To Whom it May Concern (The Hart Duet Book 1)

by J. S. Cooper

  Lucy: Ooh ...

  Savannah: Yeah, so he decided to apologize.

  Lucy: I’m not sure what he’s apologizing for?

  Savannah: Treating me like the help.

  Lucy: I hate to be rude, but aren’t you?

  Savannah: Ugh! :(

  Lucy: I mean, I know you kinda like him, but you’re his assistant, right? Not his girlfriend.

  Savannah: Lucy! Sigh!

  Lucy: Do you hate me?

  Savannah: No, I guess you’re right. I didn’t look at it like that.

  Lucy: Yeah, I think your feelings for him overwhelmed you.

  Savannah: I guess so. He’s just so hard to read. I almost feel like he’s playing games with me.

  Lucy: Are you having fun?

  Savannah: Yes and no. I mean, he’s hard to read, and it’s not exactly the job of my dreams, but he pays well and if he keeps giving me orgasms, I’ll be quite happy.

  Lucy: I need to meet a man to give me orgasms. Lots and lots of orgasms.

  Savannah: So you think I should forgive him?

  Lucy: That doesn’t sound like much of an apology to me. Seems like it was just an excuse to get into your panties.

  Savannah: Ugh. You might be right. Ha ha.

  Lucy: So … are you in his bed right now?

  Savannah: No, I’m in my bed and he’s in his.

  Lucy: Ohhh, okay. I thought you wanted to figure out what he’s working with?

  Savannah: I do, but I think for tonight he can stew in his own mess and wish I was there.

  Lucy: Ha ha, I bet he’s wishing you were there right now.

  Savannah: I hope so. I just can’t figure it out.

  Lucy: You will, girl. At some point you will. Men aren’t like us. They don’t hide their feelings. You’ll figure out what he’s about sooner or later.

  Savannah: True. Thanks, girl. Sweet dreams!

  Lucy: Sweet dreams! Night, girl.

  Chapter 13

  The next week passed as if nothing had ever happened between us. Wade didn’t try to kiss me or get me into his bed again, and I avoided all physical contact with him.

  We got into a consistent schedule. I woke up at six thirty a.m., made his breakfast, and then went to shower. He usually had morning conference calls that he took by himself, though sometimes I was present to type up notes. After his calls, I would do whatever research he asked for and make lunch. We would usually eat lunch at the kitchen table or outside in the garden. After lunch, I would head to the library to follow up on emails, and he would head to his office to do whatever it was he did. Nothing was out of the ordinary. No other dinner parties were planned. Other than the fact that I lived in his home, it was just like a regular job and boss-assistant relationship.

  “Good morning, Savannah.” Wade walked in from the pool, a towel wrapped around his waist and his eyes on the coffee machine. “Coffee ready?”

  “Yes, let me get you a cup.”

  “What’s for breakfast this morning?”

  “Scrambled eggs on toast with fried tomatoes.”

  “Sounds good.” He nodded, grabbed his coffee and made his way back out of the kitchen. “Will you bring it to the office for me? I’m going to eat breakfast while I start working.”

  “Sure.” I was disappointed that he was still acting so distant from me. Why was he being distant toward me? Shouldn’t I be the one who was acting distant toward him? “Hey can I ask you a question?” I called after him.

  He turned around to stare at me with a tilt of his head. “Sure, go ahead.”

  “Are you mad at me or something?” I put my hands on my hips. “You’ve just been different since the night of ... the dinner party.”

  “I have?” He looked surprised. “I didn’t realize.”

  “You didn’t realize?” I took a step closer to him. “Really? You have me sleeping in your bed, you kiss me, and then you stop, and you notice nothing different?”

  “I didn’t realize you enjoyed my kisses so much.” His eyes peered into mine. “You never said.”

  “Wade, you went down on me.” My face was now bright red.

  “To apologize.”

  “An apology happens with words, not your tongue.”

  “Words happen with my tongue, too, though.” He winked.

  “You know what I mean.” I sighed. “I just don’t really know what’s going on here.”

