Dark Matter: SCIENCE FICTION ROMANCE

by Jessica Loft

  “Oh, Ms. Hunter,” Margaret nervously called after her. “I tried you on your cell phone. Mr. Thomas stopped by unannounced. He said it was urgent that he speak with you.”

  The words came out in one rapid stream. Margaret knew how much she hated it when clients just dropped by. Generally, her secretary was successful at discouraging them, while still remaining polite and professional. The fact that Sean Thomas was still here was a testament to his resolve.

  “Can I help you, Mr. Thomas?” Nikki asked, annoyed.

  She hadn’t even had her coffee yet, or her prerequisite hour of alone time to go through her schedule.

  Sean folded his paper and returned it to the lobby coffee table.

  “I would like to go over my case with you. There are some things I left out that now seem…pertinent,” said Sean.

  Nikki met his gaze. She hated when her clients were intentionally deceptive and she despised it even more when they didn’t respect her time. She turned to Margaret.

  “There’s an unidentified vehicle in the parking garage. See what you can find out about it, and hold all my calls until Mr. Thomas and I are done,” said Nikki.

  “The car is mine, Margaret. It was necessary for security reasons,” said Sean calmly.

  Margaret looked from Nikki to Sean. Nikki steeled herself. Whatever Sean was about to tell her obviously had some very serious consequences. She prepared herself for the worst.

  “Just hold all of my calls until further notice,” she grunted to Margaret as she opened the door to her office and went inside.

  Sean followed close behind her. Nikki was increasingly aware of Sean’s nearness. She could feel Sean’s blue eyes inspecting her, and wondered what he was looking for. For a moment, Nikki let herself get carried away and pretended what Sean was actually doing was checking her out. Nikki always took care of her appearance, and allowed herself a moment of pleasure at the thought that if Sean really was examining her closely, he was unlikely to find any real flaw. Then she snapped herself back to reality. She’d never been successful in the romance department. This would not be any different.

  Nikki’s thoughts began to wander again as she booted up her computer and Sean made himself comfortable. Why does this man have such an influence on me? None of Nikki’s colleagues knew much about her private life. She had always worked hard to keep all of her professional contacts just that, professional. As she looked into Sean’s blue eyes and waited for the ball to drop, Nikki realized in all his time as a lawyer, Sean had been the only man she’d ever been tempted to cross that line with.

  Her cheeks grew warm. The realization caught her off guard and her brow furrowed as she tried to compartmentalize the thought to process later. It wasn’t clear to her what it meant just yet. Nikki didn’t have a place in her life for impulsive emotional thoughts. She wasn’t inclined to lean heavily on what her heart said, but if she were to listen now, she would hear it saying that Sean was someone she could trust. She cast her gaze across the room to break the connection with Sean. When she thought herself suitably controlled, she looked back.

  “Alright Mr. Thomas, what changed between yesterday and today?” Nikki asked.

  “I think it’s best that I just show you,” Sean said, as he pulled a large envelope from his briefcase.

  Chapter 4

  Sean’s hands trembled slightly as he handed the envelope to Nikki. Nikki knew that whatever the contents, Sean took them very seriously. It was likely something that could blow the lid off his case, and she prepared herself to quickly think of a defense. Nikki emptied the contents of the envelope on her desk. Image after image of a younger Sean and a variety of women in deeply intimate positions covered the desk. His excessive use of alcohol and illegal drugs was also evident in the photos, Nikki hid her surprise at the contents. Now was not the time for her professionalism to slip. Eventually she came across a scrawled note from the sender. The writer professed to have more photos. Nikki’s gaze met Sean’s.

  “A jilted lover is exploiting you. Using these photos to hold you under the gun?” Nikki asked, almost certain she was spot on.

  Sean nodded slowly. Nikki could see the shame and anger Sean was trying hard to hide.

  “An ex-employee. She is asserting that I used my position as her boss to coerce her into bed, then fired her when she started to refuse,” said Sean.

  “Is that why you fired her?” asked Nikki.

  She didn’t miss the flash of defiance, followed by a resigned understanding, that crossed Sean’s face.

  “No. I fired her because she stopped doing the job she was hired for. I was content to continue our relationship otherwise, but I wasn’t going to pay her to slack off,” Sean admitted.

  He clasped his hands in front of him as he stared at Nikki. Nikki stared back. She was looking for the lie and was both stunned and impressed when she didn’t find it. She knew this was the piece she’d been missing about Sean Thomas’s case. She returned the images to the envelope and handed them back to Sean. She wanted Sean to know she was trustworthy beyond her professional expectations. From the way the man was uncertain in front of her, Nikki knew that he was embarrassed and holding things close to his belt. It was something Nikki understood all too well, having used the same tactic in her life. She briefly debated if she should tell Sean that they were kindred spirits in that matter. Eventually, she decided against it. If she said anything now, Sean would surely think she was angling. That wasn’t what Nikki wanted. When she handed the envelope back to Sean, their eyes met again. This time, it was Sean who was searching.

  “No more questions?” Sean looked concerned, but with a small tinge of relief mixed in.

