"You're gorgeous. Come on, let's go in." He pulled me by the hand toward the bouncer stand. Two hulking figures guarded the door. Garrett walked right up to them and nodded to each. "J-Boogie. My man. How long for the wait? Is there anything in VIP?"
"G-Money." The man, that I assumed was J-Boogie, reached out a knuckle. Garrett bumped his knuckle against it. "Ivan's checking to see what we can do."
The other man turned away from the noise in the crowd and spoke into a headpiece.
"What's up? Is this you?" J-Boogie nodded a chin in my direction, before looking me up and down.
"Yes. This is my girlfriend, Jasmine." Garrett squeezed my hand and pulled me closer. I raised a hand and waved at the big guy.
The bouncer did not mask his surprise. A large, gold-toothed smile stretched across his face.
"Glad to meet you, Miss Jasmine." He winked.
I supposed the ogle should have offended me, but Garrett claiming me as his warmed my insides.
Ivan returned and whispered to J-Boogie, who, in turn, unlatched the brass end of the velvet rope and let us in. Garrett reached into his pocket and handed several bills to the men.
The giant speakers in the hot, crowded nightclub boomed the electronic version of one of the top forty hits. Taking me by the hand, Garrett followed the hostess to our table. I practically floated behind him.
Club Elysium exuded sex. I hadn't been in a nightclub in ages and nothing like this. Neon lights pierced the darkness and lit the beautiful bodies grinding against each other. I snuggled next to Garrett on a fur-covered bench.
"Do you come here often?" I asked, yelling above the loud music.
"I used to."
Before we could delve deeper into his nightlife lifestyle, two waitresses brought a silver champagne bucket. The shortest of the two twisted the cork until it popped. Garrett poured two glasses of champagne and pulled me onto his lap. We raised our glasses.
"A toast to a new love," he said.
"To a new love." I swallowed my sip. "I'm your girlfriend?"
"I told you, you were mine." He gave my waist a little squeeze, and I melted into a puddle.
Wow. Oh. Wow.
Time and heartbreak had shown me that sometimes sex was just fucking. Though we'd experienced the best sex of my life, that didn't automatically translate to a relationship. I downed the first glass of champagne and lifted the bottle from the bucket to refill the glass. I tried to tamp down my giddiness, but the effervescent feeling of falling in love floated through me.
"Don't overthink any of this. Let's enjoy it," he said.
We were halfway through the bottle when the DJ played, Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa's One Kiss. Standing in the space between his legs, I gyrated my hips to the rhythm of the song. He leaned back and watched my show while sipping a glass of whiskey. Without taking his eyes off mine, he took a long, slow sip, rolling the whiskey in his mouth.
He was so fucking sexy . . . and mine—all mine. At the end of the song, he pulled me back onto his lap. The steel rod in his pants poked me in the ass. I shifted my body and leaned against his cock, slowly swiveling my hips. He placed a hand on my thigh to hold me in place; I continued twisting against his hard dick.
"Garrett, is all of that for me?" I purred.
"It's only for you."
We made out in the club. Thankfully, we were in semi-seclusion. Not that it mattered to either of us. When we came up for air, my heart pounded so fast I thought it would leap out of my throat. I swallowed down the hard lump.
"Come on, Garrett. Take me home."
Jasmine
After spending the most incredible weekend with Garrett, I returned to the war room with an extra spring in my step.
"Good morning," I called when I entered the war room. A chorus of hellos came from the team members diagramming on the interactive whiteboard. I was an hour and a half later than my usual seven-thirty arrival time. After Garrett dropped me off at The Langham, we spent the evening sharing our goals and dreams on FaceTime.
Garrett. His name made my heart go pitter-pat. I tried to hide the girlish grin forming on my face. The last thing I wanted was to look like a starry-eyed teenager pining for her crush. Thinking back on our weekend brought a smile to my face and a dull throb to my lower region. I had a boyfriend! I pushed all the what-if questions swirling in my brain aside and concentrated on enjoying our time together. No planning out our future. We'd cross that road when we got there.
