by Diana Nixon
“Really? Make sure I’m the first reader to see it.”
“Screw you, Cole Griffin!” She ended the call and I laughed again, thinking about the next time I was going to see Harlee. It’d been less than twelve hours since the last time I saw her, but I already missed her. Don’t know where this feeling came from, but I liked it. I hadn’t felt anything like this in a long time. It was like a breath of fresh air in my suffocating hot life.
Apart from toys, Harlee also got a new phone to replace the one she broke because of me. But before sending it to her, I installed my number, so she always knew when I was calling her.
Or, like right now, texted her, “Send me a picture of your favorite toy. I’m sure you’ve gone through all of them at least once.”
She didn’t respond for ten minutes, no less. Then, when I almost gave up hoping to hear back from her, she sent a message with an attached picture. But it wasn’t of a toy.
I chuckled, seeing a picture of her office full of pink and black boxes with the name of the sex shop on them. The message said the following, “Sometimes tables turn. You get this in your nut!”
I didn’t know what she was up to, but I was dying to find out.
“Did you have a chance to work on the article about the party? Or were you too busy opening the boxes?”
“With so much INSPIRATION that you’ve sent me this morning, I wrote it really fast… With one of your presents in my hands.”
I swallowed hard. “Which one?”
“The phone!”
Uh, she was a tease, and I loved it.
Just like many other things about her.
I leaned against the back of my chair and thought about the last time I was so fascinated by a woman.
There had been many women in my life, but thanks to Carol, I was ruined for all of them. They wanted everything I couldn’t give them, and again thanks to Carol, I doubted I was capable of getting really attracted to anyone anymore. Not to mention falling in love or getting married one more time. The last one felt like a story from a different book.
Was I scared to burn my fingers again?
Maybe.
At this point, I wasn’t sure about anything, except the fact that I really wanted the planned party to begin as soon as possible. The origins of it were not as important as seeing Harlee again. And somehow, I wanted her to be the star of the night.
I reached for my laptop and made the screen go live. Typing the name of one of the local boutiques, I scrolled down the list of their new women’s collection gowns and finally found one that I knew would look amazing on the girl I couldn’t get out of my head. I placed an order and made sure it would be delivered the same day the party was supposed to take place. Harlee was gonna love it. Despite how much she hated me for sending her the toys.
Though something was telling me, she might find some of them really handy. At least until I was back to New York to make all of her wild fantasies come true…
***
Harlee
If I thought my day couldn’t get any worse, I was so wrong about it.
The damn boxes that were all over my office now, wouldn’t let me focus on anything but revenge. If Cole Griffin thought he was the smartest asshole in the world, he didn’t know a damn thing about me.
“Wow…have you robbed a sex shop or something?” Willow pushed through the rows of pink and black boxes and sat down on a chair across from mine.
“Or something. It’s for the research actually. Vivian wants me to write an article about women’s favorite sex toys.”
My friend’s mouth opened in a silent surprise.
“I didn’t expect it either,” I said.
She looked at the boxes and then at me again. “And you bought all of them to…try and decide which one is better?” She giggled.
“You know how much I like doing research. I can’t write about the things I don’t know anything about.”
“Well, anything is not exactly the word I would use. You haven’t dated anyone for how long – two years? I’m fairly sure you are an expert in things like these.” She pointed to one of the boxes on her right.
“Shut up. You are not helping.”
“Not true. I’m always here to help you. Remember how many times I tried to help you with your sex life? It wasn’t my fault that you were too picky.”
“Right. But strippers aren’t my type exactly.”
“Then who is your type, Harlee? Cole Griffin?”
I stared at her in surprise. I sure as hell never mentioned his name to Willow.
“I was on my way upstairs when the delivery service guy entered the elevator and asked if I knew where to find your office. He said he had a delivery for you. From Cole Griffin. The name didn’t ring a bell, so I googled it. And guess what I found?”
“Enlighten me.” I doubted there was anything I didn’t know about the man. Unlike Willow, I had a whole black book on him.
“One of the guests whom he told you to include in the guest list of your party is his ex-wife.” Willow was taking care of sending the invitations for the party and she had the list of the invites. She didn’t know Cole was behind the whole thing. But now that she put two and two together, it wasn’t hard to figure out who the man was.
“What?”
She typed something on her phone and then turned it so I could see the screen and a picture flashing on it.
“Carol Griffin. Soon-to-be Carol King. She’s getting married next month.”
The woman in the picture was incredibly beautiful. She and Cole could be a perfect couple. If she hadn’t divorced him of course. I didn’t know anything about her next husband, but from what I could see, he looked like a pale copy of Cole – much older and less attractive. I wondered if she was going to marry him for his money, because according to the article written under the picture, he owned one of the biggest industrial parks in the Washington area.
I felt a little sorry for Cole. Judging by how sad he was when talking about his failed marriage, he used to have deep feelings for his ex-wife. I wondered if those were still strong.
“I see…” At least now I knew why he wanted the party to take place in the house that I was renting now. He wanted to show her what she had lost.