  Nikki turned up her lips and shook her head. She was already putting together an angle for his defense, one that wouldn’t require Sean to publicize his past demons if he didn't want to.

  “One more question. Is there anything else you’re holding back?” Nikki asked.

  Something flickered in Sean’s blue eyes, but he blinked it away quickly. Nikki made a living off of noticing things most people didn’t. She thought she saw the flash of desire and against the railings of her mind decided not to bring it to light.

  “No. I just don’t want this to turn into some fiasco. I don’t know why, but it's important to me that you know this wasn’t anything like Jordan is saying it was. I didn’t use her, and I wasn’t holding the job over her head.

  It was spoken like a man betrayed and for the first time in a long time, Nikki genuinely wanted to help a rich and powerful client get out of trouble.

  About the pictures—” he continued.

  “I don’t need to know every detail,” she interrupted. “Sometimes it’s best if I don’t.”

  “I want you to know. This is important. I did live a wild life, alcohol, women and drugs…all of it. But it was kept quiet, in elite clubs where wealthy people pay for discretion. I finally had enough and went through rehab, and you know…turned my life around. The last thing I need now is all of that coming out because Jordan got her hands on some old photos.”

  “I believe you, but we have our work cut out for us. I’m up to the challenge, but you need to prepare yourself. You need to decide what it is you are willing to lose,” said Nikki firmly.

  These cases rarely just went away. Either Sean would have to pay with his wealth or he would have to pay with his reputation. Only when Nikki knew which one he was willing to sacrifice would she move forward with his plans.

  “I guess I have some thinking to do,” said Sean with a faint smile.

  “Yes, you do. The thing is, Mr. Thomas, if you don’t want secrets to haunt you then you have to stop keeping secrets.”

  “If it were you, what would you do?” asked Sean.

  Nikki thought about the question. It was one she’d been asked several times, but this was the first time she felt unprepared to answer. She looked away briefly, and then back to Sean. Her eyes softened, and she let herself make a purely emotional choice.

 
“If it were me, I would tell the world first. I wouldn't give her the satisfaction of feeling like she outed me. You deserve control over your past and future…good or bad. No one should be allowed to take that from you,” said Nikki earnestly, realizing she was giving herself the same advice she had just given Sean.

  When Sean smiled gently, Nikki knew she’d said what the man needed to hear. There was no denying it had moved him. A beat passed between them, and then another. She sensed the words dancing on the tip of Sean’s tongue, and could see him struggling to keep from asking her out. Nikki was fighting her own battle. If Sean asked, she didn’t know that she could turn him down.

  “I should get going,” Sean finally said.

  Nikki was deflated, and it showed for a moment, but she recovered. She rose from her seat as Sean stood to leave. They shook hands.

  “I would put that envelope somewhere only you have access to. I don’t want anyone else to gain access and be tempted,” said Nikki.

  “You’re right. And not just about the photos. Thank you for the advice, Ms. Hunter,” said Sean.

  “You’re welcome, Mr. Thomas,” said Nikki.

  “Call me Sean.” He smiled, suddenly a bit shy.

  “You’re welcome, Sean,” said Nikki, licking her lips after she said it. She liked the way it tasted against her tongue. She wanted to say it more in the future, and she shook her head to remain present enough to keep it together. Sean’s eyes dipped to Nikki’s cleavage. Nikki instantly felt her nipples grow taut and her center warming. She’d been slightly aroused since Sean sat down. The photographs hadn’t helped, either. Sean’s lips parted slightly, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he only nodded his head before exiting Nikki’s office.

  Nikki was left stunned, her body reeling and with a greater dilemma. How did she keep herself together now?

  Chapter 5

  Mediation had been brutal, but Nikki showed herself to be worth every penny that Sean was paying. As they left the plain, brightly lit conference room, one thing was clear. If Jordan so much as sniffed at releasing those photos, Nikki would release the full weight of the law on her and her constituents. Sean replayed the meeting, remembering how Jordan’s lawyer used every slimy trick in the book to get Sean to back down, and how Nikki stepped in without delay each time. She wouldn’t let Sean be bullied by anyone. Sean tried to think of one occasion before this where he’d had anyone step in so strongly to protect him. In his head, he knew this was Nikki’s job, but part of him felt it was more. She didn’t have to put herself on the line like she had. Sean’s heart was sure of that.

  Nikki held the main door of the office open as they exited to their cars. It was late, and both of them were tired after such a difficult meeting. Nikki had warned him beforehand that things like this usually ended in a settlement of some kind. Sean was looking to pay whatever it would take, but he wasn’t looking forward to the end result. Something in him suspected Jordan wouldn’t give up so easily. He was hoping to be wrong, but suspected he wasn’t. Sean approached his car. He stood in the open back seat passenger door and stared back at Nikki, who was ending a call. Nikki’s dark hair caught the gleam of dusk falling. Her gray eyes were set sternly, and her lips were in a thin line. Sean could see the exhaustion in her and wondered what could be behind it. It was then that Sean decided to step out on a limb.

  He didn’t want to go home alone tonight. He wasn’t sure if it would be out of line to invite Nikki to join him for dinner and drinks, but after the evening they’d just had it was the least he could do.