It surprised me to learn of Garrett and Hunter's dream to start a consulting agency. His eyes sparkled when he described their business plan and branding. They would start small by going after a few contracts and hiring best-in-class staff. He'd discussed potentially bringing in entry-level workers and training them on client-oriented approaches. The plans sounded similar to the models at most consulting firms, ER Wallace included.
There was no hiding that I felt honored that Garrett shared his dreams with me.
I scanned the room and looked at my watch. The time was nine-fifteen and Garrett, Lilah, and Hunter were not seated in their usual chairs. They should have arrived at the office by now.
I settled in my chair at the conference table and opened my laptop to review the day's schedule. There were a series of meetings with the audit team, a conference call with Parker, and dinner with Garrett on my calendar. I reached into my purse, pulled out my cell phone, and scrolled to Garrett's name.
Hi. Where are you?
I sent off the message and watched the status change to "Delivered." I watched the phone for a few minutes, waiting for a response. The telltale bubbles signaling that Garrett was typing an answer didn't happen. I put down my phone and focused on the day's calendar.
Lilah entered the space, cheeks flushed, and her usually straightened mahogany hair was in natural curls. She released a whoosh of air and flopped on the nearby chair.
“Hey, girl," she said. She leaned in close and whispered in my ear. "This place has been a madhouse. I've been busier than a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest. Did you hear about that two hundred thousand dollar wire transfer? This morning they walked the girl out. She's one of the financial analysts on Jeff Cagle's team. There's been a flurry of activity around it, and Hunter asked me to double-check the reconciliations. He doesn't trust Jeff. I've reached out to him about getting time on his calendar to understand and document their financial controls. He keeps blowing me off."
You don't know the half of it.
I was certain that Garrett mentioned that Jeff agreed to take part in Nic's sabotage efforts. I knew Garrett's secret, and not being able to say something was difficult, but I wouldn't betray his confidence.
"Jeff's participation is important. Continue scheduling time with him and document his responses. We'll raise this issue with Junior," I said.
The look on Lilah's face spoke volumes. We both knew that Junior was full of hot air. He would do nothing to get out of the client's good graces. If we wanted to get the information, we'd have to work together to get it.
"Will do. I'll keep you updated." She nudged and winked. "I missed you on the flights. I think we both agree that this isn't the time or place to discuss it. Dinner tonight?"
"I have plans." I tried to stifle my uncontrollable smile. "How about lunch?"
"Plans." She parroted in a dead-on impression. "I get it. Lunch works for me. There's so much that we need to share. I'll put time on your calendar, and we can discuss later."
"Perfect."
Garrett arrived in the conference room a few minutes ahead of our ten-thirty daily status meeting. Worry etched his handsome features as he pulled a chair next to mine. We both paused for a second and looked around the conference room. The team members were too distracted playing a group SOS game on the whiteboard.
I turned the laptop toward him. He leaned in closer and peered at the screen then turned to me. Being stealth-like, he moved his leg alongside mine until we touched.
"How are you?" His eyes softened as they searc
hed my face.
"I'm okay. You look like hell." My fingers ached to reach out and stroke his stubbled chin. After the events of this weekend, I felt closer to him than I ever imagined.
"Thanks. I'm better now." He smiled. "I met with Nic. As expected, it angered her that I didn't drop everything to manage the invoice screw up. She expected me to come in on my day off and fix it. Hunter had it under control; I didn't need to step in. I explained it was a personnel matter and not a technology issue. She didn't agree."
"She's in over her head." I rolled my eyes before returning to his. "What do you need from me? Are you hungry?"
"For you."
My heart flipped, and the hard to ignore throbbing returned.
"You promised that you would feed me." I reminded him of our dinner plans.
"I'll make sure your mouth is full."
"I'm sure you will."
"A lot is going on. I'll be in and out of meetings. I wanted to see your face." He stroked a finger across my hand. "I wish I could kiss you."
We sat in the center of the crowded Italian restaurant, a bottle of Chianti rested between us. I gazed across the table at him. We'd both inhaled gigantic plates of lobster ravioli along with a side of broccolini.