“Why didn’t you tell me anything about him?” Willow asked a little offended. We always shared everything with each other. Except this time.
“There was nothing to tell.” I pretended I wasn’t interested in this conversation, but knowing Willow, she would never let me off the hook easily.
“The party was his idea, wasn’t it?”
“So what?”
“Nothing.” One word followed by a very meaningful look of her blue eyes that I knew so well.
“Okay… I rented his house, but my real estate agent, who also happened to be his best friend, forgot to mention it to him. That’s why when he entered my bedroom the other morning, I didn’t expect it and…”
“He was in your bedroom and I just now hear about it?”
I rolled my eyes. “He was there by accident. Okay? He didn’t know I was renting the house, but he came to New York to get a divorce and he needed a place to stay.”
“And you said he could stay with you.”
“Not with me, but in his house. Because it belongs to him.”
“Oh, you always loved bringing homeless puppies, Harlee.”
I chuckled. “He’s not a puppy.”
“He sure isn’t.” Another meaningful look followed.
“What? I didn’t do anything wrong, but somehow, everything you say makes me feel guilty for no reason.”
“Or maybe you have a crush on that hottie.”
“No way.” I shook my head. “He’s too arrogant and too self-assured. And he wouldn’t stop talking about sex. He’s seeing it everywhere. No matter what I say or do.”
“You could definitely use a little bit of…him.”
“Have you talked to Jazmine? Because this is exactly what she said the night she met Cole.”
&nbs
p; “Really? Then I’m sure your party will be a thing to remember. I shall print one invitation for myself as well. I can’t miss it!” She stood up, which was not without an effort, considering her growing belly, and came to one of the boxes, saying, “If I were you, Harlee, I wouldn’t miss my chances with this guy. Yummy, rich and obviously into you.”
“He’s not into me.”
“Trust me – he is.” She opened the box and pulled out a furry thong with a matching bra. “Why don’t you wear one of these for the party? I’m sure Mr. Griffin would love it.”
“Don’t you have work to do, Willow?”
She smiled and put the furry things back into the box. “I have. But working in your office today is so much more inspiring.”
“Get out, mommy! You’re too pregnant to think about inspirations like these.”
She sighed and headed for the door. “Don’t forget about all-girl night. We are still having it, aren’t we?”
“I’ve marked my calendar.” Damn, I just now realized that our all-girl night was gonna happen on Sunday, right after the party. I hoped Cole didn’t remember he wanted to join in.
The moment I thought about it, I received another text from him. I should have thought twice before telling him to buy me a new phone, now there was no way to stop the flow of messages from him.
“Put on something nice,” said the text followed by the picture of The Bunnies entrance. “The tinier – the better.”
So much for hoping he would forget about his plans.
“Will a towel do?” I typed in response.
“Perfect! Especially if you don’t have anything beneath it. Like the other morning…”
I looked at my watch and smiled. It was time for the pay back and I knew Cole would love my surprise.
Just as much as I loved the damn boxes.
One, two, three…
My phone rang. Bingo!
“Hello?”
“You just ruined my meeting with the investors.”
“You are welcome.”
“Sending two dozen strippers to my office right when I was in the middle of my important negotiations was a bad idea. Now I need to make the investors believe the girls were not here for them, or I’m screwed.”
“You are welcome one more time.”
“You are a very dangerous enemy, Miss Bennet.”
“You asked for it, remember?”
“I’d prefer to see you walk into my office in the middle of my workday, maybe wearing one of those things from your boxes. What do you say? Shall I book you a flight to L.A.?”
“Sure. If it helps make your precious investors work with you.”
“Oh, no, sweetie. I’m not sharing what’s mine. And if you were here now, you’d be mine and mine only.”
Somehow, the words made my heart miss a beat. There was no mirror to look into, but I knew my cheeks were red now. The air in the office suddenly felt too hot. Not to mention my body, that tingled from the mere thought of being with Cole now, locked in his office, just the two of us, with nothing and no one to stop us from doing what we both wanted…
“You like the sound of it, don’t you?” There was an unhidden desire in his husky voice, and I wondered if my silence was too obvious to answer his question for me.
“I gotta go, Cole. Have a nice day.” I hung up the phone before I would say something that would give away how nervous I was. And desperate.
Damn you, Griffin! You sure know how to start a fire inside me and make it burn for you.
I couldn’t believe I was so affected by the man. He was an example of everything I had been trying to avoid my whole life. I never got into anything that promised troubles.
But right now, getting into trouble with Cole felt like the smartest decision I could have ever made.
CHAPTER 8
Three weeks later
Did he really believe I would wear THIS dress for the party?
I stared at Cole’s present lying on my bed and frowned.
I never wore red. I hated red. But the dress was the reddest of red, as I knew it would show off a lot more than I was going to show off tonight.
It was floor-length, with a low V cut and an entirely open back.
How the hell do they wear dresses like this?
