Slowly, his hands traced up from her ankle to circle the soft skin behind her knee. The heat his hands left in their wake made her skin feel as if it were being scorched, even through her pantyhose. From her knee, he slowly, tortuously, moved up her thighs, running his thumb over her covered slit and up to the top of her pantyhose. Hooking his fingers in, he pulled them off her. Then he retraced the pattern, only this time he used his mouth. Each fiery kiss ignited something in her, more than sheer desire, but she pushed it away. She wanted to stay in the moment, the passionate moment where his lips and tongue explored every inch of her.
When his warm breath ghosted across her pussy lips, she shivered. Her skin erupted in goose bumps and she waited, and waited, and waited to feel the warmth of his mouth against her, in her.
She lost all patience. When she looked down at him between her legs, he was smiling at her. Not the coy, we are about to do it grin that so many men get, but a full on smile. He was waiting to see what she would do. She gave him a smile of her own, grabbed two fists full of hair, and placed his face exactly where she needed him.
His tongue traced her slit, once, twice, and a third time. Her hips jerked up to him, begging for more. She held tightly to his hair and tugged as he nipped at her lips, then her thigh. She yanked his hair, pulling him back to her center. She could feel his chuckle against her, and she looked down, wondering what he found so funny.
He kissed her softly then looked up into her eyes, and said, “I like to have fun when I have sex. Playing makes it more fun. And more memorable. You won’t ever forget this night.”
He didn’t give her a chance to respond. He dove in, licking and sucking on her clit in a rhythm that sent her body into overdrive. He was right—she would never forget the amazing job he was doing licking her pussy. She could feel the tension building in her, her muscles beginning to tighten from her core outward. Aubrey cried out as every muscle in her body began to spasm as she fell over the edge of orgasmic bliss.
As she lay there catching her breath, she could hear rustling of clothes and a crinkle of plastic. Aubrey pulled herself up to a sitting position and watched as he rolled a condom on his long length. Wanting to give him the release she just received, she climbed back on top of him, sinking down, taking his entire length inside of her.
They both moaned as he filled her. She rocked her hips back and forth, and then lifted herself and sank back down, over and over. Henry’s mouth found her bouncing tits and sucked them in, limiting her movements, but neither cared. It felt fucking amazing. When he released her, she leaned back and continued to rock herself faster and faster. His hands gripped her hips, and then slipped into the crease of her legs. He reached his thumb out and began rubbing circles on her clit as she rode him.
Henry pulled his hands back, grabbed her around her waist, and lifted her off him. Aubrey knelt on the seat beside him, watching to see what he would do next. She didn’t care how he wanted it as long as his cock was inside of her, fast and hard.
Aubrey took that moment to appreciate him in all his naked glory. She was right—he was toned and muscular, but not big and bulky. He had the perfect washboard abs with the V that lead to his glorious cock surrounded by blonde curls. He was perfect.
“Flip over for me,” Henry’s husky and lust-filled voice broke her from her trance. She did what he asked, lifting her hips, putting her ass on display for him. His hands traced down her spine and rounded her ass around to her hot center. A single finger dipped between her folds, caressing her, spreading her wetness. She looked over her shoulder and watched as he guided his dick to her center, then felt him push in, filling her again. With every stroke, his cock did more to her than she ever knew possible, filling her, stretching her, pushing her closer and closer to the edge for the second time. She began thrusting herself back with every push forward he made, causing him to go deeper and harder. When his movements became sporadic and rapid, she knew he was almost there. So was she. She was so close she thought if she didn’t finish she might combust.
When his hand wrapped around her and dipped down, she fell apart. His fingers circling her clit, and his dick pounding into her from behind, sent her into oblivion. Her body convulsed as she cried out. When Henry stopped moving and moaned deep and gravelly, she knew that he too had reached his edge and fallen over.
The two collapsed onto the seat and just laughed when they realized that the car had stopped moving. She really hoped that the windows were as sound proof as Henry seemed to think they were.
“If I asked you to come back to my place for the night, would you?” Henry asked, and then kissed her shoulder.
“I can’t. I have to work in the morning. I actually might be getting a promotion. That is, if I kick ass at this market research. Going from a personal assistant to a market researcher would be a huge jump on the career train track, ya know?”
“I do. What kind of market research?”
“I know it sounds corny, but video games. I was never really into them as a kid, and now I work for one of the largest companies trying to sell them. Anyway, my boss’s boss gave me the assignment. Some kid came up with some new game, and I need to find the target market for it. Maybe come up with a way to reach them, too.”
Aubrey didn’t realize until it was too late that she was opening up, letting him in. She hadn’t lain in a man’s arms after sex and just talked since the fuck up that was her ex-boyfriend. She moved to sit up and started dressing. If Henry were upset by it, she didn’t notice. She kept her back to him while she covered herself. If she looked back at him and saw that he didn’t want her to move just yet, she might give in. And that she couldn’t afford to do.
“That is a really big deal, what firm do you work for?”
“Viola.”
