by Cynthia Dane
Alice really needed to get her shit together. It was one thing to indulge in the occasional daydream during her downtime. Quite another to get fired over it. Because no matter what Candice says, I can’t rely on a man I’ve barely started dating to take care of me financially. Even though it was totally his fault she kept getting fired.
By the time her shift ended, she had flubbed through four more parties, backed Rochelle’s workload up five times more than it should have been, and accidentally loaded one newbie waiter with so many diners that the other, more experienced waiters were about to stage a coup at the front of the restaurant. Scott had to call Alice over to explain that these waiters relied a lot on tips… as if she were new to this business!
Hours later, Alice ascended the stairs to her apartment, head hanging low and muscles sore from being on her feet all day – and from bearing the weight of her shame. She was supposed to be damn good at her job. How many years had she put into it? How many places had she worked? Blue Bird wasn’t the best, but it should’ve been easy in terms of knowing how to behave and diffuse situations.
There was a term for her condition. “Dick Drunk,” or something like that.
She reached her door. Something was taped above the handle.
Alice snatched it before entering the dark apartment. Once the light was on, she tossed her bag and keys onto the kitchen counter and opened the folded paper.
“My dearest Alice…”
Gasping, Alice stole into her bedroom, even though she was the only one home.
“I’ve thought about you every waking moment you’ve been absent from my life,” she read, the handwritten words blurring before her. “In a perfect world, I’d be able to summon you to my side whenever I wish. Until then, however, I’ll have to make due with asking you to stop by my office tomorrow when you get off work.”
He left her an address and a polite request that she be patient in case he was busy.
The letter fluttered to the bed. Alice flopped back, the first real smile of the day blooming on her face.
Chapter 15
Alice never thought much of high-rise offices. Not only had she rarely been in them before, but they were… just there. Some were messy. Some were sparse. They all smelled of capitalism, whatever that actually smelled like.
Then she found herself bent over a leather chaise lounge, the skirt she hastily put on after work ripped above her hips while the most demanding man she knew gave her a taste of what he really wanted from her.
“Does it feel good?” Monroe murmured in her ear, the eagerness in his voice cascading against her skin while his cock almost brought her to orgasm. “Tell me now.”
“Y… yes.” Alice had no breath. Her lips rubbed against the leather in front of her face, involuntarily, for every thrust she received pushed her head forward. “Please don’t stop.”
It was another case of no clothes off and a quickie that would make her come physically but leave her wanting emotionally. Monroe had made that clear when he was finally able to see her fifteen minutes ago. Before that, Alice spent an hour in his waiting room, wondering why she had bothered to rush to change in the Blue Bird bathroom instead of taking her time in the much nicer restroom here. She had seen it twice in an hour. Gold fixtures and crystal-lined sinks. Were the countertops marble? Who cared when they were the least interesting things in the room?
And why the hell was she thinking about the damned bathroom now when the man who could easily be her boyfriend fucked her?
She had officially reached the point where she couldn’t believe how easy it was to jump into sex, let alone get off within ten minutes. Monroe may have been determined to come as quickly as possible, since he was the busiest man around, but he wouldn’t let Alice leave his office until she had her fun too. No wonder every firm thrust hit her right where it mattered most, and even though he could not kiss her, Alice still experienced waves of affection hypnotizing her.
“Fuck me harder,” she whimpered, fingers digging into the leather beneath her face. “Please! I’m almost there!”
Monroe did better than that – he slapped her ass, sending her right over the edge.
“Shit!” Alice braced herself for orgasm, but how could a woman brace herself for the torrent of pleasure wracking her body without any warning? Didn’t matter she now knew what to expect when he came only a moment behind her. It still caught her by wondrous surprise, an absolute feast for her more sensual senses.
“I swear,” Monroe muttered, easing his cock out of her, thumbs keeping her thighs spread apart. “You keep seducing me like this, I’ll have to keep you under lock and key so I can finish my work every day.”
