Indiscretion

by Anderson, Callie

  “I asked you a question,” he said, looking over his shoulder, a mischievous smile appearing on his face.

  “No, thank you,” I quipped and cracked my knuckles.

  He turned back to prepare his drink, and I took a second to admire how the Lucky Brand jeans wrapped perfectly around his waist. When he turned back toward me, I focused my attention on the specks in the granite before looking up at him.

  “Why are you being so coy with me?” He took a sip of the dark amber liquor. “You know we have unfinished business to discuss.” He placed the tumbler on the island, and the smirk reappeared on his face.

  “No, I don’t believe we do.” I struggled with each word that escaped my lips. This wasn’t a good idea. I shouldn’t be here alone with him. I’m too weak when I’m around him.

  “Here, have a drink. I’d like to give you a tour. You never got to see the view” He winked and pushed the glass toward me. “It will help calm your nerves.”

  I swallowed the liquid courage, the burning cognac relieving some of my anxiety. “There’s no need for a tour. I have to get back to the office.”

  “Fine. I have something for Howard. Follow me to the office.” He jerked his head toward the long hallway.

  Leaving the manila folder on the counter, I followed him. As my heels moved across his hardwood floor, I admired his massive home. The art was abstract, and there were no fresh flowers or plants anywhere. It all looked contemporary, straight out of an Architectural Digest magazine. Manly, like him.

  He led me to the back bedroom and stopped outside a large white wooden door. “Can I convince you to stop by my bedroom first?”

  The lump stuck in my throat got bigger, and I shook my head.

  “It was worth a try,” he said as his teeth grazed his lower lip. Cole pushed the door open and stepped into his office. Like the rest of the house, it was masculine. A large wooden desk sat in the center, and two built-in bookshelves were flush against one wall. I gasped when I spotted the floor to ceiling window that looked out onto Central Park.

  “Wow,” I whispered and took a step closer. You could see the entire Upper East Side. I knew from Sarah that this building was sought out because of the location and view it had, but her view was nothing compared to his. From Cole’s apartment, you had a three-sixty look of Manhattan. Now I understood why you’d buy in this building if you could. It was centered in the heart of the concrete jungle. Lost in the building and bridges, I didn’t realize his proximity until I felt his breath on my neck.

  “The view is better from my bedroom.”

  “Please,” I begged, unsure exactly what I wanted from him. Nothing? Everything?

  “I can’t stop thinking about you,” he said and brushed my hair to the side. My eyes closed when his lips kissed the back of my neck. “Why do you keep denying something we both want?” His hand trailed up my arm as his body pressed against mine. “Can you imagine getting fucked against the glass?”

  My skin prickled with goose bumps as I swallowed my fright and the X-rated fantasies that suddenly sprang up in my mind. “Please stop,” I whispered.

  His hearty chuckle caused the hairs on the back of my neck to stand. “Are you sure? It can be for only one night.” His lips trailed along my neck.

  I stepped away from him. It was all too much to take in at once. “I really should be going. I have a ton of work to catch up on.” Turning, I headed for the door. I needed to breathe, which was nearly impossible when I was around him.

  “The offer stands, Katherine. One night.” He lifted his finger. I bit my lower lip, contemplating his offer. “I’ll walk you out.”

  My mind wasn’t able to process how my body was reacting to him. The way his voice made my heart ignite, the way his breath made goose bumps explode all over my body. He wanted one night. I could give him one night with no strings, right? Fuck. He was my weakness, my trigger, the one thing that would send me spiraling down the inevitable hole.

  “Goodbye, Cole.” I lifted the straps of my tote higher on my shoulder.

  “I’ll let you go for now, but I’m a persistent man. And you know I’m used to getting what I want. You are exactly what I want.” He pushed the elevator button for me.

  I nodded toward him. My voice had apparently been left behind in the fuck pad. Seriously, this week just kept saying, “Fuck you, Katherine.”

  12

  Katherine

  I woke up Saturday morning feeling groggy and cranky. I had wrapped up my final exam for the semester, so getting out of bed was not a priority. I pulled the duvet under my chin to get a couple extra hours of sleep, but it didn’t work. My brain kept replaying everything Cole said, and images of his hands on my body did things to me.