“Oh, good. I mean, that’s a really good company.” There was something about his voice that made her wonder what was going through his head. Was he bothered by her pulling away? Did it surprise him that she was putting her career first? Did he not think she was capable of market research?
“What do you mean, oh, good?”
“I just mean that it’s a good company. That’s all. Do you want me to take you home?”
“Back to the bar if we could. My car is there.”
“Sure thing.” Henry then pressed a button on his door that made a little buzzing sound, and the driver answered as if it were a phone.
“Hello, sir. What can I do for you?”
“Back to the bar, please. This lovely lady needs her car.”
“Right away, sir.”
Aubrey wanted to question him about everything. The car, the driver, being called sir, but she had a feeling he was glad she didn’t. Maybe he didn’t want to talk about work or money for a reason. She just hoped he wasn’t some mob guy in a geeky undercover thing. Did those even exist? She didn’t know, but she really hoped not.
~*~
The car pulled back into the bar parking lot much too soon for her liking. And that scared her. When the door was opened, and Henry helped her out, just holding his hand made her smile. Or it could have been the post orgasmic euphoria running through her. Either way, he was responsible.
With a kiss goodnight to rival all others, Aubrey and Henry said goodbye. She could feel him watching her as she walked away, and she fought the urge to look back at him. She needed to keep her distance. It didn’t matter that he was sweet and funny and goofy and incredibly good at making her scream in unmatched pleasure. What mattered was staying focused on the market research. That was her future. Not some guy she met in a bar whose last name she didn’t even know. Even if he made her feel things she hadn’t felt in a long time. No, she would not focus on Henry anymore. She had gotten what she wanted. It was time to move on, just like every other guy. Only Henry wasn’t every other guy.
When she reached her car, she couldn’t help herself. She looked back to where he had kissed her goodnight. He was still standing there, watching her. Without a wave or any acknowledgement of his
presence, she climbed in her car. She felt like a complete bitch.
Aubrey screamed in frustration once she had completely closed her car door. No need to scare anyone over her own drama that she had created. She had no one to blame but herself… and maybe Henry’s parents since they made the perfect man. How was she supposed to stick to her guns when the perfect man was pursuing her?
She turned the key in the ignition and put the car in drive. As she left the parking lot, she figured it out.
The only way to stick to her plan of career before a man was to avoid him altogether.
Henry Hot Geeky Superhero Guy was not going to see her again. She would avoid him at all costs, and eventually, they would both be able to forget the other.
Chapter Seven
Aubrey poured over her notes again and again over the next few days. This girl was sixteen and wrote a game code so amazing that it put some seasoned gamer veterans to shame. Aubrey was never one to really get into video games, but there was a sample game in the folder. She popped the disc into the computer to check it out.
The whole game world was based on ancient Greek mythology. The male characters were scantily clad in their togas, and the women were actually well proportioned and mostly covered. She had to laugh at the complete one eighty this game was pulling on the entertainment world in general.
It wasn’t until Aubrey noticed the clock clicking over to seven thirty that she realized how immersive the game could be. She had been playing for two hours. It was more than puzzles, more than quests, and more than action. It had it all, and a compelling storyline to go with it. If all she had were a sample, she couldn’t wait to get her hands on the full version.
Just by reading the file, and playing the game, Aubrey knew that the target market was going to be female. She just had to figure out the perfect age range. She found that nine times out of ten, the best way to get that information was to ask.
Aubrey printed off a few images from the game as well as a short summary and packed up. She was going to go to all the local malls, the business district, and restaurant row, and she would ask any woman she passed. She also intended to ask the men, just to prove her thoughts were accurate.
It wasn’t until she was driving down the road heading to the mall that she realized where exactly she was. The diner that Henry took her too was on that street. Thinking of Henry made her smile and her heart ache at the same time. She took a sharp right to find a detour. No reminders. No thinking. No feelings.
It needed to be that simple. Too bad it wasn’t. It’s not as if she was in love with the guy, but Aubrey knew, if given the chance, she could be. Henry was the type of man she would fall head over heels for, and then do something to fuck it up, which would send him running and screaming. She sucked at relationships.
Most men were content with the whole fuck buddy thing. Not Henry. Why did he have to actually care? Aubrey turned her radio on and turned the volume up until she could literally feel the vibrations from the bass in her seat. If the memories insisted on invading her brain, she would wash them away with a good solid music session.
~*~
It took almost the entire week for Aubrey to actually think of something that she wanted to present to Mike. He had approached her on a few occasions asking questions about her progress, and when she didn’t have answers for him, she felt like a failure, and he looked so disappointed. It wasn’t that she didn’t know the demographic, because she did. It was that she hadn’t compiled the exact numbers to prove her theory was accurate. He wouldn’t care about a hunch. He would care what the numbers said. The day before, he didn’t ask her. He gave her a meeting time and told her to bring everything she had.
Aubrey stood outside Mike’s door for almost five minutes, just staring at it. This was it. Do or die. Either she was made for the business or she wasn’t. She knew that she was lucky to have the opportunity, but she was terrified that she would fuck it all up and lose everything. The stupid temp girl they got to fill in for Jenna was actually doing well. She could easily be her replacement.
