the staff to make sure this bathroom always has a few.”
“Alright then, why did you make sure the staff makes sure there’s a few in here?”
“Little things always happen at these shindigs. I’ve found it helps things to be prepared.”
“A lady beats up one of her coworkers?”
Michael chuckled lightly and shook his head, “No, that’s definitely a new one. Usually it’s dance injuries. Once a guy faceplanted on the carpeted steps by the pool tables.”
I winced with that mental image. “That’s true, I guess. I haven’t been to too many parties myself, so I didn’t think about that.”
“Ah, so on the off chance you do go to a party, do you always coldcock men, or was this just a special occasion?” From anyone else it might have been insulting, but he said it with just enough charm that it was actually pretty funny.
I chuckled, “It depends. If I do, it’s only for the good of the nation. It’s scary as hell when you’re hit on by a man who won’t take no for an answer. That’s when I step in and play the knight in shining armor.”
“For a knight in shining armor, you’re not afraid to play dirty. I almost felt sorry for the man when you kicked him between the legs. That’s a special kind of pain, you know.”
I glanced at Michael and saw his grin as he spoke. Good, so he wasn’t defending the creep, as I was absolutely sure he would have when he first walked up. Too many times I’d been shunned or reprimanded for telling a bully where to shove it or giving them their just rewards. I was still a bit in shock that the rich man had just believed the intern and me. That never happened.
“Well,” I started, “When it comes to survival, playing fair or dirty doesn’t really matter. You don’t know what your opponent is gonna do so you take what chances you have when they’re presented. Besides, perhaps a little punishment in that area seemed appropriate considering his advances.”
Michael seemed to sober a bit as he looked me in the eyes, “You sound like someone who’s gotten into their fair share of fights.”
I shrugged. It probably wasn’t the smartest thing to share with my boss, but he was being so kind and open. “I was a fat kid in a small town who only had a Mom and liked nerdy things. You put two and two together.”
“That doesn’t sound easy.”
“Life often isn’t. But if it was, it would be awfully boring.”
“…that’s certainly a philosophy.”
Silence settled around us as Michael finished up his work. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen next. When the fight had ended, I thought that I would get kicked out for violence or asked to leave, not tended to like something precious.
“Would you like to go get a drink?” The question was unexpected and startled me a bit. Certainly not the direction I had anticipated, but not exactly unwelcomed. I blinked at him a moment, taking a beat to process what he asked, but my answer was instant when my brain caught up to the words his mouth had made.
That probably wouldn’t be the best idea. My mind supplied.
“Yes.” My mouth said instead.
Michael once again offered me his hand and I gave him mine without hesitation. He led me back to the ballroom, then to the bar, and ordered us some drinks. I wasn’t sure what he had requested, but it was a vibrant blue color and tasted amazing when I brought it to my lips.
But I could only keep my mouth shut for so long. “So, tell me, Michael…can I call you Michael? Why am I still in this building? I would have thought that I’d be booted for...” I searched for a charming way to say what I meant. “…causing a slight ruckus.”
“Ah, is that what you call it?”
“It could maybe be considered a kerfuffle.”
“Ah yes, that is much more fitting.” He shook his head in a soft laugh and looked at me with those sparkling eyes. “Michael is fine, and truthfully, I don’t think you did anything wrong. You protected a peer from a harasser. I’m not sure how many people would have actually put themselves in your position out of fear. I must say that I’m grateful for your actions. If that new woman was accepted into our college co-op program, that means she is quite bright. It would be a shame to have her scared off from this field by feeling unsafe.”
I fought a flush that wan
ted to rise to my cheeks. I wasn’t used to a man that didn’t hate my outspoken ways. My ex hated that I would try and defend others. He thought it wasn’t “ladylike” and that it was exhausting that I was always trying to pick a fight. But I wasn’t trying to pick a fight. I just really, really, couldn’t stand bullies. At all.
“I - Thank you. That’s sweet of you to say.”
“It’s nothing.”
“I don’t think so,” I said, sipping at more of my drink. “I always note when someone is kind.”
