First, though, I have to get through this meeting.
Once I’m showered, I brush my teeth before heading into the bedroom. Sarah has already left for work, so I have the room to myself. The only time I’ve spent in here the last couple of days is to dress. I rub my hair up and root through my clothes until I find my favourite navy suit in the wardrobe. I pair it with a crisp white shirt but decide to forego the tie. I’m sick of the pompous look; I wish I could do without the suit but, nah, it goes with the job.
I find my bottle of Joop aftershave and apply it to my face. I stand in the mirror, and even I have to say I look damn good. With a smirk plastered on my face, I grab my briefcase and head to the garage. Unlocking my R8, I get inside and head for the office.
Not two minutes after I’ve walked into my office, the door opens and closes again. I’m leant over the desk as I empty my paperwork out of my briefcase getting the contracts out. Dylan marches through my office like he owns the place until he reaches my desk and sits down staring at me.
“What are you looking at, dickface?”
He smirks but doesn’t answer right away.
“Well?” I prompt.
“Nothing. How’re the jewels pretty boy?”
Just thinking about it sends a searing pain through my balls causing me to cup them in protection. “Fuck off.” I stand strong and shake off the feeling. “Is she here?”
“Of course. She’s in with Serena. She looks good, too.” He winks, taking the piss.
“Dylan, go fuck yourself. Now get out of my office so I can get shit together and get this meeting out of the way.
Holding his hands up in front of him in defence, he smirks and stands from the chair sniggering. He leaves me with an order to meet him in the boardroom that we’d been in the other day in five minutes. Gathering my paperwork together, I put it under one arm and carry my briefcase with the other hand, leaving my office and telling my assistant to hold all my calls for the next couple of hours.
I have to stop at the door and take a deep breath when I see Bonnie sitting there in a charcoal grey, figure-hugging dress. A hot flush comes over me suddenly, but I totally ignore it for once and place all the paperwork down. Going around to Serena first, I greet her with a kiss to the cheek. I move back around the table and hover over Bonnie doing the same. “Bonnie,” I say quietly and smile. Her eyes close as I see her inhale my scent and I take my seat next to her.
“Shall we do this then?” Clasping my hands together I put them on the table in front of me. From the side of me I feel Bonnie's eyes searing through my skin, but I don’t react, not this time—not one little bit.
Neil 1 - Bonnie 1
Chapter Thirteen
Bonnie
Two days since I had that note pushed through my letterbox—two days of me worrying and hyperventilating for nothing. It’s clearly just a sick joke at my expense. I have received nothing since, and I don’t think I will. Did I think about telling Neil about it? Of course, I did, but that means I’d have needed to get in contact with him, and after our altercation in the lift, I’m quite sure I’m the last person he wants to hear from.
Instead, I’ve stuffed the note in my bag for the foreseeable future, maybe I’ll take it to Serena and talk to her about it, when it’s just us two in her office. Get her thoughts on it. For now, though, I’m just gonna pretend it’s not there.
Today is a new day. I have a meeting at the office with Serena, Dylan, and Neil. I’m gonna paint on my best ‘I don’t give a fuck,’ face on and carry on as normal. I can't and won’t let anything ruin this opportunity for me.
After I’ve debated for twenty minutes about what to wear, I pull my favourite grey, fitted dress from the hanger and slip it on before applying some light make up and fixing my hair into bouncy curls that fall down my back. Feeling confident for the first time in two days, I gather everything I need and jump into my car, making my way to the very building that has him inside of it.
Parking my car in an empty spot, I climb out and scan the entire car park for Neil’s car. I can’t see it anywhere, and it’s not one you can miss really. His R8 is sex on wheels and has featured in many of my late-night dreams, along with Neil doing things to my body that I can only fantasise about when I’ve been in bed alone.
I grab my things from the back seat and hurry into the building to Serena’s office before he turns up and has a chance to get me on my own. Not being left alone with him is now a part of my plan: stay in the company of other people then we won’t jump on each other.
It’s a solid plan, right?
“Morning, sweet cheeks. How’s it hangin’?”
A flustered Serena looks up at me from behind her desk as I enter her office and park my arse in one of the bucket chairs.
“My morning is going from shit to plain disastrous. I’ve got so much crap to deal with its un-fucking-real.”
My heart plummets into my stomach. I know my best friend, and this is her way of telling me that she’s not going to make today's meeting.
Stopping what she’s doing, she places her hands on either side of the papers she’s spread out on her desk and as if she can read my mind says, “I’m still coming with you—don’t worry. I just might not be able to stay. Once everything is running smoothly, I can leave you and the guys to deal with the rest.”
Ah, yes! Even without her there, I will still have a buffer in the shape of Dylan.
The man's a godsend.
Eventually, once Serena has pulled herself together, we head to the conference room and before we even get there, I know he’s in the building. I can smell his aftershave in the air and the fact my skin prickles let me know that he’s near. Serena and I lay out the brochures and contracts for possible venues onto the table and then we take a seat and wait for dickhead and Dylan to arrive. Crossing and uncrossing my legs in anticipation, I wonder how he’s going to act around me after I practically killed his manhood with my knee, and not five minutes later, they arrive causing the butterflies take up residence in my stomach once again.