  Before I got to him, I was convinced he wouldn’t have any effect on me. I was stronger than that. Nope. His hands on my body, his lips on my skin were all I wanted. He wanted his way with me, and I couldn’t stop feeling intrigued by his offer. What would it feel like to be helpless at his fingertips?

  What happened with Cole at the charity gala was an accident. It had to be. The sexual charge between us was obvious, but there was no way we could keep this up. My career as a lawyer depended on it. Not to mention, it would be too easy for me to slip back to my old ways. Once an addict, always an addict.

  I wasn’t addicted to sex, per se. Pills were my vice. It was always the same vicious cycle. An unhealthy relationship, high sex with random strangers, followed by morning regret. I had kicked the pills; I had decided I was worth more than casual hook-ups. And Cole was just that. A casual hook-up, A recipe for disaster.

  But God . . .

  I couldn’t stop wanting him, craving what he did to me in the limo and in the few short minutes we’d spent together on the conference table. “Ugh!” I pulled the duvet over my head, blocking out the sunlight and the outside world.

  “Kat?” Ben tapped softly on my bedroom door.

  The door creaked open. Lying on my side, I lifted the duvet and peeked out with one eye. When Ben smiled, I yanked the covers shut again.

  “Kitty Kat, I know you’re up. I heard you moaning.” He poked my ribs before lying down next to me.

  Pushing the covers off my face, I looked directly into his dark eyes. “I was not moaning.” I pulled the covers over my head again.

  “Huffing and puffing?” He curled up closer to me. “Groaning? Rubbing one out?”

  “More like sulking,” I finally admitted.

  “What’s the matter? It’s Saturday, and it’s supposed to be a fabulous day.” He rose from the bed and then opened the curtains. The bright sun illuminated my room so much I had to squint my eyes.

  “What do you want, Ben? It’s too early for this much sun.” I pulled the pillow out from under me and covered my head.

  “Well, since Lila has a double shift this weekend, I came to steal you away. And it’s not early. It’s almost eleven. I made you breakfast, so get your little butt out of bed and meet me in the kitchen.”

  I heard his footsteps as he walked out of the bedroom. When he was halfway down the hall, he shouted, “Katherine Wolf! Get your sulking ass out of bed. Now!”

  “Fine!” I shouted back at him.

  Kicking my way out of bed, I got up and headed for the bathroom. After washing my face, I joined Ben in the kitchen. When we first moved in, Lila and I figured giving him an extra key seemed like the right idea in the event we ever locked ourselves out. Right now . . . not so much.

  “I think I need my spare key back,” I said as I reached into the cupboard for my coffee mug.

  He brought the coffee pot over to me and filled my cup. “Nope, not happening. How am I supposed to steal all your ice cream when you’re not home?”

  “Whatever.”

  “You’re in a funk.” He shook his head from side to side. “What’s going on?”

  I pulled the barstool away from the breakfast bar and sat. Ignoring his question completely, I asked, “Why are you so chipper this morning? Get laid las
t night?” I raised my eyebrows as the hot coffee burned the tip of my tongue.

  A beaming smile appeared on his face. “As a matter of fact, I did. Clearly, you haven’t scratched that itch, huh? Want to talk about it?” His face turned serious before he turned back to the stove to finish breakfast.

  “No, wiseass, I don’t want to talk about my lack of a sex life as you gloat about yours. I just had a rough first week at the firm.”

  I didn’t want to talk about the fact my itch had been scratched but not nearly enough, or how my mind kept telling me to take Cole up on his offer. Explaining it to Ben would only bring another round of lectures, and I had lectured myself enough last night.

  Ben looked over his shoulder. “You’re studying to be a lawyer. It’s always going to be a rough week.” He turned the stove off and brought the chocolate chip pancakes and bacon over to the counter.

  “Whatever.” I rolled my eyes at his comment, then took a strip of crispy bacon and bit into it like it was a potato chip.

  “Does this have anything to do with Poochie coming by to visit?”