"You pick the best restaurants. I'm excited for the cannoli cake. I can't wait to tell Lilah about it."
"What does Lilah think of us?"
"She called it from the start. What about Hunter?"
"He doesn't know, but he likely suspects. He's always spoken fondly of you, but not as much as I feel for you."
Those intimate words made me glow from the inside.
Our waitress returned to the table and placed the massive slice of cake in the center of the table. I grabbed a fork and stuck it in the moist layers of vanilla cake. I raised the fork to my lips and paused.
"Don't make me eat this alone." I placed the fork on the plate and switched seats to sit closer to him. "The first piece is for you. A small thank you for keeping me hopped up on French pressed coffee. I look forward to it daily."
I lifted the fork, and he opened his perfectly shaped lips to accept the morsel. He chewed while I forked a sliver of cake and placed it in my mouth. The perfectly baked cake was delicious and light. We both moaned as we chewed. Because I could be dramatic for cake, my eyes fluttered shut. Garrett reached for my hand and brought it to his mouth. Looking into my eyes, he kissed my palm. My thumb traced his cheek, and he leaned into it before placing my hand to his heart. The fast rhythm fluttered beneath my palm. I imagined the sweet tinge of vanilla, sweet cream, and toasted almonds on his tongue. The crowded restaurant was the only reason I didn't wrap my arms around him and pull him in for a kiss.
"I had a shitty day. We walked out that financial analyst. She sobbed while Jeff and I watched her pack up her desk. No matter how many times it happens, firing an employee is never easy." He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I'm not sure if you realize how happy I am that you are here. Thank you."
Concealed by the white tablecloth, Garrett's hand found my knee and squeezed. We were so engaged in gazing at each other that I didn't see the slender brunette approaching our table.
"Look who it is. Garrett Hamilton." She squealed in a tone that was everything fake and forced. She turned to me and sang, "Oh. And it's Jasmine Carmichael. Fancy seeing you two here. Seated so closely."
I looked into the eyes of Nic Sewell. Her mouth curled into a grin of pure devilment, which didn't reach her eyes. For some curious reason, our presence pissed her off.
A disapproving scowl darkened Garrett's features. He removed his hand from my knee and shifted in his seat. He was uncomfortable, or if he felt like I felt, discomfort wasn't the word. I was close to fucking losing it. Anyone with eyes could see that Garrett and I weren't having a friendly work dinner. We were on a date, after which he would go back to my hotel room and fuck me senseless.
I took matters into my own hands. Plastering a fake-innocent smile, I widened my eyes. If killing someone with kindness was a literal act, I endeavored to smother that bitch with fake sugar.
"Nic, so nice to see you," I cooed, mustering every bit of southern charm I could find within.
"Yes. Nic, good seeing you," Garrett said.
"I'm here with my friend Jennifer." She pointed to a woman on the other side of the restaurant. "I see you two are sharing a dessert. The cannoli cake is an excellent choice. What were your entrees? Jen and I came for girl talk and the linguine and clams."
"The lobster ravioli," Garrett answered.
"Good choice." She stared at him for a beat before turning her attention to me. "Well, Jasmine, I'm happy to see that Garrett is showing you what our beautiful city has to offer. I'll leave you two to your . . . dinner. See you tomorrow!"
Her parting words were cheerful, almost gleeful. I turned my head in time to see her bounding back to her table.
We finished the cake in silence. Garrett flagged our waiter and paid the check and tip. He guided me through the crowded restaurant, avoiding where Nic and her friend sat. Three minutes after handing his ticket over, the valet pulled the black Porsche coupe to where we stood.
After double-checking that I was safely in the car and tipping the valet, Garrett hopped in and sped away. He rested his hand on my thigh and maneuvered the vehicle with one hand through the traffic.
And that's when I broke.
"We should have been more careful. I should have been nicer," I whispered. "I shouldn't have provoked Nic like that."
If she was as vindictive as Garrett claimed, Nic wouldn't hesitate to call Junior, and probably Mister Wallace, himself to complain. I could kiss the partnership goodbye.