Blatantly ignoring me, Neil comes around the table and greets Serena first before leaning over me and pressing a light kiss to my cheek, just like he did to my best friend, only he whispers my name in that rough and seductive voice of his.
Oh, the wanker. He’s messing with me. Ok, Mr Montgomery. You want to play it like that.
Game fucking on.
We’re halfway through discussions about the venues and their pros and cons, and I’ve already seen Neil have to adjust his trousers four times. We’re all standing around the table and I’ve made sure I’m either standing next to him so I can accidentally brush against him or when I bend over the table, he gets my arse in his face. That’s without when I went to the other side of the table to make us all coffees and I leaned that little bit further over to pass him his, you know just so he got an eyeful of my boobs he seems to like so much.
He really has fucked off the wrong woman this time.
I’m also convinced that Dylan knows about us. I’ve caught him sniggering more than once when Neil has been in an uncomfortable situation.
We break for lunch, after not really making any decisions in this meeting. We all keep disagreeing with each other. I want the modern, sleek hotel in central London, which I think Serena agrees with me on, but the guys want some fancy countryside shindig. Yeah, that shit ain’t happening.
Picking up my bag from the floor, I place it on the table just as Serena and Dylan leave the room with Serena informing me she won’t be back after lunch: apparently some other client is riding her arse and wants the job done yesterday.
“Bon…”
“Just don’t, Neil. I can’t do this with you.”
Taking my jacket from the back of my chair, I fight with the sleeve to thread my arm through, and whilst I’m flapping about with it, I catch the handle of my bag and pull it off the table, causing the contents to spill out all over the floor.
“Shit. Let me help you.” He drops to the floor as I sigh up to the heavens for this day to just be over. Slapping my jacket down onto the table, I give up fighting with the sleeve and go to help him with my things. I’m stopped in my tracks when he stands to his full height and has the most murderous look on his face.
“Bonnie, what the fuck is this?” he growls.
Looking at what he’s holding I see it’s the note I got through my letterbox.
Shit!
Chapter Fourteen
Neil
I swear to God if that dress of Bonnie's rides any further up her thighs I’m gonna fucking burst. I have to keep readjusting myself several times otherwise I may have someone’s eye out if they see the hard on, I’m sporting, especially in these suit trousers. Dylan the bastard laughs every time he sees me glance across at Bon. This shit is not fucking funny. So much for pretending that I don’t give a fuck. Yeah that plan soon went to shit. Luckily though it seems that Serena knows nothing, that’s a luxury that I know isn’t gonna last long.
Pushing my chair back I stand up putting all my paperwork into my briefcase, I don’t need that going missing.
With a deep breath I turn to face Bonnie.
“Bon.” She flaps around with her jacket until it knocks her bag from the table. Everything spills out of it. Lipsticks, tampons, pens… how much shit does a woman have in her bag, I mean is any of it actually necessary.
Bold lettering on a white sheet of paper catches my eye. Using my thumb and index finger I grab the corner and pick it up standing to my full height. Shaking the folds out I read what’s written and look down at Bonnie still crouching down.
“Bonnie, what the fuck is this?” I growl at her. The colour drains from her face leaving her looking like she’s seen a ghost.
“I think you better start talking...”
Looking around her with a nervous glint in her eye, she picks up the remainder of her bag items, shoving them inside, and I help her to her feet. An electrifying spark shoots through my hand as it always does when I touch her, but I have to ignore it for now.
“Not here.”
With her hand still around mine she pulls me from the conference room and back around to my office. I ask my assistant not to disturb us and close the door behind us. Bonnie drops herself into the chair in front of my desk, leans forward and puts her head into her hands.
I crouch down before her, prising her hands away from her face. “Bonnie? What’s going on? How long have you had this?”
Inhaling, she looks me in the eye before letting it out and speaking. “The other day. The day I was ignoring your calls.” Her voice sounds meek and shaky. I don’t like it. This is Bonnie. She’s strong, wilful.
“You mean the day you forced my bollocks up into my chest?”
“That’s the one.”
“Did you see anyone hanging around? I mean surely…”
“It was put through my door,” she says cutting me off. “It was late.” She swallows. “What if someone knows about us? What if something happens?”
“And what if it’s just someone trying to scare you? Because believe me, if anyone hurts you…” I can't get the rest of the sentence out. Instead, I stand and turn from her, running my hands through my hair to ease some of my tension.
“We should never have started all this. We should see this as a sign or something, Neil.”
Spinning on my heel, I’m back in front of her in less than a second and dropping to my knees. “I’m not letting some useless fucking coward come between us. I know it's hard at the moment, but I promise I’ll sort it.”
“I can’t Neil. I feel so guilty.”
“How the fuck did this conversation move from you being threatened to discussing us?”