  I kicked the other barstool out, so he could sit. “Poochie did some investigating on the case I’m working on. The intern who created the cheat sheet for the file left it a complete mess, so I called him, and he found me additional intel. The defendant had previous rape charges against him that were mysteriously dropped. Poochie gave me the victims’ info when he came by, and I met with one of them yesterday. I think I came on too strong and she got spooked.” I stuffed my mouth with warm pancakes.

  “Kat . . .”

  “I know, but I need to find something on him, and it seems as though rape likes to follow me around.” I pinched the bridge of my nose.

  Ben looked down at his food and then back at me, as if he wanted to say something but decided not to. He laid his arm on my shoulder before going back to eating his breakfast.

  “So, are you going to tell me what you need from me, or am I going to have to drag it out of you?” I asked, changing the serious tone of our conversation to a lighter one.

  “What do you mean?”

  I rested my arms on the countertop. “You made me chocolate chip pancakes with bacon on a Saturday morning, and you never get up on Saturday until after one. Spill it, lover boy. What gives?”

  Sighing, he pushed away his almost empty plate. “Well . . .” He took a sip of his coffee. I knew he was buying time before he confessed his ulterior motive. “There’s this party tonight at Shakes. A couple of people from work will be there, and Jon is hosting the event, so . . .”

  “You need me to be your girlfriend?” I questioned. “And who is Jon?” I smiled at him before poking him in the ribs.

  “Jon is a . . . friend,” Ben said shyly. My loud, over-the-top, fabulous best friend is being shy?

  “Oh . . . my . . . God,” I said in my best Janice from Friends voice. “Is Jon the one from last night?”

  Picking up his plate from the counter, Ben walked it to the sink. I jumped up right behind him and rushed to his side. “Holy shit. Holy freaking shit. You like him.”

  “Do not.” Ben grabbed my plate, his olive skin brightening with a hint of pink.

  “Yeah, you do, Benny Poo.” I leaned against the stove and watched as he nervously cleaned the kitchen.

  “Shut up. I don’t want to talk about it. Will you come with me or not?” He put the flour and sugar away.

  Ben slammed the cabinet doors, and I bit down on my lip to contain my laughter. Ben was never one to fall for a guy. Usually, he just had casual sex—nothing more than a couple of late-night booty calls. This is big. Not wanting to talk about Jon only confirmed that he really liked him. That, and the fact he wanted to see him two nights in a row.

  Kicking off the stove, I followed Ben around the kitchen like a lost puppy. “Fuck yeah, I’ll go. Can I meet him? Is he dreamy?” I tried to imagine what Ben’s type would be.

  “Seriously? You’ve been hanging out with Lila too long. No more questions. It’s just a night out at Shakes.” He stowed the dirty dishes in the dishwasher.

  Stopping abruptly, I looked at him, then back to my room. “Did you say Shakes?”

  “Yeah, why?”

  “As in the nightclub in Lower Manhattan?”

  Ben nodded.

  “Holy shit,” I said, and within seconds I was running back to my bedroom. His footfalls pounded behind me, but I ignored him. I had seen that name on one of the papers Poochie gave me. I knelt on the floor, pulled the folder from my tote, and flipped through all the information. It was in there somewhere. I’d seen it.

  “Kat?” Ben sat next to me, obviously puzzled by my lack of communication.

  “Shakes!” I shouted, pulling out a paper. “I knew it sounded familiar, but I was so excited to hear about Jon it didn’t immediately register.” I pulled out the whole file and laid it in front of him. “Mackenzie Adams. Currently employed at Best Friends Animal Hotel in Chelsea, but she also works as a bartender in the cigar bar at Shakes in Lower Manhattan.”

  “Animal hotel?” Ben questioned.

  “Yeah, apparently when you travel, you can leave your pets with them, and they give them the five-paw treatment.” I quoted the hotel slogan. It was also the largest animal shelter in Manhattan, founded by Mackenzie Adams herself. “This is good news! Hopefully, Mackenzie will be there tonight, and I can turn the tables on this case.”

  * * *

  At eleven that night, Ben and I joined the rest of his hot model coworkers at Shakes. Unlike Quay that held more of a lounge atmosphere, this was a full-blown nightclub. There were three warehouse-type rooms with high ceilings that were packed with people, and each room had its own deejay spinning. The VIP area was located over the dance floor. From below it looked like a party in the sky.