  “What do you mean?” He frowned. “I hired you as my assistant, I pay you as my assistant, you work as my assistant, nothing more and nothing less. I’m sorry if you were hoping for more.”

  “I didn’t say I was hoping for more. I’m not even the one that approached you.” I was furious. “You’re always twisting things to suit your narrative.”

  “Savannah, why don’t you take the evening off? Maybe go to the village and participate in the open mic night tonight?” He shrugged. “Let off some steam, maybe you’ve been working too much.”

  “Maybe, whatever.” I turned away from him and mumbled under my breath. “Frigging Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in the flesh.”

  “Sorry, what did you say, Savannah?”

  “Nothing. I’ll bring your breakfast through in a few minutes.” I pursed my lips as I headed back to the stove. I was done with this asshole. So done.

  “Don’t forget to wear your uniform when you serve me,” he added as he walked away.

  I was almost positive he was trying to goad me, but I didn’t let myself react. I had dealt with enough men to know that plenty of them were assholes, and it looked like Wade was one of them. I’d dated guys who really seemed to like me and then had completely ghosted me. There had been many nights I’d sat by the phone hoping for a return call or text that had never come. I had been on dates that had seemed to go well and ended in a kiss, only to have the guy snub me the next time he saw me. I considered these men to be boys. Immature, ignorant, and totally annoying boys. Lucy called them fuckboys. I was pretty sure she was using the term incorrectly, but I felt like it was appropriate. Wade Hart was definitely a fuckboy. What an asshole he was! How dare he go down on me and pleasure me and then act like nothing happened?

  Not that I wanted anything to happen … but I still wanted the option.

  “Yes, sir,” I mumbled back and turned off the stove. Once I was sure he was back in his office, I headed to my room to put my uniform on.

  And then I had an idea. A sexy, naughty idea. He wanted me to wear my uniform, did he?

  I pulled off my panties and bra and pulled on the skirt and top. I’d serve him and give him a show, and tease him, just for fun. And if he tried to make a move, I’d blank him and feign disinterest. I wouldn’t let him know that I’d been having sexy dreams about him for the last week and that I was hornier than I’d ever been in my lie. I wouldn’t let him know that I’d told Lucy that I’d wanted him to be the one to take my virginity.

  Oh, no. There was no way he was getting near my hot spot ever again. I wouldn’t let him kiss me on the lips or the pussy. He was done, as far as I was concerned. But that didn’t mean I was above teasing him. I saw the way his eyes watched me when he thought I wasn’t looking. Well, he was going to learn a lesson. You didn’t play around with Savannah Carter. If you did, you got burned.

  “Burned, burned, burned. You’re going down, Wade Hart. You’re going down.” I grinned to myself as I grabbed a pair of heels I’d gotten in town and walked down the corridor and back to the kitchen. “I’ll serve you breakfast in the office all right.”

  My heels click clacked as I walked down the corridor, and I could feel small whooshes of cool air between my legs with each stride. I grabbed a tray and a plate and two slices of whole grain bread. I didn’t bother toasting them. Then I piled on the scrambled eggs and added a small dollop of hot sauce on the eggs the way Wade liked it. I poured some orange juice into a glass, grabbed a banana, some silverware, and a napkin, and made my way to Wade’s office.

  “You got this, Savannah. Do not chicken out,” I whispered to myself a
s I walked. I stopped outside his door and knocked on his door.

  “Yes?” he called out.

  “It’s me, your breakfast is ready.”

  “Okay, come in Savannah,” he said, and then I heard him say, “One moment, please.”

  I walked into his office, sashaying my hips back and forth, but Wade didn’t look up.

  “Where would you like it, Mr. Hart?” I said in my sweetest voice, hoping to draw his attention.

  “Any open space you see.” Still he didn’t look up. I pursed my lips and looked on his desktop for an empty space. I walked up to the desk and placed the tray down.

  “Anything else, Mr. Hart?”

  “No.” His voice was curt. This asshole couldn’t even acknowledge me as I served him.

  “Are you sure, sir?”

  “I’m sure.” He typed something into his computer. I walked over to the side of his desk and tapped him on the shoulder. Finally, he looked up at me, his eyes narrow and distant. “Yes?”

