Hands now full with my dinner bag and purse, I start to open my front door when a blonde woman catches the corner of my eye.
“Oh my God! Kelly?” I exclaim.
The blonde whips around, and sure enough, it’s her. “Anna! Hi. What are you doing here?”
“I live here.” I laugh at the look of shock on her face. “Apparently we’re neighbors!”
Kelly looks from me to my front door, and then back again. “Wow. I uh—can’t believe we’ve never seen each other here before. How odd!”
“I know! This is crazy. I just moved in, so I guess it makes sense.”
“True I guess. Isn’t this place, kind of expensive?” Kelly asks, lowering her voice. “Oh my God, that’s so rude. I’m sorry.” She covers her mouth, as though the forwardness of her question shocked her.
I wave her off and smile. “Oh, I really don’t know. My parents lived here a few years ago and kept it when they moved out to Long Island. They knew I wanted to live in the city and insisted that I stay here in a building with a doorman.” I roll my eyes and Kelly offers a fleeting smile. “Hey, I just got Chinese. As usual, I ordered way too much. Want to come in and share?” I hold up the white plastic bag as proof.
Kelly looks at her door and then back at me. “Sure, that sounds nice. Let me change into something more comfortable and I’ll be right over.”
“Great!” I go inside and hurry to get plates set out and force myself to ignore the mountain of boxes that cover most of the living space floors at the moment.
Kelly knocks a few minutes later and comes inside with a bottle of wine. “Your first housewarming gift?”
“Aww. Thanks, Kelly! That’s really sweet. Sorry about the mess.”
We sit down to eat at the small bistro-style table in the nook off the kitchen.
“So, I’m dying to ask. What did Adam want?” She asks, before dividing an egg roll in half. I watch as she scoops out the filling and eats it without sauce. “After lunch, I mean.”
“Oh that?” I say, suddenly unsure of how much to say. After all, Kelly had been the one to warn me about Adam’s womanizing ways in the first place. What would she think if she knew I was going on some kind of workplace date with him? I decide to lie. “He just wanted to see how I was fitting in, I guess. The whole thing was kind of weird.”
Kelly nods. Her face is unreadable. “That’s good. Just, be careful, Anna.”
“Totally,” I reply, dunking my own egg roll in the sticky sweet sauce.
I quickly change the topic to tell Kelly about some cute guy I met at the gym a few days back. I’m doing my best to allay her fears about Adam and me. It’s probably not the best sign that I’m already lying to a co-worker on the first day, but Kelly is more like a friend now. I don’t want her to worry. Besides, it could all be in my head anyways. Adam certainly didn’t seem interested in me, so I have no real proof that he intended anything untoward, other than Kelly’s claim that she caught him checking me out.
I’m sure it will all be fine. I change the topic to ask about Kelly’s recommendations on interior design and hit a sweet spot of conversation that carries us through the rest of dinner with no other hiccups.
Chapter 8
Adam
After work, I meet my buddy Kyle at a sports bar to watch a game and have a couple pints. He straight up tells me I’m playing with fire when I recap the situation for him.
He’s right, but I quickly come up with about ten reasons why it’s going to be all right.
“Besides, dude, you don’t understand. She’s got this fire, this energy. I don’t know. I’m not explaining it right,” I stumble over my words.
This is so not like me.
Fuck.
I try to downplay it on account of the beer, but Kyle—a mid-level security analysis manager at some tech firm—has been my friend long enough to know I can hold my liquor better than most.
“I get it, Adam. She’s hot, certifiably bangable, but you work in a woman’s magazine. There are literal models wandering your office on an hourly basis!”
I cock a half smile at him. “You’re jealous.”
“Hell yes, I’m jealous. You know what my view looks like at work? I get to stare at Lloyd. He’s the constantly smelly guy who works in the cube next to my office. So really Adam, spare me,” Kyle says, laughing.
“It’s not my fault you picked a male dominated field. You want me to find you a job at Trendsetter?”
“Yeah, sure,” he jokes.
“All I’m saying dude, is be careful. This is one thing you really can’t afford to screw this up.”
“I know. One and a half billion.” I take another chug of the pint in my hand and tune into the game on the giant TV behind the bar.
I know Kyle is right. There are millions of women in this city, most of whom I haven’t fucked yet. There’s no reason to mess with Anna, and yet, I still find myself wanting her.
Sure, it can be risky, but then again, playing with fire is technically fine—it’s getting burnt that hurts. As usual, I have no intention of getting burnt.
* * *
“Thank God it’s Friday,” I groan to myself as I stumble out of bed the next morning. The alarm clock started beeping at six thirty, and after three go-rounds with the snooze button, I’m finally getting up and starting the day.
This waking up early in the morning shit needs to stop. Seriously, how do people do this day in and day out for decades?
I shudder at the thought.
By the time I get into the shower, my mind is completely over the early wakeup and stuck on the thought of taking Anna out on a date, which I conveniently label as a work-related outing that just so happens to be outside the office and outside of business hours.
Thinking about what she might be wearing—and what she might have on underneath that—gets me off with minimal effort under the hot spray of water.