“I don’t think that thanking you for saving my company from a bigger HR incident is exactly a kindness.”
“Don’t diminish your politeness. The world will do plenty of that for you.”
“That’s a rather glum outlook.”
I shrugged. “I don’t think so. It’s smart to understand that there’s a lot of dark in the world. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try, shouldn’t be kind to others, it just means that you should value it that much more when you do find those shining points of niceness.”
“Oh, is that me? A shining point of niceness?” He raised one of his eyebrows and leaned forward slightly, his massive frame dwarfing me.
It wasn’t often that I felt small. I was five nine and I was wearing three inch velvet wedges on my feet, but even with all that, Michael still had several inches on me. His shoulders were broader than mine, almost as wide as my hips, and his hands… well, he had tended to me enough for me to know that they were big and broad and very warm.
I felt myself leaning into his space as well, leaving us closer together than maybe was the standard personal bubble.
“Well, there’s at least a couple of sparks.”
“Sparks huh?”
I nodded. I didn’t know what possessed me, but I reached out and let the back of my fingernails gently drag across the top of his hand. “Yeah, don’t you feel it?” I asked.
“I thought that was just static.”
I shrugged, drinking the last in my glass. “I’m just a content creator, not a scientist.”
“I see.” He waved down the bartender and ordered us another round, this time I got a red, pretty drink and he had some sort of whisky.
“I don’t know how you drink that stuff.”
“What do you mean?”
“It smells like floor cleaner and I can’t imagine that it tastes much better.”
He chuckled but took a large drink, holding my gaze as he swallowed it down without a single flinch. I made a light gagging sound and the corner of his lip turned up as he smirked. “I suppose there might be a bit of a burn,” he said once he finished.
“Yeah, and I don’t know if you’re aware, but drinks aren’t supposed to hurt. They’re supposed to be pleasant.”
“Are you telling me that you’ve never found anything pleasant in a little bit of pain?”
I didn’t know what to say to that, my cheeks flushing red, so I just busied myself with gulping more of my own drink.
It was fruity and sweet with a citrusy sort of twang that I was all about. I loved citrus with a passion. Even though it was terrible for my teeth, I would happily devour pretty much anything orange, lemon, lime or any other of those delicious little fruits. It was probably just a happy coincidence, but I wondered how he had known.
The conversation slowed a little, both of us observing the rest of the revelry while also observing each other. The man wasn’t anything like I had expected. Sure, I had researched him up and down and one of the reasons I had applied to his company was because of how outstanding his reputation was, but still… there was a difference from being a good person on paper and a good person in real life.
It seemed, so far at least, that he was indeed a pretty good guy.
We finished our second round of drinks when Michael turned to me.
“Would you like to dance?”
No. That was a terrible idea. He wasn’t just my boss, he was my bosses’ bosses’ boss. He literally owned the company that payed my bills. It was one thing to drink drinks together and maybe kinda flirt, it was another to dance together, all touching and the like, on the dance floor.
“Of course.” My mouth said instead. I smiled and followed him out to the floor, my hand in his. Normally, I would have said no. I was never really much of a dancer, it didn’t matter if it was at a party or not. And I knew that I should definitely say no at the moment. But I couldn’t find it in me to do so. After all, a dance or two wouldn’t hurt.
…right?
We walked to the small dance floor available for anyone to use. We passed the myriad of tables available for sitting, eating and gossiping for those who were like me and usually not a fan of cutting a rug. I saw some of my peers from my department as we passed, and I was grateful that they didn’t seem to notice me arm in arm with our boss.
The music picked up its tempo as we crossed the floor and began to move together. I wasn’t an experienced dancer, so I tried to follow Michael’s lead. His large, capable hands started at my waist at first, which made me a bit nervous. My middle wasn’t sculpted or trim like most people wanted, but he didn’t seem to care, his thick fingertips sinking in slightly.