  “Ms. Hunter, if you don’t have any plans, I’d like to invite you dinner,” said Sean, as casually as he could.

  He didn’t want it to be evident that it had been quite a feat for him to hide his attraction or that his motives weren’t completely pure. Sean wasn’t convinced that Nikki was interested, and even wondering if she was a lesbian. He just wanted to have tonight to pretend. It would be nice to see what it would be like to have someone like Nikki, a woman of substance and fire. Sean had spent his entire life looking for a woman who could thrill his mind as well as his body. Nikki made it look effortless.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Sean. We don’t want the appearance of impropriety,” said Nikki, after a long moment’s hesitation.

  Sean was usually good at hiding his disappointment, but he knew it flashed in his eyes the minute Nikki turned him down. Sean didn’t want to give up just yet.

  “Ms. Hunter, I know you are the consummate professional. You can bill for the dinner. We can use it to discuss the case if you like. I just…” Sean’s gaze drifted away. “It’s the least I can do.”

  Sean forced his eyes back to Nikki’s, and held her gaze for the span of what seemed like minutes. Nikki finally took a deep breath and released it slowly.

  “I’ll follow you,” she said as she continued on to her car.

  Sean dipped into the backseat of his Maclaron and smiled as his driver shut the door. He instructed the driver to hold on until Nikki was behind them. He could feel his adrenaline pumping as they moved smoothly through the streets. His thoughts wandered from one end of the spectrum to the other. Nikki would be the first woman he’d let inside his home since Jordan. It had been months since he’d felt safe enough to welcome anyone, but Sean knew he could trust Nikki. He didn’t worry that she would look at his things and walk away with some distorted sense of entitlement.

  Sean’s place was more of a compound than a mansion. The sprawling grounds were equipped with a hanging garden in tribute to his mother; an extensive library full of generations of family books; and his personal wing that could operate as a lavish apartment if needed. He spent plenty of time in this wing. Between his master suite and office quarters, there wasn’t much need for the rest of the house. The echoing halls simply reminded him that he was alone. His staff was mostly invisible, though it took a full team to keep the rooms clean and his home running smoothly. He paid the bills and tended to his staff. In return, they ensured he never had to think about anything relating to the house. It was the perfect trade off, and a lonely life.

  They passed through the monogrammed wrought-iron gates of his compound, and Sean’s driver gracefully led them down the paved entry. The lengthy corridor leading up to Sean’s home was skillfully designed so that the path was covered in beautiful flowering trees. This time of year, pink crepe myrtle blossoms littered the ground. Sean closed his eyes and inhaled the fragrance of the flowers. He wanted the peace they offered him. His emotions were going crazy. The thought of having Nikki in his home, even just for the next couple of hours, filled him with wayward ideas. If it wasn’t her deep gray eyes, then it was her feminine scent and quick thinking. Nikki was a natural problem solver. Sean could have seen that blindfolded. She was also too damned sexy for her own good. Sean tried to think of the last time he’d been so attracted to anyone, and came up empty. What was worse was that he didn’t just want to bed Nikki, he wanted to keep her.

  The driver stopped in front of Sean’s mansion and opened his door. Sean got out and waited for Nikki to follow behind him. She pulled up and stepped out of her car slowly, seeming to want to take everything in without gawking. Sean waited at the base of the steps as Nikki slowly approached.

  “Nice place,” said Nikki.

  “Thanks. It’s a bit pretentious if you ask me,” Sean said with a grin.

  Nikki laughed, and the crinkling around her eyes caught Sean off guard. He was immediately smitten. The light that filled Nikki’s eyes sent a thrill down Sean’s spine, and he knew he would do whatever it took to keep it there all night.

  “Well, they say the size of a man’s house is normally an indication of his ego,” said Nikki, her smile still firmly in place.

  “Well, we’ve already established that I’m an arrogant son of a bitch, so let me take you inside and prove it.” With that, Sean led the way in.

  Nikki’s laughter drifted to him again, and Sean felt his cock twitch. Damnit, this woman didn't know
what she was doing to him. As expected, the butler was there to greet them and take their things. He could smell dinner cooking and from a scan of his watch, he knew they still had ten minutes until the meal was served.

  “We can wait for dinner in my study. I have an exquisite bourbon I’ve been wanting to crack open,” Sean said.

  “Sounds good to me. I could use a nice stiff drink right about now.”

  Sean could think of a few stiff things he would like to offer Nikki, but the drink would do for now. Nikki followed him into his office and released an audible gasp as she entered. Knowing Nikki as well as he did by now, Sean figured she had to be really impressed. It was hard not to be.

  His custom-built cherry wood desk sat with its back to dark wood built-ins lined with books, including some biographies, books on historical figures, and other texts that Sean routinely perused. The extra-large Persian rug had been imported from one of his trips to the country of its namesake. All of his technology was top of the line. Everything had its place, and it was probably the most used room in the house besides Sean’s bedroom. Nikki admired Sean’s Mont Blanc pen collection while Sean retrieved the bourbon from a locked box. He went over to the monogrammed crystal glasses and empty decanter. He poured two glasses and handed one to Nikki.