Her soft hands frame my face as her thumbs run over my cheekbones. “Neil, there is no us—not right now anyway. This isn’t you, and it definitely isn’t me. I don’t cheat. Maybe if things were different...” Bonnie shrugs and removes her hands but I catch them in mine.
“I promise I’ll get this sorted.”
She stands from her seat and I look up at her from my kneeled position still on the floor.
“I promise you, babe.” She brushes her dress down and picks up her bag, pulling it onto her shoulder and turning from me. She takes her first step, and I realise she’s about to leave. Scrambling up from the floor, I stand and grab her elbow before she can get too far, spinning her back to face me. “Don’t leave yet.”
“Neil, I have to. Someone will come looking for us soon.”
The air between us is thick with tension you could cut with a knife. My heart beats out of my chest, and Bonnie’s breathing quickens up. With no more than an inch between us, our heavy breaths mingle, and being the hot-blooded male that I am, I take advantage.
Taking her face in my hands, I pull her towards me, pressing my lips against hers, while she fists the lapels of my jacket tugging me forward. I know she wants this as much as me. I walk us to the nearest wall of my office that’s out of view and kiss her. My tongue enters her mouth as her body melts into mine. This is where I should be.
Brushing my erection over her belly, I show her just how much I want her—no, how much I need her.
Her hand moves up into my hair, tugging at the short hairs and turning me on even more. She whispers against my lips as we begin to slow down the kiss. “Please don’t do this Neil, I can’t…”
I cut off whatever she was going to say with a firm kiss this time. My hand moves down her body until my palm connects with the softness of her bare legs. She tries her hardest to push it away, but I grasp her hand to stop her.
“Do you know how much I need you?” I’ve never had such a hard time keeping away from someone. My craving for her is unbelievable.
She gives into me, and just as we’re getting back into the kiss, I hear voices outside the door, I know it’s Dylan. Bonnie stops dead in her tracks and pushes me away.
“This isn’t over,” I warn her.
She straightens her dress and smirks as she watches me as, for maybe the tenth time today, I try to hide the steel in my trousers.
Bonnie rushes back to sit down as the door opens and in walks Dylan. He looks between us suspiciously. “What's going on or do I even need to ask?”
“Don’t know what you're talking about, mate.” I grab my briefcase from the table and Bonnie stands.
“Are you both ready to go back in there?”
“Let’s do this, shit.” I smack the surface of the table and Dylan nods, his eyes narrowing and shooting daggers at me.
Bonnie walks out first, giving me the treat of watching her arse sway and to admire her legs. I walk in front of Dylan, to avoid having his silent questions thrown at me, and enter the conference room, taking my seat next to Bonnie and getting to the first lot of business.
The second lot will definitely come later.
Chapter Fifteen
Bonnie
Finally deciding on a venue we’ve all agreed on, I gather all of my things together and decide I need to go home, have a hot bubble bath, and drink my weight in wine. Today has, yet again, been a fucking nightmare. I’d had no intentions of telling Neil about that note; it had been just my damn luck that he’d found it through my own clumsiness.
Since coming out of his office, all I can think about is him and his promise of this not being over. It has to be over, not just for my own sake but his and Sarah's as well. Nothing good can or will come of this.
Leaving the building, I notice it’s only mine and Neil’s cars that are left in the car park.
Neil left me, Serena and Dylan talking after I saw him in his office, so I presumed he’d already left for the day.
Speed walking across the tarmac the best I can in my heels, I almost make it to my car before he catches up with me as I unlock the door.
“Bonnie, wait the fuck there.”
Now normally I would defy any man who dem
anded I do something in the deep, growl that he just did. But this is Neil—the man I just can’t say no to, so I’m learning, even though I want to. I can still feel his fingers stroking my bare skin from earlier. His touch lights something up inside of me, and I can’t shake it off, no matter how hard I try.
Just as I’m about to turn and face him, the sky goes black and the heavens open. Rain starts to bounce off the roof of my car and I start to shiver. Straightening my shoulders, I don’t let the rain bother me and I finally look at him as he reaches me. “Neil, no…” I warn him.
“Don’t do this, Bonnie.” He takes my shoulders in his firm hands and we stand there staring at each other while the rain beats down on both of us, plastering his already messy chocolate brown hair to his forehead.
“I can’t keep doing this back and forth with you, Neil. I’ve told you more than once I will not be the other woman, and as for that note, well if we stop this then nothing like that will happen again.” Drops of rain fall from my lashes and down his nose, and the wanton side of me wants nothing more than to lick them from him.
“I’ll protect you; I’ll do everything I can to make sure you don’t get hurt, baby.”
Sarcastically, I laugh at him. “Oh yeah? And how the fuck does you plan on doing that? You live with another woman; I think she’d notice if you didn’t come home every night. Now, let go of me. This conversation is over.”
I go to pull away and I think I’ve succeeded until I hear, “It’ll never be over.”
Before I can comprehend what’s happening, I’m scooped up off the ground and he’s charging across the car park to his car. “Neil, put me the fuck down, you baboon.”
Clash (The Forever Duet #2) Page 5