Tears gathered in the corner of my eyes as I stubbornly prevented them from falling. Expelling the breath that I'd been holding since she stopped by our table opened the floodgates. Big fat tears spilled from my eyes and rolled down my cheeks. Garrett took his eyes off the road and looked at me when he heard my sniffle. I avoided eye contact as I hoped that he couldn't see the tears.
"Shit." He uttered and pulled in behind a parked car. He unfastened his seat belt, leaned across the console and kissed me. He didn't use his tongue and didn't deepen it. The kiss was merely to provide comfort. He turned his attention to the tears streaking my face.
"You did nothing wrong. It will be okay. I'll make it better," he promised.
Underneath the streetlights, I saw the uncertainty in his eyes, and I knew he didn't believe his own words.
Garrett
An electrical charge filled the air. There was a change, like something big was brewing. One week after Jasmine and I ran into Nic at the restaurant, I had a gut feeling that something major would happen.
I'd just finished a department meeting when I ran into Nic as we crossed paths in the hallway.
"Good afternoon, Garrett," she said, flashing a friendly smile.
"Hello, Nic."
"I'm sorry that I had to cancel our one-on-one. I had a few things come up. I hope you enjoyed the hour that I gave you back."
"I did. Thank you."
"Well, I'm off to another meeting. Have a good day."
"Same to you." Mouth agape, I watched as Nic glided down the hallway.
For the first three years of my career, Nic and I were a dynamic duo. She'd been about the business of science, while I was about the technology. After many long hours and countless arguments, we'd launched The Scientist's Companion to critical acclaim. We took the world by storm. We won awards from trade publications, translated our product catalog into fifteen languages, and spoke at science conventions.
Our careers took off on different tracks. She was on the fast track that led to the executive offices, while I worked my way up from a web developer. Then our friendship changed. Nic changed into a power-hungry, unreasonable toddler. From time-to-time, I would get a small glimpse of the old Nic, and each time I would be reminded that nothing had changed.
The smiles? The friendly conversation? Consideration
for my schedule? All of those questions had me convinced that Nic had a trick up her sleeve.
The next morning, a stirring in my cock awakened me. My eyes adjusted to the semi-darkness of the pre-dawn hours. Nothing could cloak the Jasmine-sized form underneath the covers.
Pulling away the hotel's white sheets, I found her lying next to me with her head resting on my thigh. My cock grew and stretched in appreciation. My eyes met the playful expression glittering in her dark eyes.
"Hi." I yawned and raised my arms in a slow, sleep-ragged stretch. Instead of returning my greeting, her soft hand wrapped around my hardening flesh. My back arched as a slow hiss of pleasure left my lips.
Jasmine's hand squeezing my flesh was my favorite way to wake up. My cock was no longer a part of me. Jasmine charmed him, and he surrendered to her whims. If I was tired, she used her special ways to make him spring back to life. Her voice. Her hand. Her mouth.
I placed an arm underneath my head and sunk deeper into the pillows and widened my legs to give her more access.
"I couldn't help myself. It's difficult to sleep next to you. Your morning wood poked my back." She added a cute little giggle and hovered over my now fully hard and standing tall shaft. I bit back a curse when her pink tongue flicked along the slit of the crown.
The hand not supporting my head roamed down my chest until it reached her head. I pulled at the hair tie, and her thick hair fell into a dark curtain, hiding her face. My fingers massaged her scalp before gliding down the long strands. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back onto my palm while her hand smoothly glided up and down my length.
I moved the strands of hair from her lovely face and held her chin in my hand while my thumb stroked her soft cheek. High cheekbones, upturned eyes, soft lush lips, and skin the color of honey. I didn't deserve her.
Starting from the ends, I wrapped the long tresses around my hand and thrust upwards, not the most subtle hint to what I needed. She happily obliged, running her tongue along her lips. Tilting toward my painfully hard cock, she suctioned around me. The move startled me, forcing a sharp inhale from my lip as if a jolt of lightning had struck.
It's a Work Thing Page 13
