Dark Matter: SCIENCE FICTION ROMANCE

by Jessica Loft

  Nikki willed herself to concentrate on what Sean was saying and not the way her body was not so subtly reminding her that it had been a while since she’d had a nice cock stroking deeply inside of her. She swallowed hard, took a deep breath and silenced the desires that were building.

  “I’m being blackmailed by some unhappy employees. They are threatening to reveal very personal things if I don’t submit to their demands and rehire them. In addition to demanding their jobs back, they are demanding a great deal of money from me,” Sean said.

  There was a touch of anger in his voice as he spoke. There always was with Nikki’s clients. The wealthy hated the idea of someone else having their money. It left a sour taste in her mouth, but she couldn’t think of that now. She had a job to do and she was good at it. The lawyer in her started to work.

  “Let’s start with the blackmail. Is the information anything you would be willing to reveal first?”

  Sean looked away and then back to her. “I’d rather not on these terms. I don’t like the idea of anyone forcing my hand. I’m hoping to avoid all of this entirely.”

  Nikki felt the slow rock of the Serenity as they pulled out into the open water. She could see that whatever was troubling Sean was probably something that would cost him greatly. She nodded, less of the specifics she knew, the easier it would be for her to defend the hot billionaire. She dove into a litany of questions that gave her the information she needed, but helped her avoid any incriminating details.

  By the time the meeting was over, she was convinced that Sean likely deserved everything he was up against. Somehow, none of that a dampened her attraction to him. It had taken all of her willpower to remain on topic and take the necessary notes to start building her case. Maybe, she was being presumptuous about Sean anyway, she admitted. The man seemed nice enough, and Nikki knew she was just a little jaded.

  The two-hour meeting had the potential to go longer, but Nikki had everything she needed for now. They made their way in comfortable silence back to the shore. Sean shook her hand before Nikki disembarked, and she felt her fingers linger a little too long. She knew she was feeling a little beside herself from being lonely, but what she was feeling with Sean was hard to ignore. Even after Sean walked away, the scent of his cologne lingered and Nikki knew she would have to take special precautions to remain unaffected as they worked together.

  As she repositioned her leather briefcase back into her right hand, she wondered if any of her regular dates would be available for a friendly one-night session tonight. As soon as the thought passed through her mind, it died. Her eyebrows turned down and a frown crossed her face. She didn't want a substitute tonight. She wanted Sean Thomas and the realization only added to Nikki’s bitterness. As she walked toward the car that had brought her there, she knew she was coming up against some hard choices soon. Burnout was looming, and she had better face the facts now.

  Chapter 2

  Sean looked out the window of his Bentley as his driver brought him home. He should have considered the potential consequences before having gotten involved with his former employee. He hadn’t meant to have any relationship beyond a professional one with Jordan Tolbert, but before he could stop himself he'd fallen head first into a secret affair. Things would have probably gone on as they were if it hadn’t been for him catching Jordan in bed with his pool boy. In the apartment Sean was paying for no less. When Sean terminated the relationship, Jordon predictably lost her mind. It never failed, damn Scorpios always pulled this, and it never ended well. Now, his former-employee-turned-lover was threatening him if he didn’t bend to her demands. Bending would include immediate rehire and a monthly salary almost triple what he’d originally paid her, or else she would release some very private photos.

  Sean rubbed his hand over his face. He was so sick of this shit. All he wanted was one good woman to get his life in order for, but girls like that were hard to come by. Most of the women he knew just wanted him for his wealth. Attorney Nikki Hunter seemed different. She was down to earth, caring, and didn’t seem to care about his lavish lifestyle. He had heard she was the best, but he hadn’t known that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Women like Nikki Hunter weren’t single, and if they were, he would undoubtedly become another networking partner on Nikki’s way to greater success. Sean wasn’t interested in being anyone’s leg up. He'd had his share of users in relationships, and didn’t want to go back to that.

  He closed his eyes, let out a long sigh, and relaxed against the leather seats as the scenery of the city faded into greenery. He had intentionally built his 30,000-square-foot compound outside of the city limits. He didn’t want tourists and other unexpected guests coming to gawk at his personal life. He also didn’t want the prying eyes of the media trying to catch a glimpse of the comings and goings on his property. He had worked hard to keep his private life private, even with a gated entry. And up until this relationship scandal with Jordan, he had been successful. Even the people he wanted to trust betrayed him.

  Even the people he wanted to trust seemed to betray him. It was a hard fact to face, but it had been the story of his life. Sean began to rub his right temple with his fingers. He could feel a migraine brewing as he thought about how he had taken his father’s multimillion dollar investment firm and turned it into a billion dollar operation. The rewards were great, but so was the cost. He paid dearly with his time, energy, and privacy. His status made him a target for exploitation, and there was almost nothing Sean wouldn't pay to prevent that from happening. Briefly, he’d considered Jordan’s offer, but if he started paying off lovers now, the line would never end.