See, now that’s the kind of thing that’s going to get you in trouble, I chide myself as I go about the rest of my morning routine.
The day turns out to be a colossal waste of time. My father in his infinite wisdom, lines up a series of presentations for me to sit through. Something like a crash course in how to run the company. CEO 101 or something. He has business analysts, accountants, and managerial specialists parading through my office for nine straight hours.
By the time the clock hits six, my brain is beyond resuscitation.
That is, until Anna appears in my doorway. Except for in my vivid fantasies, I haven’t seen her since yesterday afternoon. Damn, she looks even more tempting than I remember.
Something about forbidden fruit—it’s just too sweet to deny.
“Am I early?” Anna asks, glancing at the white gold watch on her wrist. She’s styled to perfection in a turquoise colored wrap dress that compliments her naturally tanned skin—probably from basketball or something. It’s a sleeveless number that shows off her toned arms with every move she makes. There is a chunky silver belt around her slim waist that only makes me stare at her perfectly flared hips even more. The top of the dress isn’t nearly low cut enough, but I can still see a hint of cleavage. She completes her look with sky high nude pumps and a small beaded clutch that she grips in one slender fingered hand.
“Right on time,” I answer. I shrug my jacket back on over my black dress shirt and saunter across the floor to join her. “My driver should already be waiting for us out front.”
She nods and I offer her my arm which she takes, silently nodding her thanks.
“So, where are we going again?” Anna asks once we are tucked inside the backseat of the black town car.
“It’s a club opening. A re-launch, if you want to be really specific. I was invited months ago, and had declined, but since joining Trendsetter I figured I would go and turn it into a PR opportunity. I may not have a fancy degree, but I know enough to see the magazine is struggling in the coveted 18-32 age demographic. Those are the buyers in this city, and anyone in that age range who
has any sway will be at the party tonight.”
“Impressive,” Anna replies, flashing me a killer smile.
“I know. Not just a handsome face.” I throw her a wink.
She laughs. “So, you invited me because you want social media coverage. Makes sense.”
“Actually, I invited you because I wanted to see what you’re like outside the office. You’re young, Anna. You should be free to have a little fun sometimes. If you ask me, you’ve spent way too much of your twenties head first in a pile of textbooks. It’s not natural.”
She laughs. “Wow. That’s flattering. You know, you keep reminding me how young I am, but I have to remind you that you’re only two years older than me.”
“Fair enough. The difference is that I’m out here, you know, living life.”
“Mmmm. Is that what you call it?” She shifts her gaze out the window.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
Her eyes snap back to mine, sparkling in the low lighting of the interior of the car. “I know that not everything written about you is true, but I’d be willing to bet that a good twenty five to thirty percent is in fact reality. Or at least your version of it. So if that’s the case it means that according to you, living life means random hookups, parties, heavy libation and general bad behavior. You’ll have to excuse me if I don’t seem too interested in your worldview and philosophies on how I should spend my twenties.”
The same irritation and anger from Anna’s interview is bubbling up inside me at her indictment. “You think you got me all figured out just because some trashy magazine tells you who they think I am?”
The car glides to a stop outside of the club. The music is pouring out into the street and momentarily distracts both of us from the heated exchange we just shared. My pulse is racing in time with the loud bass and I know I need to get it together.
Screw her. Who cares what she thinks?
The problem is that it doesn’t work like it normally would, because somehow, I find that I actually do care what she thinks.
Doug, my driver, circles the car and opens the door for Anna. She gives me a backward glance before accepting Doug’s gloved hand and letting him help her from the vehicle. I shake my head and follow her out onto the sidewalk.
As soon as my shoes hit the sidewalk there is a sea of flashing lights and voices calling over the roar of the crowd to get my attention.
“Adam! Adam, over here!” Reporters and paparazzi call from every angle.
Ahead of me, Anna seems frozen in place. I take two large steps and catch up to her. She says something but I can’t hear her words over the crowd. I wrap a protective arm around her shoulder and lead her inside the club, straight past the bouncer and security team who recognize me without ID.
Inside the club is a sea of tranquility by comparison, although the music is still bumping. A swarm of people are mobbed together on the dance floor, their bodies intertwined with heat, passion, and raw sexual energy.
A cocktail waitress with tits so big I don’t know how she stays upright, immediately leads us to the roped off VIP section when I give her my name. The VIP area is much quieter than the main part of the club. I look around and see sound-blocking panels hung above the section.
I settle onto one of the booths and wait for Anna to join me.
“I’m going to go get some shots,” she announces.
“Allow me,” I say, tugging her wrist so she sits down. “I need a vodka on the rocks anyways.”
Anna stares at me for a moment and then rolls her eyes. She holds up her cell. “I meant pictures. You know, for Trendsetter.”
“Right.” I laugh. “I know. I was just testing you.”
She looks less than convinced. “I’ll be back in a little while.”
I nod and flag down a scantily clad cocktail waitress and order my drink. She returns with my drink in record time. I smile in appreciation as I slide a large tip across the table to her. As I sip on the drink, I scan the room until my eyes land on Anna. She is busy climbing over a chair—as much as her dress will allow—and weaving around the outskirts of the crowd, snapping pictures like a high fashion paparazzi on her phone.