  I grabbed tightly to Ben’s hand as we walked through the mob of sweaty bodies. The fire escape-type stairs led up to the main VIP area, where Ben’s friends and Jon were. Once at the top, I understood why they called it Shakes. The speakers blasted music through the room so loudly you felt your body shake from the vibration.

  There was no way I would be able to find Mackenzie. The place was packed wall-to-wall with people dancing, humping, and inevitably, using recreational drugs. There were probably close to two thousand people in the building.

  Ben led me to the VIP area they had reserved. “Do you want something to drink?” he shouted. Holding my index finger to my ear, I covered my throbbing eardrum and shook my head.

  “You okay?” he shouted again, this time not as loud.

  “Yeah, I’m good. Where is—”

  Ben nodded to a tall gentleman headed in our direction. He was not at all what I expected Ben’s type to be. He was thin and extremely tall with a strong masculine jaw—very athletic. His sandy blond hair looked dark against his fair skin, and his big blue eyes brightened when he noticed Ben. With my hand still holding Ben’s, I knew exactly when his hand began to sweat and why—Jon was walking toward us. Never had I seen my best friend like this, so I took the opportunity to revel in the moment.

  “Benjamin,” Jon said as he approached us. Although the music was blasting through the speakers, I thought I heard a hint of a Scottish accent. Jon shook Ben’s hand and looked at me. Unable to hide my happiness, I wrapped my arms around Jon’s thin waist.

  “Jon, this is Katherine.”

  Jon’s hand came around me, holding me under his arm. “Hi,” I said, releasing his waist but leaving his arm wrapped around my shoulder. “It’s so nice to meet you.”

  Smiling before he leaned down, Jon brought his mouth close to my ear. Unlike Ben, Jon spoke without destroying my eardrum. “Likewise. I’ve heard so much about you.” His Scottish accent became very noticeable when he said, “heard.” “Thank you for coming out tonight. I know Benjamin was a wee bit concerned.”

  “I’d do anything for Ben.”

  “Thank you.” He placed a soft kiss on my cheek.

  Ben looked like a deer caught in
headlights. Laughing out loud, I grabbed his cheek. “Jon gets my stamp of approval,” I shouted over to him. Ben beamed at Jon and bit his lower lip. I couldn’t help but feel like a proud mama.

  We joined the remainder of the party on the couches. I sat between Ben and Jon so no one would suspect anything. With the conversation between them flowing more after a few drinks, I leaned back on the couch and swayed my head to the music. The Long Island iced tea was actually making the thumping techno music enjoyable. The cocktail waitress slid another one in front of me, and I squeezed the lemon into it as I caught parts of Jon and Ben’s conversation. I leaned forward with a bright smile, and both men stopped talking to look at me.

  “Ben, can you go get me another drink? This one is watered down.” I chugged my almost-full glass. God, I’m going to pay for that.

  “How can it be watered down?” Ben asked, lifting my almost-empty drink.

  Trying not to hiccup, I finished the rest of my drink. “Please, Ben?”

  “Fine. I’ll be right back.” He pushed off my leg and rose, kissing the top of my head before heading toward the bar.

  I turned to Jon with a mischievous smile plastered on my face. “So, Jon . . .”

  “Katherine?” he questioned.

  “I’m going to use the little ladies’ room. I need you to stand with me and then head toward Ben. I think he probably wants to give you a proper hello.” I covered my mouth and held in a small burp, the alcohol kicking in sooner than I thought. “Also, tell him I don’t need a new drink. That one was too strong.”

  Jon kissed my forehead after we both rose. “Benjamin is so lucky to have you.”

  “Make sure you tell him that,” I teased.

  I started toward the bar and made a quick left, heading downstairs to find the ladies’ room. The smell of weed and sweat blended together in the air. Keeping my arms tucked to my sides, I dodged the entangled bodies. Once I finally found the bathroom, I waited in line twenty minutes before it was my turn. Hopefully that was enough time for Jon and Ben—Benjamin, as Jon had called him all night.