She slipped on 3 inch stiletto heels that matched the black skirt and jacket she had on. She’d paired the business suit with a baby pink silk tank top and a pearl necklace and earrings. Her hair was loose down her back, half pulled back from her face.
She grabbed her little black purse. It was bigger than her normal clutch purses that she favored. But this one could hold more, like mace. Locking the door to the apartment, she made her way to the street. She took a cab ride down to the office.
“I’m Rebecca.” The friendly voice that had extended the job offer to her belonged to a lovely brunette with friendly brown eyes. She couldn’t have been taller than 5’2” so she was tiny compared to Gwen in heels. “How very nice to meet you. Let’s get started with all this boring paperwork then I’ll take you on a tour and show you where your office is.”
“Ok. Thanks.” Gwen smiled at her. Over the next hour she filled out all the necessary paperwork. Rebecca had been working on the computer across the hall from the table that Gwen was sitting at. When Gwen stood in the doorway with the stack of paperwork, Rebecca pushed back from the desk. She took the stack of papers and slid it into a file folder before placing it to the desk.
“You ready for some fun? This is my favorite part of hiring someone new. I’ll show you all the sections of the business and then I’ll show you where you will need to show up on Monday.” Rebecca seemed a little more excited than Gwen expected from a Human Resource person. “Sorry, I’m not creative at all but I love the inner workings of design. Plus, I’m behind this desk all day and it’s nice to walk around for a bit. Plus, I get to peek in on what everyone is doing.”
“I bet! I don’t know how you sit behind a desk and do paperwork all day.” Gwen laughed. She didn’t think she could do it. She followed as Rebecca walked to the bank of elevators. She pushed the up button. They were on the first floor so the only thing lower was the parking garage. Rebecca gestured at Gwen’s feet.
“I like your shoes. I don’t think I could even walk in heels that tall. You make it look easy.” Rebecca said looking at her own flat ballet type slip on shoes.
“Lots of practice. I started to wear them because they make your legs look good. Now I feel awkward if I wear flat shoes.” Gwen laughed as she rocked up onto her toes. She looked up as the doors of the elevator dinged and slid open. Her eyes first saw a shiny pair of dress shoes before gliding up a pair of dark grey slacks with hands tucked into the pockets. A black dress shirt was tucked in and a black, white and grey tie drew her eyes up to a pair of very familiar broad shoulders. She just raised an eye brow as her eyes met those striking green eyes. He’d been leaning against the back of the elevator but he pushed to stand at his full height, crossing his arms across his chest when Rebecca ushered her into the elevator.
“Ah, uh, I suppose no better time to meet the boss.” Rebecca cleared her throat. “Gwen, this is Mr. Cressley. He is the owner and CEO of MHKR. Mr. Cressley, this is Gwen. She is our newest employee.” Rebecca made unnecessary introductions, not that she knew it. She pushed a button on the wall and the doors slid shut.
“We have met. I interviewed her last week when Bethany was ill but thank you for the introduction.” Cole’s voice was the cooler tone that he used with Gwen when he had interviewed her.
“I was unaware, Sir. I am just giving her the tour before showing her where she’ll be working.” Rebecca lowered her eyes. Gwen looked from the girl to Cole.
“It is nice to see you again Mr. Cressley.” Gwen held out her hand. Cole’s eyes ran up her body slowly and when they met hers, it sent a shiver of anticipation through her. He took her hand in both of his, giving it a squeeze.
“Yes, it is.” Cole’s voice warmed. Gwen mouthed ‘I want you’ to him before slowly licking her lips. He tilted his head just slightly at her mouthed words. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly. The doors slid open on the third floor.
“Have a good day, sir.” Rebecca gestured for Gwen to step out. Gwen stepped just over the threshold before turning to look at Cole.
“Yes, have a good day. Sir.” Gwen smiled at him. He crossed his arms again and nodded with a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. The doors closed as Gwen turned back to follow Rebecca down the hall. “Is he always like that?”
“Yes. Mr. Cressley isn’t always the friendliest person. But he knows his stuff for sure. Plus, he is a very generous employer. He treats his employees very well. We get bonus checks and huge company parties are thrown at lavish locations multiple times a year.” Rebecca shrugged. “I’ve worked here for four years now and it’s been a great four years. I can’t think of a better place to work.”
“Even if the boss man is mean?” Gwen asked. Rebecca’s eyes snapped to her.
“Oh, not mean. Just… I guess you could say, he is short. He is a very busy man and he expects things to be done right the first time and for you to know what you are doing. I’ve never seen him yell or even raise his voice with anyone. I don’t think anyone has.” Rebecca opened a door and ushered Gwen in. Inside was a huge open room. There were rows and rows of material bundles. “This is the material room. We have more in other rooms if there is something specific that you are looking for and can’t find but this is the biggest and most used. Also, each designer is allotted funds to purchase other fabric if you should decide to.”
“Yes, I’m actually quite familiar with this room.” Gwen smiled at her. She remembered a few times when she’d been so frustrated trying to find the right material she thought would go good with Victoria’s designs not so long ago. “Remember I was an assistant. Speaking of, will I have my own assistant?”