She was never going to get out of that stupid attic. She was going to have to live with her parents and little brother forever. Her brother would move out before her. This was pointless. Aubrey looked down at the file in her hands. She worked hard on it. She put everything she had into the research and the ideas she came up with to help market it. She even put together a grass roots plan that has proven to work in other media industries. What if it weren’t as good as she thought it was when she finished the night before? What if she weren’t as good as she thought?
The door swung open, startling Aubrey. Mike stood before her with a quizzical look on his face. “Well, are you coming in or not?”
“Yes. I mean, I am. Sorry.” She knew she was rambling, but there was little she could do to stop it. Mike stepped back, holding out an arm, welcoming her in. She had been in his office many times before, but it was usually to deliver a fax or a coffee, not a presentation.
“Aubrey, I need you to be straight with me. Do you have anything?” Mike looked worried. She hadn’t meant to give him the impression she wasn’t working on anything all week, but she didn’t want to say one thing and be wrong and have to correct herself later.
“I do. I have a lot, actually. I don’t know if it’s what you were expecting, but I worked really hard on it and—”
“Take a breath. I’m sure it’s fine. Let me see the file.”
Aubrey did as he said. She took a deep breath, and with shaky and not quite steady hands, she handed over the file. She sat in the chair, but she was far from comfortable. Mike thumbed through her notes. Every now and then he would ‘hmmm’ or ‘huh’. Sometimes he would mark something down. But he didn’t say a word to her for the ten minutes it took him to browse everything she had spent the last week working on.
“Okay, tell me your findings.”
“But, you just read them all.”
“I know that, but I want to hear your pitch. I want to hear how you would explain it to the client, and how you would sell it.”
“Oh.” She hadn’t prepared for that. She began to fidget and look anywhere but at Mike.
“Aubrey, this is really good. All of it. But you have to be able to sell it. You have to be confident in your work, in yourself, and in this company. You have all these numbers and graphs and definitions in here that are all very good research. But what makes us the best company to sell it? Why should this genius girl trust our company to take her computer program and turn it into a game for all platforms? Why are we the best fit for her? Did you look at her personal bio at all or just the game?”
“The game. I can do better. I can do a cram session on the girl and get you everything before the meeting tomorrow. I promise I can do this. I’m sorry, please, give me another chance.” Every self-doubt that had ever crossed her mind rushed to the surface. She screwed up. She wasn’t good enough. She wasn’t smart enough. She wasn’t enough.
“Slow down, what you have done is really good. You have real potential, Aubrey. I want you to come to the pitch tomorrow. You are going to tell them your ideas on how to get this game in front of the right people. Just finish the file. And I will see you first thing in the morning at Baker and Baker to pitch.”
“Baker and Baker? The lawyer’s building? Why isn’t she coming here?”
“Because apparently we are in a serious competition for the business, and the girl’s mother thought it best to be at their lawyer’s office for his help andneutral ground. Is it a pain? Yes. Is it normal for people who don’t know how to read a contract? Yes to that too.”
Mike handed the file back to Aubrey before turning to his computer screen. She had been dismissed. Standing, she quickly thanked him again for the opportunity, and slipped out the door. If she were going to pull off this presentation, she needed to focus.
Sitting at her temporary desk in a little office just outside of Jenna’s office, she read about the designer of the game over and over. There
had to be some clue in there to connect with the girl, besides her game. She was a teenager. She was an artist and had won a few local awards for it, and she was really into computers and coding. None of that had any real meaning to Aubrey. She needed more. She wanted to know her favorite band, shows, foods, places to visit. Something that she could use to establish a friendly atmosphere before they started talking business.
Then she saw it. A photo of the girl wearing a headband. The same headband that was sitting on her own dresser at home. They both liked music. She could work with that.
~*~
A rapid tap tap tap echoed through the well decorated hallway. Aubrey looked around at Jenna, Mike, and a few other higher ups she didn’t really know all that well who stared back at her.
It wasn’t until then that she realized the tapping came from her. Her leg was bouncing a mile a minute and her high heel were hitting the ground. She slowed her leg to a stop and gave them all a week smile. She wanted to throw up.
Just behind the doors that stood a mere thirty feet away were the clients. And the competition. When they arrived, they had been told the earlier meeting was running late and to have a seat. Aubrey couldn’t help but wonder who was in there. It could be any number of companies in there pitching. Did any of them have the same ideas she had? Was the meeting running late because they loved the idea so much that no matter what Viola presented, it was a waste of time? Mike and Jenna sat in their chairs, reading notes or something, but completely calm. Aubrey had no idea how they managed to keep calm.
A creaking noise sounded through the hall, and all eyes landed on the doors to see who came out and what their expressions were. A dozen men walked out, none of which showed anything other than boredom, giving Aubrey a bit of hope.
The Billionaire & The Barfly (Coming Home) Page 5