And what do I do with my tits? I sure couldn’t wear a dress without a bra, because…. Well, I never did that before.
As if hearing my mental debates, Cole sent me a message, saying, “It’s a-silk-to-silk dress. Nothing in between. P.S. Hell, I can’t wait to see you wearing it… P.P.S. As well as help you take it off at the end of the night… Or somewhere in the middle of it if my patience with you drops to zero.”
I smiled unintentionally and gave the dress one more look.
I could wear red for a change. At least for one night. Especially if it was gonna drive him fucking crazy.
Carefully, I took the silky dress into my hands and put it to myself. Standing in front of the mirror, I thought about the make-up and hair style to go with it.
Red lips and loose locks would be perfect.
“Put your hair up,” said another message from Cole.
I shook my hand and dialed his number, a bit irritated by how easily he had found a way to tell me what to do.
“Have you installed a camera in my bedroom or something?
“Well, hello to you too, sweetie.” God, the sound of his voice made my knees tremble. It’s been so long since the morning I said good-bye to him. But there wasn’t a day that he didn’t remind me of his existence. As well as there wasn’t a night that I didn’t fall asleep thinking about him. “Don’t worry, there’s no camera in your bedroom, though now that you’ve mentioned it…”
“Don’t even think about it!”
“It’s a great idea. I would be able to watch you play with the toys and…”
“Thank you for the dress,” I interrupted him. “Though you didn’t have to send it. I have plenty of dresses to choose from. I haven’t decided which one to wear tonight.”
“Please, wear the red one for me.”
“I don’t have shoes to go with it.”
“Liar. Those black pumps that you keep in a box under your bed will be perfect.”
“How the hell do you know what I keep under my bed? Have you gone through my underwear drawer too?”
“I wanted to. Then I thought it would be better if you showed me everything yourself, with me lying on your bed and enjoying the runway show.”
“If you ever dare to enter my bedroom without my permission again, I swear I’ll make you pay a lot for breaking the rules of my rental agreement and for breaking into my private life as well.”
“Trust me, as boring as your private life is, everything I do, I do to make it better.”
“How very thoughtful of you, Mr. Griffin.”
I tossed the dress on the bed and gave it an angry look.
“If you are still debating about the dress, do me a favor – don’t be a coward.”
“I’m not a coward!”
“Good. Then I’ll see you in ten hours. And you’ll be wearing red.”
He ended the call and I desperately wanted to smack my phone against the wall. Then again, I couldn’t stay without one today, of all days. I knew my boss had been waiting for this party and I couldn’t screw up everything and lose my job.
Besides, I knew how important this day was for Cole as well. Despite the fact that he never mentioned his ex-wife’s arrival, I knew he was doing it to make her regret losing him.
And for some unknown reason, I desperately wanted her to feel guilty for what she did to Cole.
***
Cole
“A tux and a bow tie?” Jazmine looked at me from head to toe. “Wow, my sister’s gonna have a major lower body attack. Poor girl…”
I chuckled. “So it was the goal. But don’t feel sorry for her. I’ll make sure she gets a reward for being good to me tonight.”
“If I were you, I wouldn’t rush things
. Judging by how frustrated she sounded back in the morning when I called her, she’s awfully close to ending your life with the dress you sent her wrapped tightly around your neck.” She smiled and got into my car. This time I rented one when at the airport and now I didn’t need to borrow Harlee’s.
“Be patient with her tonight.”
Surprised, I looked at Jazmine. “Who? Harlee?”
She nodded. “I don’t know what this whole party thing is about, but I know that my sister is scared to fail.”
“How do you know that?”
“She called me no less than twenty times today. Which is way above the limit of times she can usually stand talking to me in one day.”
“Then why did she call you so many times?”
“She…needed my opinion on certain things.”
“Things like what?”
“Like wearing an open-back dress without a bra.”
“Oh, that thing…” A smile on my face gave away a lot more than I wanted Jazmine to know.
“You have a thing for her, don’t you? And if last time I thought you simply wanted to sleep with her, now I know it’s not just about that.”
I swallowed, not sure what to say in response.
I hadn’t seen Harlee for weeks, but just this morning I realized how much I missed her, when the first thing I did when I woke up was check on the flight reservation I had for New York. My secretary always did it for me, but apparently this time the flight to The Big Apple meant something different to me.
And I was still trying to figure out what it was…
I cleared my throat and said, “Better tell me – is your Romeo still into you?”
“I think he is…” Jazmine’s eyes dropped to her hands, twitching her purse.
“Are you sure you still want to go to his party? If not, I can turn around and take you straight to Harlee’s.”
“I wanna check on something… Your theory to be exact. If he acts like a complete dick, I’ll leave.”
“If that happens, you will call me, remember?”
She nodded. Then gave me a careful look. “Why are you doing this? To impress my sister?”
“Trust me, I know of many other ways to impress her. And the answer to your question is no. I’m doing this because I want to help you. Girls your age are so easy to break. I don’t want one stupid guy to ruin you for what can be waiting for you in the future.”