  “I was just wondering if you wanted any coffee?” I asked him and leaned over his desk to grab a pen. As I straightened back up, I brushed my breasts against his arm.

  “No.” He stilled as his eyes looked down at my chest. I knew that he could see my nipples through the flimsy material and smiled slightly. “Was there anything else, Savannah?”

  “I was wondering if you could help me with something ...”

  “With what?”

  “I’ve got this itch, you see ...”

  “What itch?” His lips twitched slightly.

  “Well,” I pushed his chair back and sat in his lap. “It’s on my back.”

  “Savannah,” he whispered in my ear. “I don’t think you want to do this.”

  “Do what?” I moved back and forth on his lap, feeling my skirt riding up as I moved.

  “Savannah, stop.” His hands gripped my waist, but I still continued rubbing back and forth slightly. I grinned as I felt him growing hard beneath me.

  “Can you scratch my back, please?” I whispered. He sighed and scratched my back for me. “A bit higher, a bit to the right, yes, right there,” I moaned, moving back and forth on him as I held on to the side of his thighs. “Yes, that’s the spot. Oh, yes!” I cried out as I felt myself growing wet on his lap.

  “Savannah?” He stopped scratching my back, and I felt his right hand slipping between my legs and moving up. His fingers brushed against my wet pussy. “You have no panties on?”

  “Oops, did I forget to put them on?” I reached my fingers down and placed them over his hand moving them back and forth on my clit. I leaned my neck back and rested my head on his chest and closed my eyes. This hadn’t been a part of the plan, but it felt so good. His fingers glided against me, and I gasped as he slipped one inside of me.

  “Do you like this?” he whispered in my ear. “Is this what you wanted, Savannah? What you needed?”

  “Yes.” I couldn’t even deny it. I needed him to keep touching me. “Don’t stop.”

  “I think we’d better.” He slid his fingers out. “I fear that I’m already in a bit of trouble.”

  “Trouble?” I opened my eyes and looked up into his face. “What are you talking about? Why are you in trouble?”

  “I wasn’t ignoring you, Savannah.” He smirked as I sat up, his fingers still between my legs. “I was on a call.”

  “Okay, and?”

  “A video conference call.” He pointed to the laptop screen on the desk where the flashing green light above the screen alerted me to the fact that the camera was rolling.

  “Oh, my god, why didn’t you tell me?” I jumped up off of his lap and ran to the far side of the room. “How could you let me ...” My voice trailed off as I knew I couldn’t really blame him. That had really been all me. Oh, my god, had a bunch of strange men just seen me giving Wade a lap dance and watched him fingering me. Please no!

  I scurried to the door. Talk about a walk of shame!

  “Savannah, wait!” Wade held up his hand and pressed a button on his laptop before looking up at me. “If you want to come back in forty-five minutes, we can finish what you started.” He grinned. “Maybe this time with no one watching us.”

  “You wish.” I shook my head and slammed the door behind me. I could hear him laughing and wondered if it was possible to die of embarrassment. What had I been thinking? Everything was going from bad to worse, and I was making myself look desperate.

  I slipped my heels off and crept back to my room, where I quickly changed into a pair of jeans and a tank top. Who did I think I was fooling, going into his office without any underwear? I was playing with fire. What if he’d slipped his cock out and entered me while I’d been on his lap? What if he’d bent me over his desk and taken me? Did I really want my first time to be something so risqué?

  I collapsed onto the bed as I realized that I didn’t care. Wade Hart had gotten under my skin and I wasn’t thinking properly. All I could think about was his touch. I wanted more from him, and I wanted him to want more from me. How could he have gone down on me and then just moved on? Why wasn’t he chasing me?

  I groaned into my pillow, frustrated. I didn’t have much experience with men, but I was pretty sure that I was falling right into his trap. I was about to head back to the kitchen when I decided to text Gordon back to see if he’d be at the pub later. I needed a change of scenery, and I needed a friend.

  Savannah: Hey Gordon, will you be at the open mic tonight?