Alice tried to sit up, but her fatigue was too strong. It didn’t help the man was holding her down, enraptured with the way his seed spilled from her opening. It’s gonna get all over your furniture! That’s probably what he wanted. Sick bastard. Alice smiled against the back of her curling hand.
“Seducing you, huh? You’re the one who asked me to come here.”
“Yes, and I had my wits about me until you walked in here.” Monroe finally released her and zipped up his trousers. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say your goal is to fuck me as much as possible.” Alice rolled onto her back, chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath and enjoy the chemicals in her brain at the same time. Monroe leaned down, mouth meeting hers. “You’re up to no good, Ms. Culver.”
She giggled against his lips. “Maybe…” His tie tangled in her hand. “I’ve been thinking about you a lot too.”
Monroe gave her another kiss. Why did he have to stand back up so quickly? “I’m going to Chicago for a series of meetings next week,” he announced. His cuffs readjusted as he returned to his desk. What was Alice supposed to do? Remained fucked and stuffed on the chaise lounge and hope nobody noticed? “I want you to come with me. I’ll spoil you until you feel no different from a queen.”
At first she was elated at such an invitation. “I have work.”
“Quit your job. You don’t need it if you’re my girlfriend.”
Quit my job? Alice sat up, eyes wide in wonder. “I can’t do that!” His other words finally hit her. “Wait… your girlfriend?”
Monroe leaned back in his executive office chair. “At this point I can’t help but start thinking of you as my girlfriend. That comes with many perks. Travel, fine food, all the shoes and handbags your heart desires…” He tossed one leg over the other, chuckling. “Me, of course. I can’t promise you my undivided attention all the time, but I can promise that you’re my whole world when we are together.”
Alice stood, forgetting how mussed her clothing was as she approached his desk. “You’re serious? You’re gonna be my boyfriend?”
“I hope to be more than that, Alice.”
She picked up a diamond paperweight. Until a week or so ago, she would have assumed this was very nice glass. Now she knew better. The way the stone rolled in her hand, threatening to cut her skin if she wasn’t careful, seemed a perfect reflection of her relationship with Damon Monroe. Yet I can’t stop falling for him. Alice peered over the paperweight, aghast that a man could be so good looking. He slumped in his chair, but it wasn’t for a lack of proper breeding or knowledge of good posture. Monroe was ridiculously handsome even when he cut loose for a whole five minutes. Enjoying the afterglow of his orgasm, I see. Knowing that she helped him with that? Made it hotter. Alice put the paperweight down.
“Let’s take things a step at a time.” Yes, that sounded good. Diplomatic. Level-headed. Alice may feel like fresh Jell-O when she was in Monroe’s presence, but that didn’t mean this Jell-O lacked a brain. “You wanna go steady? I can go steady with you. Never called a billionaire my boyfriend before. Could be fun.”
“Going steady… yes.” The chair creaked as he pushed forward, elbows leaning against the desk. “Contrary to what you may think of a man like me, Ms. Culver, I think you’ll be pleasantry surprised at how… shall we say, committed… I can
be. Like I’ve said before, I don’t date indiscriminately. I would only date a woman I see myself being fully committed to.”
That was definitely one way to promise he wouldn’t be a cheating bastard. Is it sad I sort of expected him to be? Alice refused to consider the impossible: that Monroe was actually so in love with her that the rest of his life was already falling into place. Easier to think of herself as a temporary fascination. That much she would take from Candice’s worldly views. I don’t want to be made a fool of. Or have her heart trashed. Now was the time to have her fun, sexually and otherwise. Did Matt ever promise to take care of her like this? Pfft! No. Being a doctor’s wife would’ve been a good gig, but safe to say that a billionaire beat that out.
“So, Chicago,” Alice said cheerily. “Let me see what I can do about work. What did you have in mind?”
He plucked her hand off the desk and softly kissed it, letting her skin linger against his cheek. “I want to treat you like you’ve never been treated before… both in public, and in the bedroom.”