  The car pulled up into his circular driveway and stopped at his 3-story mansion steps. Sean waited patiently for his driver to come around and open the door for him. Briefcase in hand, he exited the car and his mind once again drifted to Nikki. He should learn his lesson and not fantasize about his employees. One would think he would understand how bad of an idea it was considering his current circumstances. Sean smiled tiredly as he entered his home and went to his office. Dropping his briefcase, he sat quietly behind his desk. Images of what it would be like to work at his desk while Nikki worked across from him came to mind. He could envision the dark-haired beauty with the flawless skin and penetrating gray eyes, hard at work in their shared office. It would be nice to have an intellectual equal to share his life with.

  Sean wondered how far off the mark he was with Nikki. Was she secretly the type who would enjoy Sean’s company, despite their business relationship? Did they share at least that in common? He thought back to the moment their hands touched, and the way he'd wanted to feel it more intimately. He wondered how long it had been since Nikki’s mouth had enjoyed the steel hardness of a cock she’d caused to stand at attention. Sean closed his eyes as he thought of what it would be like to slide against her firm, muscled buttocks. Would it be everything he imagined?

  Sean couldn’t convince himself that it mattered. He liked Nikki. He liked the way she thought and spoke. She was intelligent, and sure of herself. It helped that Nikki was the best at her job and worked hard to have an identity of her own. That’s what he needed in a partner, someone secure in themselves because they succeeded without handouts.

  While Sean was sitting in his office on the boat and answering his new attorney’s carefully worded questions, he'd been distracted by the far-off look in Nikki’s eyes. Sean wondered what put it there. What was she hiding in the darkest parts of herself? It was a question Sean felt desperate to know the answer to. As strange as it was for him to want anyone beyond the physical pleasure, Nikki made Sean think of all the ways one could be wanted. He wanted to know what it would take to turn Nikki into someone who would want to hold him close.

  The greater question was whether it would be worth another lawsuit? Sean grimaced and dismissed the thought. He shouldn’t think about these things. The best way for him to deal with those thoughts would be for him to keep his desires to himself.

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nbsp; As Sean powered up his computer, thoughts of Nikki kept entering his mind. Although he knew he may be a glutton for punishment, he just didn’t know if he could not pursue the sexy lawyer. He decided that before he makes his move, though, he would have to discreetly find out whether Nikki was even available, and if she is the type of person who wouldn’t mind a little fraternization with a client. It was true that Sean had his share of women who'd profess to be anything he wanted, but he was after something different this time. He wanted someone he could hold on to. Someone who belonged to only him.

  When the screen loaded he noticed he had many new emails that needed his response. As clicked the email folder folder, he thought of all the hair-brained ideas that he had turned into millions. He laughed, A love that would last a lifetime had to be the craziest thing he’d ever thought of, but he couldn’t ignore his desires. Instead, he closed the folder, and navigated to Wiest and Winzor’s company website and to Nikki’s personal profile. He smiled as he looked at the image of Nikki. The confident look in her eyes and the hint of a smile on her lips drew Sean in even more. He wanted to get to know this woman, even if it meant he would pay for it later.

  “Excuse me, Mr. Thomas. You’ve received a package,” said his butler Gregory.

  He was holding a thick envelope with Sean’s address scribbled on it. Sean took the package from Gregory and waited until the butler had dismissed himself before he opened it. A sinking feeling came over him as he recognized the handwriting on the package. It belonged to Jordan. Sean didn’t want to open it. He didn’t want to know what was inside, but he knew he couldn’t hide from whatever it was Jordan intended to show him. Slowly he opened the package and emptied its contents onto his desk. His face twisted into fear and then anger. The photographs all showed him in various compromising positions with a variety of women, and no small amount of drugs and alcohol. The pleasure on Sean’s face in the photographs was a stark contrast to the look of anger on his face right now.

  Sean hated that Jordan would go to such lengths. He’d thought they had a good thing going and all the while, Jordan had been playing him and setting him up for the kill. Sean couldn’t think of one good way to make this go away without a scandal. He could only hope that Nikki was as good as he had heard. If not, there would truly be no reprieve from this catastrophe. Nikki had asked him if he would be willing to reveal his secret in order to get ahead of Jordan. Sean had told her no at the time. Now, he gave some thought to how he would do it if it ever came to that. As he sifted through the photographs again, and he knew this wasn’t something he would want his constituents to find out through the tabloids. Sean didn’t want to confess his mistakes to the world because he was being blackmailed. He’d always wanted to make the decision on how and when to share details of his life without the coercion of a greedy public. Now that the choice was being dangled over him and used as bait into another trap, Sean thought he’d done a greater disservice to those who believed they knew him. He should have publicly disclosed his wild past years ago. He would have avoided the trouble of this lawsuit, or at least part of it. He didn’t put anything past Jordan. Who knew what angle she would have come up with if not this one?

  Sean shuffled the images back into their package and locked them in his desk drawer. He took a deep breath. His eyes drifted back to the image of Nikki on his screen, and he felt a sinking realization that the woman before him could be the only ally he’d ever truly have. He would have to keep his distance sexually in spite of his desire for more. He didn’t want anything to cloud Nikki’s judgment, and Sean needed both of them to be clear-headed as they went through this process. He didn’t want to look back with regret or make the same mistake twice.