  Gordon: Hey girl, I was wondering what happened to you. Yes, I’ll be there. You?

  Savannah: Yes, I need to get out of this house.

  Gordon: Oh, no, it’s going that badly?

  Savannah: Let’s just say that Wade isn’t my favorite person.

  Gordon: You’re not going to quit, are you?

  Savannah: No, not at all.

  Gordon: I’ve always been curious to see Hart Manor. Is it glamorous?

  Savannah: It’s nice. Not too ostentatious.

  Gordon: Aww, cool. So what time will you be there tonight?

  Savannah: I’m thinking seven?

  Gordon: Perfect. I’ll see you there. Are you going to perform?

  Savannah: You betcha. You?

  Gordon: Yes!

  Savannah: Excited to hear another one of your monologues.

  Gordon: Thanks! I’m looking forward to hearing your poems. Stay strong, and I’ll see you later.

  Savannah: Bye.

  I sat up on the bed and headed back toward the kitchen to clean up. As I walked past Wade’s office, I could hear him talking, but I didn’t stop to listen. I was about to call Lucy to update her on the morning’s events when the doorbell rang. I waited to see if Wade was going to come out of his office, but when he didn’t, I headed toward the front door. I knew it wasn’t Henry because he would have just walked in and made himself at home.

  A beautiful woman with dark sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat stood on the doorstep.

  “Hello, can I help you?”

  “Where’s Wade?” The woman pushed past me and sniffed as she entered as if she expected to smell something bad.

  “He’s in his office and he’s busy. Can I help you?” My voice was a little cooler now. I hadn’t appreciated the way she’d just walked into the house without being invited in, though I guess that meant she wasn’t a vampire.

  “I’m his mother, silly girl. Go and fetch him.”

  “He’s on a video call.” I looked her over more carefully now. So, this was his mother, the woman who had broken his father’s heart.

  She took off her sunglasses, looking me over with cold blue eyes. “And who are you?” She had a slight accent to her voice, an odd mix between French and English. I wondered if she was faking it and was just a bad actress.

  “I’m Savannah Carter, Wade’s assistant.”

  “Oh.” She sniffed. “Is he not paying you well?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You’re not exactly dressed for success, are you?” She sniff
ed again. “I suppose you millennials really don’t care about your appearance.”

  “I’m working in a home office. Wade hasn’t complained about my attire.”

  “I suppose he’s too nice.” She yawned. “I’m bored, and I’m thirsty. Some coffee would be nice.”

  “Uhm, okay. This way, please.” I closed the door behind her and headed to the kitchen. I was starting to understand why Wade wasn’t a huge fan of his mom. She was a bitch. With a capital B.

  “I do know which way the kitchen is. I used to live here.” Her snooty voice echoed through the corridor. “In fact, I chose this house.” She brushed past me and walked into the kitchen. “I have no idea why Wade has chosen to keep it.” Her mouth dropped as she surveyed the mess in the kitchen. “Tell me, dear,” She turned to me with narrowed eyes. “Are you really the assistant or are you another sort of paid help?”

  “Sorry, what?” I went to the sink to fill the kettle. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  I studied her while I ran the tap. Wade’s mother was impeccably dressed. She reminded me of the actress Grace Kelly. She really was beautiful, but there was a coldness in her that made me want to shrivel up inside. I put the kettle on the burner and began to clear up the dishes from breakfast.

  “Are you slow, dear?” She shook her head. “Let me spell this out for you.” She wrinkled her nose as I scraped the remaining egg into the trash. “Are you Wade’s assistant or his whore?”

  “Excuse me?” My mouth dropped open as I turned to her. “What did you just say to me?”

  “There’s no need to be dramatic, girl. I was simply asking you a question.” She looked me over again. “But you’re definitely not Wade’s type.” She smirked. “I’ll have my coffee by the pool.” She looked me up and down and then headed outside.

  I watched her go and sighed before hurrying to Wade’s office. I knocked on the door and entered before he could say anything.

  “Yes, Savannah.” He grinned as I walked into his office. “Can you give me ten minutes? I’m not quite ready.”

  “Ready for what?”

  “My lap dance.”