But after a few beats, those palms slowly slid to my hips, their descent so cautious - it was almost as if he was asking if that was allowed. Normally, I never would have been alright with it, but there was just… something about the guy that was making me feel warm and excited in a way that wasn’t usual.
We swayed there a moment, just looking at each other, and I couldn’t help but wondered if his heart was racing like mine was. I licked my lips, tempted to ask him, but the words wouldn’t come out and then we were moving to the beat of the music. He led me just fine, my body following his, and for once I wasn’t afraid of stepping on his toes. Because as a woman with pretty large feet, I knew how much that could hurt and how it could be compounded by the heels I was wearing.
It was electric, how close we were, the hair on my arms raising in response to him. I was so alive. I couldn’t really explain it, but it was like every nerve in my body was up and running at full speed, taking in all the data it could all at once. The whole world was both in sharp relief and yet faded around anything that wasn’t him. I was just so aware of everything. I felt the warmth of his body as we drew closer. I felt the thumping bass of the music through the soles of my shoes. I felt his breath fan across my neck.
A resulting fire rose to my face and I suddenly felt too hot. His hands were scalding as they rested on the swell of my hips and I felt as if I needed a gallon of water.
Actually, forget a gallon of water. I needed to pitch myself straight into an iceberg, where I was sure I would melt at least half of it before becoming human again.
But maybe being human was underrated, because I’d never felt… whatever was going on inside of me before. Sure, I’d met plenty of attractive people. Maybe even had a mild crush or two in the back of my mind, but it wasn’t anything like what I was feeling now. I was all fire and heat and excitement and nerves… it was a heady mix.
I couldn’t tell if Michael was effected the same way I was, and before I could decide which, the song ended and he was leading me off the dance floor. I tried not to be disappointed, but that burning fire in me wavered ever so slightly. Maybe he just got tired, or maybe he wanted a new dance partner. Either way, I needed to appreciate how kind and charming he had been and not get greedy.
Still, it was hard not to feel anxious as we stopped at a table that was out of the way of traffic and in a dark corner. Basically tucked away and private, which… well, I didn’t know what that meant.
I was about to ask Michael something, anything to alleviate the sudden churning in my belly when suddenly a hand around my waist turned me and I felt warm lips against mine.
3
Michael
I’d been lucky enough to have many thrilling experiences in my life. I’d gone mountain climbing. I’d gone skydiving. I’d snorkeled with great whites and gone spelunki
ng in deep, dark caves.
But none of them, or even all of them combined, compared to what it felt for my lips to press against Anabelle’s.
It felt like lightning crackling down my spine, hot and sparking as I closed in on her, walking the two of us backwards until her back was against the wall. She let out the tiniest gasp when she realized she was pinned between me and the solid surface, allowing me to press into her and feel just how perfect her body was against mine.
And that small, illicit sound also opened her mouth to me, allowing my tongue to slide along her lower lip, tracing it, before I continued further. Her responses were tentative, bordering on unsure, but just like with the dancing, she followed my lead quickly.
If I had my way, I would stay there forever, taking control of her mouth until she was dizzy and breathless. But I also knew that there was a bit of a power imbalance between us. A dangerous one, for both me and her.
I pulled away, reluctantly, looking over her face. Her eyes were hazy, far off and half-lidded. Her full cheeks were flushed while her lips were kiss-swollen and red. I was pretty sure I was wearing more of her lipstick than she was and made a note in the back of my mind to wipe my mouth and chin thoroughly.
“Are you sure you’re alright with this?” I asked, my thumb coming up of its own accord and tracing her lips. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. You know that, right? You can turn me down and there will be zero repercussions.”
I knew how some people could be with power. Drunk on it and full of grandeur, they saw any refusal of what they wanted as a direct affront to their person. They would go out of their way to destroy anyone who dared to say no to them.
I wasn’t that kind of person, but Belle didn’t know that. Those rabid, power hungry wolves just loved to parade around in sheep’s clothing. She would be right to be cautious, so it was my job to make sure that she was one hundred percent, absolutely into what I was doing to her.
Baby Daddy (Forever Daddies Book 1) Page 2