  Chapter 3

  Nikki riffled through the pages of notes she’d taken on Sean’s case. She took another sip of her wine as she mulled her work over. There had to be an angle she was missing here. All the parts weren’t connecting for her yet. She’d been careful with her questioning of Sean. She knew everyone who came to her had some level of guilt. Sean was obviously hiding something, and Nikki had to get to it before it became something she had to defend against blindly.

  She looked at the time, and at a quarter to midnight, it was probably not appropriate for her to call. She didn’t know the layers of Sean's life. Was there a wife she would be disturbing with her call? Did his family normally get involved in things like this? The questions traveled through her, along with a healthy sexual curiosity. Nikki thought she had noticed a spark between her and Sean. It wasn’t alarming that Sean had taken a backseat and let her lead the conversation today. It was part of her job, and the part that wasn’t her job she attributed to her charm. But there was something more to their time together, and as much as Nikki wanted to ignore it, she couldn’t deny it was there. She rose from her desk and took a few steps from her home office toward the kitchen. The tile was cool against her bare feet. Low-hanging lounge pants dipped against her hips and her tight t-shirt showed evidence of years of eating well and working out. She walked into her modest kitchen, and all the while her mind replayed every step of the conversation she’d had with Sean. It also traced the outline of Sean’s lips as he spoke and the hard edges of his strong jawbone.

  Nikki closed her eyes as the image of Sean all dressed up and smelling absolutely sinful crashed over her like a wave. Nikki licked her lips and thought of how long it had been since she’d shared her bed with anyone. She thought of what it would be like to have a man like Sean pressed inside of her body. She felt a familiar surge of heat as she leaned against the island of her kitchen. The cool marble countertop did nothing to quell the glowing flame inside her. Her gray eyes darkened as she remembered how difficult it had been to sit across from Sean and remain unmoved. She had never been the type of woman who would go after her clients. It was against her moral code and sense of professional ethics. Yet, Sean had made quite an impression and Nikki was having a hard time forgetting that she didn't have a right to this man.

  Nikki pushed away from the island forcefully and went back to her office. She should probably just go up to her bedroom and on to sleep. Except she knew in the back of her mind that she would not make it to sleep any time soon tonight. Her insomnia had been out of control lately. She couldn't turn her thoughts off. These long nights had to come to an end soon, or else it would start to cause her even more distractions. Sean was distracting enough.

  Nikki decided against calling him tonight to demand the secret he was withholding from her and to end her work for the night. First thing in the morning she would give Sean a call so that they could get on with the business of freeing him from his exploiters. Nikki wondered what could be so terrible that even in the privacy of his office Sean didn’t want to reveal it. What was he hiding from?

  She rolled the question over and over in her head. Nothing that Nikki could come up with seemed an adequate enough explanation. As she ascended the mahogany staircase to her bedroom, Nikki let her mind wander. She would have to dig deeper into Sean’s personal life in order to get the details she was seeking, and she wasn’t thrilled about what she might find there.

  As Nikki climbed into her bed, she imagined what her life would be like if she just gave it all up. She closed her eyes and wished for sleep, though she was fairly certain that she’d never get it. For the life of her, Nikki couldn't remember when things had gotten so complicated. There had to be a specific moment that she’d stopped loving everything about her work she just can’t pinpoint it. These days, she was going through the motions, sleep-walking through her cases, and it was amazing that she’d been able to keep her winning streak up. She had always wanted to understand why some people could have everything they worked for and still not be happy. Imagine her surprise when she had arrived there herself, and no matter what she did, happiness alluded her. What had she done wrong? The question swirled around her head like dirty water circling a shower drain. She wanted it to go away. Nikki had never been comfortable with problems that had no so
lution. Part of her job was finding a solution when there didn’t seem to be one. Yet, when it came to her own problems she was left with no one to put the pieces together for her. It was an difficult truth to face, but she didn’t have other options. She had to face facts.

  Morning came with a splitting headache from tossing and turning the entire night. Even though she was still tired she felt a sense of responsibility. Nikki crawled out of bed, stretched, and went about her morning routine. She drove to her office on autopilot and pulled into the parking garage. As she navigated to her usual spot, there was a car she didn’t recognize. It was likely that someone's client had come in early, but Nikki still found it odd. It wasn’t one of the showy cars that her clients normally arrived in, and it didn’t belong to any of the other staff. She’d try to remember to ask Margaret about it later. Nikki wasn’t ready to face anyone else yet, but she needed to get to work.

  After finally making it into the building, she navigated the halls lined with images of the great legal minds that had come before her, to the one that led to her corner office. Margaret was working busily at her desk, and seemed a little more frazzled than normal. Nikki wondered if the car in the parking garage had anything to do with that. As she moved quickly towards her office, she noticed a seat in the waiting area occupied by a man reading the newspaper.