I try to laugh, but the girl has me rattled. Instead, I throw back the rest of my drink, letting the burn slide down my throat and settle in my stomach.
Anna is on the outskirts of the dance floor, and I decide I’ve waited long enough. I get up and go around the opposite side of the room. When we meet at the other end, in one fluid motion I pull her out onto the floor. I snatch her phone out of her hand and shove it into my pants pocket.
“Hey!” The rest of her protest gets lost in the upswing of the music.
“You told me you can have fun. Prove it.” I challenge.
She stares me down for a moment, but then shakes her body loose and starts moving to the music.
Holy shit. As I watch her start to sway her hips, I realize I just passed GO. I had to have her.
Tonight.
I grab her hips and back her up against me on the floor. She grinds her ass into my crotch, returning my dare. She starts swiveling her hips in small circles that have my cock rock hard in a blink of an eye. I pull her against me so she can feel the effect she’s having and to my surprise, she doesn’t back away.
I twirl her around and drag her close to me so that her tits are heaving against my chest. She locks her eyes on me, throws her arms in the air and shimmies her hips against me. I’m utterly transfixed as she runs her hands through her hair and tosses her dark locks over her shoulders before spinning back and rubbing her ass on me again.
I would have paid the DJ anything to keep going, but after the five minutes in heaven, the tune changes and downshifts to give people a breaking point, likely to entice them to go buy more drinks.
“That was fun,” Anna laughs as she catches her breath.
Fun is one word for it. My personal choice of phrase would have been hot as fuck.
Before I can make another move, she steps off the floor and goes back to our booth in the VIP area. The waitress reappears and Anna orders a vodka cranberry and I order another vodka on the rocks.
“Listen, Adam, I’m sorry about what I said in the car. That was entirely out of line on my part,” Anna says, her face suddenly serious. “You’re right. I don’t know who you are as a person and I shouldn’t judge based on what some gossip trolls say about you.”
Just like that, she shocks the hell out of me for the second time this evening. “Thank you, Anna. That means a lot actually. For what it’s worth, I judged you—misjudged you—the day of your interview. I think you’ll do well at Trendsetter.”
“Thanks.”
The waitress drops off our drinks. “To a fresh start,” I say, raising my glass in a toast.
Anna smiles and clinks her glass to mine before we each take a sip.
Chapter 9
Adam
The night passes quickly as we burn through a couple more drinks. We talk about our joint experiences at Columbia, our parents, likes and dislikes. Over the course of the evening, it becomes more and more obvious just how much we have in common with each other. We both led a privileged life and have famous parents, spent a lot of time in Manhattan, have traveled to a lot of the same places, and have similar taste in music, movies, and food.
As our conversation winds down, Anna shows me the shots she took on her phone and starts uploading them to the Trendsetter web properties. Less than fifteen minutes later, she shows me that there is already a buzz in response to the new posts.
I know I should be excited about the business stuff, but all I can think about is how to get Anna back on the dance floor again so she can let loose on my cock. Before I can figure it out, we are approached by two women. They both cut right past Anna and latch onto me.
“Hey handsome!” The shorter of the two says to me. She is still probably 5’9, and very curvy. She looks familiar, but I can’t place her.
“Good evening, ladies,” I drawl.
“You’re Adam Gerome, right?” The taller one asks, and I can practically see the dollar signs or similarly shady ulterior motives flashing in her eyes. “That’s so amazing!”
Anna smirks and I glance over at her.
“Everything all right?” I ask her.
“Yes. Definitely. Listen, it’s getting late. I’m going to call it a night. Have a good time with them, though.” Her eyes flick towards the doors and I’m not sure if she is testing me to see if I’ll try to make her stay, or if she’s simply tracing out a path through the crowd.
The two woman write her off and turn their attention back to me. The shorter one already has her hand so high on my thigh she’s going to hit pay dirt at any second.
Anna gives me one last look and then turns and darts away. I watch as long as I can, until Anna is out the door.
“What’s her problem?” The taller one asks, giving me a duck face pout.
“Jealous!” The other one cackles.
“Listen, ladies, it’s been a treat, but I gotta go.”
They protest, but it doesn’t matter, I’m already halfway gone.
I get outside and look both ways, before catching a glimpse of Anna through the loitering crowd waiting to get in. I jog to catch up to her. “You know, if I didn’t know any better, I would say you were jealous back there,” I say, sidling up to her.
“Adam?” She stops in her tracks and stares at me.
“Come on, just admit it,” I tease.
She starts walking again, this time at a faster clip. “Hardly. I don’t usually make it a point to compete with anyone. Really, you should have stayed with them. I’m sure they would have given you a far more exciting night than chasing me down the sidewalk in the freezing cold.”
For the first time, I notice she’s shivering. No small wonder, considering her dress is made of some skimpy fabric I can’t name. I whip my jacket off and wrap her shoulders with it. “Better?”
She hesitates to take it, but the warmth seems to win out because she snuggles into the heavy wool and nods. “Yes. Thank you.”
The Billionaire's Seduction Page 14