“You sure will. I think we have someone who would work perfectly with you and it was decided that she be your first assistant. Of course if the two of you don’t get a long, we can always find someone new to fill the position.” Rebecca said as they went back down the hallway. Gwen followed her to other floors in the building and through other locations she would be visiting in the process of designing clothes. Eventually, she pressed the button for the 25th floor. “Now I will show you to your space.”
Gwen took note that she was on the same floor that she’d been on when she worked for Victoria. There were over 10 floors of space for designers in this building alone. There were 30 floors in the building and every one of them was designated for something in the fashion industry. There was even a weight room for those who wanted to keep in shape before or after work. They also had a couple nutritionists on staff to help anyone that wanted help to keep with the fashion lifestyle. Rebecca led her to a large wooden door that had her name on a placard to the side of it.
“And this is your space.” Rebecca said as a large smile spread across her face. She opened the door to reveal an open room with large tables, bare mannequins and a table with pencils, scissors and other various supplies she might need. Gwen looked at it all a bit in awe.
“Wow. Okay. I… yeah.” Gwen didn’t have words for what she felt. A dream turned into reality. Something she’d worked so hard for. At times, she didn’t think it would ever happen for her. It was here, right in front of her. Her own design studio.
“Everything you should need to get started is here.” Rebecca stood, hand still on the door knob. “There will be a meeting Monday morning to introduce you to the other designers. They will lay out the upcoming shows and you will find out your first deadline.”
“Okay. 9am, right?” Gwen figured the schedule would be about the same. They would have a monthly check in with the Vice President of the Design department. Her hands itched to sit down at one of the stations and start drawing but she would wait until Monday. She had plenty of time to work, not to mention she had plenty of unused sketches at home. She was excited to find out when her first show with MHKR would be and to get everything started.
“That’s correct. I forget you’ve worked with us before.” Rebecca smiled. “Let’s head back down and get all your keys and passes settled before I let you get to your last Friday free
from work.”
Gwen touched the placard with her name on it while Rebecca locked the door. Once at the elevators, she pressed the down arrow. She turned back to Gwen.
“Do you have any questions?” Rebecca said as the doors slid open. Gwen almost laughed when she saw Cole standing in the elevator again. Rebecca coughed, clearly surprised. Gwen smirked and stepped into the elevator turning her back to him as Rebecca pushed the button for the first floor that was already illuminated.
“I don’t have any right now. But if I think of any questions, I’ll be sure to contact you.” Gwen pushed her hair over her shoulder as she looked at Rebecca. She was standing with her back to the side of the elevator so she could see Gwen and Cole. She cleared her throat and nodded to Gwen. “So any plans for the weekend?”
“Um. I was planning on hunting down a new pair of shoes.” Rebecca flicked her eyes from Gwen to Cole as she spoke softly to Gwen.
“Shoes. Now that is something I do love.” Gwen laughed. She kicked out one foot so it resting on just the thin heel. “I have more shoes than most people would consider normal.”
“I love to look at shoes, but actual shopping just isn’t nearly as fun for me. I have such a hard time finding flats that are cute and not extremely expensive.” Rebecca gave Gwen a half smile. “It’s funny because I have no problem spending money on clothes but how much shoes can cost makes me cringe.”
“I can see that. I remember when I was younger not having any money to spend on shoes so now I guess I go a bit crazy making sure I’ll never have to worry about that again.” Gwen cringed as that personal tidbit left her lips but it was getting easier to share details of her life. But it also brought to her mind the call she’d received which sent a shiver down her spine. She wiped her sweaty palms on the side of her dress and looked up to see how many floors she’d be trapped in this awkward situation. She turned back to look at Cole. “Any plans for you, sir?”
“Nothing concrete yet.” He smiled at her but the smile slipped off his face when he caught Rebecca looking at him. “Was thinking of taking my girlfriend out of town to get away for a bit.”
“Oh?” Gwen looked down at the floor and took a breath. “Must be a very lucky woman to have snagged a man like you.”
“Hm. I think she’s pretty special myself.” Cole nearly reached out for her, but caught himself. He turned his attention to Rebecca. “Where would you want to go if you could go anywhere?”
“Um, I think Duck, North Carolina is pretty. My last boyfriend took me there for a weekend and it was pretty fantastic.” Rebecca shrugged. “But that was years ago.”
“Duck? Really? That’s the name? I’ve never heard of it.” Gwen laughed.
“I actually own a property there. It is remarkable.” Cole said coolly as his finger tapped against the railing along the wall of the elevator behind him.
Chapter 29
Finally the elevator stopped at the first floor. Gwen watched as Rebecca visibly relaxed and stepped off. Gwen couldn’t help herself. She moved a bit closer to Cole so she had to look up at him.
“It was nice to see you sexy.” Gwen spoke softly so that Rebecca didn’t overhear. To her surprise, he looked over her and spoke to Rebecca.
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to speak privately with Ms. Black for a moment. She’ll meet you back in your office when I am through speaking to her.” Cole said pushing the close button on the elevator. Rebecca’s eyes widened but she nodded and turned to leave as the doors slid shut. Cole pressed the top floor button and swiped something from his pocket over a monitor on the wall. “Now we will have a few moments of privacy.”
“Is there something you need to speak to me about? Privately?” Gwen leaned back against the side of the elevator. Cole moved quickly and had her pressed to the side of the elevator before she could blink.
“Yes. I think there is.” He said before pressing his lips to hers as he palmed the back of her head and her hip, pulling her to him even as he was pressing her against the side of the elevator. His lips parted and he tilted his head to kiss her deeper. He pulled back from her after a moment. “I hope you like your office. I personally made sure everything was ready for your arrival this morning.”
“It’s wonderful. Thank you.” Gwen smiled up at him. He was so tall and she loved that she had to look up to see his face. She ran her hands up his arms and over his shoulders to link her hands behind his neck. “Have you really just been riding the elevator waiting to catch me?”
“Absolutely not. I had my assistant let me know when you were heading to the elevator. She’s been following your movements since you first arrived. I had to know that your first visit here went well.” He smiled softly at her and shrugged.
“Did you now? Here I thought at least once had been a coincidence.” Gwen leaned up to give him a quick kiss. “I must admit I like the possibility of randomly running into you when I’m at work.”
“Yes. I think I rather enjoy the idea myself.” He slipped his hand to her lower back and pulled her against his rigid erection. “Although this will be a bit awkward to deal with.”
Gwen bit her lip looking up into his eyes. "Want to make a fantasy of mine happen?” She gave him sexy eyes as she bunched her knee length skirt up until she could slip her hands under it. She hooked her thumbs in either side and pulled them down off her hips, they fell to the floor on their own. She lifted them with one of her heels and bunched it in her hand before shoving them into one of Cole’s pockets. “You’ll have to make it quick though.” She gently bit his lip before turning in his arms to rub her ass against his erection. She pulled her skirt up over her ass revealing that she was wearing thigh high stockings, causing Cole to groan.
Cole looked at her with a look of amusement on his face, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I see I'm not the only one turned on." With her hands on the rail along the side, she circled her hips against him.
"Just fuck me. We don't have much time." Gwen groaned as she looked up at the numbers on the elevator signaling they had 20 floors before they reached the top. Cole quickly unzipped his slacks and pulled his thick cock out. He aligned his hips and pressed slowly into her, holding onto her hips as he slowly filled her. He pulled back slowly before slamming deep in her, hard. He quickly started moving faster and harder. Reaching up to grab her breast, he pulled her to a standing position, still sliding in and out of her, hard and fast. He pulled her face back so that he could kiss her. Still holding one breast in his hand, his other hand slipped between her legs and played with her clit, which had her knees weakening and a cry slipping from her lips.
"Oh, Cole." Gwen moaned. She reached back behind her with her hands and grabbed tightly to feel his ass flexing as he pushed in and out of her. Her face pressed to the side of the elevator as he continued to push her quickly towards her release. Her hands moved to hold onto his neck when she felt it coming. She was rocking her hips to meet his thrusts. Her release was right there. She could feel it. Just as her body stiffened and her release hit her, the elevator dinged. Cole slapped his hand out and hit the lobby button and the elevator started moving the other direction.
“Shit. That was close. The doors almost opened.” Cole growled in her ear. He was still moving in her, slower now. “But now we have more time.” He quickly resumed his fast and hard pace as he played with her clit. Gwen moaned as his hand slid from her breast up her neck to make her turn her head and he could kiss her again. His hand was cupping the side of her face as his tongue slipped in her mouth. Gwen gasped and moaned into the kiss as another orgasm rushed over her. Cole kept pounding into her until her orgasm was done. As soon as she relaxed against him, he put his hand against the wall, his other hand wrapped around her waist as his own orgasm caught him. He threw his head back and groaned loudly. Gwen actually felt her feet leave the ground for a moment when he tensed around her waist. He rested his chin on her head, breathing hard for a minute. “God, every time I think it can’t get any better with you, it does.”
> They both took a moment to catch their breath. Cole pulled from her body and tucked himself back in his pants before pulling her skirt back over her hips. She turned and he pulled her into his arms. He ran his nose up the side of her neck before leaning back to look into her eyes. “Even without this. I really do like the idea that I will get to see you every day even though you bring out a different side of me than I’m used to dealing with. You make me a different man. I’ve never cared to make someone happy. I’ve never felt this squeezing in my chest when I think I’ve upset someone like I get with you. When you smile at me or because of something I’ve done, it makes my entire day better.”
“I feel the same way.” Gwen smiled at him as she cupped the side of his face. “Trust me, I’m the worst about expressing what I feel with the right words. I always seem to screw it up, but I want to try for you. I want to try to be a better person than I have been in the past because I want you to be proud to say that you are with me. I want to be worthy of everything you have to give. I know that I’m not but I want to try.”
“Just so you know, this won’t be happening again. I’m putting you on restrictions. No sex until we’ve had 3 normal dates.” Cole asked as he gripped the back of her neck and ran his thumb back and forth over her skin. “Can I take you to dinner tonight?”
Yearning Devotion Page 17