Alice shifted between feet, teeth chomping down on her lip. “Oh.” Whatever that meant. “Sounds nice.”
“I’ll give you more details after I sort them out, but I intend on introducing you more to the world I have in mind for us. Because if you want to really be my girlfriend, Alice,” his sharp eyes flickered up toward her, “then you’ll be the kind of woman who still wants me, even after knowing the darkest parts of me.”
“Oh…”
“But to start,” Monroe released her hand and pulled a paper in front of him. Looked official. “I’ll make sure you’re plenty pampered by the time we take off in my jet. How does a day at the spa and a shopping trip sound? You should dress your best for some of the parties we’re going to in Chicago.”
Alice couldn’t stop the smile cracking her face. “I haven’t been to the spa in forever.” The last time she went was with her mother. Hm. Seemed silly to go by herself. “Can my friend Candice come too?” Why not ask? Not like he couldn’t afford a spa day for two. “She’s also my roommate. I mean, I understand if you say no, but it’s not much fun to go by my…”
“She can go too. My treat.” Monroe signed the paper before pulling another one on top of it. How could a man write a signature with so many flourishes and not make a mess of it? “I’ll have Ms. Clayborn arrange everything. She’ll be in contact with you regarding the details.”
Not like she didn’t know where Alice and Candice lived. “When will I see you again?”
He spared her a soft look. “Soon, I hope. Might not be until we take off. When we get back from Chicago, I will take a look at my schedule to make sure it’s more agreeable to a romantic relationship.”
Before she left, he got up and kissed her one last time. The kiss could have transformed into something more, but Monroe had work to get back to, and Alice was ready to head home if they weren’t going to do anything together. He promised to call downstairs and have a car waiting for her. That information danced in her hand as she fixed her clothing and grabbed her purse. So did something else.
“Damon,” she began, seeing a copy of The Wall Street Journal on the coffee table, “did you know that we were in one of the tabloids last week?”
“Of course we were.” He didn’t look up at her. “I arranged it.”
“You… arranged it?”
“Big news, isn’t it? A man like me being publically seen with an unknown woman. I knew those vultures would be there. I also knew I wanted the whole world to see me with you. So, they did.”
Alice didn’t pretend to understand. She said her adieus and showed herself out of his office… and into the nearest restroom.
He wants me to be his girlfriend. He wants to spoil me. He wants to take care of me. Alice combed her hair in front of the large mirror in a dark bathroom. A gold box full of petal soft tissues became her best friend as she fixed her makeup and washed parts of her body so she didn’t smell like the mess of sex when she left. Even though his scent is now all over me. Alice held up her jacket collar and inhaled. Flowers never smelled so good on her.
The woman looking back at her in the mirror was nothing special. She was still young, and being blond was on her side, but aside from that, what was so special about her face covered in drug store makeup and sporting a high nose and cheekbones too low to match? She wasn’t ugly. She was plain. Normal. Boring. Her breasts weren’t big and her hips hilariously non-existent. What was so damn impressive about her? Why would a man, who could and did have anyone he wanted, be so taken by her? One thing for him to pick her out in his club because of some stupid ritual he had. Quite another for him to repeatedly seek her out and ask to initiate her in his dark world of depravity.
Oh, well. She had done crazier things in her life, right? Right.
Alice zipped her purse shut and walked into the main reception area of Monroe’s executive office. Ultra-modern with floor-to-ceiling windows, stark furniture, and a myriad of people dressed in pristine clothes and no hairs out of place, the whole room harkened back to Alice’s day hosting at a Japanese-French fusion restaurant. Dark days.
She passed the receptionist’s desk, set apart in the center of the huge room with a giant “MONROE INDUSTRIES, INC.” sign hanging above her head. The woman’s body moved effortlessly as she answered phones, worked on a computer, and wrote down appointments using the kind of pen Alice knew cost thousands of dollars. She had to look away before the woman, with hundreds of beautiful black braids pulled back into a low ponytail and wearing a Queen Anne peach-colored dress, looked up at her with eyes that glared, “What are you doing here? Oh, another one. Go on. Your clothes are too cheap to be here.” Unfortunately for Alice’s preconceived notions about the people Monroe employed directly beneath him, the receptionist had done nothing but pleasantly smile at her so far. A frosted glass nameplate said Alisha House. Canary yellow nails drummed on the floating desk. Now that was the kind of gorgeous woman Damon Monroe would date. Maybe they have dated before. She had wondered that about Ms. Clayborn too, even though that woman was so plain she made Alice look like the supermodel Monroe claimed her to be.
She saw a Clayborn when she turned around. It was not the Miss Clayborn at all.
Alice didn’t know how the two assistants were related. Married? Siblings? None of that mattered when Mr. Nigel Clayborn, with his quick reflexes, snatched Alice by the arm and half-dragged her to a conference room. “Hey!” Alice called out, stumbling as this guy made off with her. “Excuse you!”
She barely had enough time to realize she was being kidnapped before she was tossed into the conference room and the door locked behind her. Locked! What was this? Another one of Monroe’s crazy sex schemes?
“Ah, Ms. Culver.” A voice from the lighted windows summoned her attention. “That is your name, right?”
Alice regathered her bearings before acknowledging the man in the room with her. Two men, actually. The first one she saw was a stoic bodyguard standing with his hands crossed in front of him. His suit was crisp and freshly pressed against his large, broad body.
Then there was the man sitting at the head of the conference table. Tall. Gangly. Silver-haired. A force to be reckoned with. He owned the building, after all.
“Yeah… yes,” Alice stuttered. “That’s my name.”
Russell Monroe turned his body toward her. That was not a welcoming expression on his face. “Alice Marie Culver. Born on Long Island, a New York girl at heart.” His arms folded on the table. “Does that sound about right?”
Creepy, but right. “Can I help you, sir?”
Russell glanced at his bodyguard. “She wants to cut to the chase, Sam.” The bodyguard flinched with a smile. “All right. I’ll cut to the chase. How much is my son paying you for your services, young lady?”
Alice gasped. “I’m… I’m not!” The audacity! Nothing wrong with being a professional lover or girlfriend, but Alice doubted that Russell Monroe was a big fan of treating such women as human beings.
“He’s not paying me anything!”
“Worse than I feared, then. Too bad. Because I was going to offer to pay double your rate for the next six months if you cut him off. Do you have a rate now?”
Alice was too aghast to properly respond.
“I’ll take that look as a no.” Russell sighed, although a grin remained on his face. At least I know where Damon gets that smirk from. There was nothing cheeky in Russell’s expression, though. “Fine. Then let me be blunt, Ms. Culver.” Nope. Him saying her name was not sexy at all. “My son is not available to you. I don’t care what he’s said or what he’s offered you. Do you understand? You are not now, or ever will be, his girlfriend. There are far better prospects out there for my son, if he insists on getting serious about dating now of all times.”
Alice swallowed. “With all due respect, sir, Damon’s gotta be thirty years old.”
“Yes, a grand age, isn’t it? I remember when I was thirty. I had a marriage of convenience. Should’ve done the same for him. Cut the chaff out much easier. Less messy.”
What the hell do I say? Alice took a step back. “Excuse me, sir. I really must be going.” Could someone please unlock this door for her?
“I don’t think you understood me, Ms. Culver.” There went the grandfatherly demeanor. “I don’t want to see you around here again. I warned you once. I’ve warned you twice now. Do not make me warn you a third time. The third time will not be so cordial.”
Alice nodded. Anything to make this man leave her alone.
“I’m sure you’re a lovely woman, Ms. Culver. Smart, too, am I correct? My son does not trifle with ignorant women, that much I can say about him. Be that as it may, though, I cannot afford to have my family infiltrated by a stained woman such as yourself. Do us both a favor and move on. If it’s money you’re after, we may be able to work out some sort of arrangement.”
The conference room door opened, Mr. Clayborn standing on the other side, ready to escort Alice